God on Their Side Missionaries have been in Africa for years spreading their religion, but nothing else has been known of their actions there. Nicholas D. Kristof wrote an article from the New York Times, titled "God on Their Side." Kristof "disagrees strongly with most evangelical Christians, but he tips his hat to them abroad." (Kristof 27) This statement is true for what most believe, including me. Kristof approaches the article in a manner that does not appear to be too serious. Kristof uses many different tactics to express his opinion In "God on Their Side," many different rhetorical tools were used, like the rhetorical appeals and rhetorical triangle. The article, "God on Their Side" was written by Nicholas D. Kristof. Kristof wrote the article as an opinionated article that portrays his idea of the many different missionaries in Africa and their actions since they have been there. The reader of the article will learn about the help that the missionaries are providing and also of how they are still educating people on their message of God. The article also expresses the differences between the reader’s world and the world in Africa. The reader is able to understand how their life is better then the African people. The reader of "God on Their Side" would be a person who was interested in the New York Times, Kristof and his opinions on the missionaries in Africa. Kristof’s article touches on the rhetorical appeals, such as ethos. Kristof shows how the missionaries feel obligated to help the poor, unfortunate people of Africa. Ethical standards are set by the missionaries and their work to help save people, while spreading their religion. The Catholic missionaries work hard, because they believe the people are "n... ... middle of paper ... ...it, some irony is detected through out the whole article. The irony that is obvious is in the comment that, "…they should be a good influence on Christian right…but nearly all the Christian weddings attended have pregnant brides." (Kristof 27) Kristof expressed his opinion of the missionaries in Africa in a way that allows the reader to relate to what Kristof wrote. Every rhetorical appeal is visible in "God on Their Side." Through a laid-back writing style, Kristof supports the missionaries and their crusade to help, but he does not support their journey to spread their religion. The article "God on Their Side" by Nicholas D. Kristof was filled with good information and emotional appeals that teach the reader of the help that some people in Africa are receiving. Works Cited Kristof, Nicholas D. "God on Their Side" New York Times 27 Sep. 2003: 27
Addressing European Christians, Equiano emphasizes the role religion has on humanity in the 18th century and how it differs among nations. In stating "Might not an African ask you, Learned you this from your God, who says unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you," he emphasizes the hypocrisy of European Christianity (Equiano, p700). How can the followers of such a religion claim that they are people of God when they do unto
Contrary to his own experiences with the French Jesuit missionaries’ educational methods, Malidoma invokes his audience in the first part of his story through an innocence in tone and a profoundness in concept. This statement also parallels the plight of African indigenous culture in the presence of the white man. To be more specific, Malidoma explained that the Western world seemed to attack the traditions of Africa or several countries, which the white man did not understand. Although they feared much of the white man’s culture, Africans tended to accept the non-threatening aspects of other cultures as different and even tried to incorporate ideas into their own lives. Malidoma himself went even further in this approach by being educated in both societies. In his life, he has tried to understand the motives and values of both cultures, point out the differences, and even draw out some parallels in the two. Malidoma recognizes the equality of importance of both cultures. Of Water and Spirit seems to be his way of trying to instill this same recognition to other...
Chapter one, ‘Beginnings at Assisi,’ offers a vivid description of the social, political, economic, cultural, demographic description of Assisi and its inhabitants. Here, the author describes the life of Francis and the situations and circumstances prompting his journey to spread the ideal gospel life to the world. This chapter is relevant in determining the circumstances that instigated a need for reforms in the Catholic Church. This chapter is applicable in my life because it offers insight on the fundamental Christian I can rely on in my daily life.
Large-scale education and social consciousness may not be enough, though; even when the government becomes involved and offers a scholarship for Babamukuru and Maiguru to pursue higher education in South Africa, the missionaries feel a sense of entitlement to the natives’ bodies and minds and later coerce this same pair to continue their education in England. This lends itself to a description of “missionary goodwill as a form of benevolent tyranny” that works to alienate individual natives from others and prevent them from taking any sort of united stand (Paustian
History shows that both Africans and African Americans alike faced unique problems prior to and during the 1800's, particularly prior to 1865. One such problem is the issue of Diaspora and how culture and slavery has affected the choice of religion. It is the purpose of this paper to expose comparatively the extent to which individuals have been influenced by these issues. One such individual is Olaudah Equiano. By following and analyzing some of the key moments of faith in his life, this paper seeks to expose the extent to which the series of controversial dialectical incidents that happen throughout his early life, i.e., his cultural African religious traditions (thesis), and Christianity as taught by his slave masters (antithesis), had a direct influence in developing his own understanding of religion (synthesis). Furthermore, this paper will demonstrate Olaudah Equiano's decision was based on the impact of both the influences of culture and slavery, and a personal experience based on his perspective of divine intervention.
Charles Caldwell, Ryrie. Dispensationalism. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2007. Charles, J. Daryl. The Unformed Conscience of Evangelicalism. Downers Grove:
Imagine a group of foreign people invading your home, disavowing all your beliefs, and attempting to convert you to a religion you have never heard of. This was the reality for thousands and thousands of African people when many Europeans commenced the Scramble for Africa during the period of New Imperialism. A great fiction novel written by Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart, highlights the responses to missionaries by African people. The African natives responded to the presence of white missionaries with submission to their desires, strategic responses to counteract them, and with the most disruptive response of violence.
Going to church in the ghetto in Birmingham was probably the safest place a mother could send her child. But this is where the irony takes place. The irony makes the church the warzone and place of destruction while the march was the safest place to be. The child was depicted as combed hair, freshly bathed, with white gloves, and white shoes, which is also ironic. The mother had sent an angel dressed in white to a firestorm from hell called church. The mother was completely sure that her daughter was safe until she
The most troubling issue of these stories is the struggle to justify such grotesque atrocities as the will of the benevolent God Christians faithfully adore. Arthur Kinney grapples with the matter and wonders how Christians are supposed to believe:
In the final part of chapter eight, Tyndale talks about what we can accoplish as Christians. "If God be on our side," Tyndale asks,
The western missionaries also bought a new faith and realigion to the people which started to change many of the villages in Africa all together. Most missionaries came to this country with the idea of just helping the Igbo see what was right. Instead they ended up almost forcing or imposing mainly their religion and education upon the Igbo people. This happened in the book as well when they tried to burn down the shriens of the Igbo people’s gods. The head missionary, Mr. Brown, relized that instead of forcing something he should try a different approach like trying to understand the Igbo and using that to convert them. The missionaries basically used mainpulaiton to convert the Igbo people. Western imperialism were able to attract some of the Africans and convert them over to Christianity was by being able to show that they can bring just not religion but trade and money to their country and villages. They also attracted them by telling them what type of life they would be living if they converted over to Christianity, which was their way of taking over the community. In Things Fall Apart, the British colonist used force in order to give the support of the missionaries which was by any needs neccsary. When Okonkwo and some of the other villagers burned down the church they ended up being arrested and are suddenly under British rule and justice system at this point. The British command disrespect and treat those people that are in prison by shaving their heads and starving them for three whole days. They then forced this poor village to pay money in order for these men to be
Wole Soyinka, like other Nigerian writers, characterizes the conflict of cultural and religious choices in his country and emphasizes the distinct customs of society (Tucker 9). Born into the Yoruba tribe and culture, Soyinka’s writings are clearly influenced by Yoruba culture and practices. Communities and societies in Africa today religiously partake in ancient rituals that some may consider extreme, such as cannibalism and self-mutilation. In the village in The Strong Breed, the extent to which individuals will go in order to rid a community of its sins and faults is tested by the sadistic annual sacrificial killing of an innocent individual for communal benefit. Wole Soyinka introduces ritualistic human societies that expose the ferocity of human beings and emphasize the cruel nature of their members. The moral disgust that permeates the community prior and subsequent to the ritual, the uncommon traits seen in characters triggered by a ritualistic society, and dialogue that highlights increasing ferocity of human beings, brings into question the validity of whether or not ritualistic sacrifice is ultimately beneficial to a community.
The author’s main argument is the failure of moral theology to focus on the everyday ethical issues confronting Christians, while his main aim is the usefulness of social anthropology to moral theology. The author wants a strong (er) relationship or connection between moral theology, i.e. ethics, and anthropology.
Kroeber, A. and C. Klockhohn, Culture: A Critical Review of Concept and Definition. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Kunhiyop, Samuel. A.W. & Waje. African Christian Ethics.
Sarah’s novel ‘Othappu’ discloses the ubiquitous forces within catholic practices that make such proactive faltering a heretical imperative. The novel gives us rare glimpses of Malayali Christian society peppered and layered with Biblical quotations and allusions and carrying echoes and subtexts that parallel events in the New Testament. It dares to explore the role of spirituality, sexuality and the freedom of the self in a self-consciously religious society. ‘Othappu’ unfolds at many levels to critique notion of class, caste, antiquity and prestige that have, over time, eroded the powers of the church. The novel is not only limited to the Christian community but also to our entire cultural terrain.