The African Theology and African Church History classes are two of my most challenging because I have absolutely no clue what’s going on. In African Theology, we’re having a lecture one week, then presenting a response to it the next week.
Today’s topic was the nineteenth century missionaries, and one of the points of discussion was that the missionaries failed not in what they brought (Christianity, schools, medicine, etc.), but condemning the religious practices (music, dancing, etc.) that were already there.
Take, for example, drums, which were removed from African worship by the missionaries, and are still trying to be reintroduced in many parts. Someone thought that the missionaries didn’t condemn drums. I spoke up (which doesn’t happen often) and said that I thought they did, as there are no drums in Western worship, so clearly they did condemn the drums.
My friend Zipporah turned around, somewhat appalled, and asked, “Really?! Even in the seminary?” Indeed. The poor girl was flabbergasted.
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