Person and Human Dignity : A Dialogue with the Igbo (African) Thought and Culture

Human dignity as a shared heritage of humanity functions as an anthropological key to the understanding of the person. Historically it became the fundament for modern constitutions and rights. The author proves with an analysis of human dignity in the Nigerian Igbo (African) culture that interpretative openness creates an opening for theology.

Human dignity as a shared heritage of humanity functions as an anthropological key to the understanding of the person. Historically it became the fundament for modern constitutions and rights. Although found almost on every lip the meaning of human dignity remains inexhaustible. The difference in the understanding of human person mirrored in the various cultural and traditional human images comes from the open ended nature of the concept. In this sense human dignity remains an interpretative open concept that creates a useful gap among cultures, which theology can fill through dialogue. Originally themes like human beings and history did not belong to the classical dogmas, but were later recognised in the late middle Ages as veritable sources of theological knowledge (Loci theologici alieni). This book focuses on the problems of person and human dignity. It takes advantage of the Melchior Cano’s principles of theological knowledge to stage a dialogue with the Igbo (African) thought and culture.