Christianity in Africa is increasing by geometric progression, despite the prognosis of western missionaries based upon the supposed lack of maturity of African Christians, and the gloomy forecasts of some African nationalists, that since Christianity and colonialism came to Africa as Siamese twins, the exodus of the latter will inevitably lead to the demise of the former. African Christianity, in spite of its essentially alien character in many parts of the continent, has shown a remarkable resilience; and perhaps, like her Lord, when African Christianity seems utterly weak and powerless, then we must celebrate with ecstasy the Festival of the Resurrection.

In the Christian literature about spirit one of the decisive questions that influences the interpretation of spirit at many points is whether all spirit is conceived to be divine or whether there are basically two kinds of spirit, human and divine. In Buber's understanding the spirit of love exists in the sphere ‘between’ and is participated in by humans rather than being produced by human will alone. Buber would thus come into the class of persons advocating that there is basically One Spirit.1 Human spirit is seen to be in some way a response to or a sharing in the reality of the One Spirit. Paul Tillich, one of the greatest Christian students of Spirit, is somewhat unclear as to whether there are basically one or two kinds of spirit. On the one hand, he consistently uses two terms, ‘human spirit’ and ‘Spiritual Presence’, by which he means divine Spirit.2 The use of these two terms would seem to indicate two kinds of spirit. Tillich describes at length these two kinds of spirit and speaks of their relationship as that of ‘mutual immanence’.3 On the other hand, in his view of reality in the broadest perspective all spirit is an ontological reality that has its source in the trinitarian life of God.4 This suggests that there is only one Spirit after all.

In the first chapter of the book of Ruth there is an interesting exchange between Naomi and her daughters-in-law. Having successfully persuaded Orpah to return to ‘her mother's house’, Naomi turns to Ruth with the words, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said, ‘Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.’1

In a recent paper,1 Professor Jay Newman alleged that Cardinal Newman was entangled in a conundrum about faith and reason — a conundrum from which the cardinal tried, but failed utterly, to escape by means of a doctrine about love. He alleges that Newman is finally unable to arbitrate amongst rival faiths and is left holding an implausible account of love and of its relation to Christian virtue.