Faith in creation in the African context
Date
1998-02
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tangaza University College
Abstract
Since Vatican lithe central theme of almost every reflection on the faith and the
mission of the Church in the West and particularly in Africa has been the responsibility of
Christians in the transformation of society. Our Mission as prolongation of Jesus' mission
convokes and sends us to strive for a new society, for a new Africa.
A continent that cries for Liberation, for a New Creation' from a chaotic state of wars,
exploitation-oppression, pervasive corruption, poverty and death. This state of things forces
us, Christians and Church, to examine our faith and praxis. We discover that the fundamentals
of our faith have much to share in common with African Traditional Religions, as well as much
to say to Africa hammered by violence of all kinds.
One of this fundamentals is our Faith in Creation2 that finds its co-relative in African
continent-wide belief in creation. However, we also detect that this Faith in Creation, handed
down in an abstract and irrelevant way for long time, has taken a new expression in Western
theologies where people experience the danger of an ecological catastrophe.
In Africa too, it has become necessary to recover the liberating dimension of our Faith
in Creation. Though anti-life forces threaten to set Africa into a total state of chaos and death,
our Faith in Creation comes to empower us in order to face with new hope and courage the
task of creating a new society in the midst of this vale of tears.
I believe that a new interpretation of our Faith in Creation presents itself as a source of
renewal of Christian faith and praxis in Africa today. In the light of Christian Revelation about
Creation, African traditional belief in creation puts on a new spirit and content so as to give
birth to an African Theology of Creation (Creator-Centred Theology). A theology that has as
its chief object the creative action of God-Creator in Africa and as its main task to forge a new
African selfhood, a new African society. This kind of reflection, that springs from the praxis
of Christians in daily hopes and struggles, embarks us on the mission of discovering God's
current creative actions in the midst of the many traumas that afflict Africans, as well as of
taking actions towards the new heavens and new earth. I was motivated to reflect and write about our Faith in Creation in Africa because of
my convinced faith in God's desire for a new order and life for his children in Africa. Because
Africa has got the potency to activate God's creative power in their daily lives Because
reading current history we find ourselves in a Kairos, the appropriate moment to get new
conscience of reality and make the decision for a new self and a new world.
This paper then, is about our faith in God our Creator who is Trinity. It is also about
African people who believe in God-Creator of all things. This people are going through a
serious crisis to which the Church has paid due attention in the last African Synod. On the
other hand, this people still hold themselves to their belief in God-Creator. This is treated in
the first moment of this reflection.
Secondly, I will try to draw new insights and inspiration from Biblical Revelation. New
bible studies have discover new sap in biblical tradition that strengthen our faith in creation
and Christian praxis. In the same way, I find significant to open our coffer of Our Best Kept
Secret treasure which is the Social Catholic Teaching. In particular, Gaudium et Spes and
other Social Encyclicals prove to be timely and again source of empowerment for the
oppressed and needy who dream of a new world, a new Africa.
In a third moment, I intend to draw some principles or guidelines from chapters one
and two. These guidelines are hopefully to take us towards concrete actions and towards an
African Theology of Creation, towards a Spirituality of Creation for a new African Self hood.
Description
Keywords
African context, Faith, African Traditional Religions, Message about Creation, African Belief in Creation