His first step, therefore, involves reflection on Jesus Christ as the "Proto-Ancestor." To understand this, it is of the utmost importance to understand the role of the ancestors: "The particular words, actions and rituals associated with the ancestors, and with the elders in general, have a deep meaning in the life of the African people. They constitute a rule of conduct for the living, and they must be continually repeated."
— Alfred T. Hennelly, Liberation Theologies