Framing Moya in a Trinitarian Perspective, within African and Pentecostal Pneumatology: A Contribution to Missio Trinitatis

Abstract

The reviewed literature demonstrates that moya, as a pneumatological concept, has been studied in both African pneumatology and Pentecostal pneumatology. In African pneumatology, the concept has been applied to human existence, the spiritual realm, and as part of African cosmology respectively. In Pentecostal pneumatology, the distinctions between the Holy Spirit and other spirits, in the conceptualization of moya have been explored. However, the use of the missio Trinitatis, as an approach to distinguishing between the uses of moya, in both African and Pentecostal pneumatology, remains under-researched. This article suggests integrating missio Trinitatis with the conceptualization of moya, to demonstrate that, when the concept is used in the context of the mission of the Trinity, the distinctions between the Holy Spirit (commonly ‘Moya’ with a capital), and other spirits (moya) become clear. This contributes new knowledge to shape missiologists’ understanding of the mission of the Trinity in the distinctions of moya.