David Zac Niringiye – författare

Historically, studies of the church in Africa have tended to focus on church history or church-state relations, but in this publication David Zac Niringiye presents a study of the Church of Uganda focused on its ecclesiology. Niringiye examines several formative periods for the Church of Uganda during concurrent chronological political eras characterized by varying degrees of socio-political turbulence, highlighting how the social context impacted the church’s self-expression. The author’s methodology and insight sets this work apart as an excellent reflection on the Ugandan church and brings scholarly attention to previously ignored topics that hold great value to society, the church, and the academic community globally.

Historically, studies of the church in Africa have tended to focus on church history or church-state relations, but in this publication David Zac Niringiye presents a study of the Church of Uganda focused on its ecclesiology. Niringiye examines several formative periods for the Church of Uganda during concurrent chronological political eras characterized by varying degrees of socio-political turbulence, highlighting how the social context impacted the church’s self-expression. The author’s methodology and insight sets this work apart as an excellent reflection on the Ugandan church and brings scholarly attention to previously ignored topics that hold great value to society, the church, and the academic community globally.

In this day when Christians and churches are widely dispersed throughout the world, the ques- tion ‘Who is the church?’ could easily be dismissed as irrelevant. In this publication, Bishop David Zac Niringiye pleads that as Jesus warned, we should not be in haste to conclude that any community with religious titles or forms and who speaks the right language of ‘Lord, Lord . . . ’ is authentic church. Taking his cue from Hebrews 11 and 12 the author addresses the motif of ‘the people of God’, looking first at the ancient people of Israel, beginning with Moses, then the new Israel and the covenant in Christ, born through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and finally the life of the new community, the church, during the apostolic era.Through this biblical journey it is made clear that as the pilgrim people of God and the new community in Christ we must be marked by faith, love and hope, looking forward to the full consummation of the kingdom of God – justice, peace and joy, fully realized when ‘the new heaven and the new earth where righteousness dwells’ (2 Peter 3:13) is inaugurated.

In this day when Christians and churches are widely dispersed throughout the world, the ques- tion ‘Who is the church?’ could easily be dismissed as irrelevant. In this publication, Bishop David Zac Niringiye pleads that as Jesus warned, we should not be in haste to conclude that any community with religious titles or forms and who speaks the right language of ‘Lord, Lord . . . ’ is authentic church. Taking his cue from Hebrews 11 and 12 the author addresses the motif of ‘the people of God’, looking first at the ancient people of Israel, beginning with Moses, then the new Israel and the covenant in Christ, born through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and finally the life of the new community, the church, during the apostolic era.Through this biblical journey it is made clear that as the pilgrim people of God and the new community in Christ we must be marked by faith, love and hope, looking forward to the full consummation of the kingdom of God – justice, peace and joy, fully realized when ‘the new heaven and the new earth where righteousness dwells’ (2 Peter 3:13) is inaugurated.