Africana Symbolic Contextualism Theory Authors

Abstract

John S. Mbiti, a renowned African theologian, once described Africans as notoriously religious (Mbiti, African Religions & Philosophy. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers, 1969/2011). The modern expression of their religiosity is found in the two main Christian denominations; the Roman Catholic and the various Protestant denominations as well as remnants of African traditional religions that sometimes find their way into mainstream Christianity. It is against this general background that our discussion in the Black African communication chapter, with a focus on the Africans’ religious perspective, will be anchored. The knowledge system of Christians in the Eastern and Southern regions of Africa forms the context of our study. This chapter analyzes how the religious worldview influences communication patterns and systems at the interpersonal and group communication levels.