An analytical study of Kwame Bediako’s theological methods

George Emmanuel Acquaah

Issue: Vol.8  No.1 2026 Article 2 pp. 9-16
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/motbit.2026812 |  Published online 18th June, 2026
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Insight into Kwame Bediako’s theological methods is vital for African Christianity. This paper seeks to analyze Kwame Bediako’s approach to theological method within the framework of biblical theology. The study employs a qualitative theological approach to analyze, interpret, and critically examine Bediako’s theological methods within the framework of African Christian thought. This methodology suits the study’s aim of exploring meanings, concepts, and theological constructs in Bediako’s writings, rather than quantifying data. The findings indicate that Bediako emphasizes Jesus Christ as the main divine revelation, viewing Christian scriptures, African traditional religions, and cultures as interconnected media that prepare Africans for experiencing God’s fullness in Christ. The findings demonstrate that Bediako’s theological approach centers on Scripture as the key to African theology, recognizing oral traditions and cultural influences that lead to diverse interpretations. He uses the hermeneutics of the mother tongue, emphasizing cultural context over the original authors’ intent, called “reverse hermeneutics” technique. By contextualizing biblical concepts within African ancestral traditions, his method leans more toward eisegesis than traditional exegesis. This study contributes to African Christian theology by emphasizing the importance of grounding theology in Scripture and advocating for the historical-grammatical method of interpretation, which ensures biblical understanding before cultural application. It recommends a Christ-centered, Scripture-based approach that critically engages culture while upholding the authority of divine revelation.

Keywords:   Revelation, Mother Tongue, Grassroots Theology, Theological Method.

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Pastor George Emmanuel Acquaah holds a PhD in Biblical Theological Studies with an emphasis in Systematic Theology from Adventist University of Africa. He has advanced expertise in the formulation, analysis, and contextual application of Christian doctrine. He also serves as the President of the Pioneer Ghana Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Additionally, he is a part-time lecturer at Valley View University. He earned an MPhil in Biblical Theological Studies from Adventist University of Africa, Kenya; an MA in Human Resource Development from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana; and a BA in Theological Studies from Valley View University, Accra, Ghana. His research focuses on the doctrine of God, Christology, Pneumatology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Bibliology, Theological Anthropology, Theological Method, Historical Theology, Contextual and Comparative Theology, Ethics and Moral Theology, as well as topics like contextualization, exegesis, and religious studies.

Acquaah, George Emmanuel. “An Analytical Study of Kwame Bediako’s Theological Methods.” Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology 8, no.1 (2026): 9-16. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2026812

© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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