Indexes: p. 241-242

Contributors v

Acknowledgments vii

Preface ix

SECTION A: SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS IN AFRICA AND THE CHALLENGE OF SPIRITUALIST MANIFESTATIONS 11

SECTION B: THE BIBLE AND SPIRITUALISTIC MANIFESTATIONS 51

SECTION C: RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE OF SPIRITUALISTIC MANIFESTATIONS 133

Appendix 1 193

Appendix 2 227

Subject Index 241

Throughout history Christianity has been engaging cultures, and in every case it has borne fruit in the many precious souls that have been won to the Lord. By speaking to, and through cultures of the world, Christianity has, over the centuries, brought about physical, moral, and spiritual transformations in the societies of the world. Africa is no exception. Today, Africa, with Asia and Latin America, stands poised to be the center of gravity of Christianity. The Seventh-day Adventist church in Africa shares in these general trends in Christianity on the continent of Africa. The church has witnessed unprecedented growth throughout Africa, and projections do not indicate a slowing down in the future. To God be the glory. Growth, however, always comes with challenges. Like the church everywhere, Africa faces challenges from its secular environment as well as those deriving from ingrained traditions and ideologies of the past. A proper understanding and resolution of these challenges is necessary for the overall identity and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Africa. Syncretism is an ever present risk that should be understood and dealt with biblically. Theologians in Africa, together with the Biblical Research Institute staff, should be commended for putting together this volume to help the church in Africa to comprehend and work through some issues of a spiritualistic nature that are critical to the health of the church in Africa. May the Lord bless each of us, as we seek to advance the mission of the church through this book and the many other resources that the Holy Spirit places at our disposal as we anticipate Christs soon coming.