CONTEXTUAL PHILOSOPHY: AN ESSENTIAL PILLAR FOR THE CHURCH’S VISION IN THE FUTURE

Abstract

For the success of the mission of the Church, constant adaptation of her
perennial teachings to the changing global contexts is necessary.
Although the Good News of the Kingdom of God consists in
permanent gems and is consequently unchangeable from the
substantial perspective therefore, the need to couch this divine message
into categories of thought relevant to specific peoples is undeniable.
This is the content proffered to the Church in general, and to
theologians in particular in several magisterial documents such as
Ecclesia in Africa and Fides et Ratio of John Paul II on the one hand, and
Aeterni Patris of Leo XIII, on the other.
Basing itself on the African situation, this article argues that the
contemporary mission of evangelization has to be anchored on the
cherished values inherent in the cultures of the various peoples. The
kernel of Divine Revelation (Scripture and Tradition) has to be
maintained intact, but the cultural expressions which serve as the
vehicle for imparting this treasured Word have to be interpreted using
the positive dimensions found within the numerous world-views of
Christ’s flock. Through this way of repackaging the eternal Word, the Church will be able to remain relevant to the modern world which is
tending towards an appreciation of transient values at the expense of
permanent ones.