Ghislain Inaï
The Glâ: A Pathway to Salvation in African Traditional Religion investigates the theological possibility of authentic divine encounter and salvific mediation beyond explicit Christian practice, with particular attention to the Wê people of western Côte d’Ivoire and their sacred Glâ tradition. Drawing on Catholic soteriology, Vatican II’s theology of religions, anthropology, and Wê oral tradition, Ghislain Inaï examines the Glâ not as a folkloric remnant or cultural artifact but as a living religious institution through which the Wê articulate divine presence, moral order, communal restoration, and eschatological hope. The study places Wê concepts of salvation-Pongné, the fullness of life in the present world, and Léo, communion with the ancestors after death-in sustained dialogue with Christian understandings of grace, mediation, and redemption. Without relativizing Christ’s unique salvific role, the book argues that God’s grace operates through culturally particular symbols and practices. It offers a constructive contribution to African theology, inculturation, and interreligious dialogue.
