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This book is an attempt at a critical, constructive, and creative theological praxis of social transformation in Africa. The authors apply a multi-disciplinary approach to examining how Christianity in Africa is engaging the problems of Africa's challenging social context.This is a prophetic work that applies the symbols of "salt" and "light" as ecclesiological images for reenvisioning the path towards procuring abundant life for God's people in the African continent through the agency of African Christianity.The contributors to this volume ask these fundamental questions: What is the face of Jesus in African Christianity? What is the face and identity of the Church in Africa? How can one evaluate the relevance of the Church in Africa to African Christians who enthusiastically embrace and celebrate their Christian faith? In other words, what positive imprint is Christianity leaving on the lives and societies of African Christians? Does the Christian message have the potential of positively affecting African civilization as it once did in Europe? What is the relevance and place of African Christianity as a significant voice in shaping both the future of Africa and that of world Christianity?

Church and social problems --- Christianity and culture --- Theology --- 26 <6> --- Christianity and social problems --- Social problems and Christianity --- Social problems and the church --- Social problems --- 26 <6> Ecclesiologie. De Kerk:--theologisch--Afrika --- 26 <6> Ecclesiologie. L'Eglise catholique--Afrique --- Ecclesiologie. De Kerk:--theologisch--Afrika --- Ecclesiologie. L'Eglise catholique--Afrique --- Africa --- Church history.

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Ecclesiology is the study of the church and has two focal points; the one is the historical and doctrinal perspective on the church, and the other is the church as situated in a local context in the sense of the local practices of actual congregations. The ecclesiology or, more correctly, the ecclesiologies of this volume mainly focuses on the second aspect, i.e., understanding the local congregation or parish as a community of believers. A congregation may firstly be described by posing a theological question: What is the local missional church or congregation all about? This question may be answered from different perspectives, but it remains essential to answer it from a theological perspective. The first five chapters in this book focus mainly on a theological understanding of the congregation. This is done from different disciplines within the study field of theology. Congregations are, secondly, social realities and should be described and analysed through an analytical or empirical lens, or, to answer the question attached to the first empirical-descriptive task of practical theology, “What is going on?”. The remaining chapters use a quantitative and qualitative lens and give an empirical analysis of the congregation. The intention is to critically reflect on the church and congregations’ ecclesiology from a theological and analytical perspective with an emphasis on the South African context. It wants to map markers for the development of contemporary ecclesiologies, and the different chapters are meant as mirrors to look in and reflect on the theological and contextual relevance of denominations and congregations in South Africa.

Religious gatherings --- Church --- Congregational churches --- Mission of the church --- 260.1 --- 26 <6> --- 26 <6> Ecclesiologie. De Kerk:--theologisch--Afrika --- 26 <6> Ecclesiologie. L'Eglise catholique--Afrique --- Ecclesiologie. De Kerk:--theologisch--Afrika --- Ecclesiologie. L'Eglise catholique--Afrique --- 260.1 Ecclesiologie:--algemene vraagstukken --- Ecclesiologie:--algemene vraagstukken --- Christian sects --- Ecclesiastical theology --- Ecclesiology --- Theology, Ecclesiastical --- People of God --- Theology --- Assemblies, Religious --- Congregations (Religious gatherings) --- Gatherings, Religious --- Religious assemblies --- Religious meetings --- Councils and synods --- Meetings --- Mission --- Purpose --- Christian Churches & denominations --- Christianity --- faith communities --- theology --- denominational perspective --- Dutch Reformed Church --- congregations --- church --- ecclesiology --- missio dei --- the Jesus walk --- spiritual