The African Sermons

Book excerpt: Every Sunday in Lambarene, Gabon, Albert Schweitzer delivered an outdoor sermon in French. Although never intended for publication, the sermons were transcribed by some of Schweitzer's listeners. Translated into English and in one volume for the first time, Steven E. G. Melamed, Sr., makes a great contribution to the field with works that characterize Schweitzer's simplicity of language, his emphasis on personal conduct, and his adaptation of biblical stories to the everyday realities of African life. Covering the period 1913-1935, his sermons evolved as Schweitzer matured and became more attuned to his surroundings. As it contains what is most likely the entire extant corpus of Schweitzer's sermons in Africa, this book fills a gap in Schweitzer scholarship. It affords a unique insight into his own beliefs and the prevailing European attitude toward Africans.