CALVIN THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL

The Contribution of African Theological Reflection to the Quest for Emancipation by

Alfred Muli, under the supervision of John Bolt, Ronald Feenstra, and Pieter
Tuit. Pp. v + 89.
This thesis is an evaluation of the contribution of African theological reflec-
tion to the quest for emancipation. The evaluation is important because of the
influence of the pan-African spirit in the history of Africa. Many African
Evangelicals differ with African emancipation theologians on the understand-
ing and approach to the theme of emancipation. The thesis attempts to pro-
vide a balanced perspective of the quest for emancipation as a theme in African
theological reflection.
Chapter 1 discusses the historical and theological basis of the quest for
emancipation as a theme in African theological reflection. This chapter points
out the legitimacy of the quest for emancipation as a theme in African theo-
logical reflection. It demonstrates that in African theological reflection, the
theme of emancipation emerged in an attempt to provide a Christian voice on
the pan-African movements quest for sociopolitical emancipation of the
African people from the white colonial regime. The chapter identifies the con-
cept of common grace as the theological basis for analyzing the quest for eman-
cipation especially in the fulfillment of the moral demands of the image of God
for human dignity and identity. Chapter 2 discusses the contribution of African
theological reflection to the quest for emancipation to the public as well as the
Christian life of the African people. The chapter indicates that African theo-
logical reflection has attempted to link the principles of emancipation with the
Christian conviction about the dignity of all humanity. It also notes the contri-
bution of African theological reflection toward achieving greater self-identity of
the African people.
Chapter 3 discusses some weaknesses of current African theological reflec-
tion on the quest for emancipation. Four alarming elements are considered
and responded to: failure to identify the fundamental dilemma of the human
predicament, religious pluralism, syncretism, and inclusivism.

Progressive Dispensationalism: A Paradigm Shift for Dispensational Theology with

Ministry Relevance for Dispensational Churches in Kenya by Joseph Uvai Mutisya,
under the supervision of Lyle Bierma, Ronald Feenstra, and John Cooper.
Pp. v + 110.
This thesis argues that progressive dispensationalism is a paradigm shift in
dispensational theology and that this shift has ministry relevance for dispensa-
tional churches in Kenya. In support of this argument, chapter 1 examines the
development of dispensationalism as a theological system from its inception in
the early 1800s to the present. This development of dispensationalism is
divided into three phases: classical, revised, and progressive.
Chapter 2 compares the three phases of the development of dispensation-
alism in relation to three theological themes: the people of God, the biblical

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covenants, and the view of the kingdom. In this comparison, representative
theologians of each period are examined along with relevant works of other
theologians. The goal of this chapter is to show the continuity and discontinu-
ity between the three phases of the development of dispensationalism in order
to show that progressive dispensationalism is a paradigm shift in dispensational
theology.
Chapter 3 draws implications for theology and ministry from this paradigm
shift in dispensational theology. These implications are general principles that
show the direction dispensational theology is taking and possible ministry
involvement that progressive dispensationalism can lead dispensational
churches to undertake.
Chapter 4 applies the implications drawn in chapter 3 to Kenyan dispensa-
tional churches against the Kenyan African traditional background. This is
done in order to show that this paradigm shift in dispensational theology is
relevant for ministry in Kenyan dispensational churches.

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