My God is enkAi: A Reflection of Vernacular African Theology

Abstract

n the thirty-two years since Lamin Sanneh published Translating the Message (Orbis Books, 1989), there has been a growing awareness of the importance of vernacular languages in Christian life and practice. But it is often still assumed that Christian theologizing is not legitimate unless it is in a European language. In much of Africa, theological education only takes place in the languages of the colonizers- English, French, and Portuguese. This can result in African churches that are ill-equipped to speak relevantly to African situations, as leaders are trained to read, teach, worship, and pray in a foreign language, neglecting their own. Authentic African Christianity requires theologizing in local African languages and invoking God in the names of God in those languages. Though (ironically?) written in English, this paper examines what elements of a vernacular theology might sound like for the Maasai and Samburu peoples of East Africa, exploring the Maa and Sampur names for God and discovering insights for World Christianity as well.