The Church as Liberator: Towards an African Ecclesiology of Liberation

Abstract

African social, political and economic contexts as well as the need for a relevant ecclesiology demand a new model of Church as liberator. This model calls for a conversion that embraces structural transformation. Unjust structures and attitudes that need transformation include ethnocentrism, cooptation by the state, and apathy. For this model to succeed, the Church has to be in solidarity with the poor and marginalized, engage in praxis, engage SmallChristian Communities and train the clergy and religious in social analysis. The process of social, economic and political liberation can only be complete if it empowers youth and women.