Spear Masters: An Introduction to African Religion

by Molefi Kete Asante and Emeka Nwadiora | University Press of America (2007)


Summary

Spear Masters contends that in Africa there exists only one religion with a vast array of "denominations." African religion is expressed in a different way by each of the denominations, which creates confusion for those who believe that there are more than one African religion. Spear Masters presents information about some of the larger and most significant expressions of the sole African religion, so that the reader will understand the relationship between God the creator and the notions of the relationship with the family and community. The term "spear master" relates to the integrity and ethics that had to accompany the maker and user of the spear in ancient African societies. The essence of religion presented in Spear Masters is the deification of one's society and nation, and making sacred the traditions and rituals of the ordinary lives of the people.

You might also be interested in:

The History of Africa

Being Human Being

100 Greatest African Americans

  • Asante is “one of America’s top 100 leading thinkers.

    —Utne Reader

  • Asante, a sixth-generation American descended from enslaved Africans, has been a guiding light in African American studies.

    —Booklist

  • Molefi Kete Asante is a seminal thinker.

    —Cornel West, Princeton University