The inculturation of Consecrated Life in Africa: Towards a logic for promoting and safeguarding indigenous gifts of fidelity

Abstract

As many religious institutes and societies of Apostolic life in Africa are celebrating their hundred years of existence on African soil, questions have begun to arise as regards to what extent these religious institutes have been made to feel at home in Africa. These questions spring from the genuine need for authentic dialogue between the Christian faith and the religio-cultural and philosophical values of the African people. While many works have been written on inculturation theology, less attention has been paid to the possible relationship between the theology of consecrated life and African indigenous perspectives. The present work, therefore, focused on the theology of consecrated life as it relates to the possibility of inculturation. To address this, the Igwebuike indigenous theoretical framework was adopted, while the hermeneutic, comparative, and analytical methods of inquiry were patronized for the development and achievement of the objective of the investigation. The paper established the possibility of the inculturation of consecrated life in Africa, and further provided the possible areas where this inculturation could take place. The paper discovered that the inculturation of consecrated life is possible within the context of the vows (chastity, poverty, and obedience) and community life.