Freedom's Distant Shores: American Protestants and Post-Colonial Alliances with Africa PDF
Preview Freedom's Distant Shores: American Protestants and Post-Colonial Alliances with Africa
S M I T This fine book completely shatters the myth promulgated only a H few years ago that the “next Christendom”was flourishing in the global South completely on its own. The connections between U.S. FF and African Christianity remain strong and are far more complex RR than either demographic projections or postcolonial rhetoric EE EE would lead us to believe. DD — Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University OO MM Freedom’s Distant Shores examines the relations between U.S. ’’ SS Protestants and Africa since the end of colonial rule. It draws atten- DD tion to shifting ecclesiastical and socio-political priorities, especial- II ly the decreased momentum of social justice advocacy and the SS growing missionary influence of churches emphasizing spiritual TT AA revival and personal prosperity. The book provides a thought-pro- NN voking assessment of U.S. Protestant involvements with Africa, and TT it proposes forms of engagement that build upon ecclesiastical SS dynamism within American and African contexts. HH OO R. Drew Smith (Ph.D. Yale) is scholar-in-residence and project RR director of the “Public Influences of African-American Churches EE SS Project”and of the “Faith Communities and Urban Families Project” at Morehouse College. baylorpress.com Freedom’s Distant Shores Freedom’s Distant Shores American Protestants and Post-Colonial Alliances with Africa edited by R. Drew Smith Baylor University Press Waco, Texas USA ©2006 Baylor University Press Waco, Texas 76798 All Rights Reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of Baylor University Press. Cover Design:Pamela Poll Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Freedom’s distant shores : American Protestants and post-colonial alliances with Africa / R. Drew Smith, editor. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-1-932792-37-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Africa--Church history--20th century. 2. Africa--Church history --21st century. 3. Protestantism--Africa. 4. Christianity and politics --Africa. 5. Church and state--Africa. I. Smith, R. Drew, 1956- . BR1360.F74 2006 276'.0825--dc22 2006019271 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper with a minimum of 30% pcw recycled content. Contents Preface vii Introduction 1 R. Drew Smith Part I Churches and Democratic Rights in Africa 1 Shifting Perspectives on Africa in Mainline Protestant Social Thought 11 Mark Hulsether 2 Rev. James H. Robinson and American Support for African Democracy and Nation-Building, 1950s–1970s 37 Sandra J. Sarkela and Patrick Mazzeo 3 Martin Luther King, Jr., a “Coalition of Conscience,” and Freedom in South Africa 53 Lewis Baldwin 4 A Transatlantic Comparison of a Black Theology of Liberation 83 Dwight N. Hopkins v vi Contents 5 Quaker Women in Kenya and Human Rights Issues 111 Stephen W. Angell 6 Mennonites and Peace-Building in Angola 131 Lutiniko Landu Miguel Pedro Part II Revivalistic Churches, Ecclesiastical Expansion, and Ethical Challenges 7 American Evangelists and Church-State Dilemmas in Multiple African Contexts 143 R. Drew Smith 8 American Pentecostalism and the Growth of Pentecostal- Charismatic Movements in Nigeria 155 Matthews A. Ojo 9 U.S. Evangelicals, Racial Politics, and Social Transition in ContemporarySouth Africa 169 R. Drew Smith Part III Considering the Future: American and African Perspectives 10 The Changing Nature of Christianity and the Challenge of U.S.-Africa Mission Partnerships 191 Marsha Snulligan Haney 11 Contemporary Public Theology in the United States and South Africa 209 Nico Koopman Conclusion 223 R. Drew Smith Notes 227 About the Contributors 271 Index 275 Preface Although this project was initiated a few years ago, fortunately most of the writing and editing for this volume took place while I was in South Africa earlier this year as a visiting professor at the University of Pretoria. Being in South Africa at that time was like locating at a major intersection where ecclesiastical and social forces from across Africa and from places further away wereactively converging and giving shape to new forms of global reli- gious and social life. In South Africa I interacted with many Christians who represented this diversity—in classrooms, worship venues, and informal set- tings—and I received important confirmation and critiques of previously formed perceptions, especially about relationships between American and African religious and social life. I am grateful for this opportunity and offer special thanks to the Fulbright Program and to the School of Theology at the University of Pretoria for facilitating my visit. I also extend my gratitude to each of my colleagues who contributed chapters to this volume. Each of them cast significant light on the important issues they addressed. I would also like to thank Carey Newman, director, Baylor University Press, for his strong interest in this project and for the valuable feedback given along the vii viii Preface way. My primary conversation partner in all of my scholarly projects has been my wife Angelique. I will always be grateful to her for her support and encouragement. R. Drew Smith Autumn 2005
Description:The list of books you might like
