Books and Book Chapters

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Browsing Books and Book Chapters by Author "Byaruhanga, Christopher"

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    Essential Approaches to Christian Religious Education: Learning and Teaching in Uganda
    (Globethics.net Praxis, 2018) Byaruhanga, Christopher
    This book is about the essential approaches to Christian religious education learning and teaching in Uganda. We live at a time of change and experimentation in many spheres, not least in educational methods in the teaching of Christian religious education in secondary schools. Teaching Christian religious education at the lower secondary school level is complex. At its core, good teaching of Christian religious education involves the interweaving of content knowledge, pedagogy skills, and a knowledge and appreciation of the multifaceted nature of students and finally the evaluation skills that help the teacher to arrive at the conclusion that the intended key learning outcomes have been achieved. Personal characteristics too are integral in the overall portrait of a pro-fessional Christian religious education teacher especially for those peo-ple who believe that today there is the paradigm shift between providing instruction and producing learning, between imparting knowledge and facilitating learning.
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    The History and Theology of the Ecumenical Movement in East Africa
    (Fountain Publishers, Kampala - Uganda, 2015) Byaruhanga, Christopher
    This book focuses on the history and Theology of the Ecumenical Movement in East Africa, focuses on how ecumenism has been understood by the Christians in this part of Africa. Just as there is a broad understanding of ecumenism in many countries of the world, there are also shifts in the way ecumenical movement has been conceived and carried out in East Africa. The history and theology of the Ecumenical Movement in East Africa, therefore, adds more literature to the already existing great wealth of knowledge in the area of ecumenism. However, its major aim is to address the deficiency of the materials related directly to the various history and theology of the ecumenical movement syllabi in institutions of higher learning in East Africa. The book aims at two things. Firstly, it is an effort to produce a textbook that can be used in teaching ecumenics in tertiary institutions in East Africa. Secondly, it is an attempt at setting the boundaries and the agenda for the future development of ecumenics in colleges and universities in East Africa. The choice of chapters in this book was partly determined by the course outlines from tertiary institutions in East Africa that offer ecumenics. This book, therefore, is intended to be a modest textbook that provides some directions and perspectives of what is to be taught at tertiary level in east Africa. As a guide to the study of the history and theology of the ecumenical movement in east Africa, this book highlights the emergence and teaching of the ecumenical bodies at global, regional and national levels. It is a study of the history and theology of ecumenism as traditionally associated with the movement towards unity as began by the non-roman catholic churches in east Africa which wanted to overcome the tendency toward denominationalism and rivalry that characterized much of the early church activities in the region. Two ecumenical challenges in east Africa are addressed in this book. The first challenge is among Christians from different ecclesiastical traditions. For many years, there has been historical and theological misrepresentation of the various religious traditions. And yet in the east Africa, the majority of Christians belong to certain Christian traditions not because of any theological convictions, but because they happen to be born in those traditions. The history and theology of the ecumenical movement in east Africa, therefore, is presented in such a way that the reader is helped to: (a) Learn a new way of relating to Christians from different traditions. (b) Realize that he true ecumenism doesn’t come from courses on ecumenism since it is not simply an intellectual enterprise, although these courses are very important for raising awareness; neither does it come from services organized for special occasions, although this is also fundamental in witnessing to the world. Rather it comes from practical experience in daily life. Ecumenism, therefore, must have some success in people’s relationships. The second challenge is among African Christians who have a strong background of African spirituality. In the recent past, many of the first generation African ecumenical theologians have been encouraged to learn to be humble in the face of the enrichment that African spirituality brings to Christianity. Respect for the African spirituality brings Christianity. Respect for the African spirituality helps to recognize the limitations of a kind of Christianity whose world view is western that has existed in east Africa for a long time. In this book, there has been deliberate attempt to work towards a better understanding of African spirituality.
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    Leadership & Authority: Bula Matari and Life-Community Ecclesiology in Congo
    (Regnum Books International, 2010) Byaruhanga, Christopher
    This book is the very opposite of armchair theology. It comes out of intimate and painful experience of the repression, corruption, violence and brutality of the recent history of Congo-Zaire. Indeed the other author had twice during the period of his doctoral study in Birmingham to return to his home country to ensure the safety of his family. What he has to say therefore – on power and roles of bishops, priests and laity, and on Christian theology in Africa – gains immeasurably from having been refined in the crucible of living as a Christian leader in one of the most exploited and disturbed regions of Africa. Bishop Titre seeks to discover a post-colonial liberation theology for his church. He naturally deals with the brutality of colonialism in Congo. But (contrary to so much post-colonial posturing) he also fully recognizes the responsibilities of post-colonial political and ecclesiastical leaders for the present situation. He points out that leadership in much of traditional Africa was far more consensual and democratic than is commonly thought. To that extent Africa’s manic dictators like Mobutu (and Mugabe), however much they may claim to uphold traditional values, are cultural aberrations. At the same time Dr. Ande presents a trenchant critique of the role of church leaders in their failure to challenge adequately the excesses of political absolutism. His assessment of the episcopy, for too often preferring privilege and the open exercise of power instead of humble service, has a much wider relevance than simply to the Anglican Church of Congo. The author’s examination of African theology is in every way as sharp as his political and social analysis, especially in his argument that its use of theological concepts and biblical language may mask underlying assumptions as to ideology and power structures. Bishop Ande’s own theological reconstruction for self-understanding and authority within the Anglican Church of Congo is Christological, or rather Trinitarian. The people of God, for him, is a Christ centered life community, inspired by the Spirit of God. Leadership in such a community is a function, not a status, ‘and apostolic succession’ belongs to all the people of God including the laity. Dr. Titre Ande has produced a most valuable work which deserves to be read not by those with an interest in the future of the Christian faith in Africa, but also by anyone concerned with the debate over authority within the church.