An African Christian Reflection on the Metaphorisation of the Church as Body

Resumo

New Testament writers picture the relationship between Christ and his church as well as the relationship among the members of the church using such metaphors as a community of citizens, the body of Christ, a household, a building, a bride, and a temple. A proper understanding of these and other ecclesiological metaphors is required to enhance the African understanding of the nature, purpose, and operations of the church. Yet not much theological attention is given to these metaphors in contemporary African theological discourses. This research was, therefore, conducted to examine the body metaphor from an African socio-cultural and religious perspective to enhance the African understanding of the nature, purpose, and operations of the Christian church. The researcher used a literature-based research methodology to gather data from the library and internet. A contextual theological framework was used to analyse the data, focusing on understanding the subject matter within the African socio-political and cultural context. After a brief outline of the concept of the church, the paper examines each of the selected metaphors of the church in relation to the African worldview and finally offers implications (reflections) for Christian discipleship. The paper found that the African worldview better prepares African believers to appreciate the nature, purpose, and operations of the church. It, however, also noted some limitations of the African socio-political structure that need to be dealt with in order to make the metaphors as meaningful as they are intended to be. In addition to its contribution to African Christian ecclesiological discourse, the paper attempts to decolonise Christianity and make it both meaningful and relevant to the African society.