Black theologians

[mindlight]

I wanted to raise some questions about the ethnic origin of some of the major theologians of the early church. I hope this is the right forum for that.

My understanding is that Athanasius was black and possibly also Augustine. Many of those in the school of Alexandria in the early church were also black. Given the considerable growth of the modern African church and the contempt with which many Africans are often treated by more intellectual Westerners I was wondering why these sorts of seminal facts were often neglected. For example in the homosexual debate or that about women priests where Africans often hold very conservative views many liberals in the Western church will dismiss their views as somehow being primative. I wonder to what extent people realise the extent to which Black men helped to crystallise the early churches thinking and now form one of the strongest and most passionate voices within it also.

1. Is this all a throw back to the days of European imperialism - a time when we conveniently forgot the contribution of other continents to our faith.
2. Or is it about more modern theories like that of evolution and a reading of the African culture as being somehow retarded on the global development scale. This more worldly perspective is then read into our theological perspectives.
3. Given Africas history in the church in Ethiopia, Alexandria and elsewhere and given its massive growth in the modern era what should be the attititude of Christians in the Western world towards African brothers and sisters in the Lord.

 

[bkennedy]

You are right to say that Sts. Augustine and Athanasius were African, but they were probably not black just like many North Africans today.

As a guess to your question about why African bishops who speak out today who proclaim authentic Christianity are dismissed it’s probably the same reason why westerners who do the same thing are dismissed. It’s the beliefs themselves that are dismissed not necessarily the person holding and teaching them.

Africa has not been as immersed in the materialist secular society as Europe and North America. Thankfully there are many wonderful African priests working as missionaries here in the U.S. and Europe. We need them!

 

[MarianD]

1. I think it is. The imperialists conveniently “forgot” the contribution of Africans to their society. They retaught history and the people of today are simply ignorant of the facts.
2. Evolution doesn’t claim any race to be inferior or superior. But, using adaptations and genetics, then the black race would be seen as superior simply because blacks can live anywhere without having to worry about the sun and because black genes are dominant when mixed with genes of other races.
3. The same as the attitude should be to all our Christian brothers and sisters, and to everyone in the world—an attitude of unconditional love.

I as a black Catholic would love to see more black Saints, a black Pope, etc. just for my own reasons. But in the end, race doesn’t matter. The “Catholic Church” means the “Universal Assembly”, and God loves us all regardless of such trivial things as race.

However, I highly doubt St. Athanasius and St. Augustine to have been black. They both were from Northern Africa. While, in ancient times, Northern Africa was black, I think by the time of the Roman Empire, Northern Africa was racially similar to how it is today.

 

[mindlight]

You are right to say that Sts. Augustine and Athanasius were African, but they were probably not black just like many North Africans today.

As a guess to your question about why African bishops who speak out today who proclaim authentic Christianity are dismissed it’s probably the same reason why westerners who do the same thing are dismissed. It’s the beliefs themselves that are dismissed not necessarily the person holding and teaching them.

Africa has not been as immersed in the materialist secular society as Europe and North America. Thankfully there are many wonderful African priests working as missionaries here in the U.S. and Europe. We need them!

Thanks for posting this and I agree that it is authentic Christianity itself which is being challenged in the West when African bishops who speak the truth are treated with contempt.

There is of course much wrong with Africa and much of the faith pronouncements have proven to be no more than words in places like Rwanda and Burundi even within living memory but the words to me are the promise of things to come.

Athanasius was from the lower coptic classes from a village by the Nile. He had a dark complexion and was nicknamed the Black dwarf. He sounds like an African heavy weight to me.

Augustine was a berber it seems and native to North Africa albeit more culturally Roman through his father. His mother St Monica sounds Berber. I suppose part of this discussion is what qualifies as an African , but bear in mind this was long before the Arab invasions albeit not the Phonecian incursions or Roman ones.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=173790

In practice places like Alexandria had a mix of nationalities from Jews, Greeks and local Egyptians and that mix gave a certain dynamism to the intellectual climate there. But there was a substantial African (name removed by moderator)ut which I think many Western theologians have tended to overlook.

 

[mindlight]

1. I think it is. The imperialists conveniently “forgot” the contribution of Africans to their society. They retaught history and the people of today are simply ignorant of the facts.

When Europeans were still living in mud or wood huts as relative barbarians Africans were debating the most serious theological issues of the age e.g. the Arian controversy

1. Evolution doesn’t claim any race to be inferior or superior. But, using adaptations and genetics, then the black race would be seen as superior simply because blacks can live anywhere without having to worry about the sun and because black genes are dominant when mixed with genes of other races.

The Nazi view of the implications of evolution was quite different. Not sure I would go as far as to say Black people were superior. Being a creationist I think we all spring from the same relatively recent gene pool,

1. The same as the attitude should be to all our Christian brothers and sisters, and to everyone in the world—an attitude of unconditional love.

I as a black Catholic would love to see more black Saints, a black Pope, etc. just for my own reasons. But in the end, race doesn’t matter. The “Catholic Church” means the “Universal Assembly”, and God loves us all regardless of such trivial things as race.

However, I highly doubt St. Athanasius and St. Augustine to have been black. They both were from Northern Africa. While, in ancient times, Northern Africa was black, I think by the time of the Roman Empire, Northern Africa was racially similar to how it is today.

Well of course we are made in the image of God and all equal recipients of Gods gift of salvation through Christ with an eschatological potential which is regardless of race (maybe that’s different for some Jews). I suppose being African is a much more multiracial thing than just being black and maybe I should have phrased this OP as African rather than Black. But I wonder why the church is dragging its feet on recognising the contribution of the African church whether in the persecuted churches of the North or the well populated churches of the South. Also the pictures in the media of the African churches are often of intellectually shallow and happy clappy affairs when in practice many of the African Christians I know have PhDs, speak multiple languages , hold meaningful employment etc. and seem very different from the images painted about them in practice.

 

[Aboveallbereal]

You are right to say that Sts. Augustine and Athanasius were African, but they were probably not black just like many North Africans today.

As a guess to your question about why African bishops who speak out today who proclaim authentic Christianity are dismissed it’s probably the same reason why westerners who do the same thing are dismissed. It’s the beliefs themselves that are dismissed not necessarily the person holding and teaching them.

Africa has not been as immersed in the materialist secular society as Europe and North America. Thankfully there are many wonderful African priests working as missionaries here in the U.S. and Europe. We need them!

I think you hit the nail on the head. I don’t think it is race that is the issue butrather Christianity. The black bishops etc who attract rancour are not being targetted by a white culture attacking blacks but rather by a humanist culture attacking Christians.

Western Europe is in effect missionary territory. - EG fewer than 25% of Britiah children are baptised into the Church or any other ecclesial community - and who knows how far that figure is still to fall. There is in effect a kulturkamph.

 

[OrdinaryMelkite]

The OP forgot to include Moses The Black, who started out as a Cutthroat Gang Leader and ended up as a Hieromonk and advocate of Absolute Christian Non-Violence, so much so that he refused to defend himself when Berbers attacked his monastery in 405, leading to his death (at Age 75) and that of seven other monks who had stayed behind with him (the rest had fled into the desert).
Moses The Ethiopian led an exemplary, holy life and is one of my heroes (though I am not a pacifist). He is particularly revered in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Long may his memory endure.

 

[mindlight]

The OP forgot to include Moses The Black, who started out as a Cutthroat Gang Leader and ended up as a Hieromonk and advocate of Absolute Christian Non-Violence, so much so that he refused to defend himself when Berbers attacked his monastery in 405, leading to his death (at Age 75) and that of seven other monks who had stayed behind with him (the rest had fled into the desert).
Moses The Ethiopian led an exemplary, holy life and is one of my heroes (though I am not a pacifist). He is particularly revered in the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Long may his memory endure.

Thats the first credible example I have heard of a black man who made a lasting difference in the church. I believe all races have the potential to greatness and all persons can witness to God in an excellent way but I have struggled to find practical examples from black Africa of credible theologians, and significant contributions to the global body of the church. It has seemed altoften that Black Christinianty has been immersed in its own communal immanence and tribal politics and has lacked that transcendent and prophetic impact that characterised those whom the church canonises as saints.

 

[DavidFilmer]

I as a black Catholic would love to see more black Saints, a black Pope, etc. just for my own reasons.

As a white Catholic, I prayed for the election of Francis Cardinal Arinze (a rather dark-skinned black Bishop from Nigeria) to the Papacy in the 2005 Conclave.

Alas, the Holy Spirit had other plans. Arinze is only five years younger than Ratzinger, so it seems somewhat improbable that Arinze would have another opportunity to be considered for the position. But if (God forbid) some untimely demise should befall Benedict XVI, I will once again pray for Arinze’s succession.

 

[clmowry]

There was a thread not so long about on the subject of “black” Saints [there were many hundred listed.

This site had much information in this area if I recall correctly.

http://www.nbccongress.org/default.asp

nbccongress.org/black-catholics/african-popes.asp

Chuck

1. I think it is. The imperialists conveniently “forgot” the contribution of Africans to their society. They retaught history and the people of today are simply ignorant of the facts.
2. Evolution doesn’t claim any race to be inferior or superior. But, using adaptations and genetics, then the black race would be seen as superior simply because blacks can live anywhere without having to worry about the sun and because black genes are dominant when mixed with genes of other races.
3. The same as the attitude should be to all our Christian brothers and sisters, and to everyone in the world—an attitude of unconditional love.

I as a black Catholic would love to see more black Saints, a black Pope, etc. just for my own reasons. But in the end, race doesn’t matter. The “Catholic Church” means the “Universal Assembly”, and God loves us all regardless of such trivial things as race.

However, I highly doubt St. Athanasius and St. Augustine to have been black. They both were from Northern Africa. While, in ancient times, Northern Africa was black, I think by the time of the Roman Empire, Northern Africa was racially similar to how it is today.

 

[Curious_Hobbit]

Has anyone heard of Father Augustine Tolton? He was the first black priest in the U.S. and he was a former slave. I don’t think he was a theologian, but his story is incredible!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_Tolton

 

[Neithan]

weren’t Adam and Eve black?

 

[clmowry]

weren’t Adam and Eve black?

I’m betting they looked a lot like some of the folks we see in South America.

We’ve got folks down there that seem to be a result of a world wide melting pot. i.e. African, Asian, European blood lines all intersecting in one person.

Light to Dark tan skinned with eye colors from blue to black and hair from blond to black. i.e. They looked like all of us.

At least that’s my guess.

Chuck