Memory, orality and ‘God-talk’  in sub-Saharan Africa

Masoga, Mogomme Alpheus

Memory, orality and ‘God-talk’ in sub-Saharan Africa

dc.contributor.author	Masoga, Mogomme Alpheus
dc.date.accessioned	2026-03-26T09:14:34Z
dc.date.available	2026-03-26T09:14:34Z
dc.date.issued	2022
dc.departmentName	Philosophy & Applied Ethics
dc.description.abstract	The indigenous people of sub-Saharan Africa approach their Supreme Being and express their reverence in diverse ways, as depicted in the different local names that describe this supernatural being. The African cultural worldview foregrounds that virtuous rapport with the Supreme Being provides wisdom and facilitates good cohabitation among humans. It is argued in this article that teachings from the Christian Bible contribute negatively to the disintegration, fragmentation and death of indigenous knowledge systems, which include African cultural values, memory and oral traditions. Recently, some African scholars have begun to create awareness of some of Africa’s lost treasures. However, such contributions are disappointingly few. This study argues that memory and orality among Africans should be promoted and supported through various platforms, such as academic writing. This article will discuss memory, orality and ‘God-talk’ in terms of the following: teachings on moral values (e.g. relationships, marriage, humaneness [ubuntu or hunhu]) and the preservation of cultural heritage. The discussion uses qualitative analysis of secondary data and personal observation. Contribution: Firstly, the present study will provide for the readership in general, and academia in particular, a new perspective on African customs and indigenous belief systems about a Supreme Being. For example, Musiki as a Shona local dialect name for ‘God’ was already in use before the emergence of Christianity in Southern Africa. Secondly, previous contributions have not sufficiently explored memory and orality. This investigation serves as a resource or starting point for further research on memory and orality.
dc.faculty	Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
dc.identifier.citation	Masoga, M.A., 2022. Memory, orality and ‘God-talk’in sub-Saharan Africa. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 78(3), p.7716.
dc.identifier.issn	0259-9422 (print)
dc.identifier.issn	2072-8050 (online)
dc.identifier.uri	https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i3.7716
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10530/59031
dc.issuenumber	78 / 3
dc.pages	1-7
dc.peerreviewed	Yes
dc.publisher	AOSIS Publishing
dc.subject	African cultures
dc.subject	colonialism
dc.subject	indigenous knowledge
dc.subject	memory
dc.subject	orality
dc.subject	ubuntu
dc.subject	hunhu
dc.title	Memory, orality and ‘God-talk’ in sub-Saharan Africa
dc.title.journal	HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies
dc.type	Journal Article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
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