THE WORD TOOK FLESH
INCARNATING THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE IN IGBO LAND OF NIGERIA IN THE LIGHT OF VATICAN II’S THEOLOGY OF INCULTURATION.
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In the spirit of inculturation, the Igbo ancestors, baptized or not, should be included in the canon of the mass, especially in the Eucharistic Prayer 1 that has a list of saints who are in communion with the Church. Igbo ancestors should be included in the Church’s litany of saints recited during solemn occasions. Images of Igbo ancestors, especially those who sacrificed their lands and resources to build Churches in Igbo land, and those who are known to have been examples of truth and justice should be kept in Churches in Igbo land. This will make the Igbos feel at home in the Church in the sense of being at home and in communion not only with the saints they never knew or saw, but with their own ancestors that they knew, saw, lived with, and whose examples and legacy they will willingly emulate. When this is done, the people will no longer see the Christian liturgy as a performance of the white man’s drama, but a celebration that involves them and their ancestors.
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About the Book
In our age and time, many Igbo Christians are faced with crises of faith and identity as to whether they are Christians, faithful to the teachings of their religion, or Igbos, loyal to their native customs and cultures. Addressing these crises, this book identifies and proposes ways of incorporating the Christian message, through a systematic process of inculturation, into the life of the Igbo people so that they can be at home with the message of the gospel, and at the same time, at home with the Igbo cultures. It assists the Igbo people to live out their Christian life as a truly Igbo people, and not in the ‘foreign garments’ of missionary Christianity. Broadly, this book presents the intrinsic relationships and indissoluble ‘marriage’ between religion and culture. It highlights the fact that, every religion has cultural influences, just as every culture has religious influences.
About the Author
Hyacinth Kalu, Ph.D., is a Nigerian born Catholic Priest and a scholar with great passion for research, teaching and learning. He holds degrees in diverse academic fields of study including Religion, Education, Theology, Philosophy, Interfaith, and Culture, from Universities and Institutions around the World. He studied at University of the West, Rosemead, California; California Coast University, Santa Ana, California; Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California; Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont; United States Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C.; all in the United States of America. He also studied at the St. Joseph Major Seminary, an affiliate of Pontifical Urban University, Rome; and Bigard Memorial Seminary, Nigeria. He specializes in Comparative Religion, and translates his research and scholarship into classroom and concrete daily-live examples.