Christian Theological Education and the Response to the Crisis in Zimbabwe

Bekithemba Dube, Gift Masengwe

• Publisher: T&T Clark
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9780567724779
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Church

The book offers an incisive examination of the governing philosophy of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), referred to as Zanupfism, characterizing it as marked by callousness and malevolence towards dissenting voices from civil society and opposition factions. This pernicious application of power extends beyond mere verbal aggression to encompass militaristic actions, engendering a profound generational crisis within Zimbabwe. The contributors explore the compelling juxtaposition between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the biblical Nebuchadnezzar II, a ruler notorious for his autocratic reign and expansive ambitions. Further, critically scrutinizing the complicity of neo-Pentecostal prophets in the book reveals how these religious figures promote an esoteric understanding of the divine, diverging from a theology rooted in justice, thereby enabling the oppressive regime's practices. This critique underscores the imperative for prophets to recalibrate their theological perspectives, urging them to move beyond magical interpretations of faith toward an authentic engagement with a personal God who champions justice. The book further encompasses the complex interplay of political and religious narratives, examining how church leaders either bolster or undermine Mnangagwa's political ideology, highlighting the tendency among certain religious factions to deify political authority, ultimately exacerbating societal inequities. In advocating for a transformative theological discourse in Zimbabwe, the book asserts that religious narratives must serve as instruments for fostering democracy, social justice, and equity, rather than sustaining a status quo that entrenches authoritarian governance. The necessity for unified, principled resistance, grounded in the collective agency of the populace, emerges as a salient theme in the quest for meaningful political and social reform.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Theological Response to the Crisis in Zimbabwe and Regime Resistance: Recipe Instability
• Chapter 1: Whose Report Are We Going to Believe?: Juxtaposing the Conflicted Theological Response to the Zimbabwean Crisis
• Chapter 2: Confronting Prophetic Ambiguity: Deconstructing Theological and Psychological Irregularity in Prophet Talent Madungwe’s “Gap Theology” in Zimbabwe
• Chapter 3: Theological Orientation of Activists’ Religious Organizations in Response to the Zimbabwean Crisis
• Chapter 4: The Righteousness of the Kingdom of God in Promoting Critical Theological Thinking in Crises-Riddled Zimbabwe
• Chapter 5: Is God in It a Best Theological Approach to Zimbabwean Crisis?: A Critique of Chamisa Theological Response to the C isis
• Chapter 6: Electoral Bickering, Reforms, Transparency, and Credibility of Zimbabwean Elections: The Church’s Response
• Chapter 7: The Idolization of Presidents: Church Leaders and the Development of Mnangagwaism in Zimbabwe
• Chapter 8: Incorporating Integral Mission in Theological Education Can Foster Transformation in Zimbabwe
• Chapter 9: Theology Engendering Activism for Justice in Zimbabwe
• Chapter 10: Locating the Place of Capacity Development and Theological Training Education in Christian Care Zimbabwe’s Work
• Chapter 11: Juxtaposing Mnangagwa’s Mogozodii/Muchaita Sei? (What Would You Do Then?): Philosophy with Nebuchadnezzar II’s Ty anny on Zimbabwe’s Politics Today
• Index
• About the Contributors