Quest for Justice: An Autobiography of Bishop Henry Okullu

Okullu, Henry. Quest for Justice: An Autobiography of Bishop Henry Okullu. Kisumu, Kenya: Shalom Publishers, 1997. 188 pp.

There is no doubt that Henry Okullu made an impact on the Kenyan church and its relationship to human rights. Dubbed "the outspoken prelate" by the press in Kenya, Okullu was an advocate for justice throughout his entire career life. As a young Chaplain at a sugar plantation in Uganda, he identified himself with the plight of the ill-treated African labourers during the colonial era, earning himself the title of a revolutionary.

Okullu went on to become editor of denominational newspapers in Uganda and Kenya, his home. Through the power of media, he denoted his energies on his life passion: the positive role of the indigenous church in the emerging nations of Africa.

He was eventually appointed Bishop of Maseno South Diocese in 1974 and for twenty years he relentlessly pursued his call as a prophetic voice espousing freedom in Jesus Christ and how it relates to good governance. He tells his story in this engaging autobiography of thirteen chapters and appendices based on selected sermons.

In chapters one to four, Okullu narrates the controversy surrounding his date of birth and how finally September 1, 1929 was established as his date of birth; the simple traditional life (based on fishing) that his family lived; his school education; the call to priesthood. Chapters five to seven contain the narratives of his priestly and journalistic duties in Uganda; how he perceived the challenges of the new Uganda emerging from the ashes of British colonialism; how his views differed with those in power and the reasons why he opted to return to Kenya despite the fact that he had been offered Ugandan citizenship.

The rest of the chapters are about how he became and served as: Provost of All Saints' Cathedral in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya; how he became and served as Bishop of Maseno South Diocese in his native Nyanza Province; how he was maneuvered out of the race to become Arch Bishop of Kenya by the political establishment; and his prophetic ministry which indulged him in prayer for a peaceful transformation of the Kenyan society so that justice and democracy could thrive.

The central thesis of the book is that whereas churches must be concerned with Christian witness as it relates to personal salvation, they also have an historical mission, which is to assist in the definition, validation and articulation of just political, economic and social objectives. Okullu, however, adds that there is a certain ideological confusion within the churches themselves. According to him, some of this may result from an interpretation of Christian purpose which is beyond the reach of national argument. He observes that there is a small minority among the people of God who repudiate absolutely the notion of temporal concern or involvement. These, accordingly to Okullu, must be left to their own devices, silence and idiosyncratic mysteries. On the other hand, however, Okullu observes that there remains within the ambit of rational dialogue, another area of confusion which is perhaps best typified by that concept in the evolution of Christian doctrine which was developed by St. Thomas Aquinas and which deals with the separation of Church and State. Aquinas spoke of "the twin swords" and, while defining with rare eloquence a distinction that is valid for all ages, he sowed a seed of confusion in the minds of uncritical generations that were to follow.

According to Okullu, there were many practical reasons why the separation of Church and State was both valid and necessary in Acquinas' time and view. On the one hand, there is the corruption which temporal power has sometimes worked upon men of God who are, after all, no less prone to error than others.

On the other hand, that doctrine of separation, while valid in its genesis and relevant to this day, has been deployed in aid of inactivity by the morally lazy and deficient.

However, while clearly distinguishing the roles of Church and State, Okullu suggests that the doctrine of separation is not an invitation to temporal inactivity, but more logical and morally compelling to understand the doctrine as involving summons to the state to pay heed to the moral injunctions of the church. The doctrine invites the church to take note of those imperfections in the human condition which are the result of failures of the body politic to provide the objective conditions of social justice for all its members. Okullu shares the views of those modern theologians like Gutierrez, who see both Church and State as commended by the common, to which both are subject, to support each other as "the body" and "the soul" in the process of human liberation.

According to Okullu, therefore, churches should speak out against injustice wherever it is to be found. The churches must be prepared to take their stand against fascism, racism, oppression, undue materialism in human affairs, elitism, imperialism and neocolonialism. Okullu maintains that the church must stand against all those forces, national and international, historical and contemporary, which militate against humanity's needs for self expression and freedom with responsibility in the context of equality, security and social justice.