Abstract
Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor’s ambitious Morality Truly Christian, Truly African: Foundational, Methodological, and Theological Considerations seeks to link several conversations. Indeed, the premise that permeates the text is that all theology is contextual, and the landscape of global Christianity has ‘shifted its centre of gravity into the Third World’ resulting in Odozor claiming that the ‘third church is here’ (p. 1). This shift from the Western world is not fully recognized, nor appreciated, by the theological community. Citing Andrew Walls, Odozor further explains that the ‘conditions in various parts of the Third Church (or third world) are taking Christian theology into new areas of life where Western Theology has no answers, because it has no questions’ (p. 2). Thus, Odozor aims to give an account of the importance and relevance of the African tradition in its various aspects, both religious and secular. He asks, and attempts to answer, two important questions: ‘(1) Given the largely Eurocentric nature of Catholic moral theology thus far in the history of the church, what will it take to invest the rest of the church, especially the theological community, through sustained intellectual attention and solidarity, in the history and moral challenges of the church in other parts of the world, in this case Africa? (2) What is to be gained, for the whole church, were this to happen in a deep and lasting way?’ (p. 3). The three parts of this book work to answer these questions.
Part I is concerned with the nature of African Christian theology. In this foundational chapter (pp. 9–53), Odozor assumes that it is possible to speak of an ethic that is both theologically Christian and African. He acknowledges that this is an endeavour fraught with complexity. However, in this reviewer’s opinion, Odozor convincingly seeks to engage with the lived realities and traditions of Africa from a Catholic theological perspective. This, of course, is not to limit the ethic that Odozor proposes. As he puts it, ‘no one speaks from nowhere—its insights are applicable to other human situations’ (p. 53).
Part II deals with African tradition and traditional religion as foundational issues in African Christian Theology and Ethics. It contains three chapters. Chapter two (pp. 57–86) provides an insightful discussion of the concepts of tradition and morality in Africa. Chapter three (pp. 87–115) focuses on the intricate relationship between African traditions and African Traditional Religions. This is a particularly interesting chapter as Odozor expertly documents the deep structure of moral reason in African Traditional Religions. The final chapter in Part II (pp. 116–48) examines issues in the theology of non-Christian religions. Interreligious conflict, particularly between Islam and Christianity, form a considerable part of this chapter.
The final part of Odozor’s work is concerned with establishing the foundations of an African Christian theological ethics. In order to establish this framework, Odozor begins in chapter five (pp. 151–75) by discussing African moral theology and the challenge of inculturation. Here Odozor draws on the moral theology of Bénézet Bujo. Odozor explains that Bujo, like many other African theologians, opines that ‘Western culture and Western Christianity in their encounter with the African world did not believe that Africans had any culture or religion worth preserving’ (p. 153). Odozor argues, however, that Bujo’s inculturation theology creates a better understanding of the realities of an African Christian moral paradigm, thereby providing an avenue for meaningful dialogue and cultural sensitivity (p. 153). The theocentric position of Christian ethics is the concern of Chapter six (pp. 176–205). Odozor provides three examples of theocentric morality by focusing on Aquinas, James Gustafson, and finally, African Traditional Morality. This comparative analysis is useful in differentiating the nuances of each approach. Chapter seven (pp. 206–36) focuses on the human person, and offers a theological anthropology from an African theological ethical perspective. The complicated influence of globalisation on the person, and their human dignity, is a key concern of this chapter. The discussion on African traditional marriage highlights this point (p. 226). Odozor brings moral agency to the fore in this chapter, and helpfully explains how the person, as a moral agent, is seen in the African worldview. The penultimate chapter (pp. 237–68) offers a conceptual framework for moral reasoning in the African context. This is a particularly valuable contribution to Christian ethics in general, particularly from a global perspective, and to African theological ethics in particular. The final chapter (pp. 269–98) has a strong ecclesial dimension. Here Odozor uses a case study of the African church as a community of moral discourse (pp. 271–84). He concludes the volume by suggesting that African moral theology is a collaborative venture, and recommends that it must be prepared to dialogue with other forms of ethical discourse (p. 298).
This is an exceptionally ambitious book. As its title suggests, this work seeks to link several conversations. Odozor succeeds in introducing the reader to the changing global theological landscape. However, given the enormity of the task that Odozor sets himself, this text is better characterized as an instructive introductory work, rather than a definitive statement on the topic. Notable by the starkness of their absence are the missing voices in this voluminous text. With the exception of Mercy Oduyoye, women theologians do not feature prominently in this text. This is a significant exclusion given that Odozor seeks to elaborate a moral theology that foregrounds the realities of life in the African context in all its complexity and diversity. Ultimately, I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a dialogical engagement between African Christian Theology and traditional Catholic moral theology.