SPIRITAN MISSIONARY PIROJECT AND THE GOD-QUESTION - INDIGENOUS MEDIATIONS OF THE. SACRED AND THE CHALLENGE OF EVANGELISM

Abstract

Spiritan missionaries (o Africa in the 19" /20" century came from a world different from the African, ‘Travelling in colonial vessels, they embodied the assurance of European dominance. However, warned by their founders and influential Superiors General, they were cautious, threading with care in order not (o impose their cultures on peoples of Africa: they were instructed Lo transport the faith and not (heir cultures; they were (o accept and favor aclivities (hat were nol in conflict with true religion and belief (i.e. the Christian faith), The fact of the matter is that not all Spiritans were able (o cast aside their world as the 1659 instruction from the Propaganda demanded; not all of them were able 1o follow guidelines on Africa and Africans by their second founder Francis Libermann (1802-52) and their very influential superior general, Alexandre le Roy (1854-1938), The unavoidable arca ol clash/confrontation between the Spiritan missionary and (he African context was/is the Godquestion; evangelism is after all a question of moving people from a pattern of beliel in God to another,