1st Edition
Beyond Bantu Philosophy Contextualizing Placide Tempels’s Initiative in African Thought
Franciscan priest Placide Tempels’s 1946 book, Bantu Philosophy, introduced a new discourse about African thought and beliefs, questioning the universality of Western philosophy and establishing paradigms that continue to dominate discussion of the relationships between Africa and the West today. More than 75 years after the publication of this influential text, this volume brings together a wide range of contributors to examine the legacy and impact of Tempels’s work for the study of African philosophy and religion. Reflecting on whether Bantu Philosophy reinforces conflict or convergence between Africa and the West, and its reception within Africa, scholars from both African and Western institutions provide new perspectives on both Tempels’s ideas and ongoing debates in African philosophy and religion.
Introduction
Frans Wijsen
Part I Tempels’ Life, Work and Spirituality
1 The Origin of Tempels’ Bantu Philosophy
Evaristi Magoti Cornelli
2 Bantu Philosophy by P. Tempels as One of the Expressions of African Philosophy in Front of African Vitalogy
Martin Nkafu Nkemnkia
Part II Bantu Philosophy in an African context
3 Indigenous (African) Philosophy and the Fecundity of Expression
Pascah Mungwini
4 Placide Tempels’s Legacy in the Bantu-stanisation of Philosophy in Africa
Bernard Matolino
Part III Intercultural Philosophy and Bantu Philosophical Paradigms
5 The African Debate on Placide Tempels’ Bantu Philosophy
Pius Mosima
6 Temples and the "Bumuntu Paradigm": Prolegomenon to an African Philosophy of Dialogue Among Civilizations in the 21st Century
Mutombo Nkulu-N’Sengha
Part IV Interdisciplinary Relevance of Tempels’ Bantu Philosophy
7 Does Bantu Philosophy Provide a Paradigm Shift for Management Sciences?
Frans Dokman
8 "Until the lionesses tell their own story, history will always glorify the lions and the hunters." Beyond Bantu Philosophy: The Communal Role for Women in Pre-Colonial Africa.
Dudziro Nhengu
Epilogue: Does Bantu Philosophy Reinforce Conflict or Convergence Between African and Western Philosophy?
Frans Dokman
Biography
Frans Dokman is adept with debates within African philosophy and management. His publications include "Kobia’s Clash: Ubuntu and International Management within the World Council of Churches" (2018) and "Linking Mission and Networks" (2020). Frans is former director and now associate researcher for the Nijmegen Institute for Mission Studies, Radboud University, The Netherlands.
Evaristi Magoti Cornelli is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. His research interests are African Political Philosophy and African Religion with a current focus on Indigenous Knowledge and Endangered Legacies in Tanzania. His publications include "Inter-religious Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa" (2017) and "Decolonizing African Christian Spirituality" (2018).
