ABSU to Inaugurate Kalu Centre
The Ogbu Uke Kalu Centre for Christianity and African Culture will be inaugurated at the Abia State University on June 20, 2019.
A statement made available by a member of the planning committee, Edward Kalu, said late Ogbu Kalu was a Nigerian preeminent scholar of Christianity.
The inauguration will also be marked by an international conference with speakers from different parts of the world.
According to Kalu, the keynote will be delivered by a distinguished scholar of Humanities from the University of Texas, United State, Professor Toyin Falola. Other notable speakers are Professor Afe Adogame of Princeton Theological Seminary and Professor Chima Korieh of Marquette University, Wisconsin, USA.
Speakers will address various themes such as the intersection of popular and traditional culture; African problems with traditional modernisation methods; linguistic identities and culture in Africa; Cosmopolitanism, hybridity and African pluriversalism; globalisation, Afropolitanism and African religious futures.
“In his keynote address, Professor Falola will tie all the themes together as they relate to the works of late Professor Kalu, while also explaining what the Centre stands for as well as its future goals and contributions to Nigeria. Falola will also show how Kalu created many ideas of his own that involved the ‘ unsung heroes’ from five perspectives which are his account of the African agency, which makes his work so revolutionary and significant,” the statement explained.
Kalu explained further that the late Professor Kalu was one of the world seminal scholars, focusing mostly on African Christianity, Global Missions and Global Pentecostalism.
He argued that historically, African Christianity grew out of African cosmology and primal religion.
The Centre would not only to preserve his legacy but to continue with his work on the relationship between Christianity and Africa.
The Centre will focus on inter-religious dialogue and assist Nigeria to avoid religious violence.
A book by Kalu, ‘ The Divided People of God’, will be re-launched and distributed for free at the conference.
The new Centre will build on Professor Kalu’s approach, while also extending the value of his work to current and future generations who are interested in the study of Christianity.