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The Theological Awakening of Africa
Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Tomorrow’s Questions
What does African theology look like in the 21st century, and where is it heading?
These are the bold questions that brought together scholars, priests, religious, and doctoral researchers from across Africa and its diasporas in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from May 19–21, 2026.
The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue participated in the 9th International Colloquium organized by the Centre for the Study of African Religions (CERA) at the Catholic University of Congo (UCC), under the patronage of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), marking the 60th anniversary of CERA’s founding.
Fr. Paulin Batairwa Kubuya, S.X., Under-Secretary of the Dicastery, delivered a keynote address on the “living conversations between Christians and followers of African Traditional Religions, mapping the content, stakes, and horizons of interreligious dialogue across the continent today”.
Fr. Bonaventura Benjamin Mwenda, M.Afr., Official of the Dicastery, conveyed the opening message of the Apostolic Nuncio to the DRC. Discussions ranged widely and boldly: the foundations of African theology, ecological justice, religious pluralism, the rise of the African Pentecostalism and trans-denominationalism, the theologian’s freedom in the face of competing epistemologies, and the provocative question that lingered over the entire colloquium, “What will African theology be called tomorrow?”
More than an academic gathering, this colloquium was a powerful call to action: to revitalize CERA as a landmark research hub, to deepen collaboration between scholars, local Churches, and academic institutions, and to inspire the new generation of African theologians to carry this living African tradition boldly into the future.
