Kenyatta University, Nairobi | Philosophy and Religious Studies

African world-view is controlled by some forces, which are believed to intervene in circumstances beyond human capability. Cultures, communities and religious institutions are in agreement on the existence of these supernatural powers.... more

African world-view is controlled by some forces, which are believed to intervene in circumstances beyond human capability. Cultures, communities and religious institutions are in agreement on the existence of these supernatural powers. They however differ on the nature, concept, and the manner in which supernatural powers are consulted and incorporated in human affairs. In view of this, the article sets out to explore the beliefs and practices in Ugo (healing divinity) among the Presbyterian Christians in Nyeri presbytery of Kenya and in the analysis explore the inconsistencies brought about by the different viewpoints. In turn, the article hopes to address dualistic nature of some strands of African Christianity and build on the quest for a holistic Christian community. Guided by Horton’s theory of African religion as one of manipulation, and Niebuhr’s missiological model, the article adopted a descriptive survey to collect data from 382 respondents (364 church members, 6 pastors, 6 elders, 6 Ago). It employed systematic and multiple sampling techniques (purposive, stratified random, simple random and snowball) to determine and select the sample. The data were collected through observation, interview schedules and administering questionnaires to the respondents. Data was prepared for statistical analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, means and percentages formed part of the descriptive statistics. The findings in this article will reveal that the Kikuyu believed in Ugo as key instruments through which God heals them. The Church of Scotland Mission (now called Presbyterian Church of East Africa) on its onset among the Kikuyu community denounced these practices terming them as devilish without logically evaluating their ontological value to the local inhabitants. As will be demonstrated, beliefs and religious practices that were introduced failed to offer complete physical and spiritual elements in solving problems hindering the wellbeing of the community. This resulted in Kikuyu Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Christians reverting to Ugo in search of these spiritual elements - a trend that obtains to the present day. This scenario is spurred by their understanding of health, illness and healing from an African perspective, a phenomenon that takes into account both physical and spiritual aspects. The article recommends inculturation procedure whereby some rich African cultural elements are in dialogue with the Gospel; and where the incompatible cultural elements are replaced. The integration and the replacement, the article argues, will help in enriching Christianity in the so-called Mission Churches and eventually erase dualism.

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- by Hezekiah Muraya and +1
  Julius Gathogo
- •

In this study the researcher has combined an empirical and a theological documentary methodology to: investigate whether there are significant levels of aberrant faith expression; andalso re-examined the doctrine of conversion and... more

In this study the researcher has combined an empirical and a theological documentary methodology to: investigate whether there are significant levels of aberrant faith expression; andalso re-examined the doctrine of conversion and discipleship, in the Central Kenya Conference. The major concern has been there may be flawed spiritual formation processes of the newly converted members in this particular church of CKC. The investigations focused on the correlation of the aberrant faith expressions and rebaptism cycles involving older members seeking to be re-baptized ever spiritual revival even is over. The compelling empirical evidence suggests that the religious praxis of the church in CKCis significantly aberrant. The evidence shows that levels of up 65% of the respondents mix their traditional beliefs with Christian doctrines.Thus, the researcher argued that the Christian convert and the doctrine of conversion and experiencing it engender particular ways of talking and thinking about and practicing belief in the church. Change that is presupposed by it must be made a steady progression through the model developed so as to bring about a progression in cognitive restructuring or transformation rather than an instant event. However, the theological documentary inquiry gleaned evidences that suggest that aberrance in religious praxis is a natural consequence of doing theology in Africa especially engineered by the African consortia as a scion of the new African Liberation theology. African scholars have strongly defended it as Nthamburi, Mbiti, Idowu, among others.This view is persuasiveas an excuse for aberrant faith but then others like Gosnell Yorke depart diametrically to defend the aberrant faith expression as proof of syncretism that is unavoidable and a natural result of conversion thus giving the debate an important twist. It is thus recommended that a Charigma-Didache Discipling model be adopted in addressing this aberrant faith situation. It advances the argument that change isbeing a new creation as opposed to being a new creature.
Key words:Christian Conversion; Discipleship; Aberrant faith; Charigma- Didache- Discipleship; Seventh - day Adventist

This paper examines the biblical concept of the raqiya or "firmament" described in Genesis 1. It focuses specifically on Paul Seely's research arguing the firmament represents a literal solid dome encircling the earth. Through detailed... more

Abstract: This study combines empirical and theological documentary methodologies to investigate aberrant faith expression and re-examine doctrines of conversion and discipleship in the Central Kenya Conference. Evidence suggests... more

This literature review chapter explores the biblical and theological concepts of conversion and discipleship. Conversion refers to a spiritual reorientation entailing a turning from false beliefs and practices to embrace true faith in the... more

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The aberrant expression of Chris1an faith has been a complex issue facing the church in Africa. This paper provides a cri1cal analysis of the factors underlying this phenomenon based on empirical and theological inquiry. Data collected... more

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This comprehensive literature review explores the biblical and theological foundations of conversion and discipleship, drawing on key scholarly perspectives to analyze these essential Christian concepts. Conversion is understood as a... more

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- by JPierre K I B I I S Y O MMasai
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- 13
  Religion, Christianity, Theology, Systematic Theology

This paper re-|examines Paul Seely's groundbreaking research on the biblical Raqiya (firmament) in light of recent archaeological findings, linguistic studies, and biblical evidence. While Seely's 1991 paper established the foundation for... more

This paper is a chapter of my PhD research proposal. It examines the primary controversies surrounding climate modeling methodologies, with particular focus on the critiques raised by scientists who question the reliability of... more

This paper is a chapter of my PhD research proposal. It examines the primary controversies surrounding climate modeling methodologies, with particular focus on the critiques raised by scientists who question the reliability of computer-simulated projections of climate change. Through analysis of peer-reviewed literature, this paper addresses three main areas of contention: algorithmic bias in climate reconstructions, uncertainties in proxy data interpretation, and fundamental limitations of general circulation models. The paper contributes to the ongoing scientific dialogue by highlighting areas where model refinement may be necessary and exploring the implications of these critiques for policy decisions based on climate projections. 1. Introduction Climate models represent the primary tools through which scientists predict future climate scenarios and reconstruct past climate conditions. These models underpin major policy initiatives regarding climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies worldwide. However, a body of scientific literature has emerged questioning various aspects of these models' reliability, methodology, and interpretation. This critique is particularly salient as global governance structures increasingly rely on model projections to guide far-reaching economic and social policies. This paper examines three primary areas of criticism regarding climate modeling: (1) algorithmic bias in climate reconstructions, (2) uncertainties in proxy data interpretation, and (3) inherent limitations of general circulation models. By analyzing these critiques, we can better understand both the strengths and limitations of current climate science methodologies. 2. Algorithmic Bias in Climate Reconstructions 2.1 Statistical Methods and Their Implications McIntyre and McKitrick's (2003) critique of the Mann et al. (1999) "hockey stick" temperature reconstruction represents one of the most significant challenges to paleoclimate reconstructions in recent decades. Their analysis identified several methodological concerns that potentially undermine the reliability of this influential reconstruction: McIntyre and McKitrick (2005) argued that the principal component analysis (PCA) methodology employed by Mann contained a mathematical bias that would produce a hockey stick pattern even from random data. They demonstrated this by feeding red noise (random data with certain statistical properties) into Mann's algorithm and consistently producing hockey-stick patterns. According to McIntyre and McKitrick (2005):

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