This study develops a political theology for Black Pentecostal Churches in Britain. The Black Church as a part of Black Atlantic cultural and political traditions is influenced by a plethora of spiritual, political and social forces. These include histories of oppression and resistance. By taking seriously the traditions of resistance, the Black Church is provided with resources for developing a holistic theology that engages explicitly with the social and political world, that is, what I have called a liberating theological praxis. Such a political theology takes seriously the cultural, theological and political issues raised in African Caribbean resistance. One African Caribbean resistance tradition is the concept of dread in Rastafari. Traditions of resistance are exposed from within Black Pentecostalism by 'imposing' a reformed concept of dread upon aspects of Black Pentecostalism. This conjunction produces a theological paradigm called dread Pen tecostalism. Dread Pentecostalism as a theological system nurtures the theological sensibilities found within liberating theological praxis, that is, emancipation fulfilment. One product of dread Pentecostalism is its hermeneutical focus known as dread hermeneutics. Dreadhermeneutics is the basis for a political re-reading of the Bible from a Black Pentecostal context. This political focus is demonstrated in a reevaluation of Christology in order to construct a dread Christ.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:600517 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Beckford, Robert |
| Publisher | University of Birmingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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