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2024, Missiology: An International Review
This article attempts to explain sociologically why the Catholic Church's popular theological concept of inculturation is difficult to operationalize or provide empirical indicators, that is, to make it more observable and measurable for social scientists, missionaries, and inculturation practitioners. Using some secondary data and peer-reviewed literature, it explores how the following major hurdles inhibit the clear conceptualization and operationalization of inculturation projects, namely: (1) the lack of unified definition in the Church for culture, (2) plurality of the meaning of inculturation, (3) the ambiguity of the extent of the cultural change in inculturation that results in unsettled levels and units of analysis in measuring it, as well as (4) the lack of social science training and expertise of Catholic theologians, clerics, and missiologists, leading to the neglect of empirical studies that operationalize inculturation in the mainstream research and literature. This study recommends intensified social science training for missionaries and clerics in the Catholic Church and active dialogue between inculturationists and social scientists to enhance the empirical dimension of inculturation in research and literature.
2012 •
Inculturation is the term that Catholic leaders and theologians have used in recent decades to denote a process of engagement between the Christian Gospel and a particular culture. The term is intended conceptually both to safeguard the integrity of the Gospel and to encourage sensitivity to various cultural contexts. Inculturation as a theological notion has been specifically associated with John Paul II’s strategy for evangelization, including what is known as the “new evangelization” that focuses on cultures that had traditionally been Christian but which are now not clearly so. Yet inculturation, understood with a somewhat different emphasis, has also been associated with the Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner’s theological interpretation of Vatican II. This essay explores the theological meanings of the concept of inculturation as it has been used in Roman Catholic thought in recent decades. First is explained how Vatican II’s concept of culture, as relatively progressive as it was, contained safeguards against favoring diverse cultures to the detriment of the integrity of the Gospel. Then a discussion of theological divisions after the Council sets the stage for understanding John Paul II’s concept of inculturation within the context of his agenda of correcting the course of the Council’s reception and implementation. John Paul II’s theological connection between inculturation and Incarnation is then explored in comparison with Rahner’s use of inculturation in his theological interpretation of Vatican II. An examination of how the issues that surface carry through in a range of postconciliar theological uses of inculturation is followed by a naming of major challenges that arise in any consideration of inculturation today.
2020 •
Using anthropological and theological perspectives and secondary literature, this paper argues that the scientific study of culture by professional anthropologists and social scientists is an essential component in the Catholic Church’s mission of evangelization through inculturation. Inculturation, the process of inserting the Christian message in society, requires scientific discernment to know which cultural traits are compatible with or contrary to the Christian faith, requiring anthropological training and active collaboration between theologians and professional anthropologists. Evangelization has incarnational and empirical dimensions when inserting the Gospel in human cultures. A genuine evangelization of cultures must be firmly rooted in the empirical reality of local cultures. The philosophical and theological orientation of many inculturationists and missionaries may sufficiently address the metaphysical dimension of the Christian faith, but not its empirical aspect when ...
Scientia - The International Journal on the Liberal Arts
Inculturation: An Ongoing Drama of Faith-Culture DialogueInculturation emerged as a result of paradigm shifts in the missionary outlook of the Church necessitated by a heightened sense of culture, especially the plurality of cultures. This outlook saw culture as a tool for the transmission of the Gospel message to different frontiers. In view of this, dialogue with culture has passed from being an exception to the rule to becoming normative. Inculturation is a complex process, which must be undertaken gradually and critically. Overall, it aims to incarnate the Gospel in every culture by maintaining a healthy balance between tradition and progress. In this paper, the method of inculturation that is highlighted is the one developed by Charles Kraft and Anscar Chupungco known as “dynamic equivalence,” which seeks to build a “communicational bridge” between the Gospel message and human experience. This paper, therefore, embarks upon the discussion of faith-culture dialogue, keeping in mind Church’s efforts to proclaim the message of the Gospe...
FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, CATHOLIC INSTITUTE OF WEST AFRICA, PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA
JOURNAL OF INCULTURATION THEOLOGY, JUNE 2019, VOL.16, NO.1It is with great pleasure that the Editorial Board presents this current Journal of Inculturation Theology (JIT), written by committed and dedicated scholars from the sub-Sahara African region and the United States of America (USA). With the hindsight of Inculturation Theology, their ideas demonstrate the need and practical ways to incarnate the Gospel message. Accordingly, it is imperative that theologians, and indeed, scholars should theologize within a context in order to be relevant and useful. They must, therefore, embrace a paradigm shift, so that their theological reflections will have the coloration of a culture transformed by faith and a faith that is culturally re-expressed in contemporary African context. Generally, the current issue examines some aspects of Inculturation Theology by presenting a holistic landscape, opportunities, challenges and implications for theologians and practitioners of Theological Studies. It portrays the idea of unity in diversity within the theory and practice of Inculturation Theology, implying that despite the various approaches of inculturation, the whole purpose of inculturation is to make Christians truly African and fully Christian. The authors have tried to keep the simplicity and versatility of the Journal high. The whole package is a mine of wealth, satisfying and refreshing to read. Accordingly, Theology guided by intentionality analysis and empirical notion of culture is cumulative and progressive. Joseph Ogbonnaya in his article, Engaging Doran and World Christianity, uses Robert M. Doran’s systematics, to engage World Christianity’s perspectives on rewriting world Christian history. Like Bernard Lonergan, Doran is convinced that history is important for theology in our age. History has the potential to illumine Christian doctrine. Leaning on Doran’s insights on the functional specialty history, Ogbonnaya argues for world Christianity that integrates the general and special categories of the mediating and mediated phases of theology. This is to bridge the gap in theology between Christianity in the northern and in the southern hemisphere respectively. . Answering the clarion call by Pope Francis who declared October 2019 as the Extraordinary Missionary Month, Samuel P. Gwimi, in his article, Sustaining Missionary Drive in the Face of the Challenges to Evangelization: The Nigerian Context reflects on the centenary of Maxium Illud, where the Holy Father desires to raise new awareness among the people of God of their Christian baptismal responsibility for the Church’s mission to evangelize to the ends of the earth. For the Church in Nigeria and the Gospel she preaches to be relevant, Gwimi submits that she must constantly read and interpret the signs of the times accordingly, and revive her zeal for missionary evangelization as the way forward. Similarly, Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo, in Liturgy and New Evangelization: The Nigerian Experience decries the increasing abuses of the celebration of Catholic liturgy which derail evangelization. These have made members of the Church to be confused, upset and bemused. However, Anagwo argues that the Church has the evangelical, liturgical and catechetical functions that would transform and renew the faithful to participate in them well. He thus makes some propositions on the appropriateness of the Liturgy towards New Evangelization to be guided and guarded by celebrants and participants to play their role as priests, prophets and watchmen/women in the Nigerian context and beyond. Austin Echema, in his work, Forming Youth for Justice and Worship in the 21st Century addresses the question of forming youth for justice and worship. The paper acknowledges that the challenge might be daunting, especially as the adults in the community mostly view the youth negatively. Adults need to come to the level of the youth to be part of their worldview. The paper goes on to consider the relationship between justice and worship, showing the need to integrate them in any meaningful endeavour in forming youth. It points out the ways to empower the youth for discipleship in the 21st century. Reiterating the message for the youth, Lawrence Nchekwube Nwankwo, in his paper, Theology of Hope and Value Orientation: Towards a Shift in Everyday Practice postulates that there is an intrinsic connection between hope, (dis) values and (in) actions. When one explores the connection between (in) actions and the (dis)values that inspire them, commensurate effort has to be made to expose the contours of the hope that binds them. Nwankwo maintains that at the root of the legitimization of the (dis) values that are widespread in our society is a faulty understanding of Christian hope. Any meaningful value re-orientation requires a robust theology of hope for the Nigerian youth and indeed of all Nigerians. Caroline N. Mbonu in her article, Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17): Paradigm for Relationship in Contemporary Family Life, observes that more often than not, the relationship between mothers-and-daughters-in-law is described in less than positive terms and has made some women to approach marital state with fear and trembling. However, positive images of relationship between in-laws that can be appropriated for contemporary family life, abound in the Holy Writ, of which, the narrative of Ruth and Naomi is a classical example. On a positive relationship within a family rests the argument of this paper. The book of Ruth remains a challenge to modern women, particularly female in-laws, in forging enduring constructive relationships in the contemporary family life. Reinstating the call for missionary work, Benjamin Yakubu Bala, in his write up, Ethical Demands in Christian Discipleship: Implications for the Church in Nigeria laments the depressing phenomenon of the divide between the obvious flamboyant religiosity and practical Christian ethical living. It identifies the life of multiple standards by some Christians as the reason behind the lack of correlation between religiosity and genuine Christian discipleship. Bala argues that Christian discipleship has its ethics and every Christian must realise that true discipleship requires determination and effort with reliance on the grace of God. Gerald Musa, in his article, Priests in Nigeria and the Use of Social Media, discusses the significance of employing social media platforms in priestly ministry for New Evangelisation. He remarks that the guidelines for priestly life and ministry in Nigeria advises priests to use the various means of communication with great caution and discretion. Since every means of communication requires basic knowledge and skills, the paper explores some creative ways of using social media such as evangelization, youth ministry, challenging falsehood and sharing liturgical events. Musa concludes by asking priests to take advantage of the on-going digital revolution and make effective use of social media in their priestly ministry. The Journal is very relevant to all ages, both old and young, scholars and non-academics, clergy and lay faithful. It is the hope of the Editorial Board that the present issue will effectively help to banish the dark clouds of unacceptable scholarly synthesis on the various subject matters under study. It will serve as robust source-materials to whoever wants to do some advanced research on Inculturation Theology in Africa and beyond. I commend and recommend the collection of this Journal for your reading. Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo Editor-in-Chief
My task is to provide some systematic theological reflections on the process of inculturation. The title and subtitle are rather daunting. Who is the subject for " the dialogical experience between the Gospel and Culture? " " Western Culture " would be, to quote Gandhi, a wonderful idea. Christianity is certainly integral to any understanding of Western cultures. To address the issues involved in the topic requires attention to certain transcultural achievements in Catholic Theology.
2014 •
Abstract: The authors discuss the various ways in which liberationist Catholicism and the Catholic charismatic movement in Brazil take positions in the overall global-izing and homogenizing cultural forces in universal Catholicism and wider society. They argue that in their discourses and practices, these two contemporary Catholic movements refer to notions of both local and global and identify with specifi c parts of global Catholicism by confronting processes of syncretism, acculturation, and inculturation. Through an analysis of the meaning of tradition and roots, the use of music, and the practice of pilgrimage, the authors show how both movements man-age the construction of distinctive religious cultures and forms of inculturation in the context of tension between the local and the global.
2016 •
FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, CATHOLIC INSTITUTE OF WEST AFRICA, PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA
JOURNAL OF INCULTURATION THEOLOGY, DECEMBER 2019, VOL.16, NO.22019 •
EMMANUEL C H I N E D U ANAGWO, Elizabeth Titilayo Aduloju, Benjamin Bala, Raymond O L U S E S A N Aina, Cosmas Okechukwu Ebebe, Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, Ignatius Obinwa
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. Emmanuel Chinedu Anagwo Editor-in-Chief
This paper investigated the theology of inculturation and the African Church. Specifically, the study set to examined the demand and relevance of inculturation for cultural development, assess inculturation message to Africa, determine the role of Small Christian Communities and examine the impact of inculturation in African Church. The study was based on both primary and secondary data collected for a period of two years. The study was principally qualitative in nature based on qualitative techniques of data analysis. The results of the study indicated that for an effective inculturation, facilitation of active local participation motivated and controlled from bottom-up approach through Small Christian Communities has been very crucial for a sustainable inculturation process. This approach has led to successful inculturation especially in areas of liturgy, moral theology, African leadership and the Church-as-family. The study recommended that to establish an authentic African Church, there is need to emphasize on the role of Small Christian Communities.
Pavón-Cuellar, D. (2023). El vampiro del capital y su pulsión de muerte: vigencia de Marx y Freud ante las actuales violencias estructurales del capitalismo. Revista De Filosofía De La Universidad De Costa Rica, 62(163), 103–114.
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