RE-READING THE GOSPELS FROM AN AFRICAN RELIGIOUS THOUGHT IN THE MIDST OF CRITICAL SCHOLARSHIP

摘要

The advent of the Age of the Enlightenment has ushered in critical thinking, which challenged the traditional understanding of the Gospels using scientific-historical lenses rather than faithbased and religious methods to evaluate the words and life of Jesus. This modern scholarly approach has been making Jesus' studies become explicitly anti-theological, anti-Christian and anti-dogmatic movement. Using historical-critical and theological methods, this paper evaluates an alternative approach to the study of the Gospels from an African religious perspective. It has reviewed the various issues raised by the historical-critical scholars over the years, which have been consistently knocking Christian religious' doors in Africa. This work also argued that relying and engaging an objective textual, historical-critical and theological studies of the Gospels will create viable critical scholarship in Africa, which also will recognize the Gospels as inspired, divine and unadulterated Word of God.