The concept of sin and forgiveness among the Jopadhola of Uganda

Abstract

In this essay I investigate the knowledge and understanding of sin and forgiveness in the Jopadhola people of Eastern Uganda as well as how traditional notions of sin and forgiveness can intertwine with the theological teachings of Christianity. In what is an essay, it considers how native cultural lenses make sense of moral failure, communal renewal, and reconciliation, and in what ways they, and their imaginations, have been recalibrated in the historical light of Christianity. From an African Traditional Religion/Christian theological perspective, the research tries to shed light on what different systems of belief can and cannot align and how that is made possible within a global framework. The study therefore adds to the larger debates in African theology, contextual theology and moral theology on the interaction between culture and Christian instruction. In this section we outline the literature review as well as the theoretical framework for the study. In particular, it analyzes literature debates on African notions of sin, forgiveness, reconciliation, and the relationship between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. It also addresses the scholarship gaps related to the Jopadhola context and situates relevant theories in the review of the literature. In this way, the chapter contextualizes the findings of the current research within the wider academic discussion and establishes a conceptual framework for the research.