Book highlight: an exerpt from uMunthu Theology: An Introduction by Augustine Chingwala Musopole

For our purposes, theology has been defined as a reflection on the “Divine-With-Us-Ness or the With-Us-Ness-Of-God”, quite a mouthful for lack of a better term. In Chichewa/Nyanja it could be rendered Fyoloje ya Mulungu Nafe. In Tumbuka it would be Fyoloje ya Uwapo wa Ciuta, and in Ngonde it would be Ifyoloje ya Kyala Alinuswe. I have also described the theological activity as “a reflective life-dancing with God in the cosmos and through time. It is done for the sake of deepening our uMunthu and a feel for a vital relationship, meaning, and creativity in the communion of this life-dance with our God. It is celebrative reflection on our being with God. Furthermore, it is also an ontological hold on life’s end-purpose in association with Jesus, the authentic Munthu.” It is a celebration of our essential cosmic role, that of being priests in service of life on behalf of all creation. As I have stated elsewhere: “The aim of such a reflection is the embodiment of uMunthu as seen in the face of Christ in fulfillment of our creation design and priestly role in the cosmic temple on behalf of the rest of creation.”