Dominic Tomuseni, SJ: Rethinking Nostra Aetate’s “Silent Challenge” to African Theology
In a characteristically witty yet incisive presentation, Dr. Dominic Tomuseni, SJ, a lecturer at Hekima University College, explored the question of Nostra Aetate’s silence on African Traditional Religions, suggesting that rather than a gap, this omission represents a “silent challenge” to African theologians. Speaking at the conference organized by Hekima Center for Interfaith Studies in Africa (CISA) to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Vatican Document Nostra Aetate, Dr. Tomuseni combined self-deprecating humor with sharp theological reflection, inviting scholars to move beyond complaint and toward constructive engagement.
He began by recounting how his invitation to present came unexpectedly and humorously, framing his talk as a kind of “resurrection” after days of illness and last-minute preparation. Yet, behind the levity lay a serious inquiry, which he posed: was Nostra Aetate truly silent on Africa? His answer, not entirely. While the document does not explicitly name African Traditional Religions, Tomuseni argued that they are implicitly included in the phrase “other religions found everywhere in the world.”
He outlined several reasons for the apparent silence, situating them within the historical and theological context of Vatican II. The council, he noted, was primarily a Western event, emerging from the Church’s struggle with modernity, Enlightenment rationalism, and post-war reconstruction. Consequently, its worldview was limited to the Mediterranean and European spheres. At that time, he explained, African theology was still in its infancy, and many African bishops at the Council were missionaries who could not fully represent indigenous perspectives.
Dr. Tomuseni, a Jesuit from Zimbabwe, also linked the omission to the colonial mindset that shaped perceptions of African religiosity as “inferior” or “undeveloped.” However, he cautioned against reading this solely as an act of exclusion. Rather, he suggested, the Council opened a space that later generations of African theologians, among them renowned African Theologians such as John Mbiti, Laurenti Magesa, and Charles Nyamiti, would later occupy.
Reflecting on the trajectory of African theology since Vatican II, Dr. Tomuseni identified inculturation as its dominant theme, the effort to root Christian faith in African culture. Yet, he warned, this focus has often blurred the distinctiveness of African Traditional Religions. By collapsing religion into culture, African theologians risked losing the “otherness of the other,” which is a key element of authentic interreligious dialogue.
Drawing on René Girard’s thought, he concluded that dialogue depends not only on shared values but also on acknowledging real differences. “Our problem,” he said, “is not what we have in common, but what we differ on. If we do not take note of our differences, then we have a problem.”
For Tomuseni, the true challenge of Nostra Aetate lies not in its omissions but in its invitation to deepen interreligious engagement. African theology, he argued, must recover the balance between inculturation and dialogue, between affirming African identity and respecting the distinct voices of African Traditional Religions.
Tomuseni proposed that theological education in Africa include separate courses on African Traditional Religions before engaging in Christian interpretation, as Magesa once urged. Only then, he suggested, can African theology fully respond to the “silent challenge” left by Nostra Aetate, which is a call to genuine dialogue marked by respect, distinction, and reciprocity.
By Pamela Adinda, HUC International Office and Communications Coordinator
