Religious Education in Context: Evangelization of the Igbo People and Culture

Abstract

The context, content and process, by which the Church brings the good news of Christ into all aspects of human life and endeavors, influencing its transformation from within, constitute what is known as evangelization. Evangelization is about people and their way of life, that is their culture. It is a process of religious education which seeks to transform adherents of the Christian faith, whether new or old members, into persons who are Christ-like. In this regard, this paper grapples with the question: ‘what will it take to produce the kind of Christians, today and in the future, who are Christ-like in mentality, behavior, and attitudes?’ Using case stories from the mission fields in conjunction with available literature, including various post-synodal apostolic exhortations, the paper proposes ‘integral evangelization as inculturation,’ coupled with a prophetic stance, which keeps Christ central to the entire process.

Key words: religious education, context, Igbo culture, evangelization, inculturation