Abouts Books

By Oliver Harding

Eight days separated the first and second parts of Dr. Eze's article on The agony of the "Passion" in cultural lenses. The writer uses a single passage of Scripture that comments on two diametrically-opposed cultures, the Jews and Greeks. I Cor. 1:23, though quoted by Paul in the first century, is very relevant in contemporary Christianity. This article, like the first, is also divided into five parts. The first analyses the concept of a faulty theology that is culturally driven. Both Jews and Gentiles respectively questioned Christ's crucifixion since they were expecting a political Messiah and that it was abused that God should die in order to save people for gods do not die. The second part is a discussion on the new image of being a man. The parameters He used are love, selfless service and giving his life so that others will live. This is not in consonance with the next part that deals with our own cultural image of being a man. Power, performance and precision are man-made masculine characteristics. It was therefore against this background that Jesus' enemies viewed rescuing Himself from "The Passion" as an evidence of the acceptable cultural image of a man. The African for instance sees Okonkwo in Achebe's Things fall apart as the real man. Dr. Eze sets the discussion in perspective when he realistically observes that since Christ is the head of every man, any image of manhood outside the Messiah is culturally driven and misleading. The fourth part analyses the human nature and the cross of Christ. Not even the disciples got the message of His passion. They failed to realize that the passion must come before He enters into glory. The fifth part on the difference the passion has on us could be regarded as the application section. Although one has an individual choice to make regarding the passion, it is evident from the questions asked by Dr. Eze that present day Christianity is also guilty of the very things that happened in Scripture. The weak, poor, marginalized, rejected, stranger, homeless, prisoner, sick and dying are being treated in the same way. The writer is against the success of Mel Gibson's movie to be merely determined just on sales, numbers and fame. He wants to see a radical shift to a loving relationship with people as modeled by Jesus for us.

Robert Schreiter, in his text, Constructing local theologies analyses the interaction among the church, the gospel and the culture. If not carefully handled, a false theology would emerge based on the values in the culture. Paul encountered this problem at the Jerusalem Council and in several other instances because a group was developing a faulty theology driven by culture. A very important insight from this article is to guard against a faulty theology that is culturally driven. My country (Sierra Leone) is regarded as very poor in the world and the inhabitants of the land are looking (like the Jews in the Bible) for a political Messiah to end the oppression. Okonkwo's culture led him to erroneously believe that fame and strength are yardsticks to measure manhood. The very first chapter of Achebe's Things fall apart portray Okonkwo as a hero who brought honour to his village at a very tender age by defeating the wrestler, Amalinze the cat. Jesus wept publicly over Lazarus' death. Okonkwo did not weep openly when Ikemefuna died. He killed the colonial messenger and expected everyone to support him. He was humiliated and dejected when they rather cried, why did he do it? He committed suicide but Christ allowed Himself to be killed and exhibited love, service and sacrifice. This issue of a faulty theology that is culturally driven is calamitous and catastrophic. Racial discrimination, for instance, has been based on a faulty cultural notion - that the races are basically unequal; that the white man has a burden to civilize savages and heathens living in Africa. Consequently various arguments ranging from biology to theology were used to justify slavery.

Are Christians really responding today? Is there a fight among them? The answer is yes. There is a very acrimonious battle between the very ministers of God. What is the issue? It is about who is the greatest. There is much unforgiveness. We really resemble the Jews and disciples in Jesus' day.

The articles on the passion of Jesus by the writer is warmly recommended to all Christians who need to understand the true meaning of Christ's suffering from a cultural perspective.

AUTHOR SIGNATURE
Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
Mobile: 232-2233-460-330