Pan-African Journal of Theology

Book Review

Jean-Claude Rukundo Rwarahoze — 2025-04-14

Masfa, Gabriel. Seventh-day Adventism in Africa: A Historical Survey of the Interaction between Religion, Traditions, and Culture. London & New York: Routledge, 2023. xv + 235 pages, Paper Cover, US$ 41.24. ISBN 978-1-032-36458-2

Erasmus’ Exceptive Clause (εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ) in the Divorce and Remarriage Saying (Matthew 19:9): An Assessment

Davidson Razafiarivony — 2025-04-14

The Protestant/Evangelical view of marriage, divorce, and remarriage is also known as Erasmian view because Erasmus (1466 – 1536) laid the foundation for it as he interpreted Jesus’ saying from the Gospel of Matthew. The view rests on the premise that when the divorce is grounded on πορνεία, the innocent spouse has a biblical permission to remarry; otherwise, remarriage would be adultery. In his critical edition of the Greek New Testament, Eramus made his text read ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ, καὶ γαμήσῃ ἄλλην μοιχᾶται, thus making the exception (“except for πορνεία) explicitly clear and without ambiguity. This paper comes to the defense of his interpretive text.

The Danger of the Confluence of Neoplatonism and Christianity for Biblical Teachings on Salvation

Augustin Tchamba — 2025-04-14

This paper argues that Neoplatonism’s aim to merge Greek Philosophy and Christianity was not without its impact on the biblical concept of salvation. This confluence presupposes a cosmic order of existence according to which the physical is of a lower order of reality than the non-physical. On the other hand, Christianity is based on Jesus Christ and the Bible, where God, depicted as personal, is both beyond this world and present in it. Neoplatonism views salvation as the soul merging with the One, a concept that is difficult to explain and stands in stark contrast to the biblical understanding of the same themes. The paper concludes by highlighting the relevance and danger of Neoplatonism on Christian believers, underscoring the weight of this argument.

African Monarchism and Biblical Leadership: A Theological Evaluation of the Use of Authority in Church Governance

Taddius Nkanyezi — 2025-04-14

This article explores the theological and cultural intersections between African monarchism and biblical principles of servant leadership particularly in the context of church governance. It addresses African monarchism’s influence on church leadership highlighting both congruencies and tensions between traditional monarchic authority and the Bible’s model of humility and service. A broad cultural perspective is employed comparing African monarchic systems with other global monarchies such as those in medieval Europe and Confucian Asia to underscore varied approaches to divinely sanctioned leadership. The study further examines the diversity within African monarchism itself drawing on examples from Ethiopian, Yoruba, and Luba monarchies to illustrate regional variations in governance, ritual authority, and power distribution. Historical insights into early Christian and Jewish leadership practices provide additional context revealing how servant leadership principles subverted the hierarchical norms of the Roman Empire and aligned with the Old Testament’s covenantal ethics. Through a critical analysis of (Matt 20:25-28 and 1 Pet 5:2-3), the article argues for an adaptive biblically rooted church leadership model that respects African cultural heritage while fostering transparency, service, and humility. This paradigm aims to support spiritually robust and community-centred church leadership that aligns with scriptural values.

A prognostic analysis on the commercialization of religion and its impacts on students in Nigerian universities

Favour Chukwuemeka Uroko — 2025-04-14

The growth, vibrancy, and increased visibility of Christian fellowships in Nigerian universities have received less scholarly attention, notwithstanding the negative impacts they have on campus students. In this study, literature was extended to the exploitation of students by campus fellowships. Some of these campus fellowships have no mother church; they are being established by students (graduate and undergraduate) who manipulate religion for their selfish aims and objectives. Unlike earlier missionary Christianity, which placed more emphasis on post-death rewards, the new wave of Pentecostalism and charismatic Christianity in campus fellowships indicates that the reward pastors receive here on earth begins before the final one is received in the afterlife. This is a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach. An in-depth interview with thirteen (N=13) students was conducted, and content analysis was adopted. These 13 students are known to the author and they have participated actively, directly and indirectly, in campus fellowships. Purposive sampling was used to decide on the eligibility of the 13 students interviewed. The Marxists theory was utilized in this study. Findings reveal that campus fellowships exploit students' money, time, and material resources. It also increased the level of female sexual abuse on campus and the number of fellowship students who became overstay and external students. Recommendations are discussed.