Book Review
Title: A Listening
Church: Autonomy and Communion in African Churches
Author: Elochukwu E.
Uzukwu[1]
Reviwer: Leo Nkusa (nkusa.gamaa@hekima.ac.ke OR leomsafiri1@gmail.com )
Publications: New York: Orbis Books, Maryknoll, 1996.
Number of pages: 192.
In this book Uzukwu
addresses the question of Africa’s devastated past, present and the hope for
the future. From the very beginning Uzukwu enunciates Africa’s problem of ecological
disasters, civil wars, dictatorship, diseases to mention a few. Can the Church
in Africa be a witnessing Church in an effective way despite all the
challenges? In order to heal Africa from all these problems, African Church
must be a source of transformation. He furthers underscores that, African
Church does not exist in a vacuum or for its own rather it is within the world
and for the people. Therefore, as the secular world is been affected by several
factors, the Church too is affected. This
book just published soon after the African synod of Bishops, Uzukwu proposes
African Church maintain its autonomous and also remined united with the
universal Church.
Chapter one
articulates on “the retrieval and modernization of African culture matrix as a
necessary route towards healing politically, economically, socially and
religious misery in Africa. In other words, the book tries to answer to the
question “How to modernize African culture as a necessary route for healing?”
to respond to this question, Uzukwu had the following to say:
Inculturation[2]
(African Theology of inculturation). He holds that, for inculturation to take
place, Africa has to reconcile with the past unjust evangelization, slavery,
colonization which distorted its social, economic and political organization. The
condemnation of the violence that Africa faced must be a step towards the
transformation of African societies from within and gradually beyond its borders. He clearly puts that, like Jesus who began to do and to teach, the
Christian church must bear witness to the gospel by applying and living out
such ethical principles.[3] Once
Africans understand themselves within African Christianity, the Church will
begin to see itself as the family of God.
This is the new way of evangelization which frames the Church in Africa
an extended family. The Church as the family would mirror the trinitarian
family as the family of God as Uzukwu says “We are the family of God and this
is the good news, the same blood flows through our veins and is the blood of
Jesus Christ”.[4]
Furthermore, Uzukwu
dwells his time in chapter six to describe how the church in Africa can respond
to today African needs. He argues that, African Church should be a listening
Church. He uses an analogy of a rabbit
with big ears. This was used by the Manja chief of Central African
Republic.[5] This image of big rabbit with big ears
depicts the importance of listening. It also applies the same for the Church in
Africa. The listening Church will bring about a fruitful evangelization.
Importance of
collaborative ministry. The whole people of God should work as a team in the
ministry. There should be no segregation or domination of one group by another.
Uzukwu looks at the effects of clericalism in the African Church which seems to
be a disease for effective ministry. He says “the situation is very well known;
the Bishop is an extension of the Pope, priests as extension of Bishops and lay
people are the commanded serfs”.[6] Listening
especially the laity, should be a unique character of the Church in Africa
today. The Church or rather to say the hierarchy has an obligation to listen
first before making decisions. That is, should listen, digest and assimilate
what the laity said as the chief of Manja people in Central African
Republic does. This form of ministering with big ears, practical and
transformational outcomes are expected.
Uzukwu speaks of
the importance of church as community by addressing Small Christian communities
as the model of the Church. According to SECAM[7], the
Church of Christ is a communion. This community should be grounded on the word
of God and on the Eucharist.[8]
Reciting the late Archbishop Mayala of Mwanza Tanzania, “Small Christian
communities (SCC’s) are the best way for us of being a Church in our African
countries”[9].
Uzukwu insists on this important model of the Church in Africa as it brings
people together wherein the Gospel of Christ is manifested. Additionally, he highlights
some challenges of SCC’s: poverty especially in rural areas, conservatism
(post-oriented) in religious practises and clerical obstacle.[10]
Chapter seven
of this book, offers some proposals for the future that may help to discern a
way forward from this deep misery that Africa finds itself in. Radical
listening will help to correct a new life in Christ. This new life can be
brought through the courage and boldness of Church’s ministers who have to
learn to shun clericalism and tribalism among other evils. Ministers should be witnesses
and testimonies of the Church who shun power and privileges. For Uzukwu, the boldness
of the renewed community becomes a conversion of the whole Church.
Collaborative
ministry. From Vatican II the Church rejects pyramid model and prefers the communal
model of the Church. Uzukwu sees the
need for collaborative ministry among people of God as a way to a fruitful
mission. Clergy, those in consecrated life and laity should not be separated or
else, one should not be superior to another, rather should work as a one people
forming the Mystical Body of Christ. Uzukwu insists that, ministry of the
Church should be practised in a collegial style involving all segments of the
community.[11]
It is undoubtedly
that, this book is a personal encounter of the author. From personal experiences
as a priest and minister of the Church in African and elsewhere, he challenges
the Church to be an agent of transformation by first of all being a listening Church.
The Church should have large ears that listen to the cry of the poor, orphans,
children, oppressed and marginalized among many. On the other hand, listening here
entails, being attentive to the views and opinions of the people of God as
opposed to clericalism.
This book is recommendable for those aspiring to be
ministers in the Church, those in the ministry, laity and secular leaders who argued
to be listeners in the society. A good leader is always a listener who sits
down and evaluate her or himself before making any decisions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Elochukwu
E. Uzukwu. A Listening Church: Autonomy and Communion in African Churches. New
York: Orbis Books, Maryknoll, 1996.
[1]
Elochukwu Eugene Elochukwu
C.S.Sp, is a Nigerian priest belongs to the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. He
is a PhD holder in Theology form Toronto School
of Theology, University of Toronto. He is a Professor Department
of Theology, Duquesne University.
[2]
An interpretation of the
Gospel of Christ based on a particular culture. It entails Gospel itself
incarnating in the culture.
[3]
Elochukwu E. Uzukwu, A Listening
Church: Autonomy and Communion in African
Churches, 5.
[4]
Ibid., 47.
[5] Ibid., 127.
[6]
Ibid., 121.
[7]
Symposium of Episcopal
Conferences of Africa and Madagasca with its headquarters in Accra- Ghana. It
is a union of Episcopal Conferences in Africa and Madagasca in which they speak
with one voice about matters of the Church in Africa.
[8]
For those in ministry should
be transformed by the Eucharist. They are not simply instruments for
transforming the bread and wine into body and blood of Christ respectively,
rather ministry is a challenge to be transformed.
[9]
Elochukwu E. Uzukwu, A Listening
Church: Autonomy and Communion in African Churches, 117.
[10]
Ibid., 118.
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