Gathaka, The Bible and Democracy in Africademanded whether Roman citizens were not innocent until proven
guilty and therefore could not be whipped.
Conclusion
The Bible continues to be used as a tool to advance democracy in Africa.
It has been accepted part and parcel of instruction for the African way of
life though it is alien in origin, geography, language and history. Its
literary forms however are very much like many African forms. Its cul-
tural background is so much what the African everyday life entails.
There is still much study which needs to be done for most translations
need to be polished. Translations themselves are interpretations^62 and
therefore Africans scholars need to constantly review the translations
made and revise them accordingly. The Bible hermeneutics as well as
the church’s prophetic ministry have been forth telling and foretelling.
That is why in 1986, South African churches published the ‘Kairos
document,’ which argued that critical moment had come for Christians
to oppose the injustice of the apartheid state. In 1991 the NCCK pub-
lished ‘A kairos for Kenya’ which addressed the unease over the Kenyan
government increasing hostility to calls for a multiparty state. These two
documents were based in the Bible.
Democracy and the multipartism which enhances it must be consoli-
dated. With the advent of multiparty politics in many African countries it
is becoming increasingly clear that the old order is being replaced by a
new order. It is expected that the new order would invigorate the society
in a way that would enhance human dignity, freedom of expression,
conscience and association which are not easy in a one party system. As
Nthamburi rightly observes ‘citizens are looking for a government that
will be accountable and transparent, utilizing human and material re-
sources for the good of all.’^63 The church will continue to use the Bible to
advocate and teach against those things that may reverse all the gains
made. Such issues are ethnicity, corruption, environment degradation,
and violation of human rights, unequal distribution of resources, gender
imbalance, and marginalization of minorities, bad governance and elec-
toral malpractices among myriads of others. As we conclude we must
ponder these words by Ratzinger in his chapter on ‘A Christian orienta-
(^62) K. Grobel, Interpretation, History and Principles of, in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the
Bible, Abingdon Press, Nashville: 21st printing, 1996, p 719.
(^63) Nthamburi, Z. Theology and Politics in Africa, p 156.