The Religious, Spiritual, Humanist Worldview And Inspiring Legacy Of Nelson Mandela
Posted: 12/06/2013 3:47 pm EST | Updated: 12/06/2013 4:11 pm EST
Nelson Mandela was one of the most important figures in the 20th century. In his struggle to free South Africa from apartheid, Mandela embodied the power of the human spirit in overcoming systemic oppression, offering hope to millions around the world who continue to strive for a more just and peaceful world. His autobiography Long Walk To Freedom is the best source for understanding his religious, spiritual and humanist worldview, and most of the quotes in this overview come from that text, unless otherwise stated.
Mandela's mother was Methodist and Nelson was baptized Methodist too, though his father was a priest in his village:
He did not need to be ordained, for the traditional religion of the Xhosas is characterized by a cosmic wholeness, so that there is little distinction between the sacred and the secular.
He was quite religious for a time, as much of his education was received in Methodist schools. This influence inspired an appreciation for not only the spiritual contributions of the church, but also its importance in advancing the social needs of the people:
The Church was as concerned with this world as the next: I saw that virtually all of the achievements of Africans seemed to have come about through the missionary work of the Church.
However, later in life he also recognized how the church, specifically the Dutch Reform Church, was complicit in oppression of the African people, saying:
The (apartheid) policy was supported by the Dutch Reform Church, which furnished apartheid with its religious underpinnings by suggesting that Afrikaners were God's chosen people and that blacks were a subservient species. In the Afrikaner's worldview, apartheid and the church went hand in hand.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/06/nelson-mandela-religion-spirituality-_n_4399847.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
3:42 video at link.
= new reply since forum marked as read
