Eschatological Christology in African Christianity: A Reflection on Relevance and Implication

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INTRODUCTION
Eschatology, "last things" was the first thing for the early church; it was key to what they believed; their assurance was the promised kingdom of God that was coming. They were confident that the promises of God contained in the OT concerning the salvation of Israel had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but that, the fulfilment was not yet attained. For Pannenberg, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, therefore, was the foundation of Christology, the absence of which all Christological arguments and rationalisation would fail. 1 Starting from this basis, Pannenberg constructs a Christology that methodologically proceeds "from below" that changes into a "high" Christology in its theological composition. In African Christianity, Eschatological Christology, therefore, is about how African Christianity in its unique religious context understands and interprets biblical prophecies about the End Times and the assertion of Jesus's distinctive "status" about his relationship to the Father and divinity and humanity. Eschatology in African Christianity, therefore, is reflective of the repositories of religious and theological reflections from Africa's rich cultural and religious cosmology as well as already existing and available Western Christian theological praxis. This article attempts to engage according to Walls is contrasted with the apocalyptic eschatology that emphasis mysterious revelations about unexpected, dramatic, and catastrophic intervention by God in history; the judgment of all men, and the rule of the elect with God in a renewed heaven and earth. 10 Moltmann argues that, from a Christian perspective, eschatology is Christocentric and originates from the paschal Mystery; it is not just grounded on Jesus' resurrection and proclamation of God's Kingdom, it is also concerned with Christ's return in glory, and the coming of a new heaven and a new earth that the resurrected Christ will bring about upon his return to judge the righteous and sinners, the living and dead, and inaugurate an eternal reign. 11

The Concept of Christology in Christianity
The concept of Christology in Christianity has been the background to many debates and at least seven ecumenical councils -the First Council of Nicaea in 325, the First Council of Constantinople in 381, the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680-681 and finally, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. From the 2 nd to the 5 th centuries of the history of the church, it was preoccupied with issues about how to understand and interpret the life and meaning of Jesus; the assertion of His distinctive "status," His relationship to the Father and divinity and humanity. From the Greek Χριστός (Christós) and -λογία (logia) Christology in Christianity, is about the nature and work of Jesus; His Incarnation, Resurrection, and Human and Divine natures and their relationship; the basic sources for these discussions was the New Testament. 12 Lubeck argues that even in the OT there are pieces of evidence of what he calls "Christophanies;" the etymology of which according to him is from two Greek words, 'Χριστός (Christos) and the ending" -phany", φαίνειν (Phainein) "bring to light, cause to appear, show" used in relation to the manifestation of Christ in the OT. It is derived by direct comparison with the term Theophany (Theophaneia). 13 López and some early Christian writers identified the Angel of the Lord who was frequently mentioned in the OT as the pre-incarnate Christ. 14 Justin Martyr strongly argued in support of the claim that the Angel was the Logos (the WORD) which in the opening pages of the gospel of John is said to be with God from the beginning. He argued that "He who is called God and appeared to the patriarchs is called both Angel and Lord. 15 Christology is studied and discussed within the rubric of theology which is the study of the nature of the divine and more broadly, of religious beliefs. 16 According to Aquinas, theology had triple features, that is, (a) what is taught by God, (b) what teaches of God and (c) what leads to God. 17 Earliest Christological theologies however were concerned with the various designations of Jesus in the apostolic literature. 18 Particularly, the wealth of mythologies and metaphors in the Apostolic literature shaped early Christian perception of the person and nature of Jesus. That widespread vocabulary was first given an articulate context in the 2nd century when Ignatius rejected adoptionism to contend that Jesus was a conqueror of death and that in Him the divine and the human natures are present. 19 According to Ignatius, Jesus was Spirit and Flesh, Created and Uncreated, Suffering and Nonsuffering. As a spirit, according to Ignatius, Jesus was one and equal with the Father in essence and substance, as flesh, he was subordinate and altogether submissive to the Father. 20 Two Christologies developed over the period; the low or adoptionist, and the high or incarnation. The low or adoptionist Christology is the belief that Jesus was exalted by God to be his Son by bringing him up from the dead. The 'high' Christology, is the view that Jesus was a pre-existent divine being who took upon himself the nature of a man becoming like us, did the Father's will on earth, and then was taken back into heaven where he originally came from. According to Boers and Casey, the high Christology developed during the active periods when the apostle Paul was writing most of his letters under the influence of Gentile Christians, who introduced their pagan Hellenistic traditions to the early Christian communities, ascribing divine characters to Jesus. 21 Following the Apostolic Age, from the 2 nd century, a number of disagreements emerged about how the human and divine natures in Jesus are connected and related within the person of "Jesus". 22 By the 2 nd century, different approaches developed. In contrast to monoprosopic views, dyoprosopic views also emerged. Prosopon had an important role in the development of theological terminology related to the "Trinity" and "Jesus Christ". "Prosopon" was commonly used for the "self-manifestation" of individual "hypostasis". Every hypostasis according to Antonhad its own prosopon (face or countenance). 23 According to Ramelli, two theological concepts emerged in relation to the "Person of Christ"; (a) the "monoprosopic" which advocated that Christ had "one person" and (b) the "dyoprosopic" which advocated that Christ has "two persons" (Divine and Human). 24 Hypostasis (Gk; ὑπόστασις, hypóstasis) was the underlying state (or something that settles at the bottom). The Triadology of God consists of three hypostasis: Hypostasis of the Father, Hypostasis of the Son, and Hypostasis of the Holy Spirit. 25 Three concepts emerged in reference to the number and mutual relations of "divine hypostases"; (a) monohypostatic (or miahypostatic) which advocated that God has only one hypostasis; (b) dyohypostatic which also advocated that God has two hypostases-Father and Son; and (c) trihypostatic which advocated that God had three hypostases-Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In Christology, two hypostatic concepts also emerged in reference to Christ; (a) monohypostatic which advocates that Christ has only one hypostasis; and (b) dyohypostatic which also advocates that Christ has two hypostases -divine and human. Eschatological Christology in African Christianity is a subject that draws quite a lot from the 'rich African context' -the African traditional religion philosophy and cultural contexts -and the western Christian religious contexts. It is therefore a tripartite eschatological Christology. Eschatological Christology in African Christianity is about how African Christianity in its unique religious context understands and interprets biblical prophecies about the End Times and the assertion of Jesus's distinctive status about his relationship to the Father and divinity and humanity. Eschatology in African Christianity, therefore, is reflective of the repositories of religious and theological reflections from Africa's rich cultural and religious cosmology as well as already existing and available Western Christian theological praxis. 26 These two contextualised and brought together under the perspectives of African Christianity present an eschatological Christology and Christopraxis that addresses questions of the End Times and Jesus's "status" and relationship to the Father; divinity and humanity in relation to the here-and-now and the hereafter.

Eschatological Christology in African Christianity
According to Bediako the tripartite nature of the African Christian theological context provides a unique Christopraxis that presents an appropriate response to the various questions of indigenous African spiritual cosmology. 27 Mayemba puts it this way, eschatology in the African context 'is not just about the future (the not-yet-there), it is also concerned with the present (the already-there) and the past; the memory of the past, through the act of remembrance. 28 Gathogo identifies six Christological approaches in two Christological trends that emerged in the 20 th century in the Christology of African Christianity. These include (1) Christological trend about interpreting and adapting Christology to modern mentality and condition; (2) Christologies exclusively concerned with the historical Jesus; (3) Christology that uphold the Trinitarian theology; (4) Christologies based on the proclaimed Christ and the historical Jesus; (5) Asian Christologies of inculturation and liberation; and (6) African Christologies of inculturation and liberation. 29 Wachege categorises African Christologies as comprising two sets -Christologies of liberation, and inculturation. African liberation Christologists present Jesus as not just a liberator from oppressive systems, but also from sin -which is the root cause of estrangement and oppression. 30 Taylor asks a very profound question, 'Christ has been presented as the answer to the questions a Whiteman would ask, the solution to the needs a Western man would feel, the Saviour of the world of the European worldview, the object of the worship and prayer of historic Christendom. But if Christ was to appear as the answer to the questions Africans are asking, what would he look like? 31 Definitely not in the context that has been presented to the African. 32 Moreover, according to Nyamiti Jesus is regarded as one who died as He fought against injustices, oppression and dehumanisation and was subsequently raised as a fruit of struggle -a move that invites African Christians to team up and gallantly participate in Christ's liberating mission.

Relevance and significance of eschatological Christology in African Christian Theology and Christology for African Christianity
One cannot but notice the richness of the uniqueness of the cosmological context within which African Christianity attempts to articulate its understanding of eschatological Christology. This rich cosmology according to Kanu represents Africa's pursuit of the sense of life, and an unconscious but natural tendency to arrive at a unifying base that constitutes a set of a meaning every so often is viewed as terminus a quo (origin), and as terminus ad quem (end). 34 This worldview is the underscoring rationality and link that holds together Africa's value system, philosophy of life; societal conduct, moral principles, rites, rituals, rules, and spiritualities. Bediako identifies a characteristic feature of African Christianity which according to him is unique; it was not a pretentious exotic, inquiring expression of an incomprehensible universe but uniquely built into a cosmology of an active African universe of spirituality. 35 In African Christianity, therefore, eschatology is not necessarily Christocentric because Christ is seen as an ancestor. the African universe consists of two contrasting but at the same time complementary worlds; (a) the world of the spirits (spiritual universe)those who have been on this earth as family and community members and divinities and (b) the world of those who still sojourn in societies, families and communities (the physical universe). These two worlds, though contrasting are more complementary; the spiritual universe is considered a very special and close part of the physical. Accordingly, African cosmology involves both active mystical and corporeal realms, which despite their separate spheres interact with each other. God in the African world, according to Quarcoopome is a realism; not an immaterial concept. 36 Idowu claims that he is a personal being with whom one can enter into intimacy and conversation. He is amicable on all occasions of life. 37 Eschatological Christology in African Christian theology and Christology is the theological and theoretical paradigm that provides the context, content and motivation for an African Christian eschatological Christology, theology and Christopraxis. As far as the charge is concerned, there is an urgency and need to ensure an active Christian mission to the nations. There is mission consciousness and an approach that emerges within the African philosophical concept of ubuntu derived from Zulu and Xhola, (Nguni Bantu). A very powerful concept, "Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu" or "I am, because you are" is the meaning of Ubuntu. It expresses the element that all humans are connected and that one can only grow and progress through the growth and development of others. The African is completely made aware that the individual's life and the pursuit of life are not achievable in loneliness, apart from one's fellows because life is somewhat communal and possible only in a network of mutual interdependencies amongst an individual and his/her community. As a consequence of this, mission is undertaken with intentionality and purpose. This sharply interconnects with salvation in the African Christian eschatological concept.
In African indigenous religions, the certainty of human salvation is associated with the experience of life. Africans, therefore, place great emphasis on life; the continuity of family life and life after death must be seen from the viewpoint of salvation. For Africans, faith and life are inseparable, belief is essentially experienced in the community; the community's character of faith is emphasized and exemplified in the daily living of members. In African circumstances, faith is not simply a rational understanding of what one believes, but faith has a corporate and communal character. In view of this, salvation in African Christian eschatological Christology is seen as the responsibility of the community. It is worked out by the whole community and family, everybody in the family or community is to achieve salvation. If this is going to be possible, in African traditional and cultural ethics and values every member of the family has a duty and a responsibility towards the other.
Perception of the African universe is yet another serious sphere. The concept of the African universe of active spirituality motivates members to be careful. Many Africans express intense disapproval towards all forms of diabolical wickedness personified in witchcraft, because not only does it prostitute the rules of nature by intentional manipulation of malevolent forces for destructive purposes, it negatively contaminates human relationships, in so doing threatening the communal nature of society. It is against the background of frightful terror and profound revulsion against activities such as witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment, or necromancy that the traditional African is apt to call every premeditated enmity, hatred, evil talk or acts directed towards the destruction of the life of others witchcraft and intolerable. This consciousness pulls the African Christian into a continual relationship with God for protection and relief from the malevolent wishes and activities of evil people in the society.

CONCLUSION
The article attempted an African Christian Christological reflection of the relevance and significance of the concept for African Christianity and Christopraxis. It engaged various theological discourses that establish the conceptual and theoretical frameworks that guide and direct the theological discourses of the general concept of eschatological Christology and Christology within African Christianity. Through engagement dialogue with various literature, particularly, a teleological conceptualisation of eschatology, that dealt with expectation, hope, death, and the future that relied on the belief that not everything about human beings is over after death revealed that death is not the human being's radical end or absolute destination, but that there is something beyond. But in African theology or African Christian theology, eschatology is not only about the future (the not-yet-there). It is also about the present (the already-there) and the past, (memory of the past). As identified, this is a result of the stark impact of the concept of eschatology within African theology. African indigenous religions generally did not have the belief of a future resurrection of the bodies as such; but life after death, lived in the "invisible world", in the "village of ancestors", where all the righteous dead meet and dwell, and that access to this invisible village depended on the quality of life in the land of the living. This eschatological concept of the afterlife village of the ancestors shapes peoples' actions and provides them with a sense of orientation and hope in living a life characterized by personal virtue, cosmic harmony, clanic solidarity and ancestral wisdom reconceptualised within African Christianity and African Christian theology provides a unique concept of eschatological Christology within African Christianity that informs a perfect Christopraxis within African Christianity irrespective of the plethora of syncretistic debates regarding its nature.