Developing a Compromise: The Case for Universal Human Rights from a Cultural Perspective

I. Overview

In Gerrie ter Harr’s book, How God Became African: African Spirituality and Western Secular Thought, she explores the ways in which Christianity has been adopted and transformed in Africa. In writing this book, ter Harr sets out to accomplish several things. She wants to provide the reader with an understanding of how Christianity began in Africa and how it has developed. This history lays the foundation for the rest of the work by illustrating the transformation of Christianity from its Western roots into something completely African, both in its practices and its understanding of the sacred.

The historical context presented by ter Harr brings the reader up to the current state of African politics, economics, and, of course, religion. She makes it very clear that any examination of African culture and ideology must take into account African Christianity. She argues that without understanding how pervasive and important religion is in African culture there is no way to understand other aspects of African life. The prevalence and importance of religion is then discussed and applied to two broader concepts: human rights and development. For each of these broader concepts she offers recommendations for scholars and activists alike on how to create effective change using the cultural and ideological systems already in place. However, the focus of this review will be on her discussion of human rights.

II. Religion in Africa

Ter Harr states that Africa has long been a continent of strong, omnipresent religion. During the colonial era when Africa experienced an explosion of Christian missionaries, the authochthones took up the message of Christianity and began to transform it. Ter Harr posits that the goal of Western religions is to find the meaning of life, while the goal of African religions is based on interactions with spiritual forces, “the invisible world.”¹ The result is that African Christianity never abandoned the spiritual roots found in African traditional religions (ATR) and now continues to view interactions with the invisible world as important, albeit from a Christian perspective.

Because Africa still relies on its traditional roots to inform practice and ideology, many of the practices in the African Christian churches are divergent from those found in traditional Western churches. There has been a mixing of beliefs and practices between the ATR and Christianity in Africa. Ter Harr identifies and expounds upon the following topics and adaptations throughout her work: notions about and the importance of the spirit world, definitions of evil, healing practices, and charismatic worship.² She goes on to state that without understanding how immensely important these specific topics—as well as others—are to African Christians then there is no way to truly understand their worldview and create effective change in areas such as human rights and development.

According to ter Harr, one of the most basic and necessary concepts to understand is the role of evil in African Christianity. She defines evil as “a metaphysical entity that is often experienced as real, concrete, and almost tangible.”³ Evil can be manifested in human form and harnessed by humans through witchcraft. In Africa, evil is feared and dealt with through direct communication with the spirit world. Evil spirits can never be accommodated and must be driven away in order to provide safety for those who are haunted by them.⁴ Thus, when something or someone is viewed as evil, actions must be taken to rid the community or individual of this evil incarnate. In African Christian churches, ridding the community or individual of evil requires abolishing evil through the power of the Holy Spirit.⁵

III. Human Rights in Africa

Ter Harr suggests that because religion is such an integral part of African culture and identity, many important considerations are lost in translation when trying to understand the modern conception of human rights in Africa. For ter Harr, the most important concept that human rights activists need to consider is the essential role of evil. The...