Why would an old, white, North American, evangelical male be interested in the Africa Study Bible? I’ll get to that in a minute. First, a bit of introduction to this remarkable volume.
God’s Word through African Eyes
Title: NLT Africa Study Bible, Hardcover
By: Oasis International
Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 2144
Vendor: Tyndale House
Publication Date: 2017
Weight: 3 pounds 4 ounces
ISBN: 1496424719
ISBN-13: 9781496424716
Text Color: Black Letter
Text Size: 10 Point
Note Size: 9 Point
Thumb Index: No
Ribbon Marker: No
Spine: Sewn
Page Gilding: None
Page Edges: White
Stock No: WW424711
Imprintable: Yes
Buy One From: The Christian Book
The excellent, readable text of the New Living Translation is augmented by hundreds of notes and articles in several categories which are rooted in the African context on every page. Proverbs and Stories, for example, introduce a saying or fable from an African country or culture, tying it to the passage being read. Given the prominence of wisdom literature in the Bible, this is a natural. The notes affirm when the story or proverb falls in line with a Scriptural perspective, and explain when it does not.
Notes headed African Touch Points may draw from contemporary African demographics or culture, highlight when an African person or place is mentioned in the Bible, or let us hear the voices of prominent African Christians of the past. The introductions to each biblical book as well as the application notes bring out topics and issues that are of particular relevance to Africa.
So we might read about how shame and reputation factor into African families and cultures, how people protect their property with walls, the millions of orphans in Africa due to warfare and disease, the continued influence of taboos and traditional religions, how so much of Scripture does not affirm the widespread prosperity teach in Africa, and so forth.
The notes are written by hundreds of contributors from fifty African countries. The writers are not reproducing what they might have learned in a Western institution or from Western teachers. They are speaking clearly from and about their own context. The editors of the volume are to be commended for their perseverance in gathering these notes and for letting the contributors speak from their own perspectives.
So far I have only read through one Old and one New Testament book, the Psalms and the gospel of Mark. But I look forward to going through the rest,
which brings me back to my original question,
why would I,
with zero African roots,
find this valuable?
I can gain a new perspective on my own faith and my own culture by comparing it to another culture. I dont normally think in categories of taboos in my culture, but I might find it helpful if I did. I may not be focused on building a wall to protect my property, but how do I focus on safety instead of the kingdom? When minor troubles come my way, what hope can I take from African brothers and sisters who sometimes face more severe trials? Living in a culture where Christianity is stagnant or diminishing, what can I learn from a place where it is exploding?
These and many other issues fill this important resource. Highly recommended.
