EDITORIAL
As Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph to mark the 150th anniversary of the Sa... more EDITORIAL
As Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph to mark the 150th anniversary of the Saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church, the year began on 8th December, 2020 and would conclude on 8th December, 2021. Given that St. Joseph, the husband of Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ, is famous for being the Ideal Worker who ministered to the Holy Family, the missionary work of the Church must go on despite the COVID-19 pandemic saga. More than fifty years ago, Pope St. Paul VI was emphatic that by now, Africans should be missionaries to themselves. The Church of Christ should truly be pIanted in Africa and they have to make it African through honest and result-oriented dialogue with African cultures and values. Theology should attempt to aid Africans to be truly Christians and authentically Africans (Pope Paul VI, “Address to the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, Kampala” 31 July, 1969). Similarly, Alyward Shorter notes that: “Africans have a legitimate desire to reformulate the truths of faith in accordance with their own cultural forms of expression. They need not and should not replicate the intellectual history of Europe in order to understand what the Gospel says about Jesus” (Alyward Shorter, Christianity and African Imagination, Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1996, 69). Accordingly, efforts have been expended on the reformation and restoration of Inculturation Theology. This edition of the Journal has been put together to help in the theological reforms mandated by the Second Vatican Council. Conscious of this development, the Editorial Board has carefully decided on the peer reviewed array of selected articles.
In this issue of JIT, Benjamin Ogechi Agbara, in his article titled: Formation of a Believing Community as the Role of the First Sign: Insights from John 2:1-12, focuses on the Gospel according to John which was written to evoke faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Agbara challenges the Church in Africa to live out the implication of the text and eschew anything that runs contrary to it.
Another biblically oriented article, Rereading Leviticus 19:33-34 in the Context of the Current Global Migrant and Refugee Crisis, by Emmanuel O. Nwaoru, decries the plight of migrants and refugees. Nwaoru, therefore, recommends that the modern society should consider dispassionately the enduring and non-restrictive message and show concern for the wellbeing of every migrant (foreigner) on account of their vulnerability.
The set of articles with sacred liturgical-bent kicks off with the paper by Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo titled: Understanding the New Translation of the Roman Rite in Igbo Language. The article creates a path to understanding the new translation of the Roman Missal into vernacular. The currency of the paper by Anagwo lies in its wide explanation of some of these new changes which are richer in content in order to redirect towards heaven.
Relatedly, Peter Danjuma Uchu, in his paper, The Importance and Development of the Prayer of Absolution in the African Context, sets out to discuss the spiritual cum liturgical benefits of the prayer of absolution. At the end, Uchu gives some commentaries on the prayer and stresses its importance to the Church in Africa.
In his paper, Underscoring the Essence of Christian Funeral Rites within the Context of ‘Befitting Burial’ in Nigeria, Clement Temitope Ogunlusi laments the extent to which Christians today have deviated from the Biblical virtue of prudence but promote the culture of profligacy in burying the dead. Ogunlusi efficiently argues for Christian befitting burial of Christians to be encouraged in order to serve the spiritual purpose in which the souls of the dead are committed to God’s mercy and the living are consoled as well as the lessons of faith concerning death are learnt.
Charles Boampong Sarfo, in his article, Preface of the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King as Catechesis for Repairing the Fractured African Continent, attempts to understand the expectation of Christians in sharing the truth of God both in practice and in word. Sarfo argued that the need to build a new continent free from corruption, moral lapses and chaos, is possible when Christians in Africa could serve as light and avoid compromising their religious obligations.
The article titled: Dogmatic Theology and the Unity of Christian Doctrine, by Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, dares to swim the murky waters with a passion for the protection of the doctrine of the Catholic Church from abuse that comes from subjectivism, rubricism, clericalism, passiveness and conservatism. Ebebe did not shy away from his preference for “Dogmatic Theology” as a better term to be used.
Dogmatic Controversy of the Biblical Passage on Ancestor Veneration in Ibibioland, by Anthony Okon Abel, asserts that ancestor veneration occurs in every culture, all over the world. Abel takes up the task on how to correct the wrong interpretation of some Biblical texts by Ibibio people, who after many years of Christianity still hold that there are some Biblical passages that support ancestral veneration.
The last but not the least is an insightful article by Edward Osang Obi titled: Energy Ethics and the Impact of Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Anchored on the fact that there is a clear nexus between the onslaught of climate change and the human technological activities. Obi calls for a systematic balance between the natural human need for energy and the levels of environmental destruction permissible in achieving it.
The ideas and experiences captured in this issue of JIT challenge theologians and scholars to be sensitive to the integration of Christian message and culture. The papers, as a whole, significantly contribute to the body of knowledge for Africans and others who need to know the relevance of the mission and vision of Inculturation Theology. It is, therefore, our singular pleasure to recommend this current edition of the Journal to all. You stand to be enriched by reading this issue of JIT as you would not regret doing so.
FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, CATHOLIC INSTITUTE OF WEST AFRICA, PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA, 2019
EDITORIAL
This issue of the Journal of Inculturation Theology (JIT) is another collection of sch... more EDITORIAL
This issue of the Journal of Inculturation Theology (JIT) is another collection of scholarly articles from reputable academics across the West African sub-region and Europe. The papers were carefully selected and edited from recommendations of the blind peer review panel. The expectation is that theologians, philosophers, educationists, clergy, religious men and women as well as the lay faithful will have source materials for research and discussion on the all-important issue of the Inculturation Theology. This is especially germane in view of the reality and urgency of the theology in Nigeria and many African nations. The authors have elicited rich, responsive and converging reflections and approaches on how to continuously provide enlightened and incisive Practical Inculturation Theology. This will influence the local Church and the wider society, in order to cherish and pursue this trend of Inculturation Theology. The Journal will hopefully serve as a major effort and catalyst towards such enlightenment to pursue the course of Inculturation Theology. Assuredly, this is the thinking that runs across the articles published by JIT in this digital age.
The Church, and indeed, the contemporary society are living through an epochal age. As digital residents, some today refused to migrate into the digital age; hence, they are the digital fugitives. Many of us make effort to explore the opportunities and threats; hence, they are the digital immigrants. While our young people born since 1980, who are versatile with modern technological toys and tools, are digital natives. We must collaborate and co-operate, in order to instruct and communicate the designs of God to His children in this New Era of Evangelization. Patrick Chukwudezie Chibuko, in his article Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Liturgical life of Christians Today: An Anglophone West African Response opens “the academic excursus” by stating the functional relationship between the liturgy and the Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the human person and the larger society. As ICT is person oriented; in the liturgy, the Church celebrates a Personality, namely Christ, not as a theory, philosophy, ideology or figment of imagination. What liturgy recalls in celebration, ICT records and preserves for posterity in gadgets.
In pursuance of this mission of the Church as a communicating community with ICT, Elizabeth Titilayo Aduloju, in her paper, Navigating the Present-Day Digital Media Proliferation: A Challenge for Pastoral Agents in Nigeria, underscores a fact that the new media technologies have revolutionised the entire globe, altering substantially, the way people work, live, learn and how they spend their leisure time. In Nigeria, young people, who are ‘native speakers’/’digital natives’ of the digital language of computers and video game, are already spending more time on new media such as mobile phones, social media and the internet. With the new development, today’s young people encounter a lot of challenges such as gratuitous sex and violence, cyberbullying, trivialisation of news and many others.
The article, The Youth and Legacy of the SECAM Golden Jubilee (1969-2019), by Ferdinand Nwaigbo, calls attention to the problem of the contemporary youth which consists in living out the legacy of Christianity and in preserving their cultural identity and heritage. This is because Christianity is a religion with diversities of cultures, customs, traditions and legacies. The article elaborates the need to renew the commitment of the youth to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in a culture that is encapsulated in exploiting the youth, keeping them out of decision taking processes in a society marked with gender sensitivity and democratic revolutions.
In her write-up, The Impact of Globalization on Youth Identity Formation in Nigeria: The Moral Perspective, Anthonia Bolanle Ojo notes that Globalisation is the force behind the changes across the globe. It provides a series of powerful processes that enable both opportunities and risks to thrive. The paper explores how the young people live and experience the world, becoming more open and accessible while living in their own world in Nigeria.
Benjamin Yakubu Bala, in his article, Rising Spade of Suicide Among Young People in Nigeria: A Christian Moral Response, observes that the increasing spade of suicide among young people in the world and particularly in Nigeria is worrisome. The numbers are quite devastating and very scaring.
Good Governance and Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria: An agenda for Political Leaders and Agents, by Raymond Olusesan Aina, laments that despite being touted as the biggest economy in Africa, Nigeria remains one of the countries in Africa where multidimensional poverty, daunting and daily crisis abound. Many structures in Nigeria are dilapidated. Violence, insecurity and lawlessness are the order of the day.
Relatedly, Ignatius M.C. Obinwa, in his article, Knowledge from Correct Education as Panacea for Conflicts and Lawlessness: Examining the Nigerian Context in the Light of Isaiah 11:1-9, discusses such manifestations of conflicts and lawlessness in Nigeria as corruption, bloody religious intolerance, nepotism and inter-tribal bloody combats in the light of Isaiah 11:1-9.
Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, in his write-up, Ministerial Priesthood and its Ecclesial Setting within an African Context, unveils that priesthood in the Catholic Church is of primary importance. This is because of the centrality of the Sacraments in the life of the Church. Through her perennial teachings, the Catholic Church is called the Church of the Sacraments since Sacraments are indispensable in the life of the Church.
In his contribution, Clergy-Laity Distinction: Testimonies of the New Testament, Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie studies the attestation of the New Testament (NT) to clergy-laity distinction in the Church. The paper argues that although the terms ‘clergy’ and ‘laity’ are not expressly employed in the NT to stratify the faithful, and notwithstanding that various offices were yet undeveloped, there are sufficient evidences showing that the primitive Church had distinction of offices and officers. In sum, the Journal has to be in the possession of anyone who wants to be better informed on trends and directions of Theological Inculturation. The authors have concurred unanimously and unequivocally that for the Church to be truly the Church of Jesus Christ, she must be both universal and particular.
EDITORIAL
As Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph to mark the 150th anniversary of the Sa... more EDITORIAL
As Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph to mark the 150th anniversary of the Saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church, the year began on 8th December, 2020 and would conclude on 8th December, 2021. Given that St. Joseph, the husband of Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ, is famous for being the Ideal Worker who ministered to the Holy Family, the missionary work of the Church must go on despite the COVID-19 pandemic saga. More than fifty years ago, Pope St. Paul VI was emphatic that by now, Africans should be missionaries to themselves. The Church of Christ should truly be pIanted in Africa and they have to make it African through honest and result-oriented dialogue with African cultures and values. Theology should attempt to aid Africans to be truly Christians and authentically Africans (Pope Paul VI, “Address to the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, Kampala” 31 July, 1969). Similarly, Alyward Shorter notes that: “Africans have a legitimate desire to reformulate the truths of faith in accordance with their own cultural forms of expression. They need not and should not replicate the intellectual history of Europe in order to understand what the Gospel says about Jesus” (Alyward Shorter, Christianity and African Imagination, Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1996, 69). Accordingly, efforts have been expended on the reformation and restoration of Inculturation Theology. This edition of the Journal has been put together to help in the theological reforms mandated by the Second Vatican Council. Conscious of this development, the Editorial Board has carefully decided on the peer reviewed array of selected articles.
In this issue of JIT, Benjamin Ogechi Agbara, in his article titled: Formation of a Believing Community as the Role of the First Sign: Insights from John 2:1-12, focuses on the Gospel according to John which was written to evoke faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Agbara challenges the Church in Africa to live out the implication of the text and eschew anything that runs contrary to it.
Another biblically oriented article, Rereading Leviticus 19:33-34 in the Context of the Current Global Migrant and Refugee Crisis, by Emmanuel O. Nwaoru, decries the plight of migrants and refugees. Nwaoru, therefore, recommends that the modern society should consider dispassionately the enduring and non-restrictive message and show concern for the wellbeing of every migrant (foreigner) on account of their vulnerability.
The set of articles with sacred liturgical-bent kicks off with the paper by Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo titled: Understanding the New Translation of the Roman Rite in Igbo Language. The article creates a path to understanding the new translation of the Roman Missal into vernacular. The currency of the paper by Anagwo lies in its wide explanation of some of these new changes which are richer in content in order to redirect towards heaven.
Relatedly, Peter Danjuma Uchu, in his paper, The Importance and Development of the Prayer of Absolution in the African Context, sets out to discuss the spiritual cum liturgical benefits of the prayer of absolution. At the end, Uchu gives some commentaries on the prayer and stresses its importance to the Church in Africa.
In his paper, Underscoring the Essence of Christian Funeral Rites within the Context of ‘Befitting Burial’ in Nigeria, Clement Temitope Ogunlusi laments the extent to which Christians today have deviated from the Biblical virtue of prudence but promote the culture of profligacy in burying the dead. Ogunlusi efficiently argues for Christian befitting burial of Christians to be encouraged in order to serve the spiritual purpose in which the souls of the dead are committed to God’s mercy and the living are consoled as well as the lessons of faith concerning death are learnt.
Charles Boampong Sarfo, in his article, Preface of the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King as Catechesis for Repairing the Fractured African Continent, attempts to understand the expectation of Christians in sharing the truth of God both in practice and in word. Sarfo argued that the need to build a new continent free from corruption, moral lapses and chaos, is possible when Christians in Africa could serve as light and avoid compromising their religious obligations.
The article titled: Dogmatic Theology and the Unity of Christian Doctrine, by Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, dares to swim the murky waters with a passion for the protection of the doctrine of the Catholic Church from abuse that comes from subjectivism, rubricism, clericalism, passiveness and conservatism. Ebebe did not shy away from his preference for “Dogmatic Theology” as a better term to be used.
Dogmatic Controversy of the Biblical Passage on Ancestor Veneration in Ibibioland, by Anthony Okon Abel, asserts that ancestor veneration occurs in every culture, all over the world. Abel takes up the task on how to correct the wrong interpretation of some Biblical texts by Ibibio people, who after many years of Christianity still hold that there are some Biblical passages that support ancestral veneration.
The last but not the least is an insightful article by Edward Osang Obi titled: Energy Ethics and the Impact of Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Anchored on the fact that there is a clear nexus between the onslaught of climate change and the human technological activities. Obi calls for a systematic balance between the natural human need for energy and the levels of environmental destruction permissible in achieving it.
The ideas and experiences captured in this issue of JIT challenge theologians and scholars to be sensitive to the integration of Christian message and culture. The papers, as a whole, significantly contribute to the body of knowledge for Africans and others who need to know the relevance of the mission and vision of Inculturation Theology. It is, therefore, our singular pleasure to recommend this current edition of the Journal to all. You stand to be enriched by reading this issue of JIT as you would not regret doing so.
FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, CATHOLIC INSTITUTE OF WEST AFRICA, PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA, 2019
EDITORIAL
This issue of the Journal of Inculturation Theology (JIT) is another collection of sch... more EDITORIAL
This issue of the Journal of Inculturation Theology (JIT) is another collection of scholarly articles from reputable academics across the West African sub-region and Europe. The papers were carefully selected and edited from recommendations of the blind peer review panel. The expectation is that theologians, philosophers, educationists, clergy, religious men and women as well as the lay faithful will have source materials for research and discussion on the all-important issue of the Inculturation Theology. This is especially germane in view of the reality and urgency of the theology in Nigeria and many African nations. The authors have elicited rich, responsive and converging reflections and approaches on how to continuously provide enlightened and incisive Practical Inculturation Theology. This will influence the local Church and the wider society, in order to cherish and pursue this trend of Inculturation Theology. The Journal will hopefully serve as a major effort and catalyst towards such enlightenment to pursue the course of Inculturation Theology. Assuredly, this is the thinking that runs across the articles published by JIT in this digital age.
The Church, and indeed, the contemporary society are living through an epochal age. As digital residents, some today refused to migrate into the digital age; hence, they are the digital fugitives. Many of us make effort to explore the opportunities and threats; hence, they are the digital immigrants. While our young people born since 1980, who are versatile with modern technological toys and tools, are digital natives. We must collaborate and co-operate, in order to instruct and communicate the designs of God to His children in this New Era of Evangelization. Patrick Chukwudezie Chibuko, in his article Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Liturgical life of Christians Today: An Anglophone West African Response opens “the academic excursus” by stating the functional relationship between the liturgy and the Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the human person and the larger society. As ICT is person oriented; in the liturgy, the Church celebrates a Personality, namely Christ, not as a theory, philosophy, ideology or figment of imagination. What liturgy recalls in celebration, ICT records and preserves for posterity in gadgets.
In pursuance of this mission of the Church as a communicating community with ICT, Elizabeth Titilayo Aduloju, in her paper, Navigating the Present-Day Digital Media Proliferation: A Challenge for Pastoral Agents in Nigeria, underscores a fact that the new media technologies have revolutionised the entire globe, altering substantially, the way people work, live, learn and how they spend their leisure time. In Nigeria, young people, who are ‘native speakers’/’digital natives’ of the digital language of computers and video game, are already spending more time on new media such as mobile phones, social media and the internet. With the new development, today’s young people encounter a lot of challenges such as gratuitous sex and violence, cyberbullying, trivialisation of news and many others.
The article, The Youth and Legacy of the SECAM Golden Jubilee (1969-2019), by Ferdinand Nwaigbo, calls attention to the problem of the contemporary youth which consists in living out the legacy of Christianity and in preserving their cultural identity and heritage. This is because Christianity is a religion with diversities of cultures, customs, traditions and legacies. The article elaborates the need to renew the commitment of the youth to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in a culture that is encapsulated in exploiting the youth, keeping them out of decision taking processes in a society marked with gender sensitivity and democratic revolutions.
In her write-up, The Impact of Globalization on Youth Identity Formation in Nigeria: The Moral Perspective, Anthonia Bolanle Ojo notes that Globalisation is the force behind the changes across the globe. It provides a series of powerful processes that enable both opportunities and risks to thrive. The paper explores how the young people live and experience the world, becoming more open and accessible while living in their own world in Nigeria.
Benjamin Yakubu Bala, in his article, Rising Spade of Suicide Among Young People in Nigeria: A Christian Moral Response, observes that the increasing spade of suicide among young people in the world and particularly in Nigeria is worrisome. The numbers are quite devastating and very scaring.
Good Governance and Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria: An agenda for Political Leaders and Agents, by Raymond Olusesan Aina, laments that despite being touted as the biggest economy in Africa, Nigeria remains one of the countries in Africa where multidimensional poverty, daunting and daily crisis abound. Many structures in Nigeria are dilapidated. Violence, insecurity and lawlessness are the order of the day.
Relatedly, Ignatius M.C. Obinwa, in his article, Knowledge from Correct Education as Panacea for Conflicts and Lawlessness: Examining the Nigerian Context in the Light of Isaiah 11:1-9, discusses such manifestations of conflicts and lawlessness in Nigeria as corruption, bloody religious intolerance, nepotism and inter-tribal bloody combats in the light of Isaiah 11:1-9.
Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, in his write-up, Ministerial Priesthood and its Ecclesial Setting within an African Context, unveils that priesthood in the Catholic Church is of primary importance. This is because of the centrality of the Sacraments in the life of the Church. Through her perennial teachings, the Catholic Church is called the Church of the Sacraments since Sacraments are indispensable in the life of the Church.
In his contribution, Clergy-Laity Distinction: Testimonies of the New Testament, Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie studies the attestation of the New Testament (NT) to clergy-laity distinction in the Church. The paper argues that although the terms ‘clergy’ and ‘laity’ are not expressly employed in the NT to stratify the faithful, and notwithstanding that various offices were yet undeveloped, there are sufficient evidences showing that the primitive Church had distinction of offices and officers. In sum, the Journal has to be in the possession of anyone who wants to be better informed on trends and directions of Theological Inculturation. The authors have concurred unanimously and unequivocally that for the Church to be truly the Church of Jesus Christ, she must be both universal and particular.
Uploads
As Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph to mark the 150th anniversary of the Saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church, the year began on 8th December, 2020 and would conclude on 8th December, 2021. Given that St. Joseph, the husband of Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ, is famous for being the Ideal Worker who ministered to the Holy Family, the missionary work of the Church must go on despite the COVID-19 pandemic saga. More than fifty years ago, Pope St. Paul VI was emphatic that by now, Africans should be missionaries to themselves. The Church of Christ should truly be pIanted in Africa and they have to make it African through honest and result-oriented dialogue with African cultures and values. Theology should attempt to aid Africans to be truly Christians and authentically Africans (Pope Paul VI, “Address to the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, Kampala” 31 July, 1969). Similarly, Alyward Shorter notes that: “Africans have a legitimate desire to reformulate the truths of faith in accordance with their own cultural forms of expression. They need not and should not replicate the intellectual history of Europe in order to understand what the Gospel says about Jesus” (Alyward Shorter, Christianity and African Imagination, Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1996, 69). Accordingly, efforts have been expended on the reformation and restoration of Inculturation Theology. This edition of the Journal has been put together to help in the theological reforms mandated by the Second Vatican Council. Conscious of this development, the Editorial Board has carefully decided on the peer reviewed array of selected articles.
In this issue of JIT, Benjamin Ogechi Agbara, in his article titled: Formation of a Believing Community as the Role of the First Sign: Insights from John 2:1-12, focuses on the Gospel according to John which was written to evoke faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Agbara challenges the Church in Africa to live out the implication of the text and eschew anything that runs contrary to it.
Another biblically oriented article, Rereading Leviticus 19:33-34 in the Context of the Current Global Migrant and Refugee Crisis, by Emmanuel O. Nwaoru, decries the plight of migrants and refugees. Nwaoru, therefore, recommends that the modern society should consider dispassionately the enduring and non-restrictive message and show concern for the wellbeing of every migrant (foreigner) on account of their vulnerability.
The set of articles with sacred liturgical-bent kicks off with the paper by Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo titled: Understanding the New Translation of the Roman Rite in Igbo Language. The article creates a path to understanding the new translation of the Roman Missal into vernacular. The currency of the paper by Anagwo lies in its wide explanation of some of these new changes which are richer in content in order to redirect towards heaven.
Relatedly, Peter Danjuma Uchu, in his paper, The Importance and Development of the Prayer of Absolution in the African Context, sets out to discuss the spiritual cum liturgical benefits of the prayer of absolution. At the end, Uchu gives some commentaries on the prayer and stresses its importance to the Church in Africa.
In his paper, Underscoring the Essence of Christian Funeral Rites within the Context of ‘Befitting Burial’ in Nigeria, Clement Temitope Ogunlusi laments the extent to which Christians today have deviated from the Biblical virtue of prudence but promote the culture of profligacy in burying the dead. Ogunlusi efficiently argues for Christian befitting burial of Christians to be encouraged in order to serve the spiritual purpose in which the souls of the dead are committed to God’s mercy and the living are consoled as well as the lessons of faith concerning death are learnt.
Charles Boampong Sarfo, in his article, Preface of the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King as Catechesis for Repairing the Fractured African Continent, attempts to understand the expectation of Christians in sharing the truth of God both in practice and in word. Sarfo argued that the need to build a new continent free from corruption, moral lapses and chaos, is possible when Christians in Africa could serve as light and avoid compromising their religious obligations.
The article titled: Dogmatic Theology and the Unity of Christian Doctrine, by Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, dares to swim the murky waters with a passion for the protection of the doctrine of the Catholic Church from abuse that comes from subjectivism, rubricism, clericalism, passiveness and conservatism. Ebebe did not shy away from his preference for “Dogmatic Theology” as a better term to be used.
Dogmatic Controversy of the Biblical Passage on Ancestor Veneration in Ibibioland, by Anthony Okon Abel, asserts that ancestor veneration occurs in every culture, all over the world. Abel takes up the task on how to correct the wrong interpretation of some Biblical texts by Ibibio people, who after many years of Christianity still hold that there are some Biblical passages that support ancestral veneration.
The last but not the least is an insightful article by Edward Osang Obi titled: Energy Ethics and the Impact of Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Anchored on the fact that there is a clear nexus between the onslaught of climate change and the human technological activities. Obi calls for a systematic balance between the natural human need for energy and the levels of environmental destruction permissible in achieving it.
The ideas and experiences captured in this issue of JIT challenge theologians and scholars to be sensitive to the integration of Christian message and culture. The papers, as a whole, significantly contribute to the body of knowledge for Africans and others who need to know the relevance of the mission and vision of Inculturation Theology. It is, therefore, our singular pleasure to recommend this current edition of the Journal to all. You stand to be enriched by reading this issue of JIT as you would not regret doing so.
Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo
Editor-in-Chief
This issue of the Journal of Inculturation Theology (JIT) is another collection of scholarly articles from reputable academics across the West African sub-region and Europe. The papers were carefully selected and edited from recommendations of the blind peer review panel. The expectation is that theologians, philosophers, educationists, clergy, religious men and women as well as the lay faithful will have source materials for research and discussion on the all-important issue of the Inculturation Theology. This is especially germane in view of the reality and urgency of the theology in Nigeria and many African nations. The authors have elicited rich, responsive and converging reflections and approaches on how to continuously provide enlightened and incisive Practical Inculturation Theology. This will influence the local Church and the wider society, in order to cherish and pursue this trend of Inculturation Theology. The Journal will hopefully serve as a major effort and catalyst towards such enlightenment to pursue the course of Inculturation Theology. Assuredly, this is the thinking that runs across the articles published by JIT in this digital age.
The Church, and indeed, the contemporary society are living through an epochal age. As digital residents, some today refused to migrate into the digital age; hence, they are the digital fugitives. Many of us make effort to explore the opportunities and threats; hence, they are the digital immigrants. While our young people born since 1980, who are versatile with modern technological toys and tools, are digital natives. We must collaborate and co-operate, in order to instruct and communicate the designs of God to His children in this New Era of Evangelization. Patrick Chukwudezie Chibuko, in his article Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Liturgical life of Christians Today: An Anglophone West African Response opens “the academic excursus” by stating the functional relationship between the liturgy and the Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the human person and the larger society. As ICT is person oriented; in the liturgy, the Church celebrates a Personality, namely Christ, not as a theory, philosophy, ideology or figment of imagination. What liturgy recalls in celebration, ICT records and preserves for posterity in gadgets.
In pursuance of this mission of the Church as a communicating community with ICT, Elizabeth Titilayo Aduloju, in her paper, Navigating the Present-Day Digital Media Proliferation: A Challenge for Pastoral Agents in Nigeria, underscores a fact that the new media technologies have revolutionised the entire globe, altering substantially, the way people work, live, learn and how they spend their leisure time. In Nigeria, young people, who are ‘native speakers’/’digital natives’ of the digital language of computers and video game, are already spending more time on new media such as mobile phones, social media and the internet. With the new development, today’s young people encounter a lot of challenges such as gratuitous sex and violence, cyberbullying, trivialisation of news and many others.
The article, The Youth and Legacy of the SECAM Golden Jubilee (1969-2019), by Ferdinand Nwaigbo, calls attention to the problem of the contemporary youth which consists in living out the legacy of Christianity and in preserving their cultural identity and heritage. This is because Christianity is a religion with diversities of cultures, customs, traditions and legacies. The article elaborates the need to renew the commitment of the youth to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in a culture that is encapsulated in exploiting the youth, keeping them out of decision taking processes in a society marked with gender sensitivity and democratic revolutions.
In her write-up, The Impact of Globalization on Youth Identity Formation in Nigeria: The Moral Perspective, Anthonia Bolanle Ojo notes that Globalisation is the force behind the changes across the globe. It provides a series of powerful processes that enable both opportunities and risks to thrive. The paper explores how the young people live and experience the world, becoming more open and accessible while living in their own world in Nigeria.
Benjamin Yakubu Bala, in his article, Rising Spade of Suicide Among Young People in Nigeria: A Christian Moral Response, observes that the increasing spade of suicide among young people in the world and particularly in Nigeria is worrisome. The numbers are quite devastating and very scaring.
Good Governance and Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria: An agenda for Political Leaders and Agents, by Raymond Olusesan Aina, laments that despite being touted as the biggest economy in Africa, Nigeria remains one of the countries in Africa where multidimensional poverty, daunting and daily crisis abound. Many structures in Nigeria are dilapidated. Violence, insecurity and lawlessness are the order of the day.
Relatedly, Ignatius M.C. Obinwa, in his article, Knowledge from Correct Education as Panacea for Conflicts and Lawlessness: Examining the Nigerian Context in the Light of Isaiah 11:1-9, discusses such manifestations of conflicts and lawlessness in Nigeria as corruption, bloody religious intolerance, nepotism and inter-tribal bloody combats in the light of Isaiah 11:1-9.
Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, in his write-up, Ministerial Priesthood and its Ecclesial Setting within an African Context, unveils that priesthood in the Catholic Church is of primary importance. This is because of the centrality of the Sacraments in the life of the Church. Through her perennial teachings, the Catholic Church is called the Church of the Sacraments since Sacraments are indispensable in the life of the Church.
In his contribution, Clergy-Laity Distinction: Testimonies of the New Testament, Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie studies the attestation of the New Testament (NT) to clergy-laity distinction in the Church. The paper argues that although the terms ‘clergy’ and ‘laity’ are not expressly employed in the NT to stratify the faithful, and notwithstanding that various offices were yet undeveloped, there are sufficient evidences showing that the primitive Church had distinction of offices and officers.
In sum, the Journal has to be in the possession of anyone who wants to be better informed on trends and directions of Theological Inculturation. The authors have concurred unanimously and unequivocally that for the Church to be truly the Church of Jesus Christ, she must be both universal and particular.
Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo
Editor-in-Chief
As Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph to mark the 150th anniversary of the Saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church, the year began on 8th December, 2020 and would conclude on 8th December, 2021. Given that St. Joseph, the husband of Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ, is famous for being the Ideal Worker who ministered to the Holy Family, the missionary work of the Church must go on despite the COVID-19 pandemic saga. More than fifty years ago, Pope St. Paul VI was emphatic that by now, Africans should be missionaries to themselves. The Church of Christ should truly be pIanted in Africa and they have to make it African through honest and result-oriented dialogue with African cultures and values. Theology should attempt to aid Africans to be truly Christians and authentically Africans (Pope Paul VI, “Address to the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, Kampala” 31 July, 1969). Similarly, Alyward Shorter notes that: “Africans have a legitimate desire to reformulate the truths of faith in accordance with their own cultural forms of expression. They need not and should not replicate the intellectual history of Europe in order to understand what the Gospel says about Jesus” (Alyward Shorter, Christianity and African Imagination, Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1996, 69). Accordingly, efforts have been expended on the reformation and restoration of Inculturation Theology. This edition of the Journal has been put together to help in the theological reforms mandated by the Second Vatican Council. Conscious of this development, the Editorial Board has carefully decided on the peer reviewed array of selected articles.
In this issue of JIT, Benjamin Ogechi Agbara, in his article titled: Formation of a Believing Community as the Role of the First Sign: Insights from John 2:1-12, focuses on the Gospel according to John which was written to evoke faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:30-31). Agbara challenges the Church in Africa to live out the implication of the text and eschew anything that runs contrary to it.
Another biblically oriented article, Rereading Leviticus 19:33-34 in the Context of the Current Global Migrant and Refugee Crisis, by Emmanuel O. Nwaoru, decries the plight of migrants and refugees. Nwaoru, therefore, recommends that the modern society should consider dispassionately the enduring and non-restrictive message and show concern for the wellbeing of every migrant (foreigner) on account of their vulnerability.
The set of articles with sacred liturgical-bent kicks off with the paper by Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo titled: Understanding the New Translation of the Roman Rite in Igbo Language. The article creates a path to understanding the new translation of the Roman Missal into vernacular. The currency of the paper by Anagwo lies in its wide explanation of some of these new changes which are richer in content in order to redirect towards heaven.
Relatedly, Peter Danjuma Uchu, in his paper, The Importance and Development of the Prayer of Absolution in the African Context, sets out to discuss the spiritual cum liturgical benefits of the prayer of absolution. At the end, Uchu gives some commentaries on the prayer and stresses its importance to the Church in Africa.
In his paper, Underscoring the Essence of Christian Funeral Rites within the Context of ‘Befitting Burial’ in Nigeria, Clement Temitope Ogunlusi laments the extent to which Christians today have deviated from the Biblical virtue of prudence but promote the culture of profligacy in burying the dead. Ogunlusi efficiently argues for Christian befitting burial of Christians to be encouraged in order to serve the spiritual purpose in which the souls of the dead are committed to God’s mercy and the living are consoled as well as the lessons of faith concerning death are learnt.
Charles Boampong Sarfo, in his article, Preface of the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King as Catechesis for Repairing the Fractured African Continent, attempts to understand the expectation of Christians in sharing the truth of God both in practice and in word. Sarfo argued that the need to build a new continent free from corruption, moral lapses and chaos, is possible when Christians in Africa could serve as light and avoid compromising their religious obligations.
The article titled: Dogmatic Theology and the Unity of Christian Doctrine, by Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, dares to swim the murky waters with a passion for the protection of the doctrine of the Catholic Church from abuse that comes from subjectivism, rubricism, clericalism, passiveness and conservatism. Ebebe did not shy away from his preference for “Dogmatic Theology” as a better term to be used.
Dogmatic Controversy of the Biblical Passage on Ancestor Veneration in Ibibioland, by Anthony Okon Abel, asserts that ancestor veneration occurs in every culture, all over the world. Abel takes up the task on how to correct the wrong interpretation of some Biblical texts by Ibibio people, who after many years of Christianity still hold that there are some Biblical passages that support ancestral veneration.
The last but not the least is an insightful article by Edward Osang Obi titled: Energy Ethics and the Impact of Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. Anchored on the fact that there is a clear nexus between the onslaught of climate change and the human technological activities. Obi calls for a systematic balance between the natural human need for energy and the levels of environmental destruction permissible in achieving it.
The ideas and experiences captured in this issue of JIT challenge theologians and scholars to be sensitive to the integration of Christian message and culture. The papers, as a whole, significantly contribute to the body of knowledge for Africans and others who need to know the relevance of the mission and vision of Inculturation Theology. It is, therefore, our singular pleasure to recommend this current edition of the Journal to all. You stand to be enriched by reading this issue of JIT as you would not regret doing so.
Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo
Editor-in-Chief
This issue of the Journal of Inculturation Theology (JIT) is another collection of scholarly articles from reputable academics across the West African sub-region and Europe. The papers were carefully selected and edited from recommendations of the blind peer review panel. The expectation is that theologians, philosophers, educationists, clergy, religious men and women as well as the lay faithful will have source materials for research and discussion on the all-important issue of the Inculturation Theology. This is especially germane in view of the reality and urgency of the theology in Nigeria and many African nations. The authors have elicited rich, responsive and converging reflections and approaches on how to continuously provide enlightened and incisive Practical Inculturation Theology. This will influence the local Church and the wider society, in order to cherish and pursue this trend of Inculturation Theology. The Journal will hopefully serve as a major effort and catalyst towards such enlightenment to pursue the course of Inculturation Theology. Assuredly, this is the thinking that runs across the articles published by JIT in this digital age.
The Church, and indeed, the contemporary society are living through an epochal age. As digital residents, some today refused to migrate into the digital age; hence, they are the digital fugitives. Many of us make effort to explore the opportunities and threats; hence, they are the digital immigrants. While our young people born since 1980, who are versatile with modern technological toys and tools, are digital natives. We must collaborate and co-operate, in order to instruct and communicate the designs of God to His children in this New Era of Evangelization. Patrick Chukwudezie Chibuko, in his article Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Liturgical life of Christians Today: An Anglophone West African Response opens “the academic excursus” by stating the functional relationship between the liturgy and the Information Communication Technology (ICT) on the human person and the larger society. As ICT is person oriented; in the liturgy, the Church celebrates a Personality, namely Christ, not as a theory, philosophy, ideology or figment of imagination. What liturgy recalls in celebration, ICT records and preserves for posterity in gadgets.
In pursuance of this mission of the Church as a communicating community with ICT, Elizabeth Titilayo Aduloju, in her paper, Navigating the Present-Day Digital Media Proliferation: A Challenge for Pastoral Agents in Nigeria, underscores a fact that the new media technologies have revolutionised the entire globe, altering substantially, the way people work, live, learn and how they spend their leisure time. In Nigeria, young people, who are ‘native speakers’/’digital natives’ of the digital language of computers and video game, are already spending more time on new media such as mobile phones, social media and the internet. With the new development, today’s young people encounter a lot of challenges such as gratuitous sex and violence, cyberbullying, trivialisation of news and many others.
The article, The Youth and Legacy of the SECAM Golden Jubilee (1969-2019), by Ferdinand Nwaigbo, calls attention to the problem of the contemporary youth which consists in living out the legacy of Christianity and in preserving their cultural identity and heritage. This is because Christianity is a religion with diversities of cultures, customs, traditions and legacies. The article elaborates the need to renew the commitment of the youth to bear witness to Jesus Christ, in a culture that is encapsulated in exploiting the youth, keeping them out of decision taking processes in a society marked with gender sensitivity and democratic revolutions.
In her write-up, The Impact of Globalization on Youth Identity Formation in Nigeria: The Moral Perspective, Anthonia Bolanle Ojo notes that Globalisation is the force behind the changes across the globe. It provides a series of powerful processes that enable both opportunities and risks to thrive. The paper explores how the young people live and experience the world, becoming more open and accessible while living in their own world in Nigeria.
Benjamin Yakubu Bala, in his article, Rising Spade of Suicide Among Young People in Nigeria: A Christian Moral Response, observes that the increasing spade of suicide among young people in the world and particularly in Nigeria is worrisome. The numbers are quite devastating and very scaring.
Good Governance and Overcoming Insecurity in Nigeria: An agenda for Political Leaders and Agents, by Raymond Olusesan Aina, laments that despite being touted as the biggest economy in Africa, Nigeria remains one of the countries in Africa where multidimensional poverty, daunting and daily crisis abound. Many structures in Nigeria are dilapidated. Violence, insecurity and lawlessness are the order of the day.
Relatedly, Ignatius M.C. Obinwa, in his article, Knowledge from Correct Education as Panacea for Conflicts and Lawlessness: Examining the Nigerian Context in the Light of Isaiah 11:1-9, discusses such manifestations of conflicts and lawlessness in Nigeria as corruption, bloody religious intolerance, nepotism and inter-tribal bloody combats in the light of Isaiah 11:1-9.
Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, in his write-up, Ministerial Priesthood and its Ecclesial Setting within an African Context, unveils that priesthood in the Catholic Church is of primary importance. This is because of the centrality of the Sacraments in the life of the Church. Through her perennial teachings, the Catholic Church is called the Church of the Sacraments since Sacraments are indispensable in the life of the Church.
In his contribution, Clergy-Laity Distinction: Testimonies of the New Testament, Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie studies the attestation of the New Testament (NT) to clergy-laity distinction in the Church. The paper argues that although the terms ‘clergy’ and ‘laity’ are not expressly employed in the NT to stratify the faithful, and notwithstanding that various offices were yet undeveloped, there are sufficient evidences showing that the primitive Church had distinction of offices and officers.
In sum, the Journal has to be in the possession of anyone who wants to be better informed on trends and directions of Theological Inculturation. The authors have concurred unanimously and unequivocally that for the Church to be truly the Church of Jesus Christ, she must be both universal and particular.
Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo
Editor-in-Chief