Concepts of God in Africa

Book excerpt: "This study of the idea of God in 300 African tribes is the fruit of extensive research by a distinguished African theologian. Professor Mbiti has successfully translated a mass of anthropological information into theological terms (a task for which he is thoroughly equipped) and, in doing it, has combined lucid writing with vivid imagery, to create a book that will be read with enjoyment by many. The author shows that, behind many simple expressions of belief—for example, the Zulu saying of a thunderstorm, "the King is playing"; the Kikuyu praying to their Father to give them goats, sheep, and children; the Bambuti picturing God with a long beard—there often lies a profound faith in God as father and creator, or in God working as spirit. A moving and explicit description of God as a spirit comes from a traditional hymn of the Pygmies. Certain African tribes have inherited myths telling of the Creation and Fall in terms akin to those of the Book of Genesis. Others are familiar with the idea of a God both immanent and transcendent and of worship as an activity filling the whole life. It is one thing to admire the way in which Africans have enriched Christianity with their own cultural and spiritual heritage. It is quite another to be able to explore now, with Dr. Mbiti as guide, the sources of that wealth and to discover, as he has done, how much there is of the universal in each tribal theology."-Publisher.