Communion Ecclesiology And Social Transformation In African Catholicism PDF Download

The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) rediscovered diverse ecclesiological metaphors that had been somewhat less emphasized in Roman Catholicism, to articulate the self-understanding and mission of the Roman Catholic Church. These metaphors are interrelated and complementary in revealing the Church as mystery. An integral reading of the conciliar corpus points to the concept of communio as a fundamental hermeneutical key for unlocking the ecclesiology of the Council. More than fifty years after Vatican II, communion ecclesiology has yielded normative magisterial and synodal teachings on the theologies of the Church and social mission. In contemporary sub-Saharan Africa, confronted with complex social questions, the vision of the Church as communion of God's people has a missiological significance. This thesis examines the theological reception of Vatican II's communion ecclesiology and social teaching at the First (1994) and Second (2009) Special Assemblies for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, demonstrating how these conciliar theologies have shaped the self-understanding and social justice mission of the Roman Catholic Church in Africa. The appraisal provides the backdrop for constructing a missional praxis of social transformation for African Catholicism. This praxis comprises a tripartite theological dynamic, grounded in Vatican II, African Synods, and complemented by Catholic social teaching. The thesis contends that the communion ecclesiology and social teaching of the Second Vatican Council are critical trajectories for renewing the missional praxis for the Church in Africa as Family of God at the service of social transformation.