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dalibunga
a tribute to nelson mandela
"when is it right to die?" euthanasia with Joni tada "how to be a perfect Christian" the first book by famous website the babylon bee david wilkerson
manuel luz
THABITI ANYABWILE
michael ross
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ISSUE #9
W E L COME
EDITORIAL Reading in the Summer Break
COV ER :
SUMMER D ESIGN : DA N I E L G O MES
Revista de Livros, Livros em Revista
iSSUE IX July / August / September 2018 COLlaborating in this issue: Daniel Gomes, Susana Pires, Vitor Marini (Illustrations), Samuel Ascenção (Production Support)
EDITORIAL OFFICE
email: mag@biblion.pt web: www.biblion.pt
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MISSION/PURPOSE: To promote and encourage reading habits of Christian themes, fostering the necessary conditions to allow everyone to access these works. Learn more about our drive and our principles at www.biblion.pt. CONTENTS: The content of the articles hereby presented is subject to their authors’ opinions. CONTENT USAGE: Given that the main goal is the promotion of works and authors, content sharing is allowed for non-commercial ends only, and requires the source of this content to be mentioned. PRICING & AVAILABILITY: Prices mentioned include IVA. Products are subject to stock availability at the time of the order.
Summer is for many people a time of vacation, of evasion, of rest, of distraction, of abstraction. It's a time of temporary detachment from daily life, from schedules and stress. We long for and need a time of recovery after a year of continuous pressure and weariness, proper of modern day's lifestyle. Trips to the beach, strolls on the countryside, family visits, and seeing new sights are among the pastimes and activities most find pleasant. And yet, there is always still some spare time left. This spare time, this dolce far niente, may very well become fruitful when accompanied with a healthy, edifying activity, such as reading a good book. With no impairing side effects documented, the practice of reading regularly, even on a break, promotes inspiration, knowledge, motivation, and happiness. It helps reinforcing the soul and, while at it, recharging the batteries as well. And it is certainly a leisurely activity that helps us grow internally. Good readings and a good break! PAU L O S É R G I O G O M E S
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index
12 editor's pick
when is it right to die? joni eareckson tada
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testimony
The Cross and the Switchblade Rev. David Wilkerson's true story in the streets of New York.
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SaTIRE
how to be a perfect christian A hilarious work on a very serious subject affecting the Church in our days.
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EVANGELISM
the gospel for muslims Thabiti Anyabwile opens up on his conversion from Islam to Christianity and how his case can be applied to many others.
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worship
honest worship Worship leader Manuel Luz writes in defense of sincere, genuine praise.
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youth
building faith, block-by-block A Minecraft-based devotional for the youth.
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tribute
dalibunga Two works on the great South-African Leader: The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela and The Spiritual Mandela
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PUBLICAÇÃO DE INSPIRAÇÃO CRISTÃ | Nº 8
8 Ele ressuscitou! MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
ANASTASIOS KIOULACHOGLOU
OSMAR LUDOVICO
FRANCIS SCHAEFFER
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W W W . B I B L I O N . P T
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A CHRISTIAN BOOK MAGAZINE | Nº 8
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rISEN! MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
ANASTASIOS KIOULACHOGLOU
OSMAR LUDOVICO
FRANCIS SCHAEFFER
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our identity
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Who We Are - Biblion is a free, quarterly digital magazine that promotes Christian literature and reading habits. - Created in 2016, Biblion is an initiative undertaken by Portuguese publisher Unique Creations, and enjoys the support of both resident and guest collaborators. - Currently, the magazine is on its ninth issue, with Digital (Issuu) and Interactive (Joomag) versions available in Portuguese (EU) and English (US)
What We Do - Reviews concerning books deemed beneficial for the reader’s intellectual and/or spiritual edification; - Interviews of authors, pastors and personalities involved with the development and spreading of Christian literature; - Chronicles relative to ethical and religious subjects; - In-house content production; - Dissemination of Christian and general literature; - Endorsement of reading habits for all ages.
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Our Mission - Promoting Christian literature and its production in European Portuguese; - Stimulate the publication of works from Portuguese authors; - Encourage the practice of “fair pricing” and make literature available to everyone’s financial conditions; - Promote wholesome reading habits; - Host the healthy dialogue among different perspectives.
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testimony
A testimony of faith in the middle of New York’s concrete jungle
the cross and the switchblade David Wilkerson John & Elizabeth Sherrill Editora Betânia by Daniel Gomes
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avid Wilkerson’s legacy is absolutely undeniable. The intervention and rehabilitation program for drug addicts founded by this evangelist – Teen Challenge – stretches throughout over one hundred countries today, with more than 1,400 centers all over the world. But how did it all start? The Cross and the Switchblade gives us the answer.
Reverend David Wilkerson was a striking figure of the Pentecostal church in the fight against substance abuse and in the sharing of the Gospel, risking everything – even his own life – to bring hope and change to New York’s most
dangerous boroughs. As such, it is with great astonishment that we realize the comfortable situation in which Wilkerson lived prior to his call to New York: The Cross and the Switchblade presents us David and Gwen Wilkerson, a young couple www.biblion.pt
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testimony
ministering a small community in the peaceful town of Phillipsburg, PA. Neither of the two could foresee how much their lives would change when David heard the Lord’s voice after reading the court trial of seven minors, all of them members of a New York City gang. “Go to New York and help these kids.” God’s task for David seemed almost surreal. How was he supposed to help these youngsters from the big city while he was already the pastor of a church far away from New York, with a wife and kids to provide for? And yet, the voice persisted. God’s plan was quite real, and it was going to change David’s life forever. That is the beginning of a series of amazing events – many of them could even be called “miracles” – that unfolds into a tremendous odyssey of evangelism. The reader is brought to the “Big Apple” of the
60’s – already a metropolis divided and withered by poverty, discrimination, violence, and above all, by drugs. David Wilkerson goes on a true crusade against the plague of substance abuse and the youth crime that comes from it, armed not with a sword but with love and faith. It is this faith so firm and unshakable that leads David to conquer the hearts of several teenagers connected to addiction and gang violence, sharing with them the message of hope and unconditional love that can only be found in Jesus and bringing many to know the Christ Redeemer. After some years of ministering in the New York City’s most impoverished neighborhoods, Wilkerson founded the first Teen Challenge center, a place where all teenagers, independently of gang affiliations or substance abuse problems, were welcome. The center soon became
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the headquarters to a rather unusual mobilization of young Christians – some of them former gang members – who took to the streets of New York every day in search of other young people whose lives had been ruined by crime and drugs and needed urgent transformation. The book ends with Wilkerson discussing Teen Challenge’s expansion to Chicago, aware that the Holy Spirit is the only one in charge, and that Teen Challenge will continue to perform its work as long as it stays that way. The Cross and the Switchblade is undoubtedly one of the most impressive testimonies of faith of all time, faithfully retelling the rough nature of New York’s inner city and Wilkerson’s anguish in those moments when nothing seems to be going well. His message of trust and grace has inspired many all over the world to follow on his footsteps, bestowing this work with an absolutely incalculable value.
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Ed i t o r ' s p i c k
A COMFORTING AND SURPRISING LOOK AT DEATH AND DYING
when is it right to die? joni eareckson tada zondervan by Paulo Sérgio Gomes
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wenty-five years after addressing to the subject for the first time, Joni Eareckson Tada returns to euthanasia as the main focus of this updated edition of When Is It Right to Die?. She felt the need to come back after learning of the tragic case of Nancy Fitzmaurice, a young 12-year old girl from England who, by the court’s order, had her tube feeding taken away. She died fourteen days later… of starvation.
Over the course of the years, especially the most recent ones, Joni has followed closely any story or initiative carried out by “pro-life” activists or those who defend “the
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right to assisted suicide,” as behind it all there is a family just like hers. Despite her paralysis, she has found an answer to make life worthwhile. And that answer is “hope.”
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But why not die? Joni delves into the subject from the point of view of the human being that suffers. When is it right to die? “It’s none of your business!” “When the pain becomes unbearable!” “When it’s too expensive!” “When you don’t want to live with all these limitations!” “When it’s easier to die than to continue living!” Joni raises the question and, from the cases exposed and their inherent outcomes, it’s not just about knowing “when,” but who wants to die, how and why! One can notice a complex interpretation when it comes to the distinct conditions in which the patients find themselves, even though all is oftentimes reduced into a “terminal situation.” And it’s usually not so. From the athlete that is confined to the life of a quadriplegic who, even with the support of her spouse and kids, refuses to eat; to the woman dependent on life support for fourteen years, in a standstill between her family, who wants her to stay alive, and her husband, who wants
to “pull the plug.” Which side should have the power to decide? Who was freed from the terminal condition of “dependency” – the sickly woman or her husband? With her vast experience of suffering and dependency but also of struggle and nonconformity for her condition, Joni dissects the numerous approaches to the subject, whether it is euthanasia per se, voluntary, involuntary, non-voluntary, or assisted suicide; as well as “death with dignity,” the “right to die,” “quality of life” and relative/ absolute value; even considering the approach to the subject from the outside, though stating that the current tendencies in society is what influences public opinion. Dr. C. Everett Kopp explains euthanasia in this way: “The whole thing about euthanasia comes down to one word: motive. If your motive is to alleviate suffering while a patient is going through the throes of dying, and you are using medication that alleviates suffering, even though it might shorten his life by a few hou-
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editor's pick
The following are reasons invoked when applying for assisted suicide: •
Limited capacity to take part in activities that make life enjoyable (96,2%)
•
Loss of autonomy (92,4%)
•
Loss of dignity (75,4%)
•
Feeling of being a burden to others (48,1%)
T hese
reasons have nothing to do
with the pain caused by a terminal disease.
rs, that is not euthanasia. But if you are giving him a drug intended to shorten his life, then your motivation is for euthanasia. But the book is not all about final moments. Larry McAfee, a civil engineer, suffered a bike injury, becoming paralyzed from the neck down
and relying on a ventilator to stay alive. Prevented from moving outside the nursery and not being able to breath on his own, Larry appealed to the court in order to shut off his ventilator and die. Though she didn’t hesitate writing to him, Joni read on the papers that the judge had allowed Larry to end his life. However, Larry then opted not to turn off the machine right away, being transferred to another institution, with Joni eventually losing his trail. Years later, and to her joy, she found his whereabouts and reached out to him. They exchanged brief words about the paralysis, and before it was over she questioned him about what made him go back on his decision to proceed with the assisted suicide and what motivated him to keep on living. The reply was somewhat astounding: “Because I’m not forced to live in an institution or hospital anymore.
+120 book reviews 14 ISSUE #9
I’m living in a little independent-living house with two other guys in wheelchairs. It’s a lot more enjoyable with a lot less pressure, less rigid. You can set your own schedule. As long as I’m not forced to live under the conditions of the state, then I consider life worth living.” Viktor Frankl, the author of Men’s Search for Meaning, a psychiatric and survivor of Auschwitz, comforted thousands in despair. In his words, “suffering can have meaning.” Joni E. Tada has done an extensive work of analysis to the multiple branches of this conundrum. This includes the differences between “vegetative state” and the “minimally conscious state,” as well as what the Bible has to say about euthanasia and dying, and the Hippocratic Oath, along with the wise comments of Christian authors such as Eric Metaxas and J. I. Packer. When Is It Right to Die is clearly an essential work to better understand this subject from a biblical point of view.
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s at i r e
how to be a perfect christian the babylon bee multnomah by daniel Gomes
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re you tired of “fighting the good fight” and “keeping the faith” without getting visible results? Do you feel frustrated and disheartened from running with perseverance the race set before you? Are you looking for an infallible way to obtain salvation without having to create a genuine relationship with God? Even if the answer is “not really,” the first literary work of satirical website The Babylon Bee is exactly the book you need to become the “perfect” Christian. How to Be a Perfect Christian is a genius satire on how an average, run-of-the-mill believer can become the perfect Christian – at least in the eyes of everyone else. In the style of 16 ISSUE #9
famous site The Babylon Bee, the book is an ironic and exaggerated guide to all who seek to reach the pinnacle of Christian perfection through religion and appearances.
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From picking the right church and joining the best fitting small group to dealing with children’s education and evangelizing non-believers, the work is indubitable and thorough in enlightening the reader of how a true “saint” lives in our days. The book even includes a “holiness tracker” at the end of each chapter in which the reader is compared to several biblical characters, and where he can evaluate his current progress. More than a “guide,” How to Be a Perfect Christian is an unnerving warning about a snobbish way of thinking not too different from that of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, and which is deeply rooted in the hearts of many believers today. Through subtle satire, the authors sought to point their fingers at current practices that are being undertaken lightly, but that also stem from a haughty, self-centered perspective. Many of the behaviors “recommended” by the book for the “perfect” Christian – such as only listening to contemporary Christian music and reading “Christian” literature because secular music and books are automatically the Devil’s work – reveal a lack of
maturity in faith and, at the same time, a dependence in works and personal merit; nonetheless, these and other equally noxious behaviors continue to develop in the minds of many believers. Probably one of the best and most original works of 2018, How to Be a Perfect Christian shows with equal measure of detail and humor that the Christian is perfect in the eyes of God by merit of the Christ, who once immaculate gave himself up for the salvation of every believer. It’s two hundred pages that blend fun and introspection seamlessly – a mixture you won’t want to miss! what others say about this book "I believe this is a book that needed to be written [...]. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone because even though there are painful truths inside, they are presented in a rather nonthreatening manner, as long as you can handle satire."
- cari jehlik author and blogger learn more about her work at:
www.carijehlik.com
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e va n g e l i s m
Reassurance to Share Christ with Confidence
the gospel for muslims thabiti anyabwile moody publishers by paulo sérgio Gomes
T
he Gospel for Muslims, by Thabiti Anyabwile, is not an apologetic book. It nonetheless consists of bringing the Gospel to others, not defensively but rather by employing a good offensive strategy. Here the reader will get some support to engage in conversation; advice on avoiding some common mistakes; biblical lessons destined to help everyone tell the story of God’s love and redemption through His son, Jesus. The most important method in order to be prepared to share our faith with Muslim neighbors and friends is knowing the Gospel from start to finish. Christians know the Scriptures but lack confidence in its 18 ISSUE #9
power. This book is a call to embrace the confidence in the message of God’s power to save all who believe. On one hand, The Gospel for Muslims praises the Gospel’s attributes – God, Mankind, Jesus, repentance,
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Faith – providing the reader references to the Quran as well, with a simple introduction and a few basic teachings. Reading this book along with the Bible will help you focus on key principles. On the other hand, it gives us practical suggestions, useful in evangelistic discussions with Muslims on Bible chapters, hospitality, the local church and suffering in evangelism. With absolute reliance in God and the Gospel, we may very well witness the greatest revival among the Muslim people in history. Thabiti himself has crossed the gap between Islam and Christianity. He tells his story in the book, from his conversion to Islam in college and his contempt for Christianity, all the way to his pledge before Jesus. At that time he sought to equip himself with every possible argument to ridicule his Christian classmates. It was in this relentless search that he realized the discrepancies found in the Quran and sought to consult the
Bible’s very text. Surprisingly, when he tried to confirm Mohammad’s prophecies in the Bible, such was not possible and his assumptions were left void of any support, which meant Islam could not be the true religion. This realization shocked him, and not only did he turn his back to Islam but to all religions as well. After a period of time in which Thabiti suffered from depression, the preaching and power of the Gospel finally touched him. The author gives special attention to the hospitality that the Christian must refine when dealing with his neighbor, especially with Muslims. If you’re not welcoming, then learn to be so. Thabiti exhorts Christians to go out and fulfill their call by bringing people of all nations to the knowledge of His son and eternal life, declaring that in the evangelism of Muslims, unlike what is commonly thought, they too convert.
+100 countries www.biblion.pt 19
worship
honest worship manuel luz intervarsity press by daniel Gomes
T
imes change, people change… but should worship change as well? It’s a question that often goes by unnoticed until the believer is confronted by the variety of ways in which worship is performed during church services, from the traditional acappella to displays of light and sound worthy of a televised production. Reflecting on his vast experience as a worship leader, Manuel Luz offers us a fresh, sincere perspective of worship – an “honest worship” towards God.
I recall one of A Casa da Cidade's worship team rehearsals, when one of the worship leaders asked the following question to the rest of the group: “Who do we play and 20 ISSUE #9
sing for?” That question caught me completely by surprise. Almost instinctively, I replied we were there for the rest of the congregation; after all, it’s up to the worship team to guide
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the other attendees in singing and celebration, in that little window of church service time we are given to praise God. Of course I wish I hadn’t given that reckless answer when I was reminded of who truly was our “audience” – God. Paraphrasing the words of Kierkegaard, the worship leader made me see how the whole church unites to praise the Lord – those who sit round the stage are as much part of the celebration as those who stand on the stage. It is a simple concept that is very easily ignored when we get carried away by the subtle narcissism of our times. This is the reason why Manuel Luz’s work couldn’t come at a better time. The American worship leader shares his experiences and speaks of his definition of honest worship. To Luz, worship is not merely an action, but a continuous attitude that requires humility and faith in an age of pride and skepticism. Its message of both transparency and consistency
applies to every believer who seeks a strong, genuine relationship with God, and it transcends doctrines, denominations, and established forms of worship in church services. Manuel Luz reflects on the human being’s unique nature to show how important the true, authentic worship promoted by his work really is: a human being made in the image of his Creator seeks to express himself in creative ways, and worship is no exception – if there is something that the diversity in worship found across the denominations proves is the capacity of the body of Christ to imagine and innovate. However, human nature’s corruption by the sin of pride is an obstacle almost unavoidable to honest worship, since we easily seek our own glorification when we should seek to glorify the only being worthy of praise. This pride takes root in an even deeper and inconspicuous way in our individualistic culture, where appearances
wherever, whenever
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and instant gratification are paramount. Before these circumstances, the author rallies us to have the extraordinary attitude of living for the one we worship, making the best of every opportunity to be examples of Christ in the life of our neighbor. Honest Worship is a succinct work that invites us to face worship as it should be: a reflection of Christ’s character at all times. The book is made specifically for the reader to meditate on its content, with a personal challenge at the end of each chapter and a Q&A section for discussion groups that motivate the reader to adopt this new way of thinking and living – a philosophy of selflessness for the Creator, the One who empowers us with the ability to worship Him.
youth
building faith, block-by-block michael ross christopher ross harvest house publishers by paulo sérgio gomes
M
ichael Ross, the experienced American author, has a vast number of literary works dedicated to the family and youth. In a previous issue (Biblion #5), we have already presented his laudable devotional Tribe: A Warrior’s Heart for teenage boys. Now, together with his son Christopher, a brilliant student and an expert on Minecraft, the game that attracts kids and grown-ups from all over the world, Ross has made a manual destined to the younger audience with sixty “secrets” to win, both in the game and in life. In short chapters, the Ross’s offer a detailed record of their adventures in Minecraft, sharing useful tips
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with the readers to overcome the challenges of this virtual world, as well as those that they face in their
everyday lives. Split into two areas – Gameplay and Real-Life – the sixty survival secrets that make up Building Faith, Block-by-Block are structured with an adventure of the player character “Dragee90” in Minecraft, along with a “secret” for every area, a “Best Tip” to improve playability, and three special suggestions of Bible reading to meditate on how to live life fully and with wisdom. Gameplay Secrets help the reader succeed in the virtual game. Real-Life Secrets relate the topic to the real world, where the character shares a story, a challenge, a conquest in his life. These end with a Bible verse and a question to meditate on or to discuss with friends.
Get it now!
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A Tribute to N
Nelson Mandela
tribute
the prison letters of nelson mandela sahm venter liveright by paulo sérgio Gomes
A
s Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter Zamaswazi asks himself, “how could he survive twentyseven years in prison?” Through the reading of this compilation of Mandela’s letters, written during his time in prison, we can better understand what helped him carry on. Throughout that time, Mandela made a copy of every letter he sent in his notebooks, leaving us with a precious collection now available in this new edition.
The reading of these letters leads the reader here and there throughout the menacing Robben Island prison, where there were no white inmates;
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where food rations were limited and mediocre, and where climate conditions were extreme. Its system of forced labor was brutal, and the
B I B L I O N - A C H R I S T I A N B OO K M AG A Z I N E
coercion which political prisoners were subject to bore enormous cruelty. After being initially sentenced to prison for five years, charged with leaving the country without a passport and for rallying strikes, Nelson Mandela was accused of sabotaging the South-African regime and condemned to life imprisonment. Together with other six convicted colleagues, he was sent to the infamous maximum-security prison of Robben Island, located near the coast of Cape Town. As political prisoners they were attributed level “D,” the lowest rank with the least privileges in the prison system. Only one visit was allowed every six months, and they could only write and receive one letter in that period of time. All mail was checked at Robben Island Censor’s Office, prohibiting any description of confinement conditions or references to other inmates, and for a long time letters could only be exchanged with their closest family members. Mandela included in every letter he sent to his wife, Winnie, words of
encouragement to push through the long years of distance between the two, as she struggled to care for their five children’s education and survival. In one of those occasions, he recommended her the reading of two books by American psychologist Norman Vincent Peale – The Power of Positive Thinking and The Results of Positive Thinking. Despite not agreeing with the metaphysical aspects of Peale’s arguments, Mandela considered his view on physical and psychological problems valuable, which would help Winnie to overcome her frail health condition. The authorities’ lack of humanity towards Mandela became quite blatant when, in July 1969, his oldest son Thembi died in a car accident. The letters to his ex-wife and Thembi’s mother, as well as to the prison lieutenant, accurately express the pain he lived as he was denied the chance to be present at the funeral and say goodbye to his son one last time. Years later, in a long letter directed to the highest office of the South-African prison system, he described these continuous abuses of
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tribute
authority, the egregious conditions in which prisoners dwelt and the discrimination. His Methodist education became clear when Winnie was tried in court along with other activists. Mandela wrote her an encouraging letter where he reported the story of an inspiring book he had read previously – Shadows of Nazareth, by C. J. Langenhoven. Here, the author describes the trial of Jesus through a letter of Poncius Pilate himself to a friend in Rome. Here we also learn some peculiar details of Mandela’s life. In 1975, under the suggestion of Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada, Madiba began to prepare in secret his autobiography. He wrote little pieces every night, which would then be translated by two inmates, who painstakingly reduced its content, from six hundred pages to sixty. This work was buried in prison until one of the inmates was released and
could finally take the manuscript out of the country. Nevertheless, their plot was exposed, and their academic privileges were suspended for four years. Even though a good part of the texts arrived to London, the publishing of Long Walk to Freedom only happened in 1994, after Mandela’s release from prison. In December 1988, already after being hospitalized due to tuberculosis, he was transferred to Victor Verster prison, being lodged in an old house for prison guards, enjoying modern commodities. Around that time he finished his Law degree – forty-five years after starting it – at the University of Witwaterstand. In a speech to the nation in early February 1990 by then president F. W. de Klerk, it was finally announced Nelson Mandela’s release, which happened around 4:30 PM of February 11. He wrote his last letter in that same morning.
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Faith and Religion in the Life of Nelson Mandela
the spiritual mandela dennis cruywagen imagine books - watertown by paulo sĂŠrgio Gomes
T
he Spiritual Mandela presents us the great South African in an unusual perspective, one rarely touched by Mandela himself: the importance of Christian influence in his education. Bishop Desmond Tutu said once that Mandela was very reserved concerning his spiritual life, but this book shows you a narrative filled with facts that contributed to the intellectual and spiritual development of this outstanding figure of modern history. Unlike the commitment towards freedom that marked every moment of his life, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was very reserved in the public display of his religions convictions. 32 ISSUE #9
Nonetheless, some years prior to his death in 2013, Mandela determined that his funeral would observe the traditional Methodist rituals, in a ceremony directed by the Methodist
B I B L I O N - A C H R I S T I A N B OO K M AG A Z I N E
Bishop Don Dabula, his friend and confidant. Despite growing in a family faithful to the tribal tradition, his development blends with Christian values. Under his father’s guidance, he was baptized in the Methodist church, later being educated by British missionaries, even going on to credit Methodist institutions as ideal to mold the kind of independent minds that led the anti-apartheid fight. After his father’s passing, little Rolihlahla was handed to the tribal chief, Jongintaba, who lived in the capital of the Thembuland province, who had offered to be his education’s guardian, something that Gadla, Mandela’s father, could not refuse. This was a great opportunity of assuring a promising future toward young Mandela, studying and growing in a Christian environment while maintaining an education within Thembu traditions, supervised by one of the tribe’s greatest leaders. Now living in the palace, the Great Place, Mandela had a tutor who assumed his responsibility in full, establishing a plan that would
assure the attaining of his maximum potential, which would lead to the rank of royal advisor, and which would keep him from spending his life in South African gold mines. There was no better place for this, nor was there someone more capable than Jongintaba, who knew much of the two pillars upon which Mandela’s education was founded – culture and religion. His function demanded exceptional qualities, incorporating the traditional values of the Thembu while retaining, as a Methodist, the principles of Christian faith. The family was faithful to the ancestral custom, since the presence of missionary William Shaw at the beginning of the 19th century, to be present at the Sunday service, which led Mandela to a new habit and a new authority: the power of Christianity as transmitted by Rev. Matyolo, leader of the local Methodist congregation. In 1934, at the age of sixteen, Rolihlahla took part on the traditional Xhosa ritual of circumcision, which represented the boys’ transition into adulthood, something fundamental to one who is to be respected amongst www.biblion.pt 33
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the Thembu. Without going through mix between his Christian education this ceremony, no Xhosa man may and his traditional one would be cruinherit from his parents, marry or cial to guide the future royal advisor. perform tribal rites. Mandela was After three years at Clarkebury, now Dalibunga, an epithet given to a Mandela was transferred to another traditional governor in the region of prestigious Methodist institution, Transkei. the Wesleyan College of When Mandela attenHealdtown, with over ded high school, the regent four thousand students tr usted his education from both sexes, where the “... I have to Rev. Harris from the British, Christian educano problem Clarkebur y Methodist tion system of liberal arts Institute, whom they with religious prevailed. called “White Thembu.” Despite being consiCuriously, the Clarkebury belief. My pro- dered an institute of the mission post was built in blem is that South African elite that lands given out to Wilf o r m e d “A n g l i c i z e d ” all too often Africans, it gave Mandela liam Shaw by Mandela’s great-grandfather, King people fail to the chance to experience Ngubengcuka. Rev. Rithe non-violent opposition act on what chard Hadley oversaw its to the reigning white sufoundation in 1825, and it they claim to premacy, thus establishing was baptized in honor of his future understanding believe.” the British theologian Dr. of the apartheid regime. Adam Clarke. In 1939, then at age 21, Regent Jongintaba, an Nelson Mandela enrolled alumnus of Clarkebury himself, was in a college known for its high Chdetermined in providing young Manristian standards, being connected dela with favorable conditions to his to the Anglican, Methodist and preparation for the important role he Presbyterian denominations – the would play in Thembu society. The University of Fort Hare. There he
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was an active member of the Christian student association, teaching Bible classes in the outskirts of town. To have an idea of the education provided there and the kind of minds present there, a number of other freedom activists make up the university’s list of alumni, including Oliver Tambo, Robert Mugabe, Seretse Khama, Dennis Brutus, Govan Mheki and Robert Sobukwe. At the end of his days, Mandela expressed his gratitude toward the European missionaries. “Our generation was produced by Christian schools, by missionary schools… when the government took no interest whatsoever in our education. It was the missionary that piloted black education… so Christianity really is in our blood.” Two remarkable figures of the anti-apartheid fight, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo became great friends at that school, which shows how Christian schools and colleges contributed to the development of free, revolutionary thinking, in a period of South-African history in which many black Africans fought to obtain a decent education.
Nevertheless, his life would change in a radical and abrupt way, as the regent determined, in a declining stage of his life, that Mandela was to marry a woman for which he felt nothing. A man of a strong and developed mentality, he chose not to submit to his tutor’s command, leaving college and fleeing to Johannesburg, thus forfeiting the future destined to him, yet preserving his independence. Although he lived protect with the regent’s family and obtained an exemplar academic education, he never stopped considering the importance his mother had in his life, and felt deeply grateful for the role she had in the formation of his religious identity.
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