The present volume is made up of five papers. The first, by sr. Maria de la Cruz Aymes, S. H., and by Rev. J. Buckley, S. J., is about the Catechesis of Hispanics in the United States. The second, by fr. Eugenio Maurer, S. J., deals with the mentality of the conquistadores, and with the inculturation project among the Tseltal Indians. The third, by fr. Charles Nyamiti, examines the catholic teaching on the Trinity in the light of the black African understanding of ancestor veneration. The fourth article, by Rev. William Biernatzky, S. J., develops how effective tools for the study of inculturation can best be developed from the empirical perspective of cultural anthropology. The fifth study, by Rev. George A. De Napoli, S. J., about the inculturation as communication, attempts to spell out in detail some of the complexities in trying to inculturate Christian meanings and values in the different societies.
'Inculturation' is a word come only recently into theological language, having its origin and impetus in a revolution in the perception of Christian mission--even of Christian identity. 'Toward a Theology of Inculturation' is the first book to bring together the many strands of current and historical Catholic thought on what might be called a theology of a multicultural church. Inculturation, Shorter argues, is the recognition that faith must in effect become culture to be fully received and lived. In the course of a wide-ranging discussion, the author explores the intimate relationship between inculturation and theology, focusing in particular on scripture, the history of Òmissions (especially in Africa), and contemporary Catholic thought. Shorter concludes with an exploration of the future of the church--a multicultural church. 'Toward a Theology of Inculturation' offers a substantive explication of what inculturation is, what it is not, how and when it occurs, and what its limits are or should be.
The present volume is made up of three papers which were discussed at the Jerusalem seminar of the F.I.U.C. in 1985. The paper of Prof. Marcel Dumais intends to define the relationship between faith and culture according to the Acts of the Apostles. The article by Prof. Rosemary Goldie deals with the hitherto almost unexplored role of women in the inculturation of Christianity. The paper illustrates the irreversible trend towards greater self-awareness among women, even in the most traditional societies, and the relevance of this trend for inculturation. The paper of Prof. Andrzej Swiecicki situates the process of cultural change in the field of tension between the divine, ultimate perfection and the process of human history. Marcel Dumais, o.m.i., born in Drummondville, Canada, in 1936, did his ecclesiastical studies in Rome (L. Ph.; L.S.S.) and Paris (D. Th.). Since 1968 he has been teaching holy Scripture (New Testament) at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. He was academic Vice-Rector of this University from 1974 till 1980. Since 1982, he is the Director of the Mission Studies Institute of Saint Paul University. In 1984 he was appointed by the Pope member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. He published a few books and many articles in French on New Testament topics, particularly on Evangelization in the Acts of the Apostles. Rosemary Goldie was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1916. She studied at Sydney University and the Sorbonne (Paris). Since 1946 she has been involved in international work: in the Catholic student movement, in the organisation of the World Congresses for the Lay Apostolate, and as Associate Secretary of the Consilium de Laicis of the Holy See. Since 1977 she ahs been lecturing at the Pontifical Lateran University on topics related to the laity in the mission of the Church.
This book navigates the contours of cultural and theological hermeneutics in order to critique, affirm, as well as reconceptualise the vital underpinnings and subtleties of faith-culture intercourse and reciprocation. It questions claims to effective inculturation by theologians and church authorities, even as it acknowledges the inevitability of the tension between inculturation process and syncretic formations. It is an irresistible asset for teachers and students of theology, cultural and religious studies, for pastors and missionaries, and for all Christians in need of finding Christian beliefs and practices more meaningful to them in their daily lives. The hope is that it challenges the straitjacketed conceptual and pastoral frameworks that have often characterised the churchs evangelisation initiatives, and assists in making Christian faith a concrete and living possession of every age and culture. Michael Muonwe is a priest of the Catholic diocese of Awka, Nigeria. He holds Licentiate and Doctorate in Theology and Religious Studies from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. He obtained Bachelors in Philosophy from Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu, Nigeria. Michael also holds Diplomas in Mass Communication and Education. He has authored a number of articles and is an editor of a book. His major research interest is the often-convoluted relationship and interplay between religion and the contemporary culture. His research on the relationship between Christianity, feminism and culture will soon be published in two volumes. On the present book, Prof. Annemie Dillen of the Catholic University of Leuven affirms: This is a must-read book for local church leaders, theologians and everyone involved in pastoral work. It challenges the reader to give up a longing for security and finding answers in fixed rules or the so-called universal truths, and invites him or her to an in-depth study of cultural practices and beliefs. The overview of the discussions on inculturation and the reality or sometime maybe phantom of syncretism is very illuminating and thought-provoking. Thomas F. Magill asserts: A timely and well-balanced study of the theology of inculturation as understood in the Roman Catholic tradition, offering new and fresh insights, situated in the cusp between the Benedict XVI's emphasis on the relationship between faith and reason and the problem of relativism and Francis I's desire for a poor church for the poor. (T.F. Magill, L.S.S., Ph.D, parish priest of the Diocese of Motherwell, formerly a Lecturer in New Testament Studies at the University of Glasgow).
The discovery of the New World offered European civilisation the chance to generate a process of circulation of its own cultural values – the “spiritual conquest” – that has no comparable precedents. The missionary orders played an important role during this “Westernisation of the world,” not only as key players in the spread of Christian values, but also as mediators between different worlds. Indeed, missionary practices imposed the dominating culture’s values and institutions on the vanquished peoples. At the same time, they also promoted the circulation of new knowledge and the negotiation between different cultures during the age of a global integration of space. This book looks at the vast field of study concerning the history of missions from a specific viewpoint. Firstly, it focuses on “local” processes, singling out specific case studies to be used for a general reflection. On the other hand, it refocuses the attention on the Indigenous cultures – which the missionaries helped to bring to light in the field of Western history – showing how they succeeded in entering the areas of negotiation created by missionaries, and in producing their own cultural subjectivity.
A tenth anniversary edition of the classic introduction to mujerista theology for Hispanic women offers an inspirational look at the everyday struggles, insights, attitudes, and lives of Hispanic women from the perspective of Hispanic identiy in North American society, with summaries of the sources, aims, goals, and tenets of mujerista theology. (Christianity)
This book explores in depth Ikpu-ala as a social justice value in the Igbo social justice system. The traditional social justice concept of ikpu-ala provides an important conceptual framework through which adult Igbo Christians can engage in a critical and conscious theological reflections upon how they can make the Igbo Christian community fully authentic and faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a process that will highlight the total transformation of the Igbo society, which began with the arrival of the missionaries in 1885. This reflection is based on the Igbo experience and understanding of Omenala, the Igbo moral code, in which the world of the material and the spiritual, while occupying distinct domains, nonetheless remain deeply intertwined. In this book, the author explores that for the Igbo community, the reality of theology has evolved as a distinct from of experience that is deeply connected with tradition for the sake of praxis (Don Browning, 1995). Consequently, the author not only sees Ikpu-ala as authentic Igbo social justice value but also considers it as something that can be integrated into the Christian social values without either destroying Igbos longstanding cultures or traditions. The author highlights two key lessons from the Igbo integration of ikpu-ala into Christian social justice: (1) that the Igbo Catholic Church should engage the Igbo culture and traditions in a theological interactive reflections for the incarnation of the Word among the Igbo Catholics, and (2) that Ikpu-ala, with its theological values, can assist the Igbo Catholic Church in the sacrament of reconciliation and so transform the twenty- first century Igbo Catholic into an integrated and authentic Christian.
This study deals with the interaction between neo-Thomism and African traditional thinking in Charles Nyamiti's theological methodology. The approach of the study is groundbreaking as it is the first monograph published on the theological method of any African theologian. The question about the position and relevance of Western philosophical-theological systems in a non-Western context also has a wider relevance concerning contextual theologies in general. Nyamiti's theology is a germane and a fruitful choice for the study of this issue because of his programmatic attempt to build a coherent African Roman Catholic theological system. His theology is also well-known for its strong African flavor in elaborating theological questions within the framework of orthodox Roman Catholic doctrine.
