Introduction

This chapter describes the problem that informs the recasting of the African tradition of community using the new Trinitarian hermeneutics of God. The inspiration is the absence of any critical engagement with and reconstruction of the African tradition of community in African Christian theology. Analyzing the African tradition of community and its connection with the Trinitarian communion, the chapter argues that the two realities are characterized by relationships, interdependence, and openness to the other. The thesis of the book is that the communion of the Triune God is a liberating gift rather than a moral, ideal model. The chapter also describes the history of Nigeria, which has been shaped by colonialism, civil war, and military dictatorship.