Between Faith and Justice: Philosophizing as an African Nun
Interview with Dr. Christiana Idika
Language of the Interview: English
Conducted by Jordan Kynes
Posted on
In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Christiana Idika — Catholic sister, philosopher, and educator — reflects on the intersections of religion, African philosophy, and social justice.
Drawing on her experience of teaching, studying, and living in Nigeria, Costa Rica, and Germany, she offers insight into how the church has historically functioned as a place of philosophy in Africa, particularly through seminaries where philosophy has long been taught, often by priests who gradually introduced elements of African philosophical thought.
For Idika, institutional inclusion is not sufficient. She calls for a more profound engagement, one in which African philosophy is not simply appended to curricula but emerges from lived experience and existential questioning. Philosophy, she argues, begins when the questioning mind encounters reality, and in this sense, African philosophy must be allowed to engage critically with Christianity, colonial histories, and the lived realities of African communities.
The interview further explores Dr. Idika’s scholarly work on recognition and justice, particularly her engagement with John Rawls and Axel Honneth. She explains how these philosophical frameworks—combined with Christian notions of mercy—inform her teaching and activism around migration, where she emphasizes the importance of individual recognition, care, and an ethic that transcends purely legalistic definitions of justice.
Reflecting on her multiple roles as a philosopher, nun, African woman, and educator, Dr. Idika speaks of a unified identity that adapts contextually while remaining grounded in respect, spiritual vocation, and intellectual engagement.
The following questions are posed in the interview:
- Is the Catholic Church a place of African philosophy?
- How is your approach to recognition and justice informing your work on migration?
- What do you see as the most important step to address the unequal power distributions in the field of philosophy?
- How do your identities of being a philosopher, a nun, a woman, and an African interconnect for you?