Morality truly Christian, truly African
Subtitle: foundational, methodological, and theological considerations
By: Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor, C.S. Sp
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Notre Dame, Indiana
Language: eng
Number of pages: 371
ISBN-13: 9780268037383
Subjects: Christliche Ethik; Naturreligion; Afrocentrism; Christian ethics; Theologie; Christianity and culture; Religious aspects
Description: Given the largely Eurocentric nature of moral theology in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, what will it take to invest the theological community in the history and moral challenges of the Church in other parts of the world, especially Africa? What is to be gained for the whole Church when this happens in a deep and lasting way? In this timely and important study, Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor brings greater theological clarity to the issue of the relationship between Christianity and African tradition in the area of ethical foundations. He also provides a constructive example of what fundamental moral theology done from an African and Christian (especially Catholic) moral theological point of view could look like. Following a brief history of the development of African Christian theology, Odozor examines responses of African theologians to African tradition and Christian responses to the reality of non-Christian religions. In a context where the African religious experience and heritage are powerful sources of meaning and identity, Christian evangelization raises questions both about the African primal religions and about Christianity itself and its claims. Odozor takes up the subject of moral reasoning in an African Christian theological ethics and concludes with case studies that show how the African Church has tried to inculturate moral discourse on a religiously pluralistic continent and relate the healing gospel message to African situations. Students and scholars of moral theology and ethics and church leaders will profit from the issues raised in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 337-352) and index.
Table of contents: title: The nature of African theology --; title: African Christian theology --; title: African tradition and traditional religion as foundational issues in African Christian theology and ethics --; title: Tradition, rationality, and morality --; title: African theological evaluations of African religion --; title: Issues in the theology of non-Christian religions --; title: Foundations of an African Christian theological ethics --; title: African moral theology and the challenge of inculturation --; title: God and morality in African theology --; title: Anthropology in African theological ethics --; title: Moral reasoning in African theological ethics --; title: Moral theology Christian and African : the ecclesial dimension.