Category: Resources

Book Summary of Hugo the Hippo

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By John P. Mbonde
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Mathews Bookstore & Stationers.
First Edition, 1972. Revised Edition, 2004.
Paperback. 45 pages.
ISBN 9987 602 29 0

This is a partially true story (based on the well known Swahili story Hadithi ya Kiboko Hugo) of the famous hippopotamus who really lived in salt water at Kurasini Creek, south of Dar es Salaam city during the 1960s and who was the centre of tourists’ attraction. The author, John P. Mbonde in his capacity as a scoutmaster and a Headmaster of Mzimuni Middle School, Dar es Salaam, camped at Kurasini in an effort of saving both the rice and Hugo the Hippo who invaded the rice fields. The scouts built a fence around the fields.

In this delightful and exciting tale, Mbonde looks at the problems of wildlife conservation in Africa from the point of view of a lovable hippo called Hugo who cannot understand why the local farmers object when he invades their rice fields. The author begins by explaining how this hippo got his name and the origin of the hippo’s family life. However, this rare species to live in salt water of Indian Ocean had some friends such as the birds and the ocean fish whom we encounter in the dialogue. Furthermore, we see leaders from different institutions who came up generously in support of the scouts’ unique spirit to save the hippo. For instance, the local and foreign media gave a wide publicity to this event. Although Hugo the Hippo died couple of years ago, his history is equally relevant today, taking in consideration the importance of wildlife in Tanzania under the auspicious of TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks).

The story has smoothly interwoven a direct quotation from President Julius Kambarage Nyerere’s important Arusha Manifesto on the conservation of wildlife in Africa that he delivered in September, 1961:

The survival of our wildlife is a matter of grave concern to all of us in Africa. These wild creatures amid the wild places they inhabit are not only important s a source of wonder and inspiration, but are an integral part of our natural resources and our future livelihood and well being. In accepting the trusteeship of our wildlife we solemnly declare that we will do everything in our power to make sure that our children’s grandchildren will be able to enjoy this rich and precious inheritance. The conservation of wildlife and wild places calls for specialist knowledge, trained manpower and money, and we look to other nations to cooperate in this important task…the success or failure of which not only effects the continent of Africa but the rest of the world as well (pp. 23-24).

The story is told in combination of narrative and dialogue. The later is practically suitable for the reading aloud in class, and gives plenty of practice in the contracted forms that are so much a part of spoken English. The book is a very useful supplementary reader for those who learn and teach English as a second language. The author has written many children’s books in Swahili. Some few basic questions at the end of the story can be very useful for the readers to remind themselves of what they have read.

©J. P. Mbonde P.O. Box 3479, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Email: jopahanya@yahoo.com

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Book Review of Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom and Joy 

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Complied by Joseph G. Healey.

Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2004.
Paperback, 144 pages.
Price: $15.

Listen to the interview with Joseph Healey, the author of the new book Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom and Joy

Reviewed by Joseph Kariuki

Oral literature researchers and scholars agree that stories encapsulate values, attitudes, and worldview of the people who create them. They are the reservoirs of all the elements of peoples’ cultural, religious and philosophical beliefs. In the African context, nothing captures this better than the oral culture especially through the art of storytelling that has punctuated the continent’s inhabitants since time immemorial to the present times. Through stories African people’s fears, joys, hopes and aspirations are registered. It is for this reason that the relevance of collecting and documenting stories and other oral literature materials is important as this highlights important watersheds in the history and life in Africa. In Once Upon a Time in Africa Joseph Healey has attempted to do exactly that — document the oral culture in stories for the benefit of all to read.

This book brings together eighty-six (86) stories that range from myths of creation, folktales, parables, poems, and true stories. Structurally, the book contains an “Overall Introduction,” a brief introduction to each section, the stories themselves, and a listing of stories at the back to facilitate easy referencing.

The main body of stories is divided into eights thematic categories as follows: “In the Beginning” (pp.1-10), “Life” (pp.11-32), “Family” (pp. 33-48), “Community” (pp. 49-60), “Good and Bad Times” (pp. 61-84), “Joy and Celebration” (pp. 85-94), “Cultural Matters” (pp. 95-104), and “Seeds of God in Africa Soil” (pp.109-130). Before each section of the eight categories, there is a one-page introduction that orients the reader’s mind on what kind themes covered in the stories to expect in that particular section. For example, in the fourth section or category of stories entitled “Community”, Healey renders the traditional African concept of community and its contemporary relevance especially as it related to the church where Small Christian Communities epitomize the present African community ideals. These introductions whet the appetite of the reader as (s)he prepares to read the stories.

Another aspect that reinforces the beauty of the presentation of the stories is the inclusion of an African proverb at the beginning of each of these sections that aptly corresponds with the themes presented in the sections. Hence in the second section entitled “Life” for instance, the introducing proverb is “Life is the best gift; the rest is extra” (Swahili proverb from Eastern and Central Africa, p.11) and in the last section entitled “Seeds of God in African Soil”, the corresponding proverb is “God is a great eye who sees everything in the world” (Arabic proverb from Egypt, Eritrea, and Sudan, p.109). The African aesthetic values are further captured by the graphics and artwork in the book that highlights the African physical, cultural and spiritual environment. In the book this is done through nineteen (19) artistic impressions of the various thematic categories.

The greatest strength of Once Upon a Time in Africa is the blending together of different aspects of African situation into a single book volume through stories. From African spirituality—Nothing Materially but Everything Spiritually (p. 48), God Was Truly There with Us…Listening (p. 77), The Person Who Couldn’t Find God (p.112), etc; to modern challenges facing life in Africa like war and AIDS –The Merciful Rwandan Woman (p. 63), Otherwise This War Will Never End (p. 66), We Need to Run Out and Meet Lucia, (pp. 67-68) to interreligious dialogue—The Muslim Prayer Connection (p.117), God is Like a Large Baobab Tree (p.127), etc; to celebration of life as it is presently— Your Mother Wants to Greet You (p. 47), Why I Can Sing (p. 89), etc. In other words, the stories in this book are anecdotes of life as is lived in Africa in its wholeness and an expression of the aspirations of their authors in ameliorating their circumstances. In this regard it is also important to note that they are collected from all the corners of the continent of Africa thus enabling one to claim they represent the ideals and aspirations of all people of Africa.

On a more general level, the rendering of the title of the book — Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom and Joy — points to the difficulty authors face in selecting titles to their works vis a vis their readers’ feelings. The first impression one gets from the title of the book in picking up the book is like one will be reading stories about the traditional African past — an aspect only captured in a few stories mostly in the first section, “In the Beginning.” However, this is not the case as the book contains many stories tackling modern problems facing Africa. The prior impression is nonetheless assuaged by the way the stories are structured and the introductions to each section which makes them “stories of wisdom and joy” and this provides the major credit to Joseph Healey in conceiving the lovely book.

In sum, one can safely say that Once Upon a Time in Africa is must reading to any one who appreciates things Africa and interesting and well told stories.

The complier of the stories, Father Joseph G. Healey, M.M. is a Maryknoll priest who has worked in East Africa since 1968. His other books closely covering similar themes include A Fifth Gospel: The Experience of Black Christian Values (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books and London: SCM Press, 1981); Kuishi lnjili — Living the Gospel (Peramiho: Benedictine Publications, 1982); Kueneza Injili Kwa Methali — Preaching the Gospel Through Proverbs (Peramiho: Benedictine Publications, 1984); What Language Does God Speak: African Stories About Christmas and Easter (Nairobi: St. Paul Publications, 1989); and Towards An African Narrative Theology (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 5th Printing 2004 and Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 3rd Reprint, 2000). He is also the moderator of the African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website: http://www.afriprov.org//

Joseph Kariuki is the Assistant Moderator of the African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website and lives in Nairobi, Kenya. Email: kariukiprov@yahoo.co.uk

To order this book go to the Maryknoll Mall at: http://www.maryknollmall.org/description.cfm?ISBN=1-57075-527-2

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Book Review of Sharing Boundaries: Learning the Wisdom of Africa

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By Annetta Miller

The author is an American citizen who was born and grew up in Tanzania. She has spent nearly 50 years in East Africa and has lived in Nairobi since 1974. This booklet contains 50 of her best vignettes each matched with an African proverb. Through the use of African proverbs, Annetta Miller relates her experiences in Africa detailing her interpretation of the beauty, richness and diversity of African culture while making comparisons with that of Western culture.

Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications Africa, 2003.
ISBN 9966-21-899-8. Pages:111. Size: 14.5 x 21cm. Price: US $8.00.
Website: http://www.paulinesafrica.org

Available from Paulines Publications Africa directly from: distribution@paulinesafrica.org or in Catholic Bookshops in East Africa.

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Book Review of What African Myths Tell

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Printed by Peramiho: Peramiho Printing Press, 2/2OO2.
12 pages
Reviewed by John P. Mbonde

How was it at the beginning?

Father John Henschel C.S.Sp. of Bagamoyo Parish, Tanzania is the author of this booklet. Undoubtedly his inspiration derives from the fact that he [from Germany] has lived for years at a famous historical place, Bagamoyo, where the first Catholic missionaries set foot in Tanzania mainland to proclaim the Gospel. On the other side Bagamoyo is a famous slave trading centre and also the place where the remains of Dr David Livingstone were kept for some time before being sent abroad fore burial. “Since time immemorial men found answers in a unique style, in the style of narrated stories, narrated in myths…A myth is a story told in a special way which originates in prehistorical time…The myths elucidate that even the first men, millenniums and millenniums ago, were able to see not only the nature around them. They had the ability to understand what is behind the foreground, to understand profound realities. As the last profound reality they recognized God” (p. 9).

In everyday life, each one of us has three main important questions: WHAT—WHEN–WHY. Myths are basically memories of the past. Africa tells thousands of such old myths. This book, “What African Myths Tell” with its subtitle “How was it at the beginning?” discusses seven myths selected from six different African ethnic groups (nations) who live thousands of kilometres away from one another, but tell the same myths.

The booklet consists of three chapters. In Chapter I there are four myths about the close connection between God and humankind: God is called “Unkulukulu” in South Africa, ‘How Amazulu came to life’; “Engai” among Maasai in Tanzania, ‘Why Engai’s rope was cut?’; “Shapanga/Chapanga” among the Ngoni in Tanzania, ‘Shapanga left the village’; Ntara-Nti in Cameroon, ‘Ntara-Nti left the village’. In addition to these four myths, there are three other myths telling about heroes of the old days: Litaolane saved humankind; Masala Kulangwa killed the monster Shing’weng’we; and the two sons of Ndabe.

Chapter II concentrates on answering the question why all these six African ethnic groups (nations) tell the same myths? Accordingly the author gives some interpretation of these old myths: their similarities, self identification and realization, originality, etc.

Chapter III shows how such old myths can be used for a narrative African Christian theology of today. Henschel also makes some biblical parallels with the given myths. “Myths are an ancient heritage, but they can be used to express modern viewpoints as well, even in the Christian proclamation of the Gospel…Myths go back into the old time. To prove it we can take the Christian Bible. The first book Genesis brings in the first chapters two old narrations about the creation of the world, of the cosmos, of nature and of Adam and Eve narrated in the style of myths” (p. 11).

This booklet What African Myths Tell gives a big challenge not only to teachers and preachers, but also to researchers in this era of globalization.

John P. Mbonde is a retired Tanzanian civil servant, journalist, and author of books, book reviewer and analyst of African oral literature. He has travelled all over the world on academic and study tours.

Mr. John P. Mbonde
P. O. Box 3479
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
E-Mail: jopahanya@yahoo.com

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Book Review of Under One Roof: Gikuyu Proverbs Consolidated

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By Gerald Joseph Wanjohi

Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines Publications Africa, 2001.
Paperback, 238 pages.
Price: $8.

Reviewed by Joseph G. Healey

This new synthesized, comprehensive collection of 1821 Gikuyu (Kenya) Proverbs draws from various sources mainly:

1,000 Kikuyu Proverbs by G. Barra.
Gikuyu Proverbs by Ngumbu Njururi.
Kikuyu-English Dictionary by T.G. Benson.
Ng’ano na Thimo Cia Ugikuyu by Stanley Kiama Gathigira.

Through the use of certain devices, it was possible to reduce the 2411 proverbs in these four collections to 1527 proverbs. An announcement on the national radio in Kenya produced 168 additional proverbs. Other proverbs were found in Gikuyu literature: books, newspapers and magazines.

By bringing all the known Gikuyu proverbs “under one roof” or one umbrella Wanjohi facilitates research and reference, exercises that have been tedious and time consuming due to scattered sources. The book gives the literal translation in English of each Gikuyu proverb in order to enhance its symbolic power and applicability, but at the same time safeguards brevity, a characteristic of proverbs. Bearing in mind that this is an age of gender sensitivity, inclusive language is used wherever possible. Proverbs are cited in the current Gikuyu orthography although the critical marks are not used in this book review. The book contains 13 illustrations.

After Swahili Gikuyu is the African language spoken by the most people in East Africa and is considered one of the major languages on the continent of Africa. Despite very different research statistics and estimates it is reliable to say that seven million people in East Africa speak Gikuyu. The Fourteenth Edition of the Ethnologue edited by Barbara Grimes (SIL International, 2000) states the following on the Gikuyu language in Kenya:

5,347,000 (1994 I. Larsen BTL) or 19.8% of the population (1987). West central Kenya, in Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, and Kirinyaga districts, Central Province. Linguistic affiliation: Niger-Congo, Atlantic-Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, Southern, Narrow Bantu, Central, E, Kikuyu-Kamba (E20). Dialects: SOUTHERN GIKUYU (KIAMBU, SOUTHERN MURANG’A), NDIA (SOUTHERN kIRINYAGA), GICHUGU (NORTHERN kIRINYAGA), MATHIRA (KARATINA), NORTHERN GIKUYU (NORTHERN MURANG’A, NYERI). 73% lexical similarity with Embu, 70% with Chuka, 67% with Kamba, 63% with Meru. Bilingualism in Swahili, English.

A content analysis of this collection of 1821 Gikuyu Proverbs reveals the following information and insights. Proverbs are cited in 18 letters of the Gikuyu alphabet including:

544 proverbs beginning with M.
264 proverbs beginning with N.
216 proverbs beginning with K.
174 proverbs beginning with G.
138 proverbs beginning with Ũ.

The 22-page “Index” indicates that the following words appear most frequently in Gikuyu Proverbs:

mundu (person): 8 lines of citations.
mwana (child): 5 lines of citations.
arume (men): 4 lines of citations.
mwene (owner): 4 lines of citations.
ngoro (heart): 4 lines of citations.
nyina (mother): 4 lines of citations.

This pattern of important person-related words in proverbs is common in African languages in sub-Sahara Africa.

Certain important African values are emphasized in the following clusters of Gikuyu proverbs:

Cooperation:

One finger does not kill a louse.
A small organized group of people is capable of lifting a mortar.
A group of men should not be passed over.
The voice of the people is like that of God.

Family:

The wealth of the poor consists in having children.
Love for one’s child is greater than love for one’s life.
To praise the child is to praise the mother.
A leopard’s cub scratches like its mother.
A parent has no temper.
A child does not belong to only one parent.
Every man’s brother is his heart.
An animal will suckle even its deformed young.

Moving Out/Mission Spirit:

Staying in one place begets lice.
Traveling is learning.
Traveling opens one’s eyes.
Traveling is seeing.
A person who does not travel says that only his mother knows how to cook well.

Person-centered:

People are wealth.
People who love one another do not dwell on each other’s mistakes.
One’s lover’s place is never too far away.
It is only mountains that do not meet.

Wisdom:

The advice of the old is never overlooked.
A wise person learns though other people’s mistakes.
We speak in proverbs; he who is intelligent will understand.
Two waterfalls do not hear each other (said about two people loudly arguing with each other).

There are certain Gikuyu proverbs that are found in other world languages and reflect universal values:

Charity begins at home.
A long journey/trip begins with one step.
The bird that wakes up early eats the best worm.
Prevention is better than cure.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Under One Roof: Gikuyu Proverbs Consolidated clearly shows that African proverbs are relevant to today’s world. Some examples with themes:

Availability and preparedness: The water that is not at hand does not quench the thirst.
Death: Death’s thirst is never quenched.
Evil of war and fighting: War is not porridge.
Humility and hiddenness: A little, contemptible path is sometimes the one that leads you to the highway.
Spiritual values: A religious person is never overcome.

Wanjohi had made a major contribution to African proverbs scholarship by compiling this collection of all known Gikuyu Proverbs. His work challenges other scholars to make similar collections in other major African languages. These ongoing contributions to African oral literature are echoed in the Gikuyu proverb: A river is enlarged by its tributaries. Wanjohi is commended for wanting to continue to collect more proverbs in order to reach and surpass the 2000 mark: both traditional proverbs that have not been recorded in a printed version and new proverbs that have been coined recently but have not been recorded in a printed version. The ongoing collection of contemporary Gikuyu Proverbs will proverbs insights into changing cultural and linguistic patterns and influences in Africa. It is hoped that the next printing will correct the misspellings and typographical errors in this 2001 Edition. Also an extensive bibliography including booklets and articles on Gikuyu Proverbs would be useful. In a future edition when Wanjohi reaches 2000 Gikuyu Proverbs, a detailed “Subject Index” in English would be valuable to scholars and ordinary readers alike. This would be similar to Ferdinand Walser’s Luganda Proverbs (Kampala: Mill Hill Missionaries, 1984) from Uganda.

The compiler and editor, Dr. Gerard Joseph Wanjohi (E-mail: wakuraya@alphanet.co.ke), taught philosophy in the Faculties of Arts and Education of the University of Nairobi, Kenya where he also served as chairman of the Department of Philosophy. He retired from active teaching in 1993. In 1997 he published The Wisdom and Philosophy of African Proverbs: The Gikuyu World-View (Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 1^st Reprint, 2001). Since 1985 he has published the quarterly: Wajibu, A Journal of Social and Religious Concern.

The publication of this new collection is in conjunction with the ongoing African Proverbs Project (APP). Some of the Gikuyu Proverbs in the book Under One Roof: Gikuyu Proverbs Consolidated can be found on the African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website (www.afriprov.org) and in the African Proverbs CD ROM produced by Global Mapping International (GMI). Paulines Publications Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya is commended for its commitment to publishing books on African oral literature and culture and promoting the importance of inculturation and contextualization.

Joseph G. Healey, M.M. has worked in East Africa since 1968. Presently he is the Coordinator of the Mission Awareness Committee of the Religious Superiors’ Association of Tanzania based in Dar es Salaam. He is co-author of Towards An African Narrative Theology (Paulines Publications Africa, 3^rd Reprint, 2000 and Orbis, 3rd Printing, 2001). E-mail: JGHealey@aol.com

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Book Review of Proverbi Samburu — Samburu Sayings

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By Achille Da Ros, Virgilo Pante and Egidio Pedenzini

Published by EMI (Editrice Missionaria Italiana), Bologna, 2000
ISBN 88-307-0907-7
304 pages

Price 700/= Kenyan Shillings (or $9)
Available at the Catholic Bookshop, Nairobi, Kenya and at the Office of The Seed Magazine, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya

Reviewed by Paolo Tablino, IMC

There are three reasons why this book of 300 pages, written by three authors and in three languages (Samburu, English and Italian), is really worth to be read. The first reason is the unquestionable competence of the authors. All of them are academic graduates, all of them know the Samburu language, all of them have not just lived in the area as tourists or as researchers, but (a condition essential, in my opinion, to really understand an African culture) all of them have spent many years among, and for, the Samburu people. Pedenzini has been among them thirty years, save the few ones spent in America where he went to continue his studies on the Samburu and prepared his remarkable M.A. thesis on their religious concepts. He is still there, in the remote mission of South Horr, at the very foot of the sacred mountain of the Samburu, Mt. Nyiro. Da Ros, who possesses a wide background of general culture and of ethnographic knowledge, has written various books and articles on anthropological matters including a short but excellent volume on the Turkana (Bologna, 1994). For many years he has been in Samburu district and, after having lately spent some years at the Ethnographic Museum of the Consolata Missionary Institute in Turin, he is for many years a dedicated missionary in the area and still now a missionary in another part of Kenya. He knows the people, the land, particularly its fauna, and the language of the Samburu people as very few Europeans do, and has traveled in every corner of the Samburu country including the top of quite a number of its numerous mountains.

The second reason why this book deserves its reading is its intrinsic value. Actually it is a remarkably large collection of proverbs and sayings where nearly all the aspects of Samburu culture and life are expressed in terms directly collected from the mouth of the elders by Pedenzini in various parts of the district. The proverbs listed are 803 and deal with innumerable aspects of the human life from the idea of God to the relations among people, from animals to water, trees and rain. Each one of the proverbs or sayings is given a number. It is written in the original Samburu text (bold characters), which is immediately followed by an accurate English and Italian translation (both in italics). To each proverb a clear explanation is added, at times short, at times longer, with quite a number of traditional stories, which give a fuller picture of the Samburu culture. Da Ros and Pante have given their competent and accurate co-operation in this work of translation and explanation and, according to what it is written in the “Foreword,” some catechists and other Samburu people have also helped.

The third reason, which makes the book not only interesting, but also easy to be consulted and read, is the arrangement of the indices (both in Italian and English). There are two kinds of indices, distinct but connected. The first index is indicated in the book as “a summary of the main topics.” It is a list of 16 general titles (for instance, animals, the human body, human qualities, food, etc.) under which a group of words are alphabetically grouped (for instance, under the general topic “Animals” 45 names of animals are indicated). The same words mentioned in the summary of topics are listed, one by one, in the second index (simply called “Index” in the book), which contains in alphabetical order all the words with the indication of the numbers of each proverb related to the words. In this way if anybody wants to know the proverbs related to lion, the person has just to look the word ‘lion’ in the complete and accurate index. This is the work (a remarkable work indeed!), of another missionary, Gigi Anatoloni, who though he remained only few years in Samburu territory has kept at least a part of his heart there. He has patiently done by computer an admirable editing work thus greatly facilitating the use of this book for both to the scholar and the ordinary reader.

A map of Kenya and a simple but clear introduction, just indicated as the work of “J. Q.” wisely added at the beginning of the work, give a final touch of perfection to this fine book. Sincere thanks and warm congratulations to the four missionaries both for their work and their co-operation which has produced such good result showing once again that it is true what the Samburu proverb No. 246 in this collection says (a proverb which is also found among the Kikuyu and other African cultures): Mear ikimojino obo lacheiyo (One finger alone cannot kill a louse).

For further information contact:

Rev. Gigi Anataloni, IMC
E-mail: theseed-mag@wananchi.com

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Remembering the Home Spirits

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By Rev. Peter E. Adotey Addo

REMEMBERING THE HOME SPIRITS is a lively collection of Rev. Addo’s boyhood experiences in Ghana, West Africa, African tales, stories of hope and freedom, and even a short play to give the reader a taste of freedom lost.

REMEMBERING THE HOME SPIRITS: A Journey Back To Africa. Stories. CD-ROM .
54 pages. $12.00.
Published 1 June, 2000.
ISBN: 1931069034.

Publisher: Electric Bookworm Publishers
Chicago, Ill

Available online at : Amazon.com

Amazon.com Price: $12.00 *
Availability: Special Order* To view this item click here.
*price and availability are subject to change.

NOTE: This is also available in E-book Format (as an e-book of true
stories). 50 pages. Rich Text. HTML. Pocket E-book. $6.00. Released
1 April, 2000.

Available at: Electric Bookworm
Chicago, Ill

http://electric-bookworm.bigstep.com/category.html?UCIDs=723322

Rev P E Adotey Addo
P. O. BOX 13356
GREENSBORO NC 27415 USA
FAX: 336-375- 0068

E-mail: addox@attglobal.net

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Book Review of Footprints of God

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NOTE: One type of inculturation theology is an African narrative theology of inculturation. The starting part is African culture, but specifically African oral literature and the wide range of narrative and oral forms: proverbs, sayings, riddles, stories, myths, plays and songs explained in their historical and cultural contexts. Thus the following book on a narrative theology of mission is related to the subjects, themes and concerns of this African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website.

Footprints of God: A Narrative Theology of Mission
Edited by Charles Van Engen, Nancy Thomas and Robert Gallagher
Monrovia, CA.: MARC/World Vision
1999, x, 235 pp., paper, $21.95
Reviewed by Joseph G. Healey

One of the three editors states: “Narrative theology is one of the most exciting development in Western theology in the last several decades, yet it has not often been considered in the domain of missiology” (225). To correct this perception a group of doctoral students at Fuller Theological Seminary approached mission theology “narratively” integrating personal, community, cultural and biblical stories. An evangelical narrative missiology holds the canonical story (the Bible) as normative letting the stories of Scripture interweave with the stories of culture and the stories of mission.

The 18 chapters (essays) are set within a theological framework created by Charles Van Engen:

* Six chapters stress that mission must be “of the way” (Christ-centered).

* Six chapters stress that mission must be “in the way” (happening among the peoples and cultures of the world).

* Six chapters stress that mission must be “on the way” (moving forward over time through God’s people as they anticipate Christ’s present and coming kingdom).

In using biography some of the writers are impacted by the life and writings of people as diverse as Karl Barth, Ernesto Cardinal, E. Stanley Jones, Charles Kraft, Jürgen Moltmann, Mother Teresa and Max Warren. Nancy Thomas is deeply moved by Cardenal the writer stating: “Better than any systematic theology could have done, his very Latin America [theo-] poetry cries out with the pain of the people and, at the same time, shows the footprints of God in the midst of the rubble” (89-90).

In using autobiography some of the writers focus on personal pilgrimage (how it impacts the person himself or herself) or personal experiences that lead to a deeper reflection on ministry. In his essay “Who Raises the Child When There is No Village: Restoring Community in African Cities,” (124-135) Stanley Mutunga narrates an encounter with a street boy in Nairobi, Kenya. This leads to a missiological reflection on community and connectedness in Africa’s growing cities and the importance of encouraging subculture churches.

The essays touch on a wide variety of topics connected to a narrative theology of mission: Christian Feminism, Conversion, Ethnotheology, Holy Spirit, Hope, Internet, Pluralism, Preaching and Suffering. In her essay Jude Tiersma Watson states: “Another lesson from Mother Teresa concerns the place of suffering in this world, and in the lives of missionaries. Evangelical missiology does not often address this topic, but it must be considered in a world of Rwanda, Bosnia and the violence in our cities” (121).

In her “Conclusion” Nancy Thomas states: “The categories of a narrative missiology include…the traditional myths, legends and other folktales that interweave in the background of the cultures of the world” (226). Later she says: “Agents of mission, first of all, must be listeners to story. Every culture has its stories, as does every person. We need to listen missiologically to the myths of a people, as well as to the proverbs, animal tales and other legends that give clues to their values, longings, and heritage” (229). The “Notes” and “References” of the book list a number of books on African narrative theology.

This challenging book on a biblical theology of mission breaks new ground in its narrative and story style. It is important for theological students as well as missionaries in the field. It heralds a new and creative methodology especially valid for emerging Third World theologies. The primacy of scripture in narrative theologizing raises interesting questions ecumenical dialogue. I found the division of six essays in each section a bit forced.

 

Joseph G. Healey, M.M. has been in East Africa since 1968. Presently he is the Chairperson of the Mission Awareness Committee of the Religious Superiors’ Association of Tanzania based in Dar es Salaam. He is co-author of Towards An African Narrative Theology (Paulines Publications Africa, 1996 and Orbis, 1997).

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Book Review of Oral Literature of the Sukuma

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By Immaculate Mirambo

Published by the Sisters of Our Lady Queen of the Apostles of Mbeya
Printed by the Peramiho Printing Press, 1999
59 pages
Price: 900/= Tanzanian Shillings (or $1.15)

Reviewed by John P. Mbonde

 

A Sukuma Looks at Her Own Oral Literature

The author is Sister Immaculate Mirambo, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady Queen of the Apostles of Mbeya. She has a BA degree from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. She is presently the Head of English Department at Loleza Girls’ Secondary School in Mbeya.

She has made extensive research on Sukuma oral literature. She interprets it for the good of the Sukuma community and the world at large in matters concerning education, history, philosophy and beliefs, etc.

This book, Oral Literature of the Sukuma, has four main chapters. It covers the historical background of the Sukuma people who form 20% (or 6 million) of the total population of Tanzania which is 30 million; it discusses briefly the social, political and economic organization of the Sukuma people; analyzes the general characteristics of the oral literature of Sukuma; and finally explains the general functions of oral literature in the Sukuma community. Hence her investigations in the Sukuma proverbs, riddles, stories, poems, myths, songs, prayers, dances, puns, etc. She states: “Oral literature in Sukumaland can be seen to serve the purpose such as to inculcate positive values, warn, soothe, entertain, praise and encourage members of society. This literature can never be seen as art for art’s sake. It always has a direct association to the society that composes and performs it” (page 56).

The author cites a lot of examples of what embodies this Sukuma oral literature in the typical indigenous language of the people and provides equally adequate translations. Two examples are:

1. Chumu na ndugu gembe ati sanya mino (Brotherhood is brotherhood, even if there is some misunderstanding, one day they will agree each other). Meaning: It is a warning to those who involve themselves in family wrangles; when the family members reconcile they can turn against them.
2. Lulimi lukabejaga kaya (A tongue builds a village). Meaning: To have a good account among the people is a treasure because many people will love and associate with us.

   Mirambo makes full use of other scholarly works on the Sukuma people with a bibliography at the end. She also makes a comparison with other oral literature in the Swahili language.

   As Sukuma oral literature is so rich, these few pages are just the tip of the iceberg. What is particularly encouraging is that Immaculate Mirambo is a Sukuma writing about the oral literature of her own ethnic group. The book offers a challenge to other scholars, particularly of Sukuma origin, to go deeper in doing cultural research now or never.

John P. Mbonde is a retired Tanzanian civil servant, journalist, author of books, book reviewer and analyst of African oral literature. He has traveled all over the world on academic and study tours.

Mr. John P. Mbonde
P.O. Box 3479
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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