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Dissent as Restlessness
Essays on Church, Society, and the Performances of Resistance
Series: - Theology and Mission in World Christianity, Volume: 45
Author:
This book examines dissent as multifaceted resistance across religious, political, and social contexts in contemporary Africa and beyond. Using Collins and Skover's framework, it defines dissent through intentionality, criticality, and publicness. Structured in eight chapters the author explores âperformances of resistanceâ emerging from Nigeriaâs #EndSARS protests, the Ahiara diocese controversy, parallels between Black Lives Matter and Liberation Theology, ecumenical resistance, youth spiritual restlessness, African Pentecostalism, Pope Francisâs synodality program, and Africaâs inadequate memorialization of victims of violent conflicts. The author argues legitimate dissent often stems from moral imperatives that challenges unjust structures while maintaining ethical means. This accessible work demonstrates how African contexts shape various resistance forms, offering valuable insights for understanding social change.
Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke is chair of Catholic Ecclesiology and Ecumenism at the UCLouvain, Belgium. He has published monographs and many articles on ecclesiology, ecumenism, political theology and African Christianity. He is co-editor of Lâentretien Synodal: Lâélan d'Ãglise retrouvé(e) (Aschendorff, 2025).
Preface
Introduction
1 The Word Made Flesh
â#EndSARS Protest and a Theology of Dissent from the Streets
â1âThe #EndSARS Narrative: a Campaign for Social Justice
â2â#EndSARS as âWord Made Fleshâ: Theology from, and on, the Streets
â3â#EndSARSâs Theology of Sórò Sókè: Transformation Begins with the Word
â4âWas the #EndSARS Protest a Provocateur to Theological Engagement?
â5âConclusion: Four Theological Statements for Social Transformation
2 Public Disagreement in the Church
âExploring Religious Dissent within the Nigerian Political Setting
â1âThe Lead Story: Ahiara 2013
â2âAssessing Religion and Dissent in Democratic Nigeria
â3âDissent in the History of Pluralistic Nigeria
â4âDissent and the Church in Nigeria
â5âTurning to the Ahiara Episcopacy Protest of 2013
â6âHow the Ahiara Protest May Have Been Influenced by Political Protests
â7âOn the Legality of Public Disagreement in the Church
â8âConclusion
3 The Legitimacy of Dissent?
âTracing the Mutual Learning Points between Democracy and Ecclesiology
â1âComparing Dissent in Democratic and Ecclesial Institutions
â2âDefying the State on the Grounds of Racial Justice: the Story of the Black Lives Matter Movement
â3âItâs about Theology and Every Other Thing: the Liberation Theology Movement Narrative
â4âIs There Any Case for Mutuality in Comparing Dissent in Institutions?
â5âConclusion: Insights on the Grounds for Mutual Learning
4 Ecumenism as a Form of Dissent
âExploring Intra-Christian Engagement in Nigeria
â1âThe Relationship between Ecumenism and Dissent
â2âThe Nigeria-Biafra War and the Dissent of Collapsed Boundaries
â3âHistoricizing the Christian Association of Nigeria as a Political Resistive Agent
â4âJuggling a Double Responsibility
â5âConclusion: from Ecumenical Resistance to Ecumenism as Dissent
5 âLike Shoots of Oliveâ
âFacing the Restlessness of the Catholic New Young
â1âTo the African Church: What of Your Young People?
â2âPope Francisâ Christus Vivit and the Praxis of Youth Ministry
â3âYouth Identity and the Crisis of Spirituality
â4âTerritories of Reform
â5âConclusion
6 Holy Ghost Fire!
âResistive Pneumatology in African Pentecostal Movements
â1âWhat Is Resistive Pneumatology?
â2âPentecostal Movements Africa: Offsprings of Dissent
â3âAmbiguous Relationship with African Spirituality
â4âTracing the Initial Roots of Dissension
â5âManifestations of Resistive Pneumatology in African Pentecostalism
â6âConclusion
7 Of Skeptics and Believers
âSynod on Synodality and the Burden of Resistance
â1âPope Francis and Synodality: the Hype and the Baseline
â2âFor the Young People, the Concern Is Spirituality
â3âOn the Ranks of Skeptics and Critics
â4âFighting on the Eve of the Synod on Synodality
â5âIdeological Polarizations, Pseudo-Propheticism and Ecclesial Critics
â6âConclusion
8 Keeping the Dead Alive
âAfrican Memorialization Project and the Resistance to Namelessness
â1âFrom Auschwitz to the Search for Memorialization Consciousness
â2âMemorialization Process, Exercised Collective Memory, and the African Philosophical Worldview
â3âEvaluating the African Union Human Rights Memorial (AUHRM)
â4âJustifying Continental Memorialization, Recalibrating Its Forms
â5âReimagining New Ways of Memorialization in Africa
â6âConclusion
Afterword
â1âAfrican Catholic Resistance and the Identity of a Theologian
â2âRegarding Dissent in the Cyberspace
â3âTheologies for Dissenters and Victims
â4âFinal Note
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
1 The Word Made Flesh
â#EndSARS Protest and a Theology of Dissent from the Streets
â1âThe #EndSARS Narrative: a Campaign for Social Justice
â2â#EndSARS as âWord Made Fleshâ: Theology from, and on, the Streets
â3â#EndSARSâs Theology of Sórò Sókè: Transformation Begins with the Word
â4âWas the #EndSARS Protest a Provocateur to Theological Engagement?
â5âConclusion: Four Theological Statements for Social Transformation
2 Public Disagreement in the Church
âExploring Religious Dissent within the Nigerian Political Setting
â1âThe Lead Story: Ahiara 2013
â2âAssessing Religion and Dissent in Democratic Nigeria
â3âDissent in the History of Pluralistic Nigeria
â4âDissent and the Church in Nigeria
â5âTurning to the Ahiara Episcopacy Protest of 2013
â6âHow the Ahiara Protest May Have Been Influenced by Political Protests
â7âOn the Legality of Public Disagreement in the Church
â8âConclusion
3 The Legitimacy of Dissent?
âTracing the Mutual Learning Points between Democracy and Ecclesiology
â1âComparing Dissent in Democratic and Ecclesial Institutions
â2âDefying the State on the Grounds of Racial Justice: the Story of the Black Lives Matter Movement
â3âItâs about Theology and Every Other Thing: the Liberation Theology Movement Narrative
â4âIs There Any Case for Mutuality in Comparing Dissent in Institutions?
â5âConclusion: Insights on the Grounds for Mutual Learning
4 Ecumenism as a Form of Dissent
âExploring Intra-Christian Engagement in Nigeria
â1âThe Relationship between Ecumenism and Dissent
â2âThe Nigeria-Biafra War and the Dissent of Collapsed Boundaries
â3âHistoricizing the Christian Association of Nigeria as a Political Resistive Agent
â4âJuggling a Double Responsibility
â5âConclusion: from Ecumenical Resistance to Ecumenism as Dissent
5 âLike Shoots of Oliveâ
âFacing the Restlessness of the Catholic New Young
â1âTo the African Church: What of Your Young People?
â2âPope Francisâ Christus Vivit and the Praxis of Youth Ministry
â3âYouth Identity and the Crisis of Spirituality
â4âTerritories of Reform
â5âConclusion
6 Holy Ghost Fire!
âResistive Pneumatology in African Pentecostal Movements
â1âWhat Is Resistive Pneumatology?
â2âPentecostal Movements Africa: Offsprings of Dissent
â3âAmbiguous Relationship with African Spirituality
â4âTracing the Initial Roots of Dissension
â5âManifestations of Resistive Pneumatology in African Pentecostalism
â6âConclusion
7 Of Skeptics and Believers
âSynod on Synodality and the Burden of Resistance
â1âPope Francis and Synodality: the Hype and the Baseline
â2âFor the Young People, the Concern Is Spirituality
â3âOn the Ranks of Skeptics and Critics
â4âFighting on the Eve of the Synod on Synodality
â5âIdeological Polarizations, Pseudo-Propheticism and Ecclesial Critics
â6âConclusion
8 Keeping the Dead Alive
âAfrican Memorialization Project and the Resistance to Namelessness
â1âFrom Auschwitz to the Search for Memorialization Consciousness
â2âMemorialization Process, Exercised Collective Memory, and the African Philosophical Worldview
â3âEvaluating the African Union Human Rights Memorial (AUHRM)
â4âJustifying Continental Memorialization, Recalibrating Its Forms
â5âReimagining New Ways of Memorialization in Africa
â6âConclusion
Afterword
â1âAfrican Catholic Resistance and the Identity of a Theologian
â2âRegarding Dissent in the Cyberspace
â3âTheologies for Dissenters and Victims
â4âFinal Note
Bibliography
Index
The primary market for this book consists of university-level readers and institutions. This would include students and researchers in the different fields of theology, religious studies, African Christianity, and pastoral ministry.