Churches in the Family of God: A Proposal for Catholic Input Towards Christian Unity In Africa

The present study is a theological search for such an appropriate ecumenical paradigm or framework that can help churches especially in Africa to be meaningfully engaged in the ecumenical movement.
It commences with an exposé of the local background, the basic features,
expressions and typologies of the various churches and ecclesial bodies that exist in Africa. Factors that influenced, and still influence, the disunity among the churches and ecclesial communities in Africa were identified. Likewise,
local foundations that can sustain a common framework for promoting the churchesâ unity were spotted out. Useful principles and praxes were found in the Catholic Christian heritage, and after determining their suitability in the local African context, the research makes a proposal for a model of ecumenism that is based on the understanding of the church, and of its unity,
as a family of God.