PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://repository.ubn.ru.nl/handle/2066/128476 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-09-25 and may be subject to change. Mission from Conversion to Conversation Ambrose J. Bwangatto Nijmegen Institute for Mission Studies Nijmegen 2014 Occasional Papers 23 ISBN 978-90-77311-14-1 Mission from Conversion to Conversation Ambrose J. Bwangatto Nijmegen: Nijmegen Institute for Mission Studies 2014 Mission from Conversion to Conversation Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. mr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann, volgens besluit van het college van decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op woensdag 11 juni 2014 om 10.30 uur precies door Ambrose John Bwangatto geboren op 14 April 1969 te Kalisizo, Oeganda Promotor: Prof. dr. F.J.S. Wijsen Copromotor: Dr. C. Ssempala (St. Mbaaga's Major Seminary, Kampala, Oeganda) Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. dr. P.J.A. Nissen Prof. dr. M.A.C. de Haardt Prof. dr. N. Hintersteiner (Universiteit Münster) Mission from Conversion to Conversation Doctoral Thesis to obtain the degree of doctor from Radboud University Nijmegen on the authority of the Rector Magnificus prof. dr. S.C.J.J. Kortmann, according to the decision of the Council of Deans to be defended in public on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 10.30 hours by Ambrose John Bwangatto Born on April 14, 1969 in Kalisizo, Uganda Supervisor: Prof. dr. F.J.S. Wijsen Co-supervisor: Dr. C. Ssempala (St. Mbaaga's Major Seminary, Kampala, Uganda) Doctoral Thesis Committee: Prof. dr. P.J.A. Nissen Prof. dr. M.A.C. de Haardt Prof. dr. N. Hintersteiner (University of Münster) vii Foreword At the completion of this doctoral thesis I owe a special debt of gratitude, first and foremost, to God, for the gift of life. I have been able to complete my course of study devoid of any health problems or other worrying challenges. I wish to acknowledge the support of various people and institutions without whose help this project would have been difficult to complete. Firstly, I extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Marco Moerschbacher and the staff at Missio Aachen, Germany, for the finances which have supported me in this project for the times I have been in Europe. Secondly, I thank my former bishop, Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala who was progressive with my idea of doing a research doctorate in mission studies at Nijmegen. Upon his retirement he especially introduced the same idea to his successor His Grace Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga who allowed me to go on with the proposal of writing a doctoral thesis at Nijmegen. I am grateful for the trust that my bishops invested in me to let me come to Radboud University Nijmegen for theological studies! My intellectual debts go to the entire staff of the Faculty of Theology of Radboud University Nijmegen. Most especially Prof. dr. Frans Wijsen who has accompanied and supervised me from the time of the inception of this research project up to its conclusive end. I wish to appreciate his patience with me when I would sound discouraged and feel like abandoning the whole project. Also, I wish to acknowledge his presence and availability to me and the numerous meetings we have had in Kampala, Uganda, in Nairobi, Kenya, and mostly at Radboud University, Nijmegen. He was always there anytime I wanted to have a meeting with him. Also I am grateful to him for his critical reading of each and every sentence and offering helpful and constructive comments. Thank you Prof. Frans for your patience and sharp intellect which has made this project to see the light of the day. I am grateful as well to Professor Chris Hermans and students in the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at Radboud University Nijmegen whose comments in the atelier meetings helped me to understand the Rortian conversation in its non-foundational sense and how in its use, mission studies must assume a post-foundational outlook. I am grateful to Prof. Jan van der Watt of Radboud University and Sr. Barbara Quinn RSCJ of Boston College, whose questions about the meaning of conversation as contrasted to dialogue have helped me to shape the last section of chapter five. I cannot forget Prof. dr. Cornelius Ssempala whose PhD defence in Philosophy at KU Leuven on September 30, 2004 introduced me to the works of Richard Rorty. He as well inspired me to look at the concept conversation and its application in Theology. Last but not least, I am grateful to Prof. Peter Kanyandago who helped me to translate the text Les Chroniques Trimestrielles from French to English. I thank Rev. Dr. Benedict Ssettuuma with whom I worked on this project at the very beginning. I am also thankful to all the Professors and students who stimulated my intellectual viii curiosity and prompted me to pose critical questions on a number of academic discourses. I am grateful to Mr. Amede Cobussen and Mw. Dory Cobussen of Cuijk for the support in many respects which has helped me to defray a lot of financial expenses. They have provided me chauffeur services every time I was arriving or leaving the Netherlands. And it has been a joy to find them with my winter jackets at my two major points of arrival and departure either Düsseldorf airport in Germany or Schiphol, Amsterdam airport. I am thankful to your kindness and continuous presence. I am thankful to Sr. Angèle Schamp O.P and the whole Community of Dominican sisters of Neerbosch for a subsidised rental apartment at Catharinahof, Rosa de Limastraat 38 for the four years I have spent there. The quiet environment in the community, the generosity, care and love have enabled me to feel more at home and to concentrate on my studies. I am thankful to all my colleagues at the 14th floor of the Erasmus building for the support and love we have shared. I have in mind: Miep Beuving, the office manager of NIM for her constant availability, Frans Dokman, Jennifer Vos, Suhadi Cholil, Ahmet Kaya, and the entire staff of NIM and IKO institutes. Thank you very much. I continue to be indebted to my friends in the Netherlands: the Cistercian Community at Oosterbeek whose community has been a place of rest and rejuvenation after long hours and days of work. I thank the Abbess, Mother Benedict Thissen for offering a room at the community guest house for recollections and rest. I am grateful to the community of the Alliance of Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Hoorn, for their spiritual support. Finally, I am indebted to my family and friends back home in Uganda, whose love and support have been continuous all the time I have been away from home. To my Dad, sisters and brothers, I have felt loved and appreciated with your messages. But mostly, I have been always comforted by your daily prayers for me. The Rector of St. Mbaaga‘s Major Seminary Ggaba, Rev. Fr. Joseph Sserunjogi and the entire staff for allowing me leave of absence in order to work on this project. My students at St. Mbaaga‘s Major Seminary, Ggaba, I have always promised them to keep the conversation going. To them all, and particularly to the memory of my Mother Santurina Nnansamba, this work is being dedicated. ix Table of contents Introduction 1 1. Conceptual Design 1 Research Questions 2 Theoretical Framework 6 Research Objectives 14 Definition of Concepts 14 2. Technical Design 15 Research Strategy 15 Research Sources 16 Research Methods 17 Structure 17 3. Theoretical and societal relevance 18 Chapter One: 21 Richard Rorty and the concept Conversation Introduction 21 Contextualising Richard Rorty in the Philosophical Realm 21 Rorty in the History of Philosophy 23 The intellectual context of Rorty 24 The Epistemology of Kant 28 Major Philosophical Themes in Rorty‘s works 30 Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature 35 Rorty‘s Critique of Philosophy in his work Philosophy and the Mirror of 37 Nature Rorty‘s Edification, Conversation, Hermeneutics and Redescription 52 Rorty‘s Liberating Historicism versus a demonising and patronising 54 Historicism How Rorty crafts the end of philosophy strategy? 59 Conclusion 63 Chapter Two: 65 Conversation, pragmatism and discourse Introduction 65 Conversation, Pragmatism and Religion 66 The meaning of Conversation 71 Rorty‘s Conversation 73 Conversation as discourse 85 Critical discourse analysis 87 Perspectives of analysis 93 Discourse analysis as a method of analysis for mission practice in Uganda 94 Conclusion 98 x Chapter Three: 100 Mission Concepts in the past: A Discourse Analysis Introduction 100 1. Description of Missionary Documents 100 A Short History of the Vicariate of the Upper Nile, Uganda 101 Planting the Faith in Darkest Africa: The life story of Father Simeon 102 Lourdel Leaves from a White Father‘s Diary 104 Les Chroniques Trimestrielles (1879-1909) 105 2. Analysis of Missionary Documents 114 Analysis of Linguistic Practice 114 Analysis of Discursive Practice 125 Analysis of Social Practice 134 Conclusion 139 Chapter Four: 141 Mission Concepts in the present: A Discourse Analysis Introduction 141 1. Description of pastoral documents 142 A Catholic‘s Mission in the Archdiocese of Kampala 2006 142 You are the Salt of the Earth, the light of the World 144 The pastoral Strategic Plan for Kampala Archdiocese (2010 - 2014) 147 Partnership for the Gospel 155 2. Analysis of Pastoral Documents 157 Analysis of Linguistic Practice 158 Analysis of Discursive Practice 165 Analysis of Social Practice 177 Conclusion 189 Chapter Five: 191 Mission Concepts in the Future: Mission as Conversation Introduction 191 Rorty, Religion and Conversation 196 Mission as Conversation 209 Towards a mission theory of conversation beyond dialogue 222 Afterword 229 Bibliography 232 Summary 246 Curriculum Vitae 249 1 Introduction Must there be a new model of mission in the Church today? This is the question which seems to confront the Christian Church in Uganda today as it grapples with the phenomena of multiculturalism and globalisation.