‘Walking in the light’ and the missio Dei: Perspectives from the Anglican Church of Kenya

• Published in: Hervormde teologiese studies Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Knoetze, Johannes J., Mwangi, Robinson K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pretoria African Online Scientific Information Systems (Pty) Ltd t/a AOSIS 30-04-2018; AOSIS (Pty) Ltd; Reformed Theological College of the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Pretoria and Society for Practical Theology in South Africa; AOSIS
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Anglican churches; Bible; Book industry; Christianity; East African Revival Movement; God; Holiness; Kenya; Light; missio Dei; Religion; Religious aspects; Religious organizations; Scholarships & fellowships; Social aspects; Theology; Walking; Walking in the light; Kenya; England; Detroit Michigan; United States > US; East Africa
• ISSN: 0259-9422; 2072-8050; 2072-8050
• DOI: 10.4102/hts.v74i1.4868

The East African Revival Movement’s (EARM) socio-ethical belief and practice of walking in the light pervades mainstream Protestant churches in Eastern Africa with its emphasis on public confession of sin, which breeds severe relational consequences. Indeed walking in the light of the EARM has long plagued the Anglican Church of Kenya’s participation in the missio Dei, which brings to the fore two categories of Christians, the saved and unsaved. While walking in the light has been buttressed in the Anglican Church of Kenya it is critical to recognise that the mission of God ought to be the heartbeat of the EARM’s very existence. Accordingly, this article demonstrates that it is not the church that has a mission, but the Triune God that challenges the place of walking in the light in the Trinitarian God. This study, therefore, champions practical holiness by positioning walking in the light in the mission of God. As a result, it redefines the EARM’s religious identity, illustrated by a proper exposition of scripture, Trinitarian worship, discreet confession of sin and moral legalism that provides for informed evangelism and social responsibility.