…“Newman: Universal Revelation and the Challenges of Inculturation in an African Church”
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and a senior advocate of Nigeria ,SAN, Imo State Hon Attorney-General Emeritus, Sir Chukwuma- Machukwu Ume have commended a book “Newman: Universal Revelation and the Challenges of
Inculturation in an African Church” written by Rev. Fr Emeka Chiekezie Ngwoke PhD at 60 for his African Christians spiritual liberation.
Governor Mbah in a letter to the author during the public presentation last Saturday conveyed his family, the government and good People of Enugu state’s joyful felicitation to the celebrant.
He described Rev Fr. Ngwoke 60th birthday celebrations and the launch of his top-notch book titled: ” Newman: Universal Revelation and the Challenge of Inculturation In An African Church” as a watershed.dual events.
” I am happy to join you in thanking God for His mercies,grace , blessings and favour upon you these sixty solid years, ” he told the celebrant.
Governor Mbah noted that at 60 Rev Fr Ngwoke has etched his name in gold , established a legacy as academician , author and passionate shepherd in God’s vineyard inspiring countless people.
He said the book came at a time it’s utilisation and comprehension will be most appreciated given the dynamic of the Universal Church.. He commended Rev Fr. Ngwoke intellectual prowess and mental energy employed in gifting the Universal Church treasured book.
The chairman of the Occasion Sir Chukwuma- Machukwu Ume SAN, Imo State Hon Attorney-General Emeritus,described the book “Newman: Universal Revelation and the Challenges of Inculturation in an African Church” as spiritual liberation for African Christians..
He said the book written by Rev. Fr Emeka Chiekezie Ngwoke PhD a lecturer at University of Nigeria Nsuka that marked the Rev. Fr. 60th birthday carries a deep message for our world today. and “It is about spiritual liberation; freeing the African Christians from the quiet feeling of inferiority that the colonial mindset left behind.”
Sir Ume SAN stated this at Ogui Enugu state where he chaired the birthday event and the Public Presentation of the book that marked Rev.Fr. Ngwoke 60th birthday celebrations.
He said “this book does not merely add to the growing body of theological
literature; it dares to engage one of the most critical questions confronting
Christianity in Africa today — how the universal message of Christ finds
genuine expression within the African experience.”
While thanking Rev Fr his invite , Ume observed that when Christianity first came to Africa, it often arrived clothed in
European garments — expressed through Western cultural lenses,
languages, music, and philosophy.
The Gospel message, which is in itself
universal and timeless, was sometimes accompanied by European worldviews that unconsciously presented faith and their culture as inseparable twins. Thus, for many early African Christians, to embrace Christianity was almost synonymous with abandoning their identity, their names, their symbols, and even their rhythms of worship.
But as this book insightfully explores, the revelation of God is not confined to a single culture or civilization. Revelation is universal — it speaks to the heart of every people, in every age, and within every cultural setting. The challenge, therefore, is not whether God reveals
Himself to Africa, but how Africa — in her languages, traditions, symbols, and worldview — responds authentically to that revelation.
Ume SAN said “thus, upon reading the Book, I discovered it wasn’t written only for theologians; it was written for every African Christian who has ever asked,
“Can God speak in my language?”
And Fr. Ngwoke answers that question beautifully with confidence “
He noted that the event unites Celebration and Contemplation.
Celebration because we rejoice with a Priest whose sixty years (60)
radiate service, humility, and brilliance; and Contemplation, because we
are also presenting a work that dares to make us think anew about how
God reveals Himself to humanity — not only through Scripture, but
through culture, conscience, and creation itself.
,”We all will discover that what is being presented today is not a mere
academic exercise; it is a wake-up call to the African minds, as it educates
us that God did not begin speaking when the missionaries landed on our
shores — He had been expressive here long before, through the wisdom
of our ancestors, our moral codes, and our reverence for life.”
“Rev. Fr. Ngwoke, your Book is a ladder to cultural reconciliation; teaching us that faith does not erase our roots but purifies and elevates them, he stated.and added ” This book, therefore, “is not simply about theology; it is about identity, dignity, and moral revival. It gives our faith African legs to stand on and African wings to fly with.”
The Chairman pleaded with the guests to permit him to take a brief historical detour; stating that between the 5th and 15th Centuries, Europe endured what historians called the Dark Ages; a time
when thought was stifled and the Church’s spirit of inquiry dimmed.
He said but by the 14th century, the spirit of Renaissance dawned a rebirth of
art, reason, and faith when Europe rediscovered that God could also be
found in human creativity, not just in Latin texts.
In a similar way, African Christianity has passed through its own “Dark
Age” when foreign forms overshadowed native wisdom. But with works
like this, a new African Renaissance has begun; a rebirth of faith that
speaks with our own accent, prays with our own rhythm, and thinks with
our own minds.
Enculturation, in the context of this book, is not a threat to the purity of
the Gospel; rather, it is the necessary process by which faith takes root in
new soil. Just as European Christianity found expression through Greco
Roman philosophy, art, and music, so must African Christianity find life
through African thought, music, dance, and community values. The aim
is not to “Africanize” Christianity, but to allow Christianity to become
truly at home in Africa.
‘This is what makes this book both scholarly and prophetic — it calls us
to move beyond imitation toward integration; beyond dependency toward
discovery; beyond the borrowed voice toward an authentic African
articulation of the same eternal truth.
Europe had to wait a thousand years for its Renaissance — I’m glad Rev.
Fr. Ngwoke didn’t keep us waiting that long!”
Ume SAN therefore invite all of us to engage this book with open minds and reflective hearts. For according to him, As Exodus 25:8 instructs us:
“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them”
He said “Rev. Fr. Ngwoke has shown that such a sanctuary can stand proudly on
African soil shaped by African thought frames. Certainly, this Book will inspire us to think deeply, live authentically,
and serve God joyfully — in our own African way.”
He profoundly congratulated the celebrant, Father! At sixty, adding that Ngwoke “have gifted the Church not only your years but your mind; not only your priesthood but your prophetic voice.”