Catholicity and Wholeness Beyond the Church

Join us Thursday, February 27, at 7 p.m. ET for a Center for Christogenesis webinar with Society of African Missions member and Ph.D. candidate Augustin Kassa.

What happens when we finally recognize and consider the cosmos as the real, the true, the absolute catholic? The cosmos can be understood as the true manifestation of catholicity (derived from the Greek katholikos, meaning universal or all-embracing), representing fundamental unity and completeness beyond religious institutions. As the totality of existence, it embodies genuine wholeness while existing in a dynamic paradox of being complete yet incomplete due to ongoing cosmic evolution.

This cosmic catholicity is maintained through an intricate web of spatiotemporal relationships encompassing past, present, and future states of being. The understanding of this universal wholeness can be approached through three distinct but complementary epistemological frameworks: culturalicity (represented by philosophies like Ubuntu and various ancient religious traditions, including Christianity), scienticity (exemplified by Big Bang cosmology), and technicity (instrumental-practical approaches).

Rather than establishing hierarchical superiority, we will discuss how these paradigms offer unique insights into cosmic unity, each illuminating different aspects of the universal whole while maintaining their epistemological integrity. Together, they form a comprehensive approach to understanding cosmic wholeness, with their value lying in their ability to facilitate deeper engagement with existence through their respective methodological lenses.

About Augustin Kassa

Augustin Kassa, SMA, is a member of the Society of African Missions and a Ph.D. candidate at Villanova University. What began as scattered seeds of curiosity across various fields of study has recently blossomed into a singular quest, the search for wholeness. Over the past few years, he has discovered a theological perspective that celebrates connection rather than demanding traditional theology division. Today, his research interests stand at an exciting crossroads. His work focuses on weaving together three seemingly disparate threads to foster a greater sense of togetherness. While he aims to unite cultural wisdom (primarily African Ubuntu), religious insights, and scientific understandings of togetherness, he always respect and validate each tradition’s effort to locate and experience connectedness. 

The recording will be available to all registrants within two weeks of the event.