A Future for Africa: Critical Essays in Christian Social Imagination

Civil war famine genocide AIDS--the peoples of Africa have endured horrific human tragedies. Those crises plus widespread economic political and social instability have combined to produce what some consider a dire and nearly hopeless situation. Even as this book was going to press the leaders of the G-8 nations were meeting to talk about what could be done to aid Africa in these critical times. A careful look at history would indicate that the answer must come from within Africa and from the African people themselves not from other nations or the economic programs and solutions they propose. The rapid rise of a Christian social ethics movement as an alternative perspective focused precisely on addressing Africas challenges using the spiritual resources of its own people is providing a hopeful solution and a timely and powerful coping mechanism for African peoples. One of the leaders of this movement is Emmanuel Katongole a Catholic priest from Uganda. In A Future for Africa Katongole wrestles with concrete problems like the AIDS epidemic and widespread military conflicts as well as fundamental systemic ones like poverty corruption and tribalism. He then offers faith-filled solutions based on the power and example of Christian community and Christian moral imagination. Katongoles radical message is that a political ethic based on Christian principles as taught in the Scriptures is the necessary foundation for healing reconciliation and rebuilding the continent. Emmanuel Katongole is associate professor of theology and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame Indiana and a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Kampala Uganda. His other books include Mirror to the Church The Sacrifice of Africa and Born From Lament.