African Literacies and Western Oralities? (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781725290389)

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.

Author: William A. Coppedge
ISBN-10: 1725290383
ISBN-13: 9781725290389
Publisher: Pickwick Publications
Language: English
Published: 11/03/2021
Pages: 316
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.31lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d