Since Vatican II, the Catholic Church has indeed become global. No longer is the church exclusively centered in the North Atlantic world with the rest of the “younger churches” on the peripheries. The election of a Latin American to the See of Peter is the latest proof that Catholics in the Majority World have important insights and perspectives to share with the rest of the church.
In celebration of global Catholicism, Jane Linahan and Cyril Orji have put together a rich collection of conversations among theologians and thinkers from Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and Southeast Asia in dialogue with the US scholars concerning the living of faith in the twenty-first century. Drawing from papers presented at the 2019 conference of the College Theology Society, the editors put together the texts of plenary speakers with contributions from emerging scholars teaching in US institutions. The topics discussed offer a wide range of issues and concerns from migration, evangelization, religious, and ecclesial boundaries to social, economic, and ecological problems.
The eighteen essays are arranged in three sections with particular emphases. The first section addresses the building of justice and peace led by the Brazilian theologian Maria Clara Bingemer. She points out the present crisis of Christianity as an institutional religion and offers a way forward in fostering “solidarity and communion.” James Dechant calls our attention to the relationship between ecological degradation and forced migration and proposes a threefold renewal for the church mission—liturgical, catechetical, and sacramental. Next, John Sniegocki brings the work of the Indian eco-feminist Vandana Shiva into dialogue with Laudato Si' to address the impact of economic globalization on women, the poor, and the environment. Daniel Rober calls our attention to “cosmopolitan localism” and solidarity as a way to fight against the adverse effects of globalization. Tracey Lamont proposes a culturally sensitive approach to the theological “other” and offers our classrooms as a hospitable place for dialogue.
The Indian theologian Shalini Mulackal opens the second section by discussing the challenges in negotiating ecclesial borders and boundaries through an “inter-ritual, ecumenical and interfaith living” of Indian Catholicism. Michael Hahn explores the key features of Pope Francis’ ecclesiological vision toward fostering communion and solidarity in today's church. Revisiting Acts 17, Stewart Heatwole distinguishes between “cultural appropriation” and inculturation, arguing for the latter to be an appropriate model for future evangelization. Maureen O'Brien describes the lived experience of local catechists of West Africa as an example of crossing the ecclesial and theological borders. Bringing a Buddhist perspective to the “constitutive relationships” among Christians, native peoples, and the natural world, Paul Schutz hopes to repair Christianity's past exploitation and harm of these peoples and our world.
The third section presents different ways of looking and following “the footprints of God.” Stan Chu Illo proposes a renewal of the church from those outside the centers by taking a check-and-balance approach to ecclesial power and domination through a theology of recognition and a theology of action-transformation. Arguing against the misunderstanding of popular piety, Wilson Espiritu reminds the reader about their impacts on the church's liturgical and spiritual life. Addressing the ecological crisis, Gregory Aabaa implores us to learn from Ghanan wisdom with respect to eco-cultic practices. Linda Land-Closson challenges those who live and work in the Global North to examine our theological biases stemming from a modernist mindset and colonialist ideologies.
The last essay summarizes a panel discussion on the contribution of the Tamil theologian Selva J. Raj. Reid Locklin introduces his life and work; Annie Selak discusses his theological vocation; Susan Reynold explores his “dialogue on the ground”; and Mary Beth Yount analyzes his theory of “radical particularity” in power dynamics.
Overall, the essays give readers a snapshot of the concerns and issues of contemporary Catholics worldwide, especially the tension between what is considered the “center” and what is considered the “peripheries.” They facilitate a much-needed dialogue and expose US Catholics to the challenge of maintaining attention to global-local concerns. The majority of the contributors relate their works to the writings of Pope Francis, whose vision represents the blessings and challenges of global Catholicism today. The only drawback is that some authors have not fully developed their thoughts, thus leaving their ideas to dangle mid-air.
