The inculturation of the faith and the incarnation of the Church in the cultures of the peoples constitute fundamental challenges for evangelization in Latin America and the Caribbean. With this in mind, the Biblical-Theological-Pastoral Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEBITEPAL) is organizing the course “Inculturation of the Faith and Incarnation of the Church: Toward an Amazonian Rite”, a formation program that seeks to delve deeper into the theological and pastoral foundations of a Church that recognizes cultural diversity as part of its identity and mission.
The course will be led by Latin American theologian Agenor Brighenti, recognized for his contributions to ecclesiology, pastoral reflection, and the reception of the Second Vatican Council in Latin America. As an advisor to CEAMA, his work contributes to reflection on paths of ecclesial renewal and the challenges of inculturated evangelization, especially in the Amazonian context.
From the Encounter Between the Gospel and Cultures to a Church with Its Own Face
This educational initiative stems from the recognition that all evangelizing action involves an encounter between the Gospel and cultures. Consequently, the Church’s mission is called to move beyond uniform models of evangelization and to promote processes that allow peoples to express and live their faith based on their own identities, languages, traditions, and ways of understanding life.
Through this course, participants will be able to delve deeper into the theological foundations of inculturated evangelization, the pedagogy of Jesus as the foundation of this process, and the conditions necessary for the emergence of culturally new ecclesial communities.
Likewise, the course will address the path charted by the Synod on the Amazon toward shaping a Church with an Amazonian face, as well as the development process and the foundations of the General Framework of this proposal, which seeks to respond to the diversity of peoples, cultures, and realities that make up the region.
Toward an Amazonian Rite
One of the central themes of the course will be reflection on the Amazonian Rite as an expression of a Church that seeks to become incarnate in the lives of the Amazonian peoples. This perspective invites a deeper exploration of the relationship between liturgy, culture, spirituality, and community experience, recognizing the richness of the peoples’ traditions and their contribution to ecclesial life.
The training program will address topics such as the Church’s inherent multiculturalism, the transition from a monocultural Church to a multicultural Church, the difference between evangelizing cultures and developing an inculturated evangelization, as well as the pedagogical and methodological principles that guide these processes.
In this way, the course offers tools to understand that a Church with an Amazonian face is not built apart from the peoples, but rather through dialogue, listening, communal discernment, and the recognition of their cultural and spiritual experiences.
Formation for the Pastoral Challenges of the Amazon
The course is aimed at pastoral workers, researchers, individuals involved in theological and pastoral formation, members of ecclesial communities, and anyone interested in the reality of the Amazon and the challenges of evangelization rooted in cultures.
The methodology includes synchronous online classes, lectures by the instructor, dialogue with participants, supplementary readings, and text analysis. In addition, it incorporates a synodal learning approach, centered on listening, communal discernment, and the pastoral application of the course content.
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