A December 15-21 retreat for Mennonite workers in east African countries focused on the theme, "The Wisdom of Africa." One of the speakers was Douglas Waruta, chair of the Religious Studies department at the University of Nairobi.

Waruta characterized African religious understanding as the "flow of life" beginning with God and continuing through spirits or divinities, ancestors, religious specialists (priests, prophets, diviners), elders, parents, age mates, animals, trees and plants, rivers, lakes, mountains and the soil.

This flow, said Waruta, is countered by anti-life forces which include human failures, witchcraft (inherited evil forces), sorcery (learned witchcraft), and curses. These anti-life forces are powerful, he suggested, but not omnipotent. They can be neutralized by rituals of renewal, restoration and celebration.

The presentation raised a vigorous discussion about whether Christ supersedes these traditional understandings, or whether Christ is expressed through the culture, the diviners included. The effective pastor, said Waruta, will "fit into the 'flow of life' chart and maintain its 'logic of spirituality.'" As an example, he suggested that baptisms and confirmations should be related to the concept of "age mates" - age groupings that move through life stages together.

A veteran missionary cautioned about the dangers of syncretism - the mixing of elements from different religions.

"That term used by missiologists assumes there is a 'pure gospel' somewhere," replied Waruta. "The gospel is the good news of incarnation, of God becoming a human being and pitching a tent among us."

"African religion is not the gospel," added Waruta. "But it's not inimical to the gospel. African culture and religion are gifts which the God of Jesus Christ continues to complete and to critique."

One of the weaknesses of African culture, he suggested, is that individuals are sometimes sacrificed to the community. He noted the opposite problem in the west. --Ron Rempel