TRIBAL GODS OF AFRICA - ETHNICITY, RACISM, TRIBALISM AND THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST

I have known Dr. Yusufu Turaki for the past 27 and he is the right person to write this Book on ethic, racial and tribal problem of Africa's ethnicity, racism and tribalism from the perspectives of social ethics, Christian social thought and Biblical moral and ethical principles. The Author approaches his subject from different angles: social sciences, African traditional and cultural background, colonial legacy, moral definitions of man, the state, the ethnic group or race or tribe, and Biblical narratives data. These are valuable sources of examining and addressing the issues of ethnicity, racism and tribalism.

Throughout this Book, the Author stresses the centrality of morality and ethics of leadership, the State and that of ethnic groups. It is on account of this that the Book develops and formulates moral and ethical values and principles from African traditional and cultural background and also from Biblical data and Christian social thought. The major and unique contributions of the Book to the study of morality and ethics are in these areas.

For peace, justice and peaceful coexistence among ethic groups in Africa to be found, morality and ethics must have to transcend or transform ethic, racial and tribal values and interests. This Book shows how this can be done.

This Book traces, defines develops and formulates moral and ethical values and principles from African traditional and cultural background which have profound influence upon contemporary African scene and conditions. This Book is a valuable source for African traditional "moral laws" and how these affect ethnic, racial and tribal morality and ethics and even the nature of African leadership.

The Colonial legacy with its conspicuous structures of inequality aggravates ethnics, racial and tribal issues. Ethnicity, racism and tribalism have posed great problems to correcting socio-political problems of Africa since independence. It important that a new conception of the role and function of the State and the place and position ordained by God. The Author was able to define at length negative social values of the colonial legacy and how they can be corrected were outlined.

This Book draws our attention to the definition of man and his place within African states. The treatment of man by his fellow man calls to question the issues of human rights, freedom, dignity and identity. Man is defined not in terms of his ethnic identity but in terms of his universal nature and identity: the brotherhood and solidarity of the human family. This book shows man creates false identify and with it he introduces divisions, hostility and barriers. The corrupt and fallen nature of man gives him a license for works wickedness under the guise of racism and tribalism.

The Author develops and formulates new moral and ethical value and principles from Christ's redemption on the cross. The Cross of Christ becomes the basis of new morality and ethics. The ethic of Christ which is universal in principle addresses ethnic, racial and tribal values. The Book shows how a new messianic community becomes of foundation of a new humanity in Christ. In contrast, Kinship morality and ethics are based upon ancestry, blood relations and blood community. The Author shows how the Ethic and the Gospel of Christ address kinship morality and ethics.

Dr. Tokunboh Adeyemo

General Secretary of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA)