Researcher of the Month: Dr. Fidelis Olokunboro

Introducing the AASR Researcher of the Month: Fidelis Olokunboro

Fidelis Olokunboro hails from Nigeria, where he completed his priestly formation and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Ibadan. His academic journey continued with a second Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Urban Pontifical University in Rome. Pursuing his passion for religious studies further, he moved to the United States for a Master’s degree in Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University, New York. Driven by a quest for deeper understanding, he completed his doctoral studies in theology at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.

Currently, Fidelis serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University, Pennsylvania. His research interests converge at the intersection of Global Religion and Christianity, focusing notably on African religions, Western Catholicism, and philosophical theology. His scholarly pursuits extend to exploring Christian existentialism within African and Western intellectual traditions, as well as delving into Moral Theology with a particular emphasis on social ethics and political theology in Africa. Below is our interview with Dr. Olokunboro

Tell us a little bit more about your recently published work.
I have published several articles and a book chapter, with another book chapter forthcoming this year. Two of my most recent articles are especially relevant to the African context.

In “Beyond Marxist Framework: Understanding and Recovering the Method, the Theology of Daily Life in Jean-Marc Ela’s African (Black) Theology,” published in the Journal of Religion and Theology, I examine a distinctive African contribution to global Christianity. The article explores the theology and methodology of Jean-Marc Ela, emphasizing the originality of his “shade tree theology.” I assess some of Ela’s more radical positions, distancing his thought from Marxist extremism, and reframe his ideas as a model of African theology that centers the voices, wisdom, and lived realities of marginalized communities.

In “The Crucified People: The Divinized African State and the De-Divinized African People,” published in the International Journal of Public Theology, I argue for the centrality of economic and anthropological categories in African political theology. The article investigates the divinization of the African state as a root cause of systemic poverty, interpreting poverty as a form of de-subjectivation of the African people. I propose a theo-anthropological framework as a model for theo-political public reflection in Africa—one that seeks to de-divinize the state while rehumanizing and re-subjectifying the African person.

In what ways do you think your research addresses pressing societal challenges?
My research is interested in framework thinking. It helps to put into perspective and also lay out the grounds and the ideological/intellectual history of African poverty and socio-political issues. I do this by investigating and highlighting the metaphysical and theological grounds of these issues. My conviction is that socio-political issues are not merely social or material, without theological or metaphysical grounds. As such, it is imperative to discover their theological grounds in order to deconstruct them, which helps to address societal issues diagnostically rather than symptomatically.

How do you see your career/research develop and evolve in the near future?
In addition to my research and planned book publication on African political theology, I intend to, at some point, bring the attention of global Christianity to the wealth and insights of African mysticism found in African arts and poetry. I view mysticism as the ultimate culmination of religious practices, particularly in Christianity. Considering that African religions, in their arts and poetry, have invested a great deal in mystic experiences, I am convinced that there are patterns and methods in those African religious arts and poetry that African Christianity can adapt, domesticate, and Christianize for the spiritual growth of Africans and the world beyond Africa. I have an upcoming book chapter on this issue.

What inspired you to join the AASR, and what do you hope to gain from the association?

I just joined AASR. Nonetheless, I am sure its platform will provide me with a great networking opportunity with other African scholars. I am also confident that it will provide an opportunity to contribute to the development of Africa and the diasporic Africans.

From your wealth of experience, what advice would you give to your younger self?
I would encourage my younger self to start early in networking with scholars, participating and presenting at conferences. Additionally, to establish a publishing schedule and footprints as early as graduate school years.

Tell us the challenge(s) you encountered in your career and how you surmounted them. What lessons did you learn?
As an early-career African scholar, the greatest challenge was not learning the publication process early on. I surmounted it by learning from my mistakes and consulting with experienced scholars.