Defense Date

11-14-2025

Graduation Date

Fall 12-19-2025

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Theology

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Radu Bordeianu

Committee Member

William Wright

Committee Member

Elochukwu Uzukwu

Keywords

African Ecclesiology, African Theology, African Catechist, Pope Francis, Ecclesial Ministry, AMECEA

Abstract

The ministry of the catechist has historically been an enduring and transformative ministry in the life of the Church in Africa, particularly in the AMECEA region. Within the AMECEA region (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa), catechists have ministered not merely as transmitters of the faith but as the “unsung heroes and heroines” and vital agents of evangelization, pastoral care, and community leadership serving as the local face of the Church. This dissertation, relying on the insights from African ecclesiologies, proposes a renewed theological and pastoral understanding of the catechist as an ancient and future model of ecclesial ministry. Through a historical-theological continuum, it examines both the understanding of African ecclesiologies and the evolution of the role of the catechist from the early Church through the missionary movements to the present post-conciliar period. It also explores how the catechist ministry looks to the future, embodying the ecclesiology of communion and synodality espoused by the Second Vatican Council and Pope Francis. Using an interdisciplinary approach – historical, systematic, and pastoral – it situates the ecclesial renewal within the AMECEA region, where the ministry of the catechist has sustained the church in the past and will revitalize the church’s ecclesial vitality in a new way. The dissertation, therefore, proposes an integrated model of the ministry of the catechist that combines African ecclesial wisdom with global Catholic renewal, thereby positioning the catechist as a paradigmatic figure for the future of the church in the region. This dissertation hopes to contribute to African ecclesiology while also advancing the ongoing synodal journey within the church. It offers proposals to reinvigorate the ministry of the catechist, positioning it as a prophetic embodiment of the church’s mission, called to be missionary, participatory, and deeply rooted in local contexts and cultural realities.

Language

English

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