Everyone is a Theologian: An Exploration of one of Paul Kagame’s theological questions.
Introduction
In 2018, one of the news on Rwanda which attracted the attention
of Rwandans and the whole world was the implementation of the laws regulating
the religious organizations in Rwanda. More than 7000 churches were closed as
they did not meet the requirements. When the churches were being
closed for some Rwandans especially Christians it was seen like persecution
against the Church. A few months later we start hearing many good testimonies
in different churches praising the government decisions, as people were seeing
that the purpose is to enable them to worship God in healthy and secured
places. When the laws regulating churches and other religions in Rwanda were
being implemented, I was in Ghana for my theological studies at
Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture. Many of
colleagues, lecturers, different people that I met did not stop asking me what
was my thought concerning the closing of churches in Rwanda. In explaining to
people why churches were being closed, I started thinking about writing a book
entitles: “Everyone is a Theologian: Paul Kagame’s theology and its impact in
Rwanda.” The book is a project that I’m still working on; in this article I shall
discuss one of His Excellency Paul Kagame’s theological questions, indicating
its source and impact in Rwanda.
1.
Intellectual framework
In writing the book, WHO NEEDS THEOLOGY? An
Invitation to the Study of God, Stanley J. Grenz, and Roger E. Olson
pointed out that one of the reasons to write the book was the growing of a misconception among Christians towards theology.[1] Concerning the misconception,
they indicate that:
A misconception is
growing among Christians that a great gulf exists between “ordinary Christians”
and “theologians.” For some that perceived gap creates fear; for others, it
creates suspicion and resentment. We want to close the gap by showing that
everyone-especially every Christian-is a theologian and that every professional
theologian is simply a Christian whose vocation is to do what all Christians do
in some way: think and teach about God.[2]
For
Grenz and Olson everyone is a theologian either ordinary Christians or trained
theologians, as for them “theology is any
reflection on the ultimate questions of life that point toward God.”[3] They
further indicate that “No one who reflects on life’s ultimate questions can
escape theology.” Theology is a broad term that is defined in many different
ways but mostly as the study of God. But for R.C. SPROUL
theology is not just the word or logic of God Himself only but “it refers not
only to God but to all that God has revealed to us in sacred Scripture.”[4] I
consider by ‘us’ R.C. Sproul does mean human beings not only Christians as for
Aloys Bigirimwami in introducing his Book Imana y’Abantu, Abantu b’Imana,
Imana mu Bantu, Abantu mu Mana indicates that:
Muli aka gatabo,
ndashaka kuvuga ko abantu bose, iyo bava bakagera, batewemo, UMUTIMA n’UBWENGE
by’IMANA. Abantu bose, banze bakunze, muli roho yabo no mu mubuli wabo,
bahasanga Imana yabakuye mu busa bakabaho; bagasanga baliho batibeshejeho,
ahubwo babeshejweho n’IYABAREMYE.[5]
[In this small
book, I want to say that in all people, wherever there are, the HEART and
INTELLIGENCE of GOD were planted in them. All people, whether they refuse or
accept it, in their soul and body, they found God who created them from nothing
and they existed and the CREATOR is the one who sustains them in their lives.][6]
Grenz
and Olson, R.C Sproul, and Bigirumwami all have in common one thing ‘theology
is for all people though human beings have different ways of theologizing. For
Bigirumwami “tuvuge ko abantu bose bemera Imana, aliko uko bayivuga n’uko
bayiyambaza bili ukundi: bamwe ukwabo abandi ukwabo, bagasa na ba bandi basara,
aliko bakagusha ku ijambo limwe: “Imana”,”[7] [“we
may say that all people believe in God, but the way they talk and call upon Him
differs: some have their different ways, others theirs, and they are like those
who out of their madness will end up with one word: “GOD”.”] Though the focus
of Bigirumwami is on Natural revelation and special revelation, but one thing
is very important for this article, God revealed Himself to all human beings. Though
for Grenz and Olson, everyone is a theologian but they pointed out that all
theologians are not equal. They divided the theologians into two main
categories: professional theologians and lay theologians.[8] By
profession theologians they mean trained theologians and by lay theologians,
they mean ordinary Christians. They further indicate that “profession
theologians exist to serve the community of faith, not to dictate to it
intellectually. Lay theologians need professional theologians to give them the
tools of biblical study, historical perceptive and systematic articulation so
that they can improve from their own theologizing.”[9] Paul
Kagame being a human being and a Christian there is no doubt that he has his
own theology. It is with the understanding that everyone is a theologian that I
will examine one of Paul Kagame’s theological questions, by pointing out its
source and impact in Rwanda.
2.
Methodology
The method of study in this article was to examine the primary and
secondary sources relating to the topic. Books, articles, written on Paul
Kagame were examined. According to a Rwandan saying “akuzuye umutima gasesekara kumunwa” meaning ‘what is in the heart
is what the mouth speaks’. They also say “ukuri gushirira mu biganiro” meaning “in conversations the truth is
said.” Therefore audiovisual speeches of Paul Kagame were mainly examined.
Finally, books and articles related to the question were also used.
3. Life
of Paul Kagame
I consider Nelson Mandela as the African
leader of the 20th century and Paul Kagame as the African
leader of the 21st century. One of the first impressions that
we are proud of as Rwandans who travel around the globe is the growing
recognition of what H.E. Paul Kagame has done and is doing in Rwanda to the
level that he becomes the role model for many young Africans. But who is Paul
Kagame the man that most of the men back here in Rwanda we are jealous of as
our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters days and nights sing and praise
him? Like other Rwandans, women have a lot to praise Paul Kagame
for, but one of them is the promotion of gender equality in Rwanda. Paul Kagame was
born on October 23, 1957, in the town called Tambwe[10] the
southern province of Rwanda when the country was still a Belgian colony. The
parents were fervent Roman Catholic Church members; therefore they had their
children baptized at birth Paul Kagame included. The family was a
rich family as the father was a cattle herder, a farmer, and a businessman who
was into the coffee business. The father was also the founder of the first
cooperative in the country TRAFIPRO. The cooperative was not only trading
coffee but other commodities.[11] The
family was not only rich but has a connection with the Rwandan Royal family.
Concerning his family connection to the Royal family Paul Kagame indicates
that:
On both sides:
Historically, all of my father’s family was related to the kings. Some of my
ancestors, my aunties, so to speak, were the mothers of kings and the entire
clan was close to the palace. At the same time, my mother was the first cousin
to the last Queen of Rwanda, who was killed in the genocide.[12]
Between 1959 and 1961 Tutsi were persecuted other killed,
this was the reason why many were forced to flee the country and went in exile
in different neighboring countries like Uganda, Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, and
Kenya. In 1961 Paul Kagame was five years old when the family was forced to
flee the country to Uganda. Life changed in Uganda as living
conditions changed. The family members and other many Rwandans were living
there as refugees. He was able to study primary and secondary school, before
joining Yoweri Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM), which was
fighting for the liberation of Uganda. His friend Fred Gisa Rwigema was the
first to join the struggle and Paul Kagame joined later. After liberating
Uganda, he joined the Ugandan Army. On 10th June
1989, Paul Kagame married Jeannette Kagame in Uganda. Their marriage is blessed
with four children.
Both first and second republic of Rwanda headed by Grégoire
Kayibanda (1962-1973) and Juvénal Habyarimana (1973-1994) failed to allow the
1959s, the 1960s, and 1970s, Rwandan refugees to return to their
country. The war was the last option. The Rwandan
Patriotic Army (RPA) of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) launched the liberation
war on 1st October 1990. On 2nd October 1990
major general Fred Gisa Rwigema who was the one heading RPA was killed. At the
time Major general Paul Kagame was in the United State of America
(USA) for special military training. After hearing the death of Fred Rwigema, Paul
Kagame informed the school authorities that he wanted to leave. He
came back to Uganda and went directly to the front and took over the command of
RPA. He reorganized the army and launched the attacks again till 1994 when they
stopped the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi and liberate the
country. From 1994-2000 Paul Kagame was the vice-president and
minister of defense of the provisional Government and President on April 22,
2000. In 2003 H.E. Paul Kagame won the popular election and to date, he
still winning the popular election. For many Rwandans, Paul Kagame must lead
till he dies but he had made it clear that this term will be his last and asked
young Rwandans to start preparing themselves to take over and lead the country.
4. Paul
Kagame’s theological questions
Grenz and Olson definition of
theology as ‘any reflection on the ultimate questions of life that point toward
God;’[13] will
guide our understanding of theology. Through
H.E. Paul Kagame's speeches I came across many vital questions of life that
point to God. As I pointed it out above I shall examine one of Paul Kagame’s theological
questions.
4.1. Are
there some people whom God created superior to others?
Humans are the most valuable resource to Paul Kagame. In
his speeches, he kept pointing out to Rwandans that they are a valuable resource
that Rwanda has. But one of the vital questions that he asked much time is:
“Are there some people whom God created superior to others, to the level that
they must tell others what to do?” On 14 August 2019, he asked the
question again to Rwandan youths during the meeting known as ‘Meet the President’.
He was addressing the issue of some westerners' understanding of superiority
over Africans to the level of telling them what to do. To understand why Paul
Kagame’s question is deep and crucial for Rwandans we need to go back to
history.
In a notice given by « Les Classiques des
sciences sociales » when they republished the
essay written by Arthur de GOBINEAU (1816-1882)
“Essai sur l’inégalité des races humaines (1853-1855)” they indicated
that:
Au 19e siècle, les préjugés contre les différentes races, en particulier
contre les Noirs, prirent de l’ampleur d’autant plus que certains chercheurs
tentèrent de conférer une valeur scientifique à la race. Joseph Arthur (comte
de) Gobineau, un théoricien du racisme, fait partie de ce courant idéologique.
Dans son Essai sur l’inégalité des races humaines, il décrit différentes
caractéristiques telles que couleur de la peau, couleur et texture des cheveux,
forme et taille du crâne, qu’il met en concordance avec les caractères
psychiques, intellectuels, moraux, etc.; ces théories conduisent à une
hiérarchisation de valeur des races ou groupements humains.[14]
[In the 19th
century, prejudices against different races, especially against Blacks, gained
momentum as some researchers tried to confer a scientific value to the race.
Joseph Arthur (comte de) Gobineau, a theorist of racism, is part of this
ideological stream. In his Essay on Humans Race Inequality, it describes different
characteristics such as skin color, color, and texture of the hair, shape and
size of the skull, that it matches with the psychic, intellectual, moral
characters, etc .; these theories lead to value hierarchy of human races or
groupings.]
They further indicate the purpose of republishing this essay,
indicating that:
Le fait de mettre en ligne cet essai ne veut en rien dire que nous appuyons
ces thèses. Nous avons pour but de mettre à la disposition de ceux qui
s’intéressent au racisme la vison d’un homme du 19e siècle,
contemporain de Darwin, de H. S. Chamberlain, Vacher de Lapouge, E. Drumont, P.
P. Broca. Les idées exprimées dans cet essai ne reflètent pas celles des
Classiques des sciences sociales et n’engagent pas notre responsabilité.[15]
[Putting this essay online does not mean
that we support these theses. We aim to make available to those interested in
racism the mink of a 19th century man, contemporary of Darwin, H. S.
Chamberlain, Vacher de Lapouge, E. Drumont, P. P. Broca. The ideas expressed in
this essay do not reflect those of the Classics of Social Sciences and do not
commit our responsibility.]
In
the 19th century Europe was dominated by theories of human race
inequality. Gobineau considered as the father of human race inequality theory
was not the only one, but Darwin and others mentioned above their theories
influenced their societies. Europeans both colonialists and missionaries came
to Africa during the colonial period with these theories of human race inequality.
Concerning Rwanda, when the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, which
took the lives of over one million Tutsi, was carried out, Rwanda was known as
the most Christianized country in Africa. This is confirmed by Paul Rutayisire, writing
that:
Le Rwanda a été qualifié par la presse missionnaire de
« nation chrétienne », de « royaume chrétienne » après
le geste symbolique posé par le Mwami Mutara III Rudahigwa de consacrer le
Rwanda au Christ Roi en 1946, et même de « république chrétinne »
après l’indépendance. Le génocide des Tutsi (avril-juillet 1994) a apporté un
démenti à toutes ces constructions idéologiques qui cachaient mal leur limites
et leurs aberration.[16]
[Rwanda has been
described by the missionary press as a "Christian nation" or "Christian
kingdom" after the symbolic gesture by the Mwami Mutara III Rudahigwa of
consecrating Rwanda to Christ the King in 1946, and even of "Christian
republic" after Independence. The genocide of the Tutsi (April-July 1994)
fostered a negative attitude to all these ideological constructions that barely
concealed their limits and their aberrations.]
The genocide against Tutsi brought Rwanda’ Christianity into
scrutiny. In 1991, statistics of Christians according to different
religions showed the following: Catholics (62, 6%), Protestants (18, 8%),
Adventists (8, 4%), without religion (6, 8%) and Muslims (1, 2%).[17] Looking at these statistics Rwanda was a Christian country.
The question which arises is how the genocide was possible in such a Christian
country? Anastase Shyaka in his research about the origin of the Rwandan
conflict pointed out that:
Due to the idea they
had of the local populations, to the racial theories and the mythologies they
had introduced into colonies, the segregation judgments they practiced,
colonial powers whether German or Belgian
and European missionaries passed on to Rwanda identity antagonisms which
today are putting the country of the thousand hills to fire and sword.[18]
The
Hamitic theory which is one of the instruments used by colonizers and
missionaries to divide Rwandans in order to rule them, “originates from the biblical myth of the origin of man and from the place allotted to the black man
in mankind structure”.[19]
Concerning the origin of the Hamitic theory Sander s explains that:
On closer
examination of the history of the idea, there emerges a previous elaborate
Hamitic theory, in which the Hamites are believed to be Negroes. It becomes
clear then that the hypothesis is symptomatic of the nature of race relations,
that it has changed its content if not its nomenclature through time, and that
it has become a problem of epistemology. In the beginning, there was the Bible.
The word 'Ham' appears there for the first time in Genesis, chapter five. Noah
cursed Ham, his youngest son, and said: Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants
shall he be unto his brethren…. The Bible makes no mention of racial
differences among the ancestors of mankind. It is much later that an idea of
race appears with reference to the sons of Noah; it concerns the descendants of
Ham. The Babylonian Talmud, a collection of oral traditions of the Jews,
appeared in the sixth century A.D.; it states that the descendants of Ham are
cursed by being black, and depicts Ham as a sinful man and his progeny as
degenerates.[20]
As Sanders
indicates, in the beginning, the Hamitic theory was used in tracing the origin
of the black race from Ham especially to show that blacks are cursed. But he
further indicates that the Bible does not mention racial differences. Though
being problematic the Hamitic theory was used in Africa. When the western
arrived in Africa and find some indicators of civilization among the so-called
uncivilized, they used the theory to explain the origin of everything good that
they came across in Africa. About that Shyaka explains:
The second development
of that hypothesis allowed to affirm that among the populations in the depths
of Africa who were considered to be "genuine Negroes", there were significant
variations, some of them being close, according to them, to Hamites who had
previously been identified. As a result, the categories of the Tutsis, the
Himas and the Masais were related to that group, but it was preferred to apply
the term to semi-Hamitic or semi-Nilotic to them.[21]
In
Rwanda, the Hamitic theory was used by colonizers and missionaries in
explaining the origin of some Rwandans. These writings and interpretations
contributed to divisions among Rwandans who have been living together speaking
one language, sharing the same culture and same territory and headed by one
king that they all swore allegiance to.[22] Before
westerners arrived in Rwanda, there were three groups Abatutsi, Abahutu,
and Abatwa. These groups were not considered as ethnic groups or
tribes, they were more like social classes; [23] the
Batutsi was the class of the rich who own many cows, Bahutu were farmers and
the Batwa were hunters and potters. They could change in status as a Hutu could
become a Tutsi by gaining cows, the same for a Twa. A Tutsi could become a Hutu
by losing cows. The main reference to Rwandans was their clans and in some
clan, you could find the three groups represented.[24] But
due to the introduction of this Hamitic theory and later the Bantu theory, the
groups were transformed into ethnic groups. Tutsi were described as superior
and the one who introduced all the good things which missionaries and
colonizers discovered in Rwanda.[25] They
have to rule and dominate over Hutu and Twa. Concerning the effects
of western views in Rwanda, Shyaka points out that:
Western views
and discourse on Rwanda have therefore given a new definition to the realities
and relations between the Hutus, the Tutsis, and the Twas and a new meaning
based on socio-cultural references from Europe in order to adapt them to the
ideological representations of that period. For instance, in Kinyarwanda, as
well as in Kirundi, the word "Ubwoko" (amoko in plural) meant
"clan". Today it means something else...[26]
The
new definitions led to hatred and divisions among Rwandans and grew until the
genocide against Tutsi in 1994. Missionaries and Belgians colonizers had been
for many years promoting Tutsi as the chosen one to lead other Rwandans. Due to
the fact that the first elites to demand independence majority were Tutsi,
Missionaries and colonizers change their camp and started to support Hutu
during the road to the independence period.[27] The
so-called ‘ethnic groups’ became one of the strong weapons to keep power as
Hutu were considered to be in the majority, therefore, leaders of the first republic
1962-173 and the second republic 1973-1994, carried on the western legacy and
used ethnic groups, regionalism, as means of keeping power till the1994
genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi. Though other factors like bad
leadership, lack of church prophetic voice against the genocide ideology, led
to the genocide against the Tutsi, the western race superiority theories
preached in Africa, in Rwanda particularly did more harm to past, present and
future Rwandans.
From
the above historical background one can understand why it is so important to
Paul Kagame to ask the question concerning superiority. Though his question is
mainly for Rwandans, he does include all Africans too.
4.2. Paul
Kagame’s answer and its impact in Rwanda
Paul Kagame did not just ask a question and stopped there, for him
‘God created all people equally’. As any reasonable Rwandan who knows that the majority of Rwandans were taught to accept the fact that some people were
created superior to others, Paul Kagame main concern is to address the issue by
telling Rwandans that not only God created them equally but all human beings
were. This is the reason why “Ndi Umunyarwanda” meaning I’m a Rwandan, was
introduced and is being promoted. Rwandans are taught to put ahead of the fact that they are all Rwandans first before social, religious, economic
classes or other affiliations. “Ndi Umunarwanda” program had and still
contributing to the progress of unity and reconciliation in Rwanda.
Recently while discussing with a friend, I told her that there is
a need in Rwanda to link “Ndi Umukirisitu” meaning I am a Christian, with “Ndi
Umunyarwanda.” Why this is important? In the process of Christianizing Rwanda,
Rwandan culture was demonized and Rwandan Christians were asked to abandon it.
Two streams can be identified in contributing to this problem: Euro-centrism
and Western missionaries’ incomprehension of Rwandan culture.[28] Hundred years since the Gospel started being propagated in
Rwanda, we still facing the consequences of the system of tabula rasa use
by missionaries in spreading the Gospel in Rwanda. One of those
problems is the westernization of the Rwandan Church.
On 3rd July 2019, H.E. Paul Kagame inaugurated
Karama village constructed for people who were living in high-risk places
on 'Mont Kigali.' In his address, the president pointed out
that he does not believe that there are people created to live well and others
to suffer. We will explore the economic aspect in the book that we
mentioned by examining another Paul Kagame’s theological question. A few
days after the inauguration, the place is being called “Norvège” [Norway]. Why?
We still have some Rwandans to whom every good thing comes from Europe or
North America, the reason why the local names are considered
inferior. There are many facts of daily life which indicate that some
Rwandans are more westernized to the extent of considering everything from the Western
countries as good. For example Rwandan names like Kubwimana meaning by the
Grace of God or By God, Ndizeye meaning I believe, are still today
called pagan names, whereas Biblical names and Western names like Peter, Jean,
Joel, Aloys, de Gaul, and others are called Christian names. A local cow is
called ‘Inyarwanda’ and considered inferior due to their low
productivity. The prized cows are called ‘inzungu’ meaning ‘white people
cows’ and considered as good ones. A tradition hen is called ‘inshenzi’ and the
prized ones ‘inzungu’ even if the selection is done in Rwanda by Rwandans. I
can point out many other examples to illustrate this. The sad thing is what is
going on in some of the churches, where many people are being exploited by
false prophets. People are paying money for prophecy and prayers which will
allow them to leave the country and go in Europe or the USA. Yes, we do have some
problems, but Europeans and Americans do have problems also. Instead of keeping
thinking that going to Europe or the USA we elevate our status we need to work
on the problems that we have in our country and solve them.
Rwanda is making progress economically and in using technology. The fact that Paul Kagame encourages the use
of technology in all sectors is not the only factor for the fast development.
But he was and he is being able to address the problem of inferiority complex,
by showing Rwandans that they are capable to be innovative
also. In advising youths, H.E. Paul Kagame indicated that ‘we
(Rwandans, Africans) need to learn from others but we must avoid being stepped on,
in the name of superiority.’
Poverty is one of the factors that still making many Africans,
Rwandans included feeling inferior and accepting sometimes to be stepped on. Before
the arrival of the western missionaries, African life was not dualist as there
was no separation of the physical and spiritual. In spreading Christianity in
Africa, missionaries insisted on spiritual things causing dualism, where there
was the separation of the physical and spiritual. This was due to the Greek
world's influence on Christianity. Concerning that Ype Schaaf indicates that “Protestant
and Catholic missions contributed during the colonial period to the
westernizing of Africa. This happened in the faith missions through
their strong emphasis on spiritual things.”[29] He further indicates that:
Insofar as the
New Testament reflects a Greek world, it is foreign to Africans. The Greek separation
of body and spirit, being and action, faith, and action is strange to them…
Africans recognize themselves in the Old Testament’s whole way of thinking
because it is all-inclusive. In Hebrew, the word dabar means
both word and act. This all-inclusive thinking is the basic pattern of African
will which sees work and religion, life and though, feasting and fasting as
part of a single whole.[30]
The majority of the first western missionaries to Africa were dominated by the Gnosticism, thus were not able to understand Africans way of thinking. They first considered
African as “blind hearten.”[31] On
the other hand their emphasis on spiritual things only made African poor as the majority of them by becoming Christians they lost the balance of life. They had to
strive for spiritual things and undermined socio-economical and political
activities. They were to believe that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor.
This misinterpretation of the Bible affected the development of Africans and
still affecting it today. For example in Rwanda, what is known
as “i by’isi” meaning earthly things belief made many Rwandan Christians not to
strive for economic development as they were taught not to ran after “
iby’isi”. The word “Isi” earth is used in many ways in the Bible, but it was
mostly used in negative ways in Rwanda. To the level that when translating
“Bibiriya Yera” [Holy Bible], the most loved verse which many Christians are
taught when starting Sunday school, John 3:16 was also translated in the way
that “isi” [earth] is not included. Many English Bible versions indicate that "God 'so' loved the world", the Greek word used is“kosmos”, but in Kinyarwanda it says “Kuko
Imana yakunze abari mu Isi cyane” meaning “Because God so loved those in the
world.” in other words God loved human beings but not the world, that is the
message that this translation used by Protestants is giving. The Roman
Catholic “Bibiliya Ntagatifu” [Holy Bible] translated the verse well
as “ Isi” [earth] is shown to be loved by God, but the main problem few Roman
Catholic members have Bibles. Therefore when Paul Kagame is
telling Rwandans that all people were created equal, in other words, is to tell
them that those who preached to you are doing well economically, their
countries are developed, why not you? The answer is not just showing
Rwandans that they were created equal; but that they can spiritually and
physically live well. I may not be wrong to say that Paul Kagame’s question and the answer are contributing to decolonizing the Rwandan mindset of considering that “Ubwami bw’Imana ni ubwabakene” [The Kingdom of God belongs to the poor”. The Bible (in Matthew 5:3 NIV) says
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In
Kinyarwanda Bibiriya Yera says “Hahirwa abakene mu mitima yabo, kuko ubwami
bwo mu ijuru ari ubwabo.” Meaning blessed are the poor in the heart. The
Bible does not say ‘blessed are the poor’, but the poor in the heart,
spirit. Another verse used in preaching that people must not seek wealth is Luke
18:25. The verse says that “it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s
eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” For those who were
with Jesus if so, no one could make it to heaven. Jesus responded that what is
impossible with men is possible with God. The story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19,
shows how it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, as
a rich man like Zacchaeus was saved not because of his wealth but Jesus. As a
result of the different misinterpretation of the Bible that we mentioned above,
poverty accentuated the inferiority complex of Africans; Rwandans included
vis-à-vis the Westerners, to the level of waiting for them to tell them what is
good for them. For Paul Kagame, we need to stop waiting for others to dictate to
us what to do and strive for our well being.
Christians
we are blessed in Rwanda to have H.E. Paul Kagame, a lay theologian for me, who
is pushing ahead a theology of responsibility. In
his article ‘Tasks of a Theologian in Africa Today’ Jimi ZACKA indicates
that:
It is urgent that
Africa has to re-build its cultural, economical, social, and political ruins,
from the destroyed infrastructures to broken societies. This task calls for a
new form of theological discourse that must be developed by African
theologians. Because, today, we notice that African theology, like other
theologies, predominantly remains an intellectual exercise. Indeed it seems to
have become 'a theology of theologians, by theologians, for theologians',
instead of becoming 'a theology of the people, by the people, for the people'.
Thus, we think that the task of the African theologian today is to
initiate a new perspective that can transform the social life, and to initiate
a discipleship of equals and the eradication of mass poverty. That can help
Christians to build an open society, which meets the needs of people, and
restores their human dignity. It could be called a theology of responsibility.[32]
While Zacka is calling African theologians, to move from theology
of theologians to a theology of responsibility, Paul Kagame has taken the lead
in Rwanda in terms of a theology of responsibility as for him “Imvugo niyo ngiro” meaning what he says
is what he does. This understanding of H.E. Paul Kagame is one of the factors
which are making the development of Rwanda so fast to the level those who still
want to undermine what he is doing are silenced by his accomplishments. In the
past colonizers and some missionaries introduced theories that set apart
Rwandans and weakened them spiritually, socially, economically and politically.
One of the bad things was to preach, teach inequality of people in Rwanda as it
was at the time in many Western countries.
Conclusion
His Excellency Paul Kagame’s theological question “are there some
people whom God created superior to others?” and his answer that ‘God created
all people equal”, is having a positive impact in Rwanda, not only politically,
economically but spiritually also. But we must avoid the shift from spiritual
to physical things only. It is here that lay theologians and professional
Rwandan theologians, we need to contribute by working on how to reconcile the
spiritual and physical activities in Rwanda to keep the balance for the
development of our country and the Great Commission's sake. In doing
so we must keep in our minds that God created all human beings equal, with
different gifts to enable them to carry on their mission of glorifying God
on earth.
By Joel
Kubwimana
References
1.
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[1] Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E.
Olson, WHO NEEDS THEOLOGY? An Invitation to the Study of God, ( USA:
InterVarsity Press, 1996),pp.9-10.
[2] Grenz and Olson, WHO NEEDS THEOLOGY, p.13.
[3] Grenz and Olson, WHO NEEDS THEOLOGY, p.13.
[4] R.C. Sproul , EVERYONE’S A
THEOLOGIAN: An Introduction to Systematic
Theology, (York, Pennsylvania: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2014),p.4.
[5]Aloys Bigirumwami, Imana y’Abantu, Abantu b’Imana, Imana mu
Bantu, Abantu mu Mana, (Nyundo: 1976),
p.5.
[6]
I used the square brackets [] to indicate my translations.
[7] Bigirumwami, Imana y’Abantu, p.13.
[8] Grenz and Olson, WHO NEEDS THEOLOGY, p.14.
[9] Grenz and Olson, WHO NEEDS THEOLOGY, p.14.
[10] François Soudan, KAGAME:
Conversations with the President of Rwanda, (USA: Enigma books and Nouveau
Monde Editions, 2015), p.12.
[11] Soudan, KAGAME: Conversations
with the President of Rwanda, p.17.
[12] Soudan, KAGAME: Conversations
with the President of Rwanda, p.17.
[13] Grenz and Olson, WHO NEEDS THEOLOGY, p.13.
[14]
Arthur de Gobineau, ‘Essai sur l’inégalité des races humaines, (1853-1855)’
Livres 1 à 4, Paris: Éditions Pierre Belfond, 1967, p.4, accessed
on22/08/2019, http://classiques.uqac.ca.
[15]
Arthur de Gobineau, ‘Essai sur l’inégalité des races humaines, (1853-1855)’
Livres 1 à 4, Paris: Éditions Pierre Belfond, 1967, p.5, accessed
on22/08/2019, http://classiques.uqac.ca.
[16] Paul Rutayisire, ‘Le catholicisme Rwandais : Un Regard
Interrogateur’, in Gatwa, Tharcisse et Laurent Rutinduka (éds.), Histoire du Christianisme au Rwanda, Des
Origines à nos Jours, (Yaoundé, Editions CLE, 2014), pp.253-354 (257).
[17]Commission Nationale de Recensement, ‘3ѐme Recensement générale de la population et
de l’habitat du Rwanda, 15 Aout 2002,
Etat et structure de la population’,
Kigali, Février 2005, p.60.
[18] Anastase Shyaka, ‘The Rwandan
Conflict Origin, Development, Exit Strategies’,p.15, Accessed on 9th
/10/2017, https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu.
[19] Shyaka, ‘The Rwandan Conflict
Origin’, p.16.
[20] Edith R. Sanders, ‘The
Hamitic Hypothesis; Its Origin and Functions in Time Perspective’, The Journal of African History, Vol. 10,
No. 4 (1969), pp. 521-532(521) Accessed: 30-09-2017,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/179896.
[21] Shyaka , ‘The Rwandan Conflict
Origin’, p16.
[22] Shyaka , ‘The Rwandan Conflict
Origin’, p8.
[23] Shyaka , ‘The Rwandan Conflict
Origin’, p7.
[24]
Repubulika y'u Rwanda Perezidansi ya
Repubulika, ‘Ubumwe
Bw'Abanyarwanda mbere y'Abazungu n'igihe cy'ubukoloni mu gihe cya
repubulika ya mbere’, (Kigali, kanama 1999), p.8.
[25] Repubulika y'u Rwanda Perezidansi ya Repubulika, ‘Ubumwe Bw'Abanyarwanda’,p.21.
[26] Shyaka , ‘The Rwandan Conflict
Origin’, p10.
[27] Repubulika y'u Rwanda Perezidansi ya Repubulika, ‘Ubumwe Bw'Abanyarwanda’, p.38-39.
[28] Joel
Kubwimana, ‘Kinyarwanda as a Vehicle of
the Primal: An Examination of the Life
and Work of Bishop Aloys Bigirumwami with Particular Reference to his Advocacy
of Mother-Tongue use and his Perception of Rwandan Primal Religion. ‘MTh
Dissertation (work in progress), Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission
and Culture, Akropong-Akuapem, 2019), p.6.
[29] Ype Schaaf, ‘On their Way Rejoicing: The History and Role
of the bible in Africa’, ( Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana: Regnum Africa, reissued edition 2002,p.112.
[30] Schaaf, ‘On
their Way Rejoicing’,pp.192-193.
[31] Schaaf, ‘On their Way Rejoicing’, p.193.
[32] Jimi Zacka, ‘Tasks of a Theologian in Africa Today’,
accessed on 04th March 2019, https://tephila.blogspot.com.
5. Nta muntu wava mu busa. Haba hari ibyahuye ngo abeho
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