Developing Africa through Ideology, Spirituality and the Literary Tradition/ DEVELOPPER L'AFRIQUE A TRAVER L'IDEOLOGIE, LA SPIRITUALITE ET LA TRADITION LITTERAIRE

Abstract There has been series of scholarly interactions on the viability of situating African ideology and spirituality within literary and biblical discourse. For instance, researchers have asserted that an expression of the African ideological stance has certain implications for theological reflections in Africa. Using the hermeneutics as theoretical construct, this paper explores how contextualization of the biblical and literary discourse within the framework of African ideology and spirituality can promote sustainable development in the continent. Key words: Biblical literature; Proverbs; Ideology; Spirituality; Development Resume Il y eu une serie d'interactions scientifiques sur la viabilite de situer l'ideologie africaine et de la spiritualite dans le discours litteraire et biblique. Par exemple, les chercheurs ont affirme que l'expression de la position ideologique africaine des certaines consequences pour la reflexion theologique en Afrique. L'Utilisation des hermeneutique inculturation comme une construction theorique, cette etude explore comment une contextualisation du discours biblique et la litteraire dans le cadre de l'ideologie africaine et la spiritualite ne peut promouvoir le developpement durable dans le continent. Mots cles: Litterature biblique; Proverbes; L'ideologie; La spiritualite; Le developpement INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND INFORMATION In society like Africa, that is riddled with socioeconomic and religious disequilibrium- social context that is characterized by diverse forms of poverty and leadership dislocations, there is an urgent need for policy makers and stakeholders to have recourse to aspects of African ideology and spirituality on the one hand, and on the other, the Bible, and indeed, the essence of Christian religion. It is the contention of this paper that sustainable development is synonymous with wisdom, and that this dynamic quality is pronounced in the African experience and the Bible. Our leaders need to listen and act, not on emotional and situational outburst, but on words of wisdom, which these two worldviews produce. In other words, there must be an active dialogue between the Bible and African ideology, particularly as articulated in its folklore and proverb. While the African ideology challenges the Christian faith to be truly universal, the Christian faith challenges and illuminates African ideology and spirituality. When these blocs blend, development becomes natural phenomenon. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The research problem is that there has not been much dialogue between African ideology, especially its oral literature and the Bible. Even where general statements are made about the literary nature of the Bible in relation to the African cultural experience, the situation and application of this relationship in developmental terms have not been intensive. DEFINING LITERATURE The definition of literature has been an enterprising aspect of the theory of literature. Scholars have admitted that while the definition of literature is somewhat difficult and that there is hardly any book that fully addresses it (Adams, 1968), they still believe that the meaning of literature is known to all even if it cannot be articulated in definitive terms. Quite an appreciable number of researchers understand literature to include any text worthy to be taught to students by teachers of literature, when these texts are not being taught to students in other departments of school or university (Hough, 1969). Significantly fascinating, McFadden (1978) sees literature as a canon which consists of those works in language by which community defines itself through the course of its history. It includes works primarily artistic and also those whose aesthetic qualities are only secondary (p. 56). In essence, the self-defining activity of the community is conducted in the light of works, as its members have come to read them (or conceive them). …

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