AFAS 381 Book Review: AFRICAN RELIGION: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life.
10/19/09
Glendon Gross
Laurenti Magesa's book, AFRICAN RELIGION: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life.
is
an attempt to correct systematic deficiencies in popular portrayals of African Religion. He
maintains that it is appropriate to talk about a single African Religion, rather than "Religions.
Magesa opens the book with an explanation of what has been lacking in most discussion of
African Religion, stating that despite the call for genuine interreligious dialog on the part of
theologians such as Hans Küng, such dialog has been lacking. Instead, most of the literature
extant on the subject, according to Magesa, tries to judge African Religion according to Christian
norms, and is therefore not part of a dialogue at all but is rather a judgmental and prejudiced
monologue.
Magesa informs us that many African converts to Christianity and Islam continue to be
motivated by and continue to practice their traditional African Religion while practicing their
new religion. Therefore Magesa maintains that it is reasonable to speak of a single religion
covering all of Africa. Without knowing about this religion and what characterizes its beliefs,
Magesa maintains, it is not possible to have an accurate view of African Religion.
He then
examines African ideas about God, and the role of the ancestors in establishing the Moral
Universe. For the African, according to Magesa, there is no place for a debate about God's
existence, because it is taken for granted. God is seen as transcendent, and yet his authority and
will is reflected in the ancestors, who are active in the lives of every African. Magesa explains
how African Morality is ultimately based on reverence for life. Those who support and protect
life are good, and those who oppose life are considered evil. All evil, for Magesa, may be
summarized as emanating from the practice of Witchcraft, which is how he translates the Swahili
word Uchawi. (Magesa, p. 68, footnote 80.) Magesa then explains how social groups are
delineated in Africa, based on the worship of a particular Totem, from which taboos originate out
of the desire not to offend the totem. He characterizes African Morality as emphasizing the good
of the community, rather than the good of the individual, and thus as "communitarian.".
The
worship of the ancestors is the vehicle through which Africans show respect for their families
and for the Deities they worship. For Magesa, Ancestor worship of the living dead is a natural
way for Africans to show respect for their tradition while preserving the relationships that are the
backbone of society, which leads to abundant life. Shame results from a denial of human life,
and comes from doing wrong. Right living defends against shame, and it is the role of African
Religion to counteract anything that diminishes or destroys life. Politically this responsibility
falls on the leaders of families and communities.
The author makes a good case that African Religion deserves to be considered as a viable
alternative to the missionary religions of Christianity and Islam. No meaningful dialog can
ensue as long as African Religion is not recognized on an equal footing with Christianity and
Islam. Magesa also expresses concern for the suppression of African religion that has resulted
from the prejudice of Eurocentric writers, and the subsequent suppression of abundant life that
results from forgetting the ancestors. While Magesa is comfortable using the technical language
of Sigmund Freud and others, as he refers to Freud's "Totem and Taboo", he also is able to
present a fresh Afrocentric perspective on the religion that is generally lacking in popular
discourse. African Religion: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life is therefore a valuable
contribution to the literature on the subject and helps the reader gain perspective on the true
nature of African Religion, escaping the baggage and preconceptions of Christianity, Islam, or a
failed Eurocentric perspective.