Teaching the bible using Ugandan cultural resources with specific reference to the Old Testament

Abstract

The Uganda cultural resources have not been fully utilized for teaching the bible in Uganda. This statement necessitates the need of studying Ugandan culture, finding relationships between the Ugandan and biblical cultures, probing the weaknesses of historical critical method, and offering a plan for a new approach. The Uganda culture that the missionary forebears thought was pagan, some even satanic and thus had to be abandoned stands closer to the biblical culture than does western culture. In many instances Ugandan culture can bring a fresh understanding of the biblical text. The Lugbara socio-cultural worldview is presented as representative of Uganda worldview. Using this worldview a comparative study of the correspondence between major themes in the biblical and Ugandan worldviews is made. For instance this comparison is characterized by: purification through blood, the power of the word, the house of God, the family circle unbroken, and spirit possession.