INITIAL PROCLAMATION AND DIALOGUE WITH CULTURES,

TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS AND URBAN SOCIETIES

OF AFRICA AND MADAGASCAR

Fr Innocent Maganya, M.afr

Introduction:

I am very much honored to have been invited to participate at these STUDY DAYS. The nature of the study is quite appealing. We have just concluded a synod of Bishops which dealt exclusively with the theme of New Evangelization, and here you want to reflect on Initial evangelization and dialogue with African Religions and cultures. By doing so, you clearly position yourselves in line with the teaching of John Paul II who clearly stated that the Missio ad Gentes is far from being over (Cfr RM). Even when we talk about New Evangelisation, we should not forget about the mandate we have to proclaim the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ to all those who do not know him.

Since Vatican II, we have come to a wider understanding of what is the mission of the Church or better what the missionary work consist of. The Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church, in its chapter II mentions witness as the first form of Evangelization. This will be repeated in all subsequent documents of the Church. In second place comes the preaching of the Gospel and the assembling of the people of the people of God, and lastly the forming of the Christian community. (AG, 10-18). But the same document carefully cautions that the missionary activity of the Church does not end with the establishment of the community. It says “the obligation to carry the work devolves on the particular churches already constituted, an obligation to preach the Gospel to all who are still outside. (AG, 6). Each time there is a new situation, the Church is called to re-evaluate the pertinence of her missionary presence.

Fifteen years after Vatican II, Paul VI wrote Evangelii Nuntiandi in which he expanded the understanding of the work of evangelization. With the rise of liberation theology in Latin America, there was a danger to narrow the understanding of the mission of the Church. The Pope acknowledges that evangelization is a complex and dynamic reality. It includes witness, initial proclamation, catechesis, human promotion. Evangelii Nuntiandi reaffirms the importance of witness, but stresses the fact there is “There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed”. (EN 21-21). The complexity of mission was again reaffirmed by John Paul II in Redemptoris Missio. John Paul II says that mission is a single and complex reality (RM, 41). But proclamation remains the permanent priority of mission. It has a central and irreplaceable role. (RM, 44). One of the aim of the encyclical was to clarify the relationship between Missio ad Gentes and Inter-religious dialogue. At the time of Redemptoris Missio, there were already some tendencies in the Church that wanted to narrow the understanding of mission to inter-religious dialogue. Though he values positively the dialogue with other religions, the pope strongly proposes “proclamation as the permanent priority of Mission.” That is why the title of the encyclical gives already the tone: It is about the permanent validity of the missionary activity of the Church. It says yes to dialogue but proclamation remains essential. Redemptoris Mission defines three concrete situations in which the mission of the Church is carried out.

• Missio ad Gentes: This mission is directed to “peoples, groups, and socio-cultural contexts in which Christ and his gospel are not known, or which lack Christian communities sufficiently mature” (RM, 33). Further more, it is directed to “peoples or groups who do not yet believe in Christ, who are far from Christ, in whom the Church has not yet taken root, and whose culture has not yet been influenced by the Gospel” (RM, 34). We could refer to this as primary evangelization or initial proclamation.

• The Pastoral care: It is directed towards “Christian communities with adequate and solid ecclesial structures. They are fervent in their faith and in Christian living. They bear witness to the Gospel in their surroundings and have a sense of commitment to the universal mission” (RM 33).

• The New Evangelization or Re-evangelization: It is directed towards “countries with ancient Christian roots, and occasionally in the younger Churches as well, where entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel.” (RM 33)

Since the mid 80’s there has been a great concern about the decline of Christian practice, especially in the Western Christian world, but also in our mega cities. The recently concluded Synod of bishops’ objective was to see how to revive the Christian faith and practice in a world that is becoming more and more secular. But as John Paul II mentions in Redemptoris Missio, Initial proclamation, pastoral care and new evangelization are interconnected, they are interdependent (RM 34). The question is how do we reconcile the necessity of initial proclamation and the urgency of dialogue with other religions, as in our case dialogue with African cultures and Religions? What is the relationship between Dialogue and Mission¹ or Dialogue and Proclamation?² Or Where is the Role of Christ and of the Church?³ What is the role of other religions in the universal salvific plan of God? What should be our approach to African Religion as we commit ourselves to the work of evangelization in Africa.? How far should we take cultural realities seriously.

In this complex reality of mission dialogue or interreligious dialogue is seen as part of the mission of the Church. This dialogue was initiated by Vatican II. Dialogue and Proclamation defines proclamation as: “the communication of the Gospel message, the mystery of salvation realized by God for all in Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit. It is an invitation to commitment of faith in Jesus Christ and to entry though baptism into the community of believers which is the Church... Proclamation is the foundation, centre and summit of evangelization” (DP 10). Stephen Bevans and Roger Schroeder see the mission of the Church as a prophetic dialogue. They see the idea of prophetic dialogue as a synthesis of the theologies of mission as articulated in the last half of the twentieth century.

• Mission as Participation in the mission of the Triune God (Missio Dei)

• Mission as liberating service of the Reign of God

• Mission as proclamation of Jesus as universal savior

Admittedly they recognise that there are many challenges and questions that are raised:

“How, for example, can one engage in sincere dialogue, particularly in interreligious dialogue, while also being prophetic in the articulation of one’s beliefs?...Is not prophetic dialogue really a contradiction, and so impossible to practice?⁴

You have set clearly the objectives of these study days. You want “to arrive at a deeper understanding of the challenges and discover new insights and perspectives in view of renewed missionary praxis.”

I will articulate the paper in three points:

1. Conciliar and Post conciliar understanding of Mission

2. Mission as dialogue with African Religion and cultures

3. Pastoral implications.

1. Conciliar and Post Conciliar understanding of Mission

We have just inaugurated the Year of Faith which marks the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of Vatican II. As we celebrate the golden jubilee of the beginning of the Council, there are various schools of interpretations of this prophetic event. I am not going to venture the debate about the interpretation of the Council. Some say that Vatican II was in strict continuity with previous Councils while others see Vatican as discontinuity.⁵ It is not the object of this study. As far as our study is concerned, we are interested in three major documents of the Council, namely, The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, (Lumen Gentium), The Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (Ad Gentes), The Pastoral Constitution on the Church (Gaudium et Spes), the Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate) and the Declaration on Religious Liberty (Dignitatis Humanae).

Vatican II opened new roads to missiological reflection, especially on the concepts of mission (AG chaps.1-2), the values and functions of local churches (AG chap.3), the meaning of cultures (GS 53-63), the fundamentals of interreligious dialogue (NA,2)…⁶

I would like to situate the debate and the relevance of your Study days within the context of conciliar teachings. We could not have imagined the possibility of dialogue with religions and cultures before the Council. Fr. Thomas Ryan points out four areas where the Council made a significant.⁷

• There can be salvation outside the Church

• There authentic God-given values in different cultures

• The Church can use the positive values of the local culture to spread the Gospel

• The acceptance of positive values, whatever their source, is for the Church the basis of its respect for cultures and religions.

All these affirmations are still a challenge to us today. As we have not yet internalized as church, the teaching of the council on these subjects. The reception of the council is always very slow. One of the recommendations would be to get familiar with the teaching of the council. We cannot re-invent the wheel.

1. The Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church.

We read in AG 1:

“Having been divinely sent to the nations that she might be “The universal sacrament of the salvation” the Church, in obedience to the command of her founder (Mt. 16:15), and because of it is demanded by her own essential universality, strives to preach the Gospel to all men.”

Here we have a new understanding of the mission of the Church which someone breaks away with the axiom of “Extra Ecclesiam nula Salus”, that is outside the Church there is no salvation. Now the Church defines herself as a sacrament of the universal plan of God to save all humanity. The same decree affirms that the whole Church shares and participates in the Mission of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (AG, 2). As Christ has been sent by the Father, so Jesus sends the Church to continue the same work of salvation, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church acknowledges that the circumstances in which the exercise of this mission is carried out varies, and the mission might not be exercised in the same way (AG, 6). It is important to take into consideration the context in which we find ourselves. “In each situation and circumstance a proper line of action and effective means should be adopted.” We can’t apply the same method everywhere. This is very much in line with the whole teaching of the Council which calls for respect of individual groups and cultures. This is more important as we step into new territories or come into contact with groups that have never heard of the Gospel of Christ before. These are like sacred territories in which we have to enter with reverence and respect. As the Sociologist Max warren would say: we have to remove our shoes because we are on a holy ground.”

Chapter II of AG defines what this missionary work consists of. There are three ways of Evangelizing. The first form is witness. This has been repeated in Evangelii Nuntiandi (EN, 41) and Redemptoris Missio. (RM, 42). We know how much the Church has been shaken by all the scandals for the past few years. The lack of authentic witness is the biggest obstacle to the work of evangelization. Christian witness is paramount in the work of evangelization. This witness implies “Establishing relationships of respect and love, being part and parcel of the social and cultural life of the community, be familiar with their national and religious traditions of the people.” (AG, 11).

These are guiding principles for Christians. But in the same line, the council gives some requirements for priestly training. The Council says that the mind of the students must be opened and redefined so that they will better understand and appreciate the culture of their own people. The Council recommends that philosophical and theological studies should help seminarians examine the relationship between the traditions and the religion of their own people and Christianity. It also recommends that studies for priesthood should be undertaken in close contact with the way of life of their own people (AG, 16). One of your confreres is researching on the inculturation of the Salesian formation. I hope he will come with some concrete material that could help you move forward in this line. AG 22 is even more explicit when it encourages to undertake theological investigations in the words revealed by God in different cultures. The council acknowledges that there is no incompatibility between local customs, concept of life and social structures and divine revelation. Reconciliation between the two is possible. (AG, 22). This is very important for our topic. We are talking about initial proclamation and the dialogue with African religion and cultures. So we can dissociate initial proclamation with what we inculturation. “Every time and every culture has to reflect on faith on its own terms, and needs to use its own lens to interpret Scripture, past doctrinal formulations, ethical practices, and liturgical customs.”⁸

1.2 The Pastoral Constitution on the Church

As we have seen, the Council values positively human culture. It says that whenever there is a question of human life, nature and culture are intimately linked together (GS, 53). Gaudium et Spes consecrates a whole chapter (chap.2) to the understanding of culture. And as Evangelli Nuntiandi, what matters in evangelization is

“to evangelize man's culture and cultures (not in a purely decorative way, as it were, by applying a thin veneer, but in a vital way, in depth and right to their very roots), in the wide and rich sense which these terms have in Gaudium et spes, always taking the person as one's starting-point and always coming back to the relationships of people among themselves and with God.” (EN, 20)

The Council also called for dialogue between all men. This dialogue requires from the side of the Church some attitudes such as mutual esteem, reverence and harmony, acknowledging all legitimate diversity (GS 92). But I would like to refer to two articles of GS that I find relevant to our topic of studies.

• The first article refers to the role of the Holy Spirit in cultures:

“Since Christ died for all, and since all men are in fact called to one and the same destiny, which is divine, we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery” (GS 22).

What strikes in this text is the reference to all which is repeated three times. This all is inclusive and does not refer only to Catholics. Then there is the universal role of the Holy Spirit, through which we are all made partners in the paschal mystery. We can deduce that, African religions and cultures are implicitly recognised in this partnership. Partnership implies respect, dialogue, collaboration, though each partner keeps to what is singular and particular to him. So as we encounter the African religion or African cultures we encounter them as partners in dialogue. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. This partnership is well expressed in the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church. Though the text speaks of Islam, I think we could also apply it to African Religion as they relate to the People of God in various ways. It says that “the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator. Among those who adore the Creator the Moselms are given the first place who together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind judge on the last day. (cf. LG, 16)

The second text refers to relation between culture and the Good News of Christ.

There are many links between the message of salvation and culture. In his self-revelation to his people culminating in the fullness of manifestation in his incarnate Son, God spoke according to the culture proper to each age. Similarly the Church has existed through the centuries in varying circumstances and has utilized the resources of different cultures in its preaching to spread and explain the message of Christ, to examine and understand it more deeply, and to express it more perfectly in the liturgy and in various aspects of the life of the faithful. (GS, 58).

1.3 Nostra Aetate

In a very explicit terms, Nostra Aetate recognizes that outside the Catholic there other groups that have a high religious sense and whose lives are “imbued with a deep religious sense”. In NA 2 the Council affirms that the “Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions. These words are of high significance as we approach the African Religion. We can no longer look at African Religion and culture as a virgin land to conquer for Christ. African Religion deserves the same attitude and respect that we have towards Islam and Judaism. As Nostra Aetate says, the Church “has a high regard for the manner of life and conduct, the precepts and doctrine which, although differing in many ways from her own teaching, nevertheless, often reflect a ray of that truth that enlightens all men” (NA, 2).

LG 16 : The plan of salvation includes those also who acknowledge the Creator... with us, adore the one and merciful God who will judge mankind on the last day. Nor is God far from those who in shadows and images seek the unknown God; for He gives to all men life and breath and all things, and as Saviour desires all men to be saved. For those also can attain eternal salvation who without fault on their part do not know the Gospel of Christ and His Church, but seek God with a sincere heart, and under the influence of grace endeavour to do His will as recognised through the promptings of their conscience.

II: Mission as Dialogue with African Religion and African cultures

As we have seen Vatican II has a respect for non- Christian religions. Even though the Council does not mention African Religion specifically, we can deduce as we have said, that it opened the way for a positive consideration of African Religions and cultures. But this does not mean that we have embraced this new positive outlook of the Council on African Religion and culture. Before we engage in any form of dialogue we must get rid of all the misconceptions or misrepresentation and prejudices about African Religion. “These misconceptions or prejudices are well known, but because they are so deeply seated among many, they are very difficult to do away with.”⁹ My experience as a lecturer in African Theology has shown me how it is difficult, especially with our African students.

The earliest missionaries to Africa did not have the opportunity to get all the information we have today from Anthropology, Ethnology, History, Geography and even the theology of the Mission. The result was that the adherents of ATR were dismissed as pagans, animists, pantheists, superstitious people, magicians, even devil worshippers. The first catechism book I ever read has ATR worship as the first in the list of mortal sins.¹⁰

The first remark is about the reference to African Religion as Traditional. As you might have realised I have avoided the word “Traditional.” The question: is what do we understand by “traditional. This seems, apparently, a nice and polite way of referring to the religiosity of Africans, but still hides the more expressive negative conceptions such as: primitive, savage, fetishism, juju, heathenism, paganism, animism, idolatry and polytheism. It has been argued by anthropologists, and some missionaries who solely relied on the work of these anthropologists, who labeled African Religion as a primitive religion. Actually they had to invent, to construct, raise African beliefs to the status of religion, thus creating an inferiority complex or depreciation of African religious values. This inferiority complex is deeply is deeply engraved in the mind of even eminent African intellectuals, including some of my own students. As if one would say “nothing good can come from Africa”. It is very easy to associate the word “traditional” with “backwardness” or old fashion, “uncivilized”. This attitude has not yet disappeared. Magesa points out that the saddest thing that emerges is that an increasing number of African themselves have internalized very thoroughly this misconception about themselves and their culture. That is why Laurenti Magesa says that it is anachronistic to refer to African Religion as Traditional. Let us look at each of these derogatory terms by which we associate the African Religion.

African Religion as heathen and Pagan Religion: these two terms are used almost as synonymous. They refer to those who do not believe in one of the major religions namely, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. They also refer to people who do not know God. How can we call AR a pagan religion when African are notoriously religious¹¹ and have a strong belief in one God as Creator. Strictly speaking there are no pagans in Africa because “the presence of God permeates all the life of an African.” (Africae Terrarum, 8)

African Religion as a fetish and animist religion: Fetishes refer to objects or articles. Africans were called animists because it was said that they believe that objects and animals have souls or spirits-anima. Here is what Paul VI says about African Religion:

Here we have more than the so-called “animistic” concept, in the sense given to to this term in the history of religions at the end of last century. We have a deeper, broader and more universal concept which considers all living beings and visible nature itself as linked with the world of the invisible and the spirit. (Africae Terrarum, 8)

African Religion and idol worship: In Africa there is a clear distinction between God, ancestors, lesser gods, spirits and so on. There is a certain hierarchy. When African sacrifice, they do not sacrifice to idols. They sacrifice to the One Supreme God, the Creator. Even the reference to African Religion as ancestor-worship does not qualify for the same reasons. Never have the Africans ever deified ancestors. Ancestors are not God.

African Religion as Polytheistic religion: Across Africa God is revered as Creator and Source of life. He is the same God who is worshipped in different African Cultures. It is not because there is a multiplicity of cultures that there is a multiplicity of gods. In fact today African Religion is recognised as a monotheistic religion. Here I can refer to the most recent book of John Mbiti: Concepts of God in Africa, 2^nd edition. He says: “Being the voice of different peoples, these Concepts of God portray a clear monotheism as the central point of reference in African Religion. This seems to have originated from ancient times, as many names of God bear witness.”¹²

We find the same derogatory attitude about African Religion in the pre-Vatican II Church official documents. I will just mention a few of these attitudes: In Catholicae Ecclesiae, Leo XIII, gives instruction to missionaries in Africa in the following terms: "bathe those inhabitants living in darkness and blind superstition with the light of divine truth, by which they can become co-heirs with us of the Kingdom of God". Benedict XV in Maximum Illud, speaks of "the numberless heathen who are still sitting in the shadows of death. According to recent statistics their number accounts to a thousand million." The role of the bishops was "to light the torch for those sitting in the shadows of death, and open the gate of heaven to those who rush to their destruction". To Religious superiors and heads of Congregations engaged in missionary work were requested after having "successfully accomplished their task and converted some nations from unhallowed superstition to Christian faith and have founded there a church with sufficient prospects, they should transfer them, as Christ’s forlorn hope, to some other nation to snatch them from Satan’s grasp. Pius the XI says that it is an act of charity to withdraw “the pagans from the darkness of superstition." He refers to non-Christians as savage and barbarians. ¹³

So, we should not take for granted that we know what we are taking about, when we speak about the dialogue with African Religion. There is a need for decolonizing our minds, so that we might appreciate the African Religion what it really is. There will never be an effective evangelization, if our initial proclamation does not take account of the religiosity of the African people. We are not preaching a new God to them. They already know him.

“The better ATR is understood by the heralds of the Gospel, the more suitable will be the presentation of Christianity to Africans. By a study of ATR the underlying felt-need of Africans will be identified so that it will become clear how Christianity can meet such needs. In this way, the Church will be more and more at home in Africa, and Africans will be more and more at home in the Church.”¹⁴

Secondly, should we refer to the religion of Africans in singular or in plural? Should we speak of African Religions or African Religion? For me this should not be a subject of debate if we accept the principle of “unity in diversity”. This is also the point of View of Magesa who is astonished that some African scholars still refer to African Religion in plural. In spite of the diversities of African people and cultures, there are commonalties that allow us to speak of African Religion, in singular. More and more theologians are using African Religion in singular. As Magesa says “Varieties in African Religion must not be taken to mean a diversity of fundamental beliefs.”¹⁵ For me there are advantages to consider Africa as a single geographical and religious entity. I think we need to rediscover the concept of Pan-africanism of Nkwameh Nkrumah. To speak of Africa as one, despite of the plurality of languages and cultures, will have far reaching political and social consequences.

Thirdly, is African Religion a World Religion or not. Vatican two carefully avoids mentioning African Religion alongside Islam, Judaism and Budhism. There are at least three objections that are made to disqualify African Religion as a World Religion.

• African Religion has no written scriptures

• African religion is not a revealed religion

• African Religion does engage itself in proselytism

All this depend on the understanding of what religion is and the way that God reveals himself to humanity. I would like to emphasise the distinction between the revealed and so called natural religion. When we talk about revealed religion we refer mainly to the People of the Book, as Islam calls them, that is Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Evans Pritchard says that the dichotomy between natural and revealed religion is false and makes obscurity. He says that there is a good sense in which it may be said that all religions are religions of revelation. The world around them and their reason have everywhere revealed to men something of the divine and of their nature and destiny.¹⁶ He quotes St Augustine who said that “What is now called the Christian religion, has existed among the ancients, and was not absent from the beginning of the human race, until Christ came in the flesh: from which time the true religion, which existed already, began to be called Christian.” This is in line with what the letter to the Hebrews says: “In former times God spoke to us through our ancestors…”

Fourthly, it is now common to hear that, in this era of globalization, African religion is dead, or if it is not dead it will disappear with the advancement of science and technology. We can find a similar remark with Max Müller who in 1878 wrote: “Every day, every week, every month, every quarter, the most widely read journal seem just now to vie with each other in telling us that the time for religion is past, that faith is hallucination or an infantile disease, that the gods have at last been found out and exploded….” Or Crawley who in 1905 said about the enemies of religion: “the opinion is everywhere gaining ground that religion is a mere survival from a primitive and mythopoeic age, and its extinction only a matter of time”. Evans Pritchard warns against such quick dismissal of the Africa Religion and beliefs. Three aspects must be considered before one can claim that African Religion is a thing of the past: The first one is the question of the number of those adhere to the African Religion, the second one is that traditional world-view is continually reflected in the thoughts and attitudes of many Africans. We can debate about the third point that he makes namely, the rejection of Western systems of thought by African intellectuals. This might have been true at the time of Léopold Seda senghor, Aimé Césaire, Léon Gontran Damas with the Négritude Movement, or the time of Nkwameh Nkrumah and the Pan-african movement or even at the time of Vincent Mulago and “les prêtres noirs s’interrogent”.

However, Evans Pritchard is right when he says that today this rejection is largely repressed because, the African intellectual has repressed this rejection, and has superficially accepted the Western Scientific point of view and the advantages of modern technology.¹⁷ Magesa says that it is too hasty to assert the disappearance of African religion. There are two negative consequences:

• Because of the assumption that African Religion is dying people do not take it seriously enough.

• It makes practitioners of African Religion ashamed of adhering to a perceived “dying” faith, and this feeling inhibits them from engaging in a mature dialogue with members of other faiths.

3. Pastoral Implications:

For an effective evangelisation of Africa,

• The condition for proper dialogue is change of attitude from mutual distrust to mutual trust.¹⁸

Indeed, since Vatican II there has been a tremendous change in the attitudes of the catholic Church towards African religion. The first Pope to refer to African Religion in positive terms is Paul VI during his visit to Kampala.

• The second attitude is that of openness and profound humility. Paul Knitter sees this openness at three levels:¹⁹

• A the theological: while Christians can and must continue to announce Jesus of Nazareth as one in whom the reality and saving power of God is incarnate and available, they will be also open to the possibility/ probability that there are others whom Christians can recognise as sons and daughters of God.

• At the personal level: It requires Christians to be fully committed to Christ but at the same time genuinely open to others who may be carrying out similar and equally important roles.

• At the ecclesial level: It means that the churches will go forth into the whole world with a message that is universally relevant and urgent, but at the same time will be ready to hear other messages from very different sources that may also be universally meaningful and important.

In the same line David Bosch talks about “bold humility or humble boldness.”²⁰

The third attitude is that of respect:

The adherents of African traditional religion should therefore be treated with great respect and esteem, and all inaccurate and disrespectful language should be avoided. For this purpose, suitable courses in African traditional religion should be given in houses of formation for priests and religious. (EAf)

Actually, the big challenge we have today is to respect the African Religion in the same way we respect our Musilm brothers. When we meet with them we do not talk about converting them to Christianity. All the principles of interreligious dialogue should be applied in the same way to African religion.

Conclusion:

I do not know if I have met your expectations. The language of dialogue is not an easy language because it challenges our attitudes and calls us to think “outside the box.” For evangelisation to take root in Africa we have to take seriously, more than before, the African cultures and religion. In this way Africans will become true Africans and true Christians. It is only through dialogue that we can achieve this. But “how do we maintain the tension between being both missionary and dialogical? How do we combine faith in God as revealed uniquely in Jesus Christ with the confession that God has not left himself without a witness?”²¹ At the end of this presentation, we can only agree with David Bosch, that the language of dialogue is a new language and we do not have all the answers.

“Such language boils down to an admission that we do not have all the answers and are prepared to live within the framework of penultimate knowledge, that we regard our involvement in dialogue and mission as an adventure, are prepared to take risks, and are anticipating surprises as the Holy Spirit guides us into fuller understanding. This is not an option for agnosticism, but for humility. It is however a bold humility – or a humble humility. We know only in part, but we do know. And we believe that the faith we profess is both true and just, and should be proclaimed. And we believe that the faith we profess is true and just and should be proclaimed. We do this, however, not as judges or lawyers, but as witnesses; not as soldiers, but as envoys of peace, not as high-pressure sales-persons, but as servants of the Lord.²²