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Products>African Literacies and Western Oralities? Communication Complexities, the Orality Movement, and the Materialities of Christianity in Uganda

African Literacies and Western Oralities? Communication Complexities, the Orality Movement, and the Materialities of Christianity in Uganda

Publisher:
, 2021
ISBN: 9781725290396
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Overview

How do twenty-first century Christians communicate the Bible and their faith in today’s mediascape? Members of the International Orality Network (ION) believe that the answer to that paramount question is: orality. For too long, they argue, presentations of Christianity have operated on a printed (literate) register, hindering many from receiving and growing in the Christian faith. Instead, they champion the spoken word and narrative presentations of the gospel message. In light of the church’s shift to the Global South, how have such communication approaches been received by majority world Christians? This book explores the responses and reactions of local Ugandan Christians to this “oral renaissance.” The investigation, grounded in ethnographic research, uncovers the complex relationships between local and international culture brokers--all of whom are seeking to establish particular “modern” identities. The research conclusions challenge static Western categorizations and point towards an integrated understanding of communication that appreciates the role of materiality and embodiment in a broader religious socioeconomic discourse as well as taking into account societal anticipations of a flourishing “modern” African Church. This book promises to stimulate dialogue for those concerned about the communication complexities that are facing the global church in the twenty-first century.

“Has Western Christianity been too book-centered for African tastes? There is plenty of evidence to support this oft-repeated contention, but Coppedge’s fascinating analysis of the reception of the Orality Movement in a Ugandan church turns on its head any simple juxtaposition between Western literacy and African orality.”

—Brian Stanley, Professor of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh



“William Coppedge provides a major clarion call to reconsider the whole relationship of materiality in the contexts of orality. Coppedge challenges many widely held assumptions about the relationship between material-based and orality-based churches and, in the process, shows the interconnectedness of these two worlds in remarkable and insightful ways. While his focus is on Africa Gospel Church of Uganda, this research should be read widely by all those interested in the vibrancy of the gospel in oral contexts.”

—Timothy C. Tennent, President and Professor of World Christianity, Asbury Theological Seminary



“Coppedge’s research of the interplay of orality, ritual, and material components in discipleship is of utmost significance. Though some might presuppose that Christians in the Global South predominantly prefer orality and storytelling, Coppedge’s study demonstrates an interesting cultural association between literary education and economic empowerment. Simply put, we must not underestimate the holistic benefits for those individuals and communities who can access the written word for themselves. I highly recommend this insightful work.”

—E. D. Burns, director, MA in Global Leadership program, Western Seminary



“The modern-day Orality Movement (OM), claims Coppedge, inadvertently transfers Western proclivities. He then masterfully peels back layers of the onion that sometimes bring tears to the Majority World, in this case, Ugandans. While seeking a script/print world identity that adds social and material value to their lives, they find themselves under the tutelage of regressive oral champions. African Literacies and Western Oralities? offers constructive criticism to the renascent OM in this well-researched read. Timely.”

—Tom Steffen, coauthor of The Return of Oral Hermeneutic



“In this book, William Asbury Coppedge has made significant contribution to the study of missions in the twenty-first century. He provides very clear analysis of the tension between Protestant evangelical commitment to the literary text and the personal and oral embodiment of the message of the gospel in the communication process. . . . As an insider, he has capably demonstrated in this research how Orality Movement’s approach has worked well through storytelling and narratives in improving Bible literacy and discipleship for members of the Africa Gospel Church in Uganda. I highly recommend this work for readership by seminarians, missions theorists and practitioners, church and mission leaders, Bible scholars, and those interested in studies in global Christianity.”

—Robert K. Lang’at, Bishop, Africa Gospel Church, Kenya

William A. Coppedge and his wife, Joanna, are missionaries with World Gospel Mission. They have five children and live in Uganda, working alongside Africa Gospel Church in the capacity of theological educators and training consultants. William also serves as a catalyst for orality with the Lausanne Movement. He received his PhD from the Centre for the Study of World Christianity, University of Edinburgh.

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    $20.35

    Digital list price: $37.00
    Save $16.65 (45%)