„Chrystus jest Afrykaninem!” - „Bezpieczeństwa” i „niebezpieczeństwa” dialogu międzyreligijnego w Afryce

Addressing Kenya’s bishops in Nairobi in 1980, John Paul II said: “Thus not only is Christianity relevant to Africa, but Christ, in the members of his Body is himself African!”. The dialogue between the Catholic Church and African traditional religions is a manifestation of interreligious dialogue which is not merely a project but a reality, and the truth of Jesus Christ is its cornerstone. This article discusses the difficulties associated with the use of terms important for African traditional religions such as Ancestor, Healer and King. The content scope of the titles referring to Jesus is inadequate or incomprehensible to some African peoples and it does not reflect the full Humanity and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Based on this observation, the “benefits” and “risks” of interreligious dialogue in Africa are discussed. Jesus Christ as the God-human is unknown to African traditional religions. His mystery is very difficult to express in terms of the African way of thinking and the religious concepts they use. African Christian theologians regard the idea of triumphant Jesus Christ as important in the context of mission and dialogue. The universalism of the truth of Jesus-the African encounters the specific beliefs of the particular African peoples, which gives rise to a number of difficulties (“risks”) in the dialogue.