Rorate Caeli

German Theology and Africa

Cardinal Kasper’s dissmisive remarks on Africa have rightly been deplored, but German theology’s attempts to help Africa are probably much more damaging. The German Church is able to use its tremendous wealth to sponsor theology students from the developing world. African priests and religious  flock to Germany’s many state-funded theological faculties, and are there immersed in a sophisticated neo-modernism, very difficult to resist. They soon shed their roman collars in favor of the ties worn by their professors, and write doctoral dissertations on "inculturating" the latest theological fads into Africa.