Winter 1994 - Quarterly Review

Introduction
As each year draws to a close, the forces of journalism gather to
decide on the big stories for their New Year's editorials. Religion
editors do this, too, and it's always interesting to see what has made an
impression on them. It occurred to me to wonder if the fallout from
the Re-Imagining Conference (which was held in 1993) would make
the list this year. I suspect not; followup stories don't generally make
front pages. But it would make a terrific feature article. If reporters
covered religion like they cover politics, that is, to death, they would
observe the life cycle of another skirmish in the liberal-conservative
wars. They would also have a chance to convey the sorrow Christian
women experience when their own theological explorations are
misrepresented and condemned. Then they could try to figure out why
it's so tough to think and speak theologically on the issues of our day
in the churches.
I have no quarrel with religion editors. But long after the conference
itself has lost its news value, we are the ones who are left to try to
convert the vast energy for controversy into fuel for theological
conversation. As we have been accustomed to doing. So since we are
already learning how to deal with issues of gender and sexual ethics
with our fellow Christians, we might just as well throw another log on
the fire and talk about Christology. It all comes down to that anyway.
This issue, we have some expert assistance: Dr. Teresia M. Hinga is a
member of the faculty of Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, and
has taught at Harvard Divinity School and Iliff School of Theology.
Her article does some important things for us: first of all, she has
written about a real Africa, not a tourist destination; two, she speaks
candidly about Christ and Western culture, a message we must hear
plainly. And three, she does not forget African women. The
Christology coming from various African contexts is a strong dose of
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