Themes in Igwebuike Philosophy and Theology

Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu

Description

Igwebuike began as a methodology and philosophy. Gradually, its philosophical elements began to have serious implications for theological discourse, especially with the increasing need to do theology that arises from the philosophy of the African people. The present piece affirms the reality of the link between philosophy and theology, especially regarding the links between the great philosophical questions and the mysteries of salvation which are studied in theology under the guidance of the higher light of faith.

Sujets

• PHILOSOPHY
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse UK
• Date de parution: 18 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665599665
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THEMES IN IGWEBUIKE PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY
Ikechukwu Anthony KANU


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Published by AuthorHouse 06/23/2022
 
ISBN: 978-1-6655-9967-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-9966-5 (e)
 
 
 
 
 
 
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CONTENTS
Introduction
Igwebuike Theology Of Ikwa Ogwe And The Cross-Cultural Conflicts Of The Missionary Era
Ikechukwu Anthony KANU
Igwebuike Theology Of Omenani And The Crisis Of The Missionary Bifurcation Of Horizons
Ikechukwu Anthony KANU
Igwebuike Theology Of Udi: Reconciling God’s Unchanging Revelation With Man’s Changing Culture
Ikechukwu Anthony KANU
A Glance At Traditional Modes Of Communication Through The Lens Of Liturgical Inculturation: Perspectives From Igwebuike And Shikrot Traditions
Justine John Dyikuk
The Code Of Canon Law And The Second Vatican Council Document: An Igwebuike Perspective
IGBOECHESI, Emeka Stanley
The Code Of Canon Law And The Scripture: An Igwebuike Perspective
IGBOECHESI, Emeka Stanley
The Code Of Canon Law And Catechism Of The Catholic Church: An Igwebuike Perspective
IGBOECHESI, Emeka Stanley
The Virtuous Ninevites: Echoes Of Igwebuike Theology In The Narrative Analysis Of Jonah 3:1-10
Malachi Udochukwu Theophilus, OSA, PhD
A Narrative Analysis Of Jonah/Sailors Ironies In Jonah 1:1-16: An Igwebuike Perspective
Malachi Udochukwu Theophilus, OSA, PhD
Thirdspacing The Exile In Ezekiel’s Theology Of Divine Presence And Its Implications For The Abrahamic Religions: An Igwebuike Perspective
Malachi Udochukwu Theophilus, OSA, PhD
The Lessons Of Psalm 133 And The Principle Of Unity Of Igwebuike Philosophy
Naanmiap Baamlong, OSA
Igwebuike Ontology And The Issue Of Religio-Political Crisis In Nigeria
Maduekwe Pius Chukwuebuka
The Inter-Personalist Ideology Of Igwebuike And The Workings Of Neurons: An Interpersonalitic-Neuroscientific Inquiry
Dozie Iwuh, OSA
Igwebuike Philosophy And Solidarity During The Era Of Covid-19 Pandemic
Mary Winifred Gloria Eche, DMMM, PhD
About the Author

In Memory
of
Sir Emmanuel Nwafor Kanu, KSJI
An Igwebuike Philosopher
INTRODUCTION
The concept Igwebuike began first as a methodology and philosophy. Gradually, its philosophical elements began to have serious implications for theological discourse, especially with the increasing need to do theology that arises from the philosophy of the African people. Such a theology would always have an inescapable element of philosophy, speaking to people in their own native context, because it is expressed in categories of thought that arises out of the philosophy of the African people. This affirms the reality of the link between philosophy and theology, especially regarding the links between the great philosophical questions and the mysteries of salvation which are studied in theology under the guidance of the higher light of faith. In Igwebuike theology, theology takes on the form of a bridge that connects the human person who lives within the context of a changing culture to God who is beyond the law of change.
The first paper in this collection of essays, focuses on Igwebuike theology of Ikwa Ogwe which attempts at building a bridge between two conflicting inheritances or worldviews of the African Christian: the Western heritage and the heritage of his/her ancestors. This is followed by Igwebuike theology of Omenani and Udi in relation to the understanding of culture as the seed of the Word of God, which already pre-existed in Africa even before the emergence of the Western missionaries. There is also a focus on Igwebuike as a traditional mode of communication.
Igwebuike as a complementary and holistic method of inquiry is also employed in the study of the relationship between the 1883 Code of Canon Law and the Second Vatican Council. This method is employed in the study of the Canon Law and the Holy Bible and the relationship between the Code of Canon Law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Focusing on the Scripture, the Ninevites’ reaction to Jonah’s preaching of doom (Jonah 3:1-10) and the message of unity and harmony in Psalm 133 are studied in relation to Igwebuike philosophy.
This piece remains a major contribution to the corpus of literature on Igwebuike theology. I, therefore, introduce this piece to all lovers of African theology, culture and philosophy.
IGWEBUIKE THEOLOGY OF IKWA OGWE AND THE CROSS-CULTURAL CONFLICTS OF THE MISSIONARY ERA
Ikechukwu Anthony KANU
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Tansian University Umunya, Anambra State
[e-mail]
ABSTRACT
This piece on Igwebuike theology of Ikwa Ogwe has attempted at building a bridge between two conflicting inheritances or worldviews of the African Christian: the Western heritage and the heritage of his/her ancestors. The researcher attempted doing this with maturity and creativity, and without destabilizing the wholeness of the African Christian. It defined Igwebuike theology contextually, and the Igwebuike concept of culture as a preparation for the gospel, basing this on Clement of Alexandria’s Stromata. This created a basis for an Igwebuike theology of Ikwa Ogwe. It argued that until this bridge is built, the Word of God cannot be effectively communicated- in such a way that the people hearing the Word understand who they are and who others are. It observed that communicating the gospel without building a bridge would rather take people away from themselves, thus, creating a problem of identity. It discovered that the major task of the gospel message, which is the transformation of worldviews and conceptual systems, would not be adequately achieved without Ikwa Ogwe. Igwebuike theology of Ikwa Ogwe, therefore, emphasizes identifying with the people and communicating the message through their categories. The purpose of this study is to make a contribution to the ongoing efforts at resolving the cross-cultural conflicts of the missionary era. The theoretical framework employed is the Igwebuike holistic and complementary understanding of evangelization and culture, which focuses on the bigger picture of reality and believes that all parts of reality are interconnected.
Keywords: Igwebuike , Theology, Ikwa Ogwe , Missionary Enterprise, Culture, Conflicts
INTRODUCTION
In the 20 th century, with the movements towards political changes leading to independence in many African colonial territories, the quest for theological independence became unavoidable. In the contention of Parratt (2001), “It seemed incongruous to African Christians that while African nations were becoming independent politically, the church in Africa should remain essentially controlled by European missionaries” (p. 2). The late Harold MacMillan, one time British Prime Minister (cited in Mbefo 1989), remarked about the events of the time thus:
We have seen the awakening of national consciousness in people who have for centuries lived in dependence of some other power… In different places it takes different forms, but it is happening everywhere. A wind of change is blowing through this continent, whether we like it or not (p.11).
The echoing of the quest for freedom within the walls of the Church, as though the struggle for political independence was also a demand for an independent African Church, was unavoidable, since the Church cannot be spoken of in isolation of the world, for the questions that the Church grapples with are the questions raised by and in the world.
Interestingly, around the same period and within the same context of the search for independence, there was a positive appreciation of African traditional beliefs and customs among Africans, together with a marked sense of their cultural identity. There was a great impetus from the literary movement in French-speaking Africa, popularly known as Negritude, which emerged through the study of human sciences, like social or cultural anthropology and sociology, and through the monographs of trained anthropologists and the surveys of scholars such as Geoffrey Parrinder, among others.
The factors that led to a positive appreciation of African traditional beliefs and cultures and the emergence of African theology were not only from within, several external factors also made it possible. Such factors include the contribution of some Western missionaries who observed a problem with the current method of evangelization and, thus, saw the need for a different approach. These include great African missionaries, like Father Placid Tempels, a Belgian priest posted to Belgium DRC Congo where he worked for 29 years, and as a result of his great experience among the Congo nation, he developed the Bantu philosophy, which was rich and systematic in its presentation. Later, missionaries, like Bishop Sundkler and