God and Development:Doxology in African Christianity
Keywords:
Africa; Doxology; Church; Theology and development; African Christianity; Praise poetryAbstract
his article draws connections between doxology in the churches and development in Africa. It argues that while Western scholars often hesitate to make direct linkages between theology and development activity, the same is not the case within African Christianity, where the churches possess ample resources in the form of “praise poetry” for navigating the vicissitudes of life. The article suggests that more research is needed to examine the kind of doxology generated by the churches for strengthening development activity on the continent.
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