Inter-religious dialogue has been conceived as an antidote to all the problems of religious tensions, attracting resources and expectations.1 However, it has come short of these expectations. In fact, religious tensions are on the increase, despite increased inter-religious encounters.2 Hence, the research question: what exactly are our expectations of inter-religious dialogue and what are its limits? This work distilled out in two areas the necessities and limitations of inter-religious dialogue: liberalism in religion, and concatenation or practicalisation of inter-religious dialogue. It argues for caution on issues of religious truth, relativistic pluralism, equality / sameness of religions, etc. Inter-religious dialogue would perhaps have more success if not for the problems of inner strife and contradictions of theological perspectives. It proffered a solution in the ‘model of mutual enrichment’. This model checks our expectations of interreligious dialogue.
The question of religious pluralism has attracted many responses from the fields of interreligious dialogue and theology of religions. These responses, like inculturation, dialogue, and so on, have been concerned with “how” religions/spiritualities should be inclusive and imbue each other. However, the contemporary challenges of religious pluralism, ranging from the clamor for cultural identity to the structural and ontological differences among religions, suggest that the responses cannot create inclusivist interreligious contexts. One of these responses is the phenomenon of multiple religious belonging, which proposes that people could or should belong, believe, and practice as many religions as they want or can. In the Christianity–African spirituality context, this phenomenon poses some challenges for both Christianity and African indigenous spiritualities. This article intends to critically address the tensive constellation of African spiritualities and Christianity over the expectations of multiple religious belonging. It argues that there are discrepancies in the Christianity–African spiritualities constellation for multiple belonging. It suggests another approach to the question of religious/spirituality concatenation in Africa.
Christianity has been dominant in many parts of Africa especially since its colonial contact. Recently, however, there is a surge of interest in reviving indigenous spiritualities among Africans, both in Africa and in the diaspora. In Lagos, Nigeria, for example, shrines compete with churches and mosques for adherents and positions. Among the Igbos, a form of convenient interreligiousness has been developed in the society. When issues of practical expediency arise, the Christian would have the option of referring back to his/her traditional religion. Beyond Africa, the rise of African spiritualities has become conspicuous. For various reasons, ranging from Afrocentrism to anti-religious tendencies to the popular religions, from racial animosity to politico-economic ideologies, a lot of people, Africans and non-Africans, are embracing the neo-African spiritualities. This article is a study addressing this revival, by critically analyzing the reasons for its re-emergence, the challenges that have accompanied the revival and the implications of it in the Christian–African spirituality relationship. Can this renaissance in African spirituality bring forth or support a renaissance in Africa? Africa has about 450 million Christians, about 40% of the continent’s population. People of African origin equally make up a good number of Christians outside Africa. In other words, Christianity is decisive, ideologically and structurally, not just as a religion but also in the socio-political life of Africans. Finding a way to harmonize Christianity and African spiritualities, especially in the face of this renaissance, for the growth of Africa, is the aim of this article. Hence, it suggests the model of “Mutual Enrichment.”
Indigenous spiritualities are flourishing in Africa. Reasons range from Afrocentrism to anti-religious tendencies of the popular religions. Yet insufficient attention is being paid to this revival. Understanding and addressing African spiritualities is important for any progress in Africa. But can this revival in African spirituality bring forth or support a political and socio-economic renaissance in Africa? Can this indeed be the African century? This article argues and suggests a new model of interreligiousness and an engagement of the process of re-synchronization.
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