Toward a Synodal Church in Africa: Echoes from an African Christian Palaver

This compendium of original essays by leading Catholic African scholars explores the meaning of synodality for the African church, with reference to the established method of African theology: ＂palaver,＂ or talking--and listening--together.

Opening with messages by Pope Francis and Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, the contributions offer explications of vital themes such as ＂Proclaiming the Word of God to Young People,＂ migration, theology of the people, ＂Ubuntu,＂ a postcolonial critique of clericalism, the social dimension of synodality, the way of the laity, contested moral issues, the role of basic ecclesial communities, and the missionary role of communications.

Contributors

John Okoye, Bishop of Awgu Diocese, Nigeria

Paulin Sébastien Poucouta, Director, Spiritus, Paris, France

Emilce Cuda, Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, Vatican City

Stan Chu Ilo, DePaul University, USA

Josée Ngalula, Catholic University of Congo

Nicholaus Segeja, Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), Kenya

Raymond Olusesan Aina, National Missionary Seminary of St Paul, Nigeria

Ignace Ndongala Maduku, Institute of Religious Studies, University of Montreal, Canada

Francis Appiah-Kubi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana

Lucio Adrian Ruiz

Ikenna U. Okafor is a priest of Nnewi diocese Nigeria, a senior research fellow in Intercultural Theology at the University of Vienna and a pastor in the Archdiocese of Vienna. His research interests include themes on fraternity, intercultural and interreligious theologies, and African theology. He is the author of Toward an African Theology of Fraternal Solidarity: UBE NWANNE, (Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2014), and co-editor of Faith in Action Vols. II & III, (Paulines Africa, 2020). He is a member of the European Society for Catholic Theology (ESCT) and Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN).