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  • Interpreting the Old Testament in Africa, A Review

    NATURE AND PURPOSE
    This volume is a collection of twenty-three papers read at the International Symposium on Africa and the Old Testament, in Karen, in October 1999. It is part of the Biblical Studies in African scholarship series which features titles by contemporary African Christian theologians.
    The purpose of the series generally is to make available a sample of such books like the one under review at affordable prices to students, faculty, clergy and laity within Africa. Furthermore, it is hoped that African Christian theological scholarship will eventually enter the mainstream of the theology curriculum in tertiary institutions in Africa and beyond. The series intends to fill this gap and facilitate systematic research on contemporary Christian theology as articulated by African scholars. The editors of the text admit that there is no plain answer to the question “what does it mean to interpret the Old Testament in Africa today?” However, they are convinced that the text is an attempt to realistically answer the question. The question of localization, they affirm, is important for Old Testament scholarship.

    SUMMARY OF THE CONTENTS OF ONE ESSAY IN EACH OF THE MAJOR DIVISIONS OF THE BOOK
    Part One: Mapping the context of Old Testament Studies in Africa
    The Current State of Old Testament Scholarship in Africa: Where We Are at the Turn of the Century, By Knut Hotler

    This paper asks some basic questions with regards to the state of the Old Testament scholarship in Africa at the turn of the last century, relating the minor stories of Old Testament scholarship in Africa to the major story, the story about who we are, and where we are. It surveys the current state of Old Testament scholarship in Africa from three perspectives (thematic, institutional and interpretive) and discusses a couple of aspects of interaction between these three areas. Preference for approaches relating the Old Testament texts and the African context and the growing interest for more traditional exegetical approaches are noted from the thematic approach. From an institutional perspective, the paper identifies and discusses some of the problems and challenges facing the development of an infrastructure facilitating an Old Testament scholarship. The third perspective discusses how Old Testament scholarship in Africa relates to different aspects of its interpretive context. However, as all three refer to the same phenomenon, Old Testament scholarship in Africa, they are closely related. Although African Old Testament scholarship has been established, its voice must be heard within the church in Africa and its interpretation must reflect its dialogue with the experiences and concerns of Africa. The same is true if it wants to be part of the global guild.

    Part Two: Finding Africa in the Old Testament
    The images of Cush in the Old Testament: Reflections on African hermeneutics, by David Tuesday Adamo

    This paper examines the various functions and meanings of the Old Testament term Cush that have been put forward by Euro centric scholarship. A brief survey of some extra biblical references like African and Assyrian precedes the discussion on the Old Testament references to Cush which is divided into three groups: Cush as a personal name, a geographical reference and a reference to people of Africa descent. It discusses the exegetical function, meaning and translation of the term and the implications of the translation for the churches in Africa. Adamo holds tenaciously to the view that Cush should be translated or rendered Africa which will disprove racist ideas that some scholars have forced into the Bible in their interpretation.

    Part Three: Using Africa to Interpret the Old Testament
    What”s in a Name?: Africa Versus Old Testament Nomenclature, by Jonathan Gichaara

    Gichaara engages in a comparative study between the significance of names or name giving in the Meru African heritage and in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament and African cultures, the name is inextricably bound up with existence. Nothing exists unless it has a name. It is not a mere label of identification, but an expression of the essential nature of the bearer of the name. It stood for the character qualities of either the bearer of the name or the giver as the case may be. The differences are also outlined.

    Part Four: Using the Old Testament to Interpret Africa
    Genesis 1-2 and Some Elements of Diversion from the Original Meaning of the Creation of Man and Woman, by Anne Nasimiyu Wasike

    This article discusses the place of women in the church and society. It laments the woeful use of the Bible since some African scholars have referred to their traditional, cultural and religious heritage to justify the inferior status of women in society. For centuries, male scholars have gone to the Scriptures and selected those texts that support their male-dominated views on women. The writer believes that Christianity has failed to reflect the restoration message of the Gospel. It has alienated and marginalized African women in the Church. It is no wonder that Africa is leading in emerging church movements which are seeking wholeness, healing and recognition of women”s leadership. Women, Wasike argues, have to question the patristic interpretation which does not allow them in leadership roles beyond household management. She holds that there is need for a theology that affirms restoration in Jesus Christ which supports our uniqueness as persons ? male and female-, made in the image and likeness of God. The man-made barriers that restrict human freedom, especially women”s freedom, have to be torn down to enable each child of God to fulfill his or her God-given gifts and talents.

    Part Five: Translating the Old Testament in Africa
    Morphological and Syntactical Correspondence Between Hebrew and Bantu Languages, by Victor Zinkuratire

    This article draws attention to some features of the Hebrew language that have close equivalents in Bantu languages. Several examples of certain morphological and syntactical correspondences between Hebrew and Bantu languages are cited. A final example of comparison is taken from a common feature of the Hebrew language namely the qatal-wayyiqtol (perfect and imperfect) verb sequence used in past tense narrative.

    The writer draws several important implications based on the discovery of these similarities and correspondences. He suspects that Hamitic and Nilotic groups of languages would yield a still closer and more radical resemblance with Hebrew than the Bantu languages. These correspondences and similarities between Hebrew and African languages could encourage African Old Testament scholars to examine the potential of using mainly African Bible translations (instead of European ones) in conjunction with the Hebrew (and Greek) Bible. This could be a promising route towards a genuine African biblical exegesis that will facilitate a more contextualized interpretation of the Bible for Africans.

    EVALUATION
    Generally, these papers give a fairly representative testimony of how the relationship between Africa and the Old Testament is interpreted in universities and theological seminaries in Eastern and Southern Africa at the turn of the last century. They are an invaluable effort to interpret the Old Testament in an African context. They are important signposts in the long journey towards the maturation of African theological scholarship. By mapping the context of Old Testament studies in Africa, aiming at finding Africa in the Old Testament, analyzing various aspects of the Old Testament portrayal of Africa and Africans, discussing Africa to interpret the Old Testament, analyzing various aspects of how the texts of the Old Testament are experienced as relevant to their contemporary African readers and describing various aspects of the effort of translating the Old Testament in Africa today, these papers portray the puzzling affinity between the African religious heritage and the way of the life which the Old Testament presupposes and takes for granted.

    My criticism of the text is that it did not reflect scholars from all the four main regions in Africa. Although my country, Sierra Leone, is not included, one would probably have expected meaningful contributions from or about the country with probably one of the largest growing church in the world (Nigeria). The above notwithstanding, the writer realistically observes that, without Africa and the participation of Africans, neither Judaism nor Christianity would make sense. This means that the Old Testament cannot be realistically interpreted without Africa”s contribution.

    AUTHOR SIGNATURE
    Oliver L.T. Harding, who obtained his GCE O & A Levels from the Sierra Leone Grammar School and the Albert Academy respectively, is currently Senior & Acting Librarian of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is a part time lecturer at the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS), Fourah Bay College and the Extension Programme at the Evangelical College of Theology (T.E.C.T) at Hall Street, Brookfields; Vice President of the Sierra Leone Association of Archivists, Librarians & Information Scientists (SLAALIS); a member of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) and an associate of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals (CILIP). His certificates, secular and sacred, include: a certificate and diploma from the Freetown Bible Training Centre; an upper second class B.A. Hons. Degree in Modern History (F.B.C.); a post-graduate diploma from the Institute of Library Studies (INSLIBS, F.B.C) a masters degree from the Institute of Library, Information & Communication Studies (INSLICS, F.B.C.) and a masters degree in Biblical Studies from West Africa Theological Seminary, affiliate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he won the prize for academic excellence as the Best Graduating Student in 2005. Oliver, a writer, musician and theologian, is married (to Francess) with two children (Olivia & Francis).
    Email: oltharding@yahoo.com
    Mobile: 232-2233-460-330

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Oliver_Harding/112404

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1338629

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  • Raila Odinga tells the story of African Politics like never hear

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  • The Destruction of Africa: Travel, History, Politics, Economics,

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubAvAaro344

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  • Animal Entertainment

    Animal Entertainment

    Animals have been used for the purposes of entertainment for millennia. They have been hunted for entertainment (as opposed to hunted for food); displayed while they hunt for prey; watched when they compete with each other; and watched while they perform a trained routine for human amusement. The Romans, for example, were entertained both by competitions involving wild animals and acts performed by trained animals. They watched as "lions and bears danced to the music of pipes and cymbals; horses were trained to kneel, bow, dance and prance … acrobats turning handsprings over wild lions and vaulting over wild leopards." There were "violent confrontations with wild beasts" and "performances over time became more brutal and bloodier".

    Animals that perform trained routines or "acts" for human entertainment include fleas in flea circuses, dolphins in dolphinaria, and monkeys doing tricks for an audience on behalf of the player of a street organ. Animals kept in zoos in ancient times were often kept there for later use in the arena as entertainment or for their entertainment value as exotica.

    Many contests between animals are now regarded as sports – for example, horse racing is regarded as both a sport and an important source of entertainment. Its economic impact means that it is also considered a global industry, one in which horses are carefully transported around the world to compete in races. In Australia, the horse race run on Melbourne Cup Day is a public holiday and the public regards the race as an important annual event. Like horse racing, camel racing requires human riders, while greyhound racing does not. People find it entertaining to watch animals race competitively, whether they are trained, like horses, camels or dogs, or untrained, like cockroaches.

    The use of animals for entertainment is often controversial, especially the hunting of wild animals. Some contests between animals, once popular entertainment for the public, have become illegal because of the cruelty involved. Among these are blood sports such as bear-baiting, dog fighting and cockfighting. Other contests involving animals remain controversial and have both supporters and detractors. For example, the conflict between opponents of pigeon shooting who view it as "a cruel and moronic exercise in marksmanship, and proponents, who view it as entertainment" has been tested in a court of law. Fox hunting, which involves the use of horses as well as hounds, and bullfighting, which has a strong theatrical component, are two entertainments that have a long and significant cultural history. They both involve animals and are variously regarded as sport, entertainment or cultural tradition. Among the organisations set up to advocate for the rights of animals are some whose concerns include the use of animals for entertainment. However, "in many cases of animal advocacy groups versus organisations accused of animal abuse, both sides have cultural claims."

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  • Storytelling Entertainment

    Storytelling Entertainment

    Storytelling is an ancient form of entertainment that has influenced almost all other forms. It is "not only entertainment, it is also thinking through human conflicts and contradictions". Hence, although stories may be delivered directly to a small listening audience, they are also presented as entertainment and used as a component of any piece that relies on a narrative, such as film, drama, ballet, and opera. Written stories have been enhanced by illustrations, often to a very high artistic standard, for example, on illuminated manuscripts and on ancient scrolls such as Japanese ones. Stories remain a common way of entertaining a group that is on a journey. Showing how stories are used to pass the time and entertain an audience of travellers, Chaucer used pilgrims in his literary work The Canterbury Tales in the 14th century, as did Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century in Journey to the West. Even though journeys can now be completed much faster, stories are still told to passengers en route in cars and aeroplanes either orally or delivered by some form of technology.

    The power of stories to entertain is evident in one of the most famous ones—Scheherazade—a story in the Persian professional storytelling tradition, of a woman who saves her own life by telling stories. The connections between the different types of entertainment are shown by the way that stories like this inspire a retelling in another medium, such as music, film or games. For example, composers Rimsky-Korsakov, Ravel and Szymanowski have each been inspired by the Scheherazade story and turned it into an orchestral work; director Pasolini made a film adaptation; and there is an innovative video game based on the tale. Stories may be told wordlessly, in music, dance or puppetry for example, such as in the Javanese tradition of wayang, in which the performance is accompanied by a gamelan orchestra or the similarly traditional Punch and Judy show.

    Epic narratives, poems, sagas and allegories from all cultures tell such gripping tales that they have inspired countless other stories in all forms of entertainment. Examples include the Hindu Ramayana and Mahabharata; Homer's Odyssey and Iliad; the first Arabic novel Hayy ibn Yaqdhan; the Persian epic Shahnameh; the Sagas of Icelanders and the celebrated Tale of the Genji. Collections of stories, such as Grimms' Fairy Tales or those by Hans Christian Andersen, have been similarly influential. Originally published in the early 19th century, this collection of folk stories had significant influence in modern popular culture which subsequently used its themes, images, symbols and structural elements to create new forms of entertainment.

    Some of the most powerful and long-lasting stories are the foundation stories, also called origin or creation myths such as the Dreamtime myths of the Australian aborigines, the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, or the Hawaiian stories of the origin of the world.These too are developed into books, films, music and games in a way that increases their longevity and enhances their entertainment value.

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  • Entertainment

    Entertainment

    Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience, or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands of years specifically for the purpose of keeping an audience's attention. Although people's attention is held by different things, because individuals have different preferences in entertainment, most forms are recognisable and familiar. Storytelling, music, drama, dance, and different kinds of performance exist in all cultures, were supported in royal courts, developed into sophisticated forms and over time became available to all citizens. The process has been accelerated in modern times by an entertainment industry which records and sells entertainment products. Entertainment evolves and can be adapted to suit any scale, ranging from an individual who chooses a private entertainment from a now enormous array of pre-recorded products; to a banquet adapted for two; to any size or type of party, with appropriate music and dance; to performances intended for thousands; and even for a global audience.

    The experience of being entertained has come to be strongly associated with amusement, so that one common understanding of the idea is fun and laughter, although many entertainments have a serious purpose. This may be the case in the various forms of ceremony, celebration, religious festival, or satire for example. Hence, there is the possibility that what appears as entertainment may also be a means of achieving insight or intellectual growth.

    An important aspect of entertainment is the audience, which turns a private recreation or leisure activity into entertainment. The audience may have a passive role, as in the case of persons watching a play, opera, television show, or film; or the audience role may be active, as in the case of games, where the participant/audience roles may be routinely reversed. Entertainment can be public or private, involving formal, scripted performance, as in the case of theatre or concerts; or unscripted and spontaneous, as in the case of children's games. Most forms of entertainment have persisted over many centuries, evolving due to changes in culture, technology, and fashion. Films and video games, for example, although they use newer media, continue to tell stories, present drama, and play music. Festivals devoted to music, film, or dance allow audiences to be entertained over a number of consecutive days.

    Some activities that once were considered entertaining, particularly public punishments, have been removed from the public arena. Others, such as fencing or archery, once necessary skills for some, have become serious sports and even professions for the participants, at the same time developing into entertainment with wider appeal for bigger audiences. In the same way, other necessary skills, such as cooking, have developed into performances among professionals, staged as global competitions and then broadcast for entertainment. What is entertainment for one group or individual may be regarded as work by another.

    The familiar forms of entertainment have the capacity to cross over different media and have demonstrated a seemingly unlimited potential for creative remix. This has ensured the continuity and longevity of many themes, images, and structures.

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  • Individuals 60 and Older are Very Happy with their Sex Lives

    Some individuals feel that getting older isn’t going to be very much fun. They believe that everything on their body is going to start to move in directions that aren’t very appealing. It is this ideal that they have that makes them think that older individuals much must not take part in having sex. They also believe those that do don’t get very much pleasure out of it. Yet they are very wrong in their thinking based on what is really taking place out there.

    Most people over the age of 60 are definitely having sex and they are very happy about it. They take part in the activity at least one a week with a regular partner that they have been with for some period of time. They are past the time in their lives when they have to be everything to everyone. It is now time to really focus on their own needs, and that applies to their sexual desires as well.

    Some individuals who are over the age of 60 grew up in a very different world. Men were mainly dominant and women were submissive. They stayed at home and took care of the house and the children. Today, there is much more equality among men and women in society. That means women can be more assertive in regards to sexual activities they wish to engage in.

    Contrary to popular belief, men really like this. They don’t want to be the one to always initiate sexual activities. They want to know they are needed and that they are desired. They want to be sure their partner is having sex because it feels good to them, not just because they feel obligated to keep their partner happy.

    Some may think that sex for those over 60 would be boring. After all they should enough experience under their belt to have tried it all. Yet many people in this age group will tell you they are still learning. They are finally following what they wanted to try long ago. Also, as they have gotten older their sexual needs and desires have changed from what they once were.

    Communication about sex seems to be more of a standard for people over the age of 60 They feel a connection that goes much deeper now than they did earlier in their lives. While they realize sex isn’t what the relationship is all about, it is definitely a very important part of it. They want to become more intimate with their partner and having a great sexual relationship allows that to take place.

    For those who have been with the same partner for a very long time, many of the tensions that were once there are gone. With the children grown and retirement in place the struggles over child rearing, money, and even time that were once there aren’t anymore. This means that the couple can focus their attention on the needs of each other emotionally and sexually instead of it being consumed by day to day needs.

    The sexual behaviors of those over the age of 60 may not be of interest to younger generations. In fact, they find it hard to swallow that their parents or grandparents are taking part in such activities. Yet it should be reassuring to younger generations that such a big part of their life now can continue on as they reach that age themselves down the road before they know it.

    While most people you likely know who are over the age of 60 don’t go around discussing their sex life in public, you can be sure there is plenty of action still taking place. It is evident from various surveys and questionnaires. The reports from medical offices around the world tell the same story. A great deal of information about those over 60 enjoying sex is also found online where people can share it without disclosing their identity.

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  • Magic Entertainment

    Magic Entertainment

    The form of entertainment known as stage magic or conjuring and recognisable as performance, is based on traditions and texts of magical rites and dogmas that have been a part of most cultural traditions since ancient times. (References to magic, for example, can be found in the Bible, in Hermeticism, in Zoroastrianism, in the Kabbalistic tradition, in mysticism and in the sources of Freemasonry.)

    Stage magic is performed for an audience in a variety of media and locations: on stage, on television, in the street, and live at parties or events. It is often combined with other forms of entertainment, such as comedy or music and showmanship is often an essential part of magic performances. Performance magic relies on deception, psychological manipulation, sleight of hand and other forms of trickery to give an audience the illusion that a performer can achieve the impossible. Audiences amazed at the stunt performances and escape acts of Harry Houdini, for example, regarded him as a magician.

    Fantasy magicians have held an important place in literature for centuries, offering entertainment to millions of readers. Famous wizards such as Merlin in the Arthurian legends have been written about since the 5th and 6th centuries, while in the 21st century, the young wizard Harry Potter became a global entertainment phenomenon when the book series about him sold about 450 million copies (as at June 2011), making it the best-selling book series in history.

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  • Music Entertainment

    Music Entertainment

    Music is a supporting component of many kinds of entertainment and most kinds of performance. For example, it is used to enhance storytelling, it is indispensable in dance and opera, and is usually incorporated into dramatic film or theatre productions.

    Music is also a universal and popular type of entertainment on its own, constituting an entire performance such as when concerts are given. Depending on the rhythm, instrument, performance and style, music is divided into many genres, such as classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop music or traditional. Since the 20th century, performed music, once available only to those who could pay for the performers, has been available cheaply to individuals by the entertainment industry which broadcasts it or pre-records it for sale.

    The wide variety of musical performances, whether or not they are artificially amplified, all provide entertainment irrespective of whether the performance is from soloists, chora or orchestral groups, or ensemble. Live performances use specialised venues, which might be small or large; indoors or outdoors; free or expensive. The audiences have different expectations of the performers as well as of their own role in the performance. For example, some audiences expect to listen silently and are entertained by the excellence of the music, its rendition or its interpretation. Other audiences of live performances are entertained by the ambience and the chance to participate. Even more listeners are entertained by pre-recorded music and listen privately.

    The instruments used in musical entertainment are either solely the human voice  or solely instrumental  or some combination of the two. Whether the performance is given by vocalists or instrumentalists, the performers may be soloists or part of a small or large group, in turn entertaining an audience that might be individual, passing by, small or large. Singing is generally accompanied by instruments although some forms, notably a cappella and overtone singing, are unaccompanied. Modern concerts often use various special effects and other theatrics to accompany performances of singing and dancing.

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  • Discount Car Rental – How to Get the Discount Out of a Discount Car Rental

    How to Get the Discount Out of a Discount Car Rental

    Discount car rentals are so hard to come by, and in recent times, discount car rentals simply mean you pay less for something less, and lets face it, sometimes when you pay less for a car rental, you end up with something that looks more like a farmer’s truck than a car. It’s hard to come up with a budget friendly rental, so how do you get a discount car rental these days? Well here are a few tips to boost the value of your money, car rental wise.

    1.A good way to essentially, get a discount car rental is to, once you return the car, fill the tank with the cheapest no-name gas you could find, not for revenge or anything, but because car rental companies, require customers to fill the gas tank before returning it, and it you don’t they’ll fill it for you with the company pump but at a higher price, now we don’t want that, so be sure to fill your tank before you return the car.

    2.To get the discount off of discount car rental, make early reservations, some car rental companies give discounts or free upgrades for customers who reserve their cars early.

    3.When you’re planning to use your rental car for more than five days, or longer, ask the rental car company if you can get discount car rentals for a weekly rate, most companies offer discounts for the sixth and seventh day for weekly rentals.

    4.Ask your travel agency if you could get discount car rentals if you acquire packages like fly-stay-drive or fly-drive. Most travel agencies as well as hotels offer these programs at a discounted price, what’s good about this is that you get a discount and you shoot two to three birds with one stone.

    5.When you go to a car rental company, ask them if you could get a discount car rental in exchange for your frequent flyer miles, this is good for those miles that are about to expire, so instead of throwing them away you’d get one last use for them.

    6.One way to get a discount car rental or maybe just the best deal for your money is to look for sites or rental car firms that accepts a pre-determined budget. This is when you indicate the money you’re willing to spend for the car rental, most rental car companies will give you the program that has the biggest discount car rental and the best deal for you, of course it pays to know if the company has a history of fraud, in this day and age, you can’t really trust people that much with your money, check out the car before you reserve.
    Discount Car Rental
    7.Ask the rental company for discount car rentals when you frequently rent a car at their firm, they’re most likely to give discounts or free upgrades if you always rent with them.

    8.Get discount car rentals by reserving your car through the internet. Most rental firms have internet only discounts that can save you a lot of money, look up the rental firm that has the greatest discount for the same value.

    9.To get a discount car rental upgrade, try going to pick up your car just as the shop is opening, there’ll be a shortage in the economy cars, and you’ll probably get a free upgrade when they can’t give you the car you reserved.

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