Journal of African Christian Biography: v. 7, no. 1

A publication of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography with U.S. offices located at the Center for Global Christianity and Mission at Boston University. This issue focuses on: Focus: Archbishop Desmond Tutu (South Africa) and Msgr. Tharcisse Tshibangu (DRC); Deji Isaac Ayegboyin (Nigeria); Women’s stories (Kenya and Zimbabwe) 1. Introduction: Activism, Theology, and Witness with an African Color. 2. Tribute Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) & South African Black Theology By Francis Anekwe Oborji. 3. Appendix: A Brief Biography of Desmond Tutu’s Life. 4. Tribute Msgr. Tharcisse Tshibangu (1933 – 2021): Promoter of Theology with an “African Color” By Francis Anekwe Oborji. 5. Interview with Deji Isaac Ayegboyin, DACB Pioneer and Facilitator in Nigeria. 6. Book Review The Power of the Word, *A History of the Seventh-day Adventism in Central Kenya*: Highlighting the Role of Mama Eunice Njoki Wangai By Mary Getui. 7. “Why Can’t We Ordain Nellie?”: Leadership, Faith, and Hagiography in the Life of Nellie Maduma Mlotshwa, Zimbabwe By Wendy Urban-Mead. 8. “A Character Worth Writing About”: Sikhawulaphi Khumalo’s Education and Christian Experiences at Empandeni Mission, Southwestern Zimbabwe, 1900–1940s By Barbara Mahamba. 9. Recent Print and Digital Resources Related to Christianity in Africa Compiled by Beth Restrick, Head, BU African Studies Library

The Contribution of Religious Education to the Creation of Responsible Citizens: European and African Perspectives

In recent times, education for responsible citizenship has become a very important social, political, educational, and religious topic. At the level of educational policies, the need for citizenship education arises from the desire for the school to be a place that trains students to play an active role in society, teaching them how to live responsibly in increasingly diverse democratic communities of a globalised world. In the last 30 years, and earlier, numerous countries have introduced citizenship education into school programmes, either as a separate subject or more often as cross-curricular content that is mediated through different school subjects and extracurricular activities. In Europe, the religious dimension of citizenship education and the contribution of religious education to responsible citizenship is highlighted at the level of educational policies and religious pedagogical research, especially after the war in the former Yugoslavia, and even more decisively after the terrorist attack on the United States of America on 11 September 2001. It then became clear that the Western societies, after the increasing trend to privatise religion, must re-evaluate its public role. This includes an educational confrontation with religious content, interpretations, and views, as well as the use of religion as a resource for humanising people and society. Viewed from a religious perspective, questioning the religious contribution to more responsible civil coexistence and social cohesion is certainly not the main role of religion, but it surely brings to light one of its important impacts. In the present time of 6 The Contribution of Religious Education to the Creation of Responsible Citizens great geopolitical tensions in the world, economic crises, growing global mistrust as well as the existential health and climate crisis, the school must open young people to hope and a meaningful life. It must educate them for active and responsible citizenship so that they will not fall victims to the powers of the economy, politics and media, including their comprehensive surveillance. The Church and its theology, reflecting on the role of religious education in schools, has the opportunity to show its ability for dialogue and a prophetic-constructive participation in public discourse. Through religious narratives and values, the religious perspective can contribute to the acquisition of the skill of critical thinking in democratic societies. The African continent remains more religious than Europe. Africa faces many challenges for which it needs to strengthen citizenship education. For example, there are ethnic and tribal conflicts, interreligious conflicts, corruption, and inequality. In this context, religious education in schools is called upon to go beyond the catechetical goals in order to integrate citizenship issues. In this perspective, religious education could contribute to citizenship education in Africa by teaching peacebuilding, tolerance, justice, equality, and other civic values, that are also Christian values. The present proceedings contain papers of the International Scientific Symposium, that was organised by the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb from 14 to 17 July 2022, in Zagreb, Croatia, on the same topic as the title of this book. 13 Catholic theologians, educationalists, and philosophers from several African and European countries tried to deepen the issue from different points of view. One more author was, unfortunately, not able to elaborate his paper for publishing. The symposium focused on the contribution of Catholic religious education to the education for responsible citizenship in both public and Catholic schools. Historical and cultural background of the discourse on citizenship, different views on citizenship, the national and global dimensions of it, as well as the challenges to citizenship education in the modern world, came to the fore. Civic education relates to human rights as values and is therefore a normative concept that includes moral and value education, also questioning the relationship between religion and human rights. The relationship between citizenship education and advocacy of the common good is also highlighted. Empirical research has shown that the goals of citizenship education can be understood differently; therefore, its success is related to the general orientations of the school system. Didactic aspects prove to be very important, and they include not only the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills but also the creation of attitudes. The gender aspect of religious and citizenship education is discussed and presented, as well as the possible contribution of religious education to interreligious and intercultural knowledge and dialogue. The need to create an open and dialogical identity, the contribution of religious education to peacebuilding, as well as different understandings of relations between the state, Church and society are also presented. In addition, the contributions elaborate various other related topics and elements, such as political issues and the issues of power, virtue education, social education, pedagogy of recognition, inclusion, and interdisciplinary approaches. The papers are grouped into three units: Perspectives and Discourses (related to citizenship and religious education), Tasks and Dimensions (of citizenship education within religious education), and Places and Contexts. The specific contribution of religious education to citizenship education, observed from the perspective of the two continents and different contexts, was notably at the centre of the Symposium

The Contribution of Religious Education to the Creation of Responsible Citizens: European and African Perspectives

In recent times, education for responsible citizenship has become a very important social, political, educational, and religious topic. At the level of educational policies, the need for citizenship education arises from the desire for the school to be a place that trains students to play an active role in society, teaching them how to live responsibly in increasingly diverse democratic communities of a globalised world. In the last 30 years, and earlier, numerous countries have introduced citizenship education into school programmes, either as a separate subject or more often as cross-curricular content that is mediated through different school subjects and extracurricular activities. In Europe, the religious dimension of citizenship education and the contribution of religious education to responsible citizenship is highlighted at the level of educational policies and religious pedagogical research, especially after the war in the former Yugoslavia, and even more decisively after the terrorist attack on the United States of America on 11 September 2001. It then became clear that the Western societies, after the increasing trend to privatise religion, must re-evaluate its public role. This includes an educational confrontation with religious content, interpretations, and views, as well as the use of religion as a resource for humanising people and society. Viewed from a religious perspective, questioning the religious contribution to more responsible civil coexistence and social cohesion is certainly not the main role of religion, but it surely brings to light one of its important impacts. In the present time of 6 The Contribution of Religious Education to the Creation of Responsible Citizens great geopolitical tensions in the world, economic crises, growing global mistrust as well as the existential health and climate crisis, the school must open young people to hope and a meaningful life. It must educate them for active and responsible citizenship so that they will not fall victims to the powers of the economy, politics and media, including their comprehensive surveillance. The Church and its theology, reflecting on the role of religious education in schools, has the opportunity to show its ability for dialogue and a prophetic-constructive participation in public discourse. Through religious narratives and values, the religious perspective can contribute to the acquisition of the skill of critical thinking in democratic societies. The African continent remains more religious than Europe. Africa faces many challenges for which it needs to strengthen citizenship education. For example, there are ethnic and tribal conflicts, interreligious conflicts, corruption, and inequality. In this context, religious education in schools is called upon to go beyond the catechetical goals in order to integrate citizenship issues. In this perspective, religious education could contribute to citizenship education in Africa by teaching peacebuilding, tolerance, justice, equality, and other civic values, that are also Christian values. The present proceedings contain papers of the International Scientific Symposium, that was organised by the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Zagreb from 14 to 17 July 2022, in Zagreb, Croatia, on the same topic as the title of this book. 13 Catholic theologians, educationalists, and philosophers from several African and European countries tried to deepen the issue from different points of view. One more author was, unfortunately, not able to elaborate his paper for publishing. The symposium focused on the contribution of Catholic religious education to the education for responsible citizenship in both public and Catholic schools. Historical and cultural background of the discourse on citizenship, different views on citizenship, the national and global dimensions of it, as well as the challenges to citizenship education in the modern world, came to the fore. Civic education relates to human rights as values and is therefore a normative concept that includes moral and value education, also questioning the relationship between religion and human rights. The relationship between citizenship education and advocacy of the common good is also highlighted. Empirical research has shown that the goals of citizenship education can be understood differently; therefore, its success is related to the general orientations of the school system. Didactic aspects prove to be very important, and they include not only the acquisition of knowledge and development of skills but also the creation of attitudes. The gender aspect of religious and citizenship education is discussed and presented, as well as the possible contribution of religious education to interreligious and intercultural knowledge and dialogue. The need to create an open and dialogical identity, the contribution of religious education to peacebuilding, as well as different understandings of relations between the state, Church and society are also presented. In addition, the contributions elaborate various other related topics and elements, such as political issues and the issues of power, virtue education, social education, pedagogy of recognition, inclusion, and interdisciplinary approaches. The papers are grouped into three units: Perspectives and Discourses (related to citizenship and religious education), Tasks and Dimensions (of citizenship education within religious education), and Places and Contexts. The specific contribution of religious education to citizenship education, observed from the perspective of the two continents and different contexts, was notably at the centre of the Symposium

Special Issue in Honor of Director Jonathan Bonk on the Occasion of his Retirement

A publication of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography with U.S. offices located at the Center for Global Christianity and Mission at Boston University. This special issue is in honor of and focuses on Project Director Jonathan Bonk. 1. Introduction by Associate Editor Jesse Mugambi; 2. DACB Kenya Report 2019 (Excerpts) By Jonathan J. Bonk; 3. Jonathan Bonk and the DACB: A Treasured Contribution to African Christian History By Deji Ayegboyin and M. A. Ogunewu; 4. His Mission and Its Impact on Africa By Olusegun Obasanjo; 5. Professor Jonathan J. Bonk: The African Dimension By Gabriel Leonard Allen; 6. A Strategic Mentor By Thomas Oduro; 7. A Humble Servant of God By Philomena Njeri Mwaura; 8. Biography as History in Explication of African Christianity A Reflection in Appreciation of Professor Jonathan Bonk By Jesse N. K. Mugambi; 9. Context in African Biblical Studies: Some Reflections By Madipoane Masenya (Ngwan’a Mphahlele); 10. The Faith and Witness of the Uganda Martyrs By Edison Muhindo Kalengyo; 11. From Abba Salama to King Lalibela: Christian Traditions in Ethiopia are among the oldest in the World By Tekletsadik Belachew; 12. A Faithful Legacy: Gratitude and Hope By Michèle M. Sigg