The Arts, Theology, and the Primal Imagination in the African Context: A Preliminary Exploration of Their Relationship

Abstract

Christian Theology and the Arts have a long and complicated relationship, ranging from suspicion to cooperation. Over the centuries, this relationship has taken various forms, with the Arts becoming increasingly estranged from Christian Theology, especially the evangelical Protestant theology that so influenced the missionaries who evangelized Africa in the 19th century. This, combined with a deep suspicion of African primal cultures and spirituality, has led to a disconnect between the Christian faith and the various Arts that are so much a part of the fabric of African life. This article used a historical survey to examine the relationship between religion and the Arts, then dilated on the consequences of this history to understand the relationship between Christian thought and the Arts in Africa. Overall, the article provides an initial foray for the nature of this relationship and also points towards some possibilities of mutual enrichment.

Keywords

• keywords: christian theology
• arts
• primal spirituality
• african christianity