LEGACY

A debut reference book connects themes in African proverbs to biblical passages.

South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu once quipped, “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.” That Tutu, one of the most important Christian voices of the 20th century, often delivered his teachings in the form of proverbs points to the ways in which African wisdom can enrich Christian traditions. Organized thematically on more than three dozen topics that range from forgiveness and compassion to death and anger, this book offers readers a unique reference tool of complementary African proverbs and Bible verses. Focusing on Jesus’ golden rule to love your neighbor as yourself, Morehouse gives readers a myriad of African proverbs with parallel messages, including the Malagasy maxim “If you know what hurts yourself, you know what hurts others.” Similarly, where the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew urges people to avoid praying bombastically in public for their own glorification, a Swahili proverb reminds listeners that “Closing the eyes and prostrating is not praying; praying is in the heart.” Recognizing the importance of symbols to convey aphorisms in African spirituality, such as the Adinkra Sankofasymbol for learning from the past, the book delivers proverbs that are accompanied by almost 40 images in addition to useful maps and charts. The result is a user-friendly guide that not only draws on ancient wisdom from African and biblical traditions, but also highlights the “universal principles that find a voice in many cultures and societies.” While the volume mostly lets the proverbs and Bible verses speak for themselves, it features brief editorial commentary that contextualizes African cosmology for Western readers. This analysis is particularly adept at parsing the nuances of African culture, emphasizing the rich diversity of a heterogeneous continent. The inclusion of diasporic communities from the Caribbean and South America further reflects this complexity. While the author, an active Presbyterian, does not hide the Christian lens through which he views ancient wisdom, the proverbs listed in the book have much to offer to people of various faiths.

A satisfying guide to comparable African and Christian teachings.