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1980
Teaching the Bible to Black Africans : (Toward a Methodological Approach to Bible Teaching Applied to the Beti Tribes of South- Cameroon)
Joseph Nkou Andrews University
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TEACHING THE BIBLE TO BLACK AFRICANS (TOWARD A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO BIBLE TEACHING APPLIED TO THE BETI TRIBES OF SOUTH-CAMEROON)
Andrew University Ed£). 1980
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School o f Graduate Studies
TEACHING THE BIBLE TO BLACK AFRICANS
(Toward a methodological approach to Bible teaching applied to the Beti tribes of South-Cameroon)
A Dissertation
Presented in partial fulfillment
o f the Requirements fo r the Degree
Doctor of Education
by
Joseph Nkou
August 1980
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TEACHING THE BIBLE TO BLACK AFRICANS
(Toward a methodological approach to Bible teaching applied to the Beti tribes of South-Cameroon)
A Dissertation
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
o f the Requirements fo r the Degree
Doctor of Education
by
Joseph Nkou
APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE
Chairman\ VnJJr utcher Dean, School o f Graduate Studies
member: M George_H.^ Akers m l Committee m . Coetzee
Committee member: Russell Staples / / 1 . /it t /pro Externa ir.er:*Douglas Waterhouse Date ^(5 proved
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT
TEACHING THE BIBLE TO BLACK AFRICANS (Toward a methodological approach to Bible teaching applied to the Beti tribes of South-Cameroon)
by
Joseph Nkou
Chairman: Wilfred Futcher
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Dissertation
Andrews U n iversity
Department of Education
T it le : TEACHING THE BIBLE TO BLACK AFRICANS (Toward a methodological approach to Bible teaching applied to the Beti tribes of South-Cameroon)
Name of researcher: Joseph Nkou
Name and degree of faculty adviser: Wilfred G. A. Futcher, Ph.D.
Date completed: August 1980
Problem
This study is concerned with methods of teaching the Bible
in Black Africa and particularly among the Beti tribes of South
Cameroon. The Gospel message has been brought to the Beti people
through the ministry of Western instructors. Some have claimed
their teaching to be irrelevant to the Africans. It appeared
necessary, then, to find out in what way that teaching was
irrelevant to Beti people and to suggest positive methods which
could be applied in order to facilitate the Beti grasp of the
Christian message and, consequently, to predispose them to a full
and inner acceptance of the Gospel.
1
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Method
Three main research methods have been used:
1. A review o f a v a ila b le lite r a tu r e dealing with methods
of teaching the Bible in Africa, with the religious, social, and
cultural background of the Beti.
2. Interviews with selected outstanding Beti scholars.
The interviews were recorded and transcribed for analyzing.
3. A statistical chi-square analysis of the responses to
a survey questionnaire in which four hundred Beti villagers were
involved: including young and old people, illiterate and educated,
Christians and non-C hristians, men and women.
Findings
The findings can be summarized in three main areas:
1. An acquaintance with the Beti people, who live mainly
in South Cameroon. They o rig in a lly believed in , among other
secondary gods, an ultimate God, called Zamba, or Ntondo obe. They
worshipped through specific rites and are characterized by specific
patterns of thought and a consistent set of values.
2. The general external methods which should be considered,
if the Christian message is to be conveyed in relevant terms to
the Beti, are namely, the importance of communication, values,
patterns of thought, needs finding, a positive example, progressive
revelation, and the authority of the Bible.
3. There are specific biblical issues which have positive
cortmon points with Beti beliefs (God, Jesus Christ, the Word of
God, baptism, the Holy Supper) and other biblical teachings with
which Beti beliefs are in apparent conflict with the Gospel
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. (polygamy, Christian diet, ancestors, origin of sin, and the law
o f God).
Conclusion
It appears then that a knowledge of the religious beliefs,
the values, and the thought patterns of Beti people on the part of
the religious educator creates an atmosphere of reciprocal con
fidence, esteem, and appreciation. This helps to establish a
positive communication which is the primary condition for a fru it
fu l dialogue between the Beti people and the Gospel worker. In th is
encounter, the Word of God which is in the Holy Bible, must be
recognized as normative and authoritative for the enrichment and
the sanctification of the life experience of every man Beti and,
by analogy, of the Black African.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES...... vi i
LIST OF TABLES ...... v i i i
PREFACE...... ix
Chapter I . INTRODUCTION ...... 1
The Problem ...... 3 Analysis of the Problem ...... 3 Statement o f the Problem ...... 9 Purpose o f the S t u d y ...... 10 Basic Assumptions ...... 11 Importance of the Study ...... 11 Definition of Terms ...... 13 Delimitation of the Study ...... 14 Methods o f Procedure ...... 15 H y p o th e s e s ...... 1G Organization of the Study ...... 18
I I . REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE...... 19
Introduction ...... 19 L ite ra tu re Relating to General Gospel Communication Principles in Non-Western Countries ...... 19 A Critical Appraisal of Missionary Methods ...... 19 Disregard of African methods of communication . . . 20 Attitudes of paternalism and inflexibility .... 21 Collaboration with political powers ...... 22 Missionary errors emphasized ...... 22 A recognition of missionary ministry ...... 23 Suggested P rin ciples o f Communication ...... 24 Come with a learning a ttitu d e ...... 24 Using the local patterns of thought ...... 24 Identification and encounter ...... 25 Let the international authority of the Bible exert itself in all communication ...... 25 A fric a n ize the Gospel ...... 28 Analysis of Gospel Content Issues Raisec ...... 29 The Christian marriage issue ...... 30 Christianity and culture ...... 30 Biblical themes and African beliefs ...... 31 The idea of God ...... 32
i i i
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The person of Jesus C h ris t ...... 33 Ancestors and the d e a d ...... 33 The doctrine of the church ...... 34 Literature on the Cultural and Religious Heritage of Beti People ...... 35 The Ethnic Origin: Who Are the Beti People ...... 35 The Pahouin t h e o r y ...... 35 The Beti theory ...... 36 G o d ...... 37 The Son of G o d ...... 38 God the Fa th e r ...... 38 The entrance o f s i n ...... 39 The law of G o d ...... 39 The main rite s o f the Beti p e o p le ...... 40 Some subject areas considered ...... 43 A rejection of Western cultural values ...... 44 L ite ra tu re on Methods o f Teaching the Bible in Western Societies ...... 45 The Universal Laws of Teaching ...... 45 The law of the ^cacher ...... 46 The law o f the l e a r n e r ...... 47 The law of the la n g u a g e ...... 48 The law of the lesson ...... 48 The law of the teaching process ...... 49 The law of the learning process ...... 50 The law o f review and a p p lic a tio n ...... 51
I I I . DESIGH AND METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY...... 53
Introduction ...... 53 The S a m p le ...... 53 The Geographical Area Covered by the Beti People . . 54 The Geographical Area Covered by the Questionnaire S u r v e y ...... 54 Sample Selection ...... 57 The Survey Questionnaire ...... 60 Development of the Questionnaire ...... 60 Validation of the Survey Questionnaire ...... 60 Field Survey Arrangements ...... 60 S ta tis tic a l Treatment o f the Survey D a t a ...... 62 The Interviews with Beti Scholars ...... 63 Review of the L iteratu re ...... 65 Summary ...... 66
IV. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA...... 67
Introduction ...... 67 Findings from the Review of the L iteratu re ...... 67 P rin cip les o f Communication ...... 67 Concepts of the Supernatural ...... 70 S i n ...... 70 Law o f G o d ...... 71
i v
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Rites celebrated by Beti people ...... 71 Findings from the I n t e r v i e w s ...... 72 The Beti Pattern of Thought ...... 72 The logic of experience ...... 73 The logic of symbolism ...... 74 The logic of participation ...... 74 The logic of in itia tio n ...... 76 The Beti Values ...... 78 Respect for l i f e ...... 78 Importance of re lig io u s commitment ...... 78 Moral code of conduct ...... 79 Family and k in s h ip ...... 80 Community l i f e ...... 81 Hospitality ...... 83 O p e n n es s ...... 84 A Consistent Set of Values ...... 84 To obtain a Beti appeal value rating for the 25 core Biblical themes ...... 86 To te s t for an o p erative Beti value system .... 86 To identify preferred procedural methods of teaching (External methods) ...... 86 To compare Beti and core Biblical knowledge basis for pedaqoqical implication (Internal Methods) 88 Findings according to the Testing of the Hypotheses . . 88 Preferred Procedural of teaching (external Methods) 88 Test for an operative Beti value system ...... 113 Beti appeal value rating for 25 core B ib lic a l themes ...... 119 Summary ...... 130
V. METHODS OF TEACHING...... 131
Introduction ...... 131 External Methods ...... 131 Communication ...... 132 V a l u e s ...... 134 Finding the Needs ...... 136 M o d e lin g ...... 137 D i s c i p l i n g ...... 140 Progressive Teaching ...... 141 The Normative Function of the B ib le ...... 143 In tern al Methods ...... 147 Introduction ...... 147 The I s s u e s ...... 150 Dialogue versus preaching ...... 151 Teaching through Dialogue ...... 153 The notion of God ...... 153 The person o f Jesus C h r i s t ...... 155 The Word o f G o d ...... 157 B aptism ...... 160 The Lord's Supper ...... 163
v
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Preaching the W ord ...... 166 Teaching Christian marriage to Beti ...... 166 The polygamy i s s u e ...... 166 Procreation ...... 169 Family relationship ...... 171 Teaching health reform to Beti ...... 173 From emo minlan to Nnam Y a d ...... 175 Teaching the Christian concept of evil ...... 179 The agents of evil ...... 180 The power of e v i l ...... 180 Teaching the law of God ...... 181 Teaching U n it ...... 182 The Selection of Themes ...... 182 The Purpose o f the U n i t ...... 182 General Objectives ...... 183 Specific Behavioral Objectives ...... 183 Day-by-Oay Activities ...... 186 Rationale of Presentation ...... 192 General considerations ...... 192 Informal activities ...... 192 The Presentation of Themes ...... 193 The Beti Zamba and the Biblical God ...... 194 The Son o f G o d ...... 195 The L ife a f t e r Death ...... 196 The Christian Marriage ...... 198 The Law o f G o d ...... 200 F e e d b a c k ...... 202 Summary ...... 203
V I. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION...... 204
Summary ...... 204 F in d in g s ...... 206 Discussion and Im plications ...... 211 Recommendations and Suggestions ...... 214
APPENDICES...... 216
A. QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE S U R V E Y ...... 217
B. CHI-SQUARE ANALYSIS ...... 227
C. INTERVIEWS...... 285
D. RESEARCH PERMITS ...... 334
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 341
vi
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1. The United Republic of Cameroon ...... 55
2. The Beti Area ...... 56
3. Location of the Beti Tribes ...... 57
4. Beti Set of Values ...... 85
5. Chart Showing Activities of the First Meeting ...... 187
6. Chart Showing Activities of the Second Meeting ...... 188
7. Chart Showing Activities of the Third Meeting ...... 189
8. Chart Showing Activities of the Fourth Meeting ...... 190
9. Chart Showing Activities of the Fifth Meeting ...... 191
v ii
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1. S im ila ritie s between C hristian B eliefs and Those o f Beti P e o p le ...... 40
2. Distribution of Sample according to Age and S e x ...... 58
3. Distribution of Sample according to Education ...... 59
4. Distribution of Sample according to Religion ...... 59
5. Beti Rating o f Degree of Appeal o f 25 Them es ...... B7
vi i i
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE
While I worked as a religious educator (Bible teacher, evangelist and
chairman of the Theology department of a Junior College) in South Cameroon
for twelve years, I became acutely aware of the fact that those educators
who p o s itiv e ly used th e ir knowledge and understanding o f the c u ltu ral and
re lig io u s background o f a student seemed to communicate with g reater success
while at the same time generating on the part of the student a greater trust
and respect for the teacher. Often times it appeared as though the foreign
m issionaries did not succeed in the above respect as they might have done.
The nature of the "gap" between the student and the foreign missionary who
had to operate in a strange cultural milieu was never clear to me. The
problem is particularly complex when one is led to believe that foreign
missionaries are generally motivated by ideas of selfless service. When
the opportunity therefore came my way to come to the United States to work
toward a doctoral degree, the choice of my topic was clear. I decided to
conceptualize in a systematic and objective research approach the principles
that should govern the religious educator's communication rationale and
p ractices.
A word of acknowledgement is necessary here. I would like to express
in a particular way my gratitude to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The
president of the Union of Eglises Adventistes in West Central Africa,
ix
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Maurice Zehnacker, and the president of the Euro-Africa Division of Seventh-
day Adventists, Edwin Ludescher, allowed a satisfactory budget for research
which enabled me to fly to Africa and to conduct in Beti land a research
survey--which could not have been realized otherwise.
I am thankful to Henri Walder, a Swiss missionary with whom I worked
closely for ten years and who was the firs t church leadet who systematically
encouraged me toward academic achievement. I am thankful to the government
of the United Republic of Cameroon, to the general delegate to the Scien
tific research and to Mr. le prefet de Mfou who issued to me the legal
authorizations for scientific research and gave me the authorization to
use the research experience of national researchers such as Michel Evouna.
I thank the outstanding scholars, Engelbert Mveng, Mbede Raymond, Raphael
Onambele, Marcien Towa, Abega Prosper Pie Claude Ngoumou, and Aime Cosendai,
who personally participated in the interviews.
I am thankful to the members of my doctoral committee, Dr. Futcher,
chairman who personally supervised the statistical aspect of this research*,
Professor Russell Staples, an outstanding anthropologist who allowed me to
use his personal library and watched very closely the content of this study,
Dr. George Akers, my doctoral adviser, a Christian educator without whom
this study may not have been developed to its completion, and Dr. A. Coetzee,
who gave me his academic and human support.
I have, finally, a word of thanks to my wife, Juliette, who has been
throughout this research a constant source of faith, hope, encouragement,
and dynamic love.
If the present research would help a religious educator, whether of
foreign or of indigenous origins to Africa, to better present the gospel
message to those they come in contact with, then this research w ill have
reached my objective.
x
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INTRODUCTION
In 1843, a Black Baptist missionary from Jamaica, Joseph
Merrick, brought, for the first time, the Gospel message to the
tribesmen who liv e d along the Wouri estuary in the Cameroon.^
Two years later, Alfred Saker, also a Baptist minister like Merrick,
came to help. The two men, followed by m issionaries from other
Christian churches, devoted themselves to spread the "good news"
a ll over the Cameroons.
The "good news" was th a t:
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have e v e rla s tin g l i f e (John 3:16).
The Baptist ministers confined their work to the coast of
the country, working among the Douala and the Bassa trib e s . Forty
years later, the "Peres Palotins" (Catholic priests) arrived in
Cameroon. They established th e ir f i r s t missionary post in the heart
of Betiland, in the little village of Minlaaba. The Beti, through
this Roman Catholic influence, were introduced to the Christian
message.
^Historical facts on the beginnings of Christian missions in the Cameroons referred to in this chapter, and which are not otherwise identified, are to be found in Mvena (1963),Nkou (1968).
1
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Several aspects of the methodology used by representatives
of the newly found Christian faith are seen today by some scholars such
as Marcien Towa(1979)as having been unwise, unscriptural and nothing
more than a foreign imposition which operated without due regard to the
m ilieu in which they were working. An example o f such a method is the
way used in dealing with the m atter o f polygamy which did not pay ade
quate attention to the fate of wives and children or adequately address
the problem of marriage, divorce and family structures as found among
the Beti people. Another example was the Catholics' use of Latin for
litu r g y and prayers.
In the e arly years no attem pt appeared to have been made to
establish points of contact between the cultural and religious heritage
of the Beti people as it might relate to the Gospel message. Beti
scholars of the present era declare unanimously that missionaries that
came to Betiland generally did not adequately take into account the
local people's socio-cultural and religious values! Somehow the mis
sionaries fa ile d to communicate the Gospel to them in re le v an t terms.
In contrast to the missionaries to Betiland, Jesus Christ is
the heavenly messenger who came down to earth and in a love-encounter
met man by taking on humanity. He caught man in his daily existential
situation. He took this concrete situation as the point of departure
for communication and growth. Therefore, when God disclosed and revealed
Himself, He chose and met men and women in their socio-cultural setting,
and He "contextual!'zed" (Hoffman, quoted in Nyamiti, 1978, p. 34) Himself
to the human reality.
1 See p.20 "the disregard for African culture" in the review of literature for several examples of critical scholars.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 3 The Problem
Analysis of the Problem
As the Divine contextualization par excellence, Jesus Christ
is seen as One who not only became a man among men, through in c arn a tio n ,
but as One who also used in His methods o f teaching channels o f com
munication that were familiar to the people and which facilitated their
understanding o f His message:
By using a variety of illustrations, he not only presented the truth in its different phases, but appealed to the different hearers. Their interest was aroused by figures drawn from the surrounds of their daily life. (White, 1958, p. 21)
While Jesus Christ revealed His Father with the highest rele
vance and accuracy, i t is also believed th a t the prophets who wrote
down the revealed message from their special encounter with God and,
later on. the missionaries who carried this message across the world,
were in e v ita b ly influenced by th e ir own c u ltu ra l backgrounds. They
very much functioned in their humanity. Ellen White (1958, p. 23) is
careful to note that even the language of the writers of the Bible was
not a divine language but that of human beings:
The In f in it e One...has given dreams and visio n s, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed, have themselves embodied the thought in human language.
It is clear that the Bible writers, therefor^ were influenced
by their own backgrounds and thought patterns. This made the message
more relevant to their own compatriots. The revelation was God's but
the testimony to it was conmitted to fra il, human "earthen vessels."
The problem has been and w ill ever be how best to communicate
the gospel re v e la tio n . Many have fa ile d to communicate to a ll men
everywhere in as relevant terms, methods, and context as did the perfect
example. Jesus Christ. This failure of men is recognized by theologians,
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scholars, and missiologists generally.
Part of the failure is seen in the fact that as Christianity
spread, it accepted as part of its heritage and tradition certain secular
concepts, p olitical, socio-economic, and cultural vehicles for purposes
of propagation. We find remnants of such a heritage in the concepts of
Christmas, Sunday observance, etc. It is believed that some forms
o f C h ris tia n ity became somewhat c u ltu re bound and westernized.
From its very beginning, Christianity slowly and deeply pene
trated the western world. The Apostles and the early church leaders
introduced the Gospel message around the Mediterranean Sea and in Europe.
With the rise of Catholicism during the Middle Ages and the birth of the
Protestant reformation with Luther, the Bible messaqe and western culture
interacted with one another and influenced each other so strongly that in
many respects, some elements of western philosophies and values influenced
the development of doctrines and practices.
This may explain why missionaries, moulded in the western
socio-cultural context, and having received the Gospel as influenced by the
process of the western contextualization of Christianity, did not carry
the Gospel to the Beti people purified in content and methods from its
western connotations.
In some way then, when the missionary went to Africa, and es
pecially to Betiland during the nineteenth century, he was not only
the man of God who brought the Gospel light to the "dark continent,"
but also the product of the most powerful culture of that time. The
advance of the western world over Africa in m ilitary, scientific,
economic, educational, and religious matters was so great that the new
converts faced the frustrating situation of having to give up their
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culture, habits, music, and values in order to adopt and assimilate
the "superior values" of the western world. This appears to the modem
African scholar as somewhat of a perversion of original Christianity
in that cultural elements were propagated and made a test of fellow
ship as though they were part of the original Christian revelation.
As can be seen from the following quotations from these scholars,
both the content of Christianity and the paternalistic methodology
of the missionaries are criticized.
Dealing w ith w estern izatio n , Donald R. Jacobs (1977, p. 5)
says:
We should not be surprised to find that the Gospel as brought to Africa by the modern missionary movement had a western tin t, for western missionaries had to speak out of their experience— they had no other. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the century, because of the new tools and weapons he had developed, western man fe lt culturally superior and looked upon the non white world in a patronizing way. And missionaries were not fre e o f th is , even though we had some problems with i t . To be sure, we were a b it slow to lis te n to the wisdom of the non white world.
One of the most powerful denunciations of the westernization
of Christianity is the following declaration of the first Ecumenical
Dialogue of the Third World Theologicans, gathered at Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania, August. 5-12, 1976:
The missionaries could think of the spread of Christianity in terms of transplanting the institutions of their Euro-American churches within, of course, the framework of imperial domination. Thus the new Christians were segregated from their fellow human beings, alienated from the traditional religious cultural heri tage and th e ir community way o f l i f e . This process strengthened their hold on the new believers. The liturgy was imported whole sale from the 'mother churches, 1 so were the ecclesiastical structures, and theologies. A pietistic and legalistic spiri t u a lit y common in Europe a t the time was introduced in the new churches also. In later times, the western educational system was spread in the colonized countries largely through the services of churches. We have thus the establishment of Christian churches in these continents more or less as carbon copies of European Christianity.(AFER, 1976, p. 7)
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In regards to the curriculum of western theological education
Chukwudum B. Okolo (AFER, 1976, p. 18) mentions specifically the opinion
that the Bible has been taught inadequately for both the formation of
clergymen and, consequently, for meeting the needs of the church members.
He s ta te s :
The classical theological method of the West, under which most, if not a ll, of us have suffered, has been to make a thorough, detailed and academic study of the major sources of Christian doctrine in order, we are told, to explore God's self-revelation. Classically these sources have been the Bible, tradition and reason. Thus our theological curriculum has taken us through Biblical studies. We have studied content, problems of author ship, problems of date of writing, we have learned the techniques of historical form and source criticism to tear the text open. Alongside this we have battled through the history and doctrine of early ecumenical councils and creeds, the Trinitarian and Christological debates of the third and fifth centuries, and on through Augustine, the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, the Council of Trent, St. Thomas Aquinas, Papal Encyclicals and modern theologians. Then we have struggled through philosophy and ethics. Finally, we have been sent out as 'qualified' priests to be the servants of our people—the people whose real-life problems we have scarcely considered w hile gaining a ll our heady information. In the main, we have found ourselves to be irrele vant. Few, if any, of us have been able to translate our learning into relevant and life-enabling action.
Lawrence Nay Kwiawon Taryor (1976, p. 20) speaks to the same
concern:
C h ris tia n ity was European or American in nature and A fricans had to become 'civilized' in a western sense before they were 'Christianized'. In this process, a person accepting Christi anity ceased to be an African and became a stranger and fo r eigner to his own people.
The problem is not and does not remain a historical one. Ellen
G. White, writing to an American evangelist working among the whites of
South A fr ic a , is also somewhat c r it ic a l of the missionary methods being
used there by Seventh-day Adventist missionaries of her time. She says:
Too many methods and habits and fashions have been transported from America to Africa, and the result is not favorable. . . . You must vary your labor, and not think there is only one way
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which must be followed in a ll times and in a ll places. Your ways may seem fo r you a success, but i f you had used more ta c t, more o f the heavenly wisdom, you would have seen much more good results from your work. (MS 491, pp. 114, 115)
Such counsel would be even more pertinent to a missionary
attempting to bridge th° much wider cultural gap involved in communi
cating to black Africans.
The essence of White's advice is that missionaries should pre
sent their new ideas in all humility. She says, again:
No one is to lay down man made rules and regulations to govern arbitrarily his fellow laborers who have living experiences in the truth. (White, 1948, p. 491)
Let not one think that there is not to be a stroke placed upon him. There is no person, no nation, that is perfect in every habit and thought. One must learn of another. (White, 1948, p. 180)
For purposes of highlighting the problem of westernization as
seen by A frican scholars and m is s io lo g is ts , with respect to both
content and methods of Christianization in Africa, the following areas
are considered:
In content, for example, Sunday observance and the Platonic
ideas of the immortality of the soul which became Christian doctrine
are mainly a western heritage with tenous connections with Biblical
teachings. There is also a kind of confusion between biblical teachings
and western values. Obviously, the biblical ideal for marriage is mono
gamy and the best d ie t p rim a rily given by God to humankind is vegetarian.
But these two have also, with time, become western values, so that
atheistic westerners can be monogamous and vegetarian without necessarily
being religious.
In methods, missionaries among Beti did not always follow
biblical methodology. By this the researcher means the priority of the
basic needs of human beings over men's principles (White, 1948, p. 191)
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and the priority of life over life principles. Nothing should unneces
s a r ily be done to keep man from s a lv a tio n . In dealing with the Old
Testament people, for example, the God of the Bible came down, catching
them where they were, in the existential contextuality of their concrete
situation. He moved them up progressively, toward perfection. Thouqh
the p rin c ip le o f his love was in c o n tra d ictio n w ith the polygamous s ta tu s ,
he was not ashamed to be the God of Jacob. This pedagogic fle x ib ility ,
demonstrated throughout the Scriptures, is the heart of progressive
revelation:
The Scripture was given to men, not in a continuous chain of unbroken utterances, piece by p iece, through successive generations, as God in His providence saw a fittin g opportunity to impress man at sundry times and in divers places. Men wrote as they were moved upon the Holy Ghost. There is "first the bud, then the blossom, and next the fru it," "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." This is exactly what the Bible utterances are to us.(White, 1948 , p. 191)
The same aoproach can be true o f vegetarianism and thp
general issue of eatinq and drinking. The Lord Jesus came down and
identified with people where they were and progressively directed them
toward heavenly values. He ate meat and f is h , though he knew th a t th is
was not the best diet for human beings. This was a demonstration that
life has priority over principles of life (see Matt. 12:3-4). In the
same way man has p r io r ity over the day o f re s t, even though the day of
rest is the per'-'ct expression of God's law.
Another methodological element criticized today by African
scholars is the missionary practice of giving "Christian names" to African
converts. This practice is first of all a depersonalization. For an
African, the name is a symbol, it has a meaning which expresses the depth
of individual development. It is therefore the heart of his personality.
To change meaningful native names to meaningless western names lik e
Pascal, Louis, Godfrey, Arthur, etc., to some extent, is to steal the
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African's inner identity and to impose upon him a foreiqn and meaningless
personality. The Christian adventure in Africa in this way becomes a
depersonalizing adventure. The practice is also a devaluation of African
culture. The African name that bore a specific meaning, by which the
individual was significantly integrated to the whole group, is no longer
used and one o f the most meaningful A frican c u ltu ra l ceremonies, the
giving o f a name, became obsolete.
Finally, one of the basic issues dealing with both content
and methods of teaching the Gospel is the western pride in the normative
role of human reason. Western Christian scholars either as originators
or as supporters of liberalism tend to claim the normative function of
human reason in spiritual matters according to current western patterns
of thought. This is, in the researcher's opinion, an intellectual imperialism
Africans are not willing to accept. The Beti tribesman conceives of the
supernatural as a positive and concrete part of his environment. Bult-
mann's demythologisation of the Bible is meaninqless to the Beti. The
miracles performed by Christ speak to the Beti and the fact that Jonah
stayed three days and three nights in the belly of a big fish presents
no intellectual difficulty for him. When an expatriate or a wester
nized African demythologizes the Bible among Africans he does violation
to basic native values, beliefs, philosophies, patterns of thought, and he
considers a western approach as normative.
Statement o f the Problem
In an attempt to find a more meaningful approach to the Christian
ization of Africans, this dissertation addresses the problem of develop
ing a set of Bible teaching units for the Beti people of the Cameroons
th a t w i11:
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(a) reflect a due regard for the principles of intra- and
in te rc u ltu ra l communication and
(b) have identified the positive and negative elements in the
c u ltu ra l and re lig io u s h eritag e o f the Beti people o f the Cameroons, in
terms of compatibility to both the content and methodology of gospel
communication. Four main questions w ill therefore be addressed:
(1) What negative and positive communication principles have been
previously identified with respect to christianizing non-western peoples?
(2 ) What Beti trib e values, customs and practices may be used by a
Bible teacher in order to facilitate and improve the African's predispo
sition to and grasp of the Christian message without risk of syncretism?
(3) Does the church s till employ methods in teaching the Bible to
Africans which are a hindrance for Africans to accept and fully integrate
the C h ristian fa ith in the depth o f th e ir d a ily commitments?
(4) Can teaching units be developed and organized in such a manner as
to incorporate the p o sitive findings to the above w ith respect to both
content and method of Biblical teaching so as to facilitate a deeper inte
gration of faith in the daily life of the Beti people?
Purpose o f the Study
The researcher believes that the local socio-cultural context of a
given people is of great importance and has to be taken into account in
communicating the gospel to them. Therefore, the following objectives
were developed:
1. To identify the major elements of the system of values in a
selected sample of the Beti people of the Cameroons and to orqanize them
into a value system.
2. To find out to what extent the religious, cultural, and social
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values of the selected sample parallel or oppose the 3iblical teaching and
p ra ctic e s.
3. To discover what aspects of Bible teaching alienate members of the
sample from accepting the Gospel.
4. To organize a set of Bible themes in acceptable order of rele
vance for members of the selected sample.
5. To reconmend a method o f presenting these themes re fe rre d to
in objective three above which would avoid the problem of westernization
and which w ill be consistent with the values of the sample.
6. To recommend procedures for evaluating these suggested methods.
7. To develop a set of instrumental procedures which w ill be
designed to help meet the objectives.
Basic Assumptions
The three assumptions of this study are:
1. That the revealed word of God must of necessity be the criterion
for the adaptation of the Christian message in any social and cultural
context.
2. That religious africanization rightly understood and carefully
conducted can help both the African and the expatriate church members
to appreciate better the richness and the beauty of the Christian faith.
3. That conclusions made on the study of the Beti people as a
sample o f A frican people could be re lia b ly used to make conclusions
about teaching Africans generally.
Importance of the Study
Some young and educated Africans are these days progressively
questioning the methods by which the Gospel message was conveyed to
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them. In line with that, some of them are challenging the universality
of the Christian faith because they feel that Christianity had not
related much to the African's daily life in a meaningful way. Therefore
it was the researcher's opinion that, whether these conclusions were
correct or not, there existed a real need to explore ways and means
o f best co n textualizing the Gospel message. At the same time there
was a need to guard against the syncretistic tendencies that might
accompany such attempts. The indigenization of gospel teaching already
strongly developed in some Protestant and Catholic circles has not
succeeded in avoiding the accompanying risks of syncretism . A c r it ic a l
analysis of the indigenization process is therefore urgently necessary.
In line with this, three main alternatives present themselves.
First, to assume that all African tribal values are of heathen
and diabolic origin and therefore should be absolutely kept out of
Christian thinking. To choose this alternative is to amplify the
possibility that Africans may find Christianity irrelevant.
Second, to uncritically accept African beliefs, values, and
practices, without a knowledge of the risks that a blind adaptation
o f these values would bring to the C h ristian fa ith . This compromises
both the purity of the gospel message and the universal character of
the church.
Third, to realistically submit African values to the criteria
o f the gospel. This leads to an emphasis o f the p o s itiv e values of
lo cal cu ltu re and the employment o f local idioms and thought forms in
the presentation of the gospel, as well as a modification of the values
which are in conflict with biblical teachings.
The researcher subscribes to this third alternative.
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D e fin itio n of Terms
Many specific terms are used in this study and are defined
progressively in the body of the text. However, it is useful to list
and define here the most important of them.
Adaptation--means to adjust to a new situation. To present
the gospel to a secular and rationalist mind w ill require a different
approach than to present the same gospel to a people w ith d iffe re n t
patterns of thoughts (reasoning by analogy or by opposition). Therefore,
to adapt Bible teachings means to use the kind of methodological approach
that best suits a given socio-cultural environment.
Culture— is mainly understood here as the sum of all beliefs,
practices, arts, institutions and values of a given society, rather than
an advanced intellectual and scientific development of a society.
West Central African Union Mission--This is a Seventh-day
Adventist administrative unit equivalent to a union conference. The d if
ference between conference and mission being that, basically, a conference
is financially and administratively self-supporting while a mission depends
on foreign support. The West Central African Union Mission includes the
te r r ito r ie s o f Cameroon, C entrafrique, Tchad, Gabon, Congo, and Niger.
Indigenization—This refers to the process of adaptation of the
methods of teaching Christianity to the local socio-cultural realities.
The natives praise God with their own sensibility, think Christianity
through their own values and organize evangelization according to the
local realities. Africanization is simply the African form of indigeni
zation while westernization is the adaptation of Christianity to the
western world.
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Mind--refers here to the patterns of thought of a given society,
including its vision of life , its reasoning procedure and its basic
philosophy. The term is neutral and does not carry pejorative or em
phatic connotation. In this study mind and mentality are synonymous.
Polyqamy--refers to a pattern of marriage in which a man is
legally allowed to have more than one wife, not successively, but simul
taneously. Some African scholars s till defend polygamy as being a
specific characteristic of African civilization and therefore maintain
that it should be defended as a traditional value.
Syncretism --re fe rs to the m ixture between B ib lic a l doctrines
and African traditional beliefs. Religious syncretism is the most serious
danger to the Africanization process.
Westernization--This term is used to describe a mission process
which is the opposite of contextualization. An African church is
administratively westernized when the leadership (personal) and adminis
trative principles are western. An African church is liturgically
westernized when music, songs, symbolism, and praxis are carbon copies
of what is done in American or European churches. The process may go
beyond litu rg y and ad m in istratio n . From an A frican p o in t o f view, this
process may lead to the neglect of African culture, habits, and values,
and to the consideration o f western philosophical and e th ic a l assumptions
as normative.
Delimitation of the Study
With respect to the sample there is a double lim itation.
First, although applications and generalizations are made to black
Africans, this study was limited to the Beti people of South Cameroon
only. Second, w nile a ll these B eti groups share the same s o c ia l,
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to the Ewondo-speaking Beti people only. They comprise about half
of the total population of Beti people.
Another lim itation was that the subject matter dealt with
was confined to methods of communicating the Bible teaching in evan
gelistic person-to-person and group settings. Classroom activities
and curriculum stru ctu res were not d ealt w ith . The matters o f church
liturgy and organization was not studied per se, for they are broad
enough to be a complete dissertation topic. In this study they are
mentioned only when significantly related to Bible teaching methodology.
Although references are frequently made to the Seventh-day
Adventist Church among Beti, the researcher has not limited himself to
this particular church and therefore deals with all religious activity
affecting the Beti.
Methods o f Procedure
The strategy fo r solving the fo u r-fo ld problem posed e a r lie r ,
namely,
(a) identifying a Beti set of values
(b) estab lish in g common ground between B eti values and B ib lic a l
teachings
(c) identifying negative teaching methods which fail to engage
the Beti people in commitment to C h ris tia n ity
(d) the development of a methodological approach to the teaching
o f Bible which by takin g account o f the above inform ations improve
the understanding and inner acceptance of the Bible among the Beti peopl
consisted of:
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(a) a thorough review of the related literature that might
h ig h lig h t:
(i) principles of effective communication in inter-
and intra-cultural settings, particularly relating to
religious education and religious educators in Africa
and other non-western countries
(ii) principles of teaching generally
(iii) the ethnic, cultural and religious heritage of the
Beti people of the Cameroon
(b) a series of unstructured interviews of prominent African
scholars and educators with a view to discovering the struc
tural components and sig n ifican ce o f the Beti value system
as well as their patterns of thought
(c) the development, administration and statistical treat
ment of a 90-question survey questionnaire to a randomly
selected sample of Beti people with a view to
(i) rating the appeal value of 25 core Biblical themes
(ii) field testing for the presence of an operative Beti
value system
( i i i ) te s tin g fo r a knowledge base and acceptance of core
Biblical truths
(iv) testing for preferred procedural methods of teaching
as w ell as id e n tifia b le knowledge bases requiring s p e c ific
pedagogical methodologies.
Hypotheses
As the survey sample included men and women, people of different
age levels, different educational levels, and different religious
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various sub-groups would respond. This could, indeed, necessitate
using somewhat d iffe re n t teaching methods fo r d iffe r e n t groups of
people. To study this factor, the following research hypotheses
were formulated.
1. Beti of d iffe r e n t age groups have d iffe r e n t a ttitu d e s
toward the teaching methods used by C hristian educators.
2. Beti of different educational levels have different at
titu d e s toward the teaching methods used by C hristian educators.
3. Beti of different religious affiliations have different
a ttitu d e s toward the teaching methods used by C h ristian educators.
4. Beti men and women have different attitudes toward the
teaching methods used by Christian educators.
5. Beti of d iffe r e n t age groups have d iffe re n t a ttitu d e s
toward the gospel content issues taught by Christian educators
6. Beti of different education levels have different a tti
tudes toward the gospel content issues taught by Christian educators.
7. Beti of different religious affiliations have different
attitudes toward the gospel content issues taught by Christian educators.
8. Beti men and women have different attitudes toward the gospel
content issues taught by Christian educators.
9. Beti o f d iffe r e n t age groups have d iffe r e n t conceptions o f
Beti values.
10. Beti of different educational levels have different con
ceptions of Beti values.
11. Beti of different religious affiliations have different
conceptions of Beti values.
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values.
13. B eti o f d iffe re n t age groups have d iffe re n t preferences
toward biblical themes.
14. Beti of different education levels have different prefer
ences toward b ib lic a l themes.
15. Beti of different religious affiliations have different
preferences toward biblical themes.
16. Beti men and women have different preferences toward
biblical themes.
Organization of the Study
Chapter I deals with the basic rationale for the study. The
historical background, the problem and the purpose of the study are
presented. The basic assumption upon which the study is built is
stated as well as the study lim itations, the methods of procedure,
and the organizational outline.
Chapter II presents the review of literature.
Chapter III outlines the instrumentation and methodology used
in the study.
Chapter IV presents the research findings.
Chapter V presents the proposed teaching units and the rationale
fo r them.
Chapter VI outlines the summary and conclusions of the study.
This is followed by a discussion of the implications of the findings of
the study.
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REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Introduction
The literature reviewed is divided into three sections namely,
lit e r a t u r e re la tin g to general Gospel communication in non-western
countries, literature relating to the cultural and religious heritage
of the Beti people and literature on general methods of teaching in
western societies.
L ite ra tu re R elating to General Gospel Communication P rin cip les in Non-Western Countries
The literature on teaching the Bible in non-western countries
is considered in three areas. First, there is a review of the writings
of those who point out the problems missionaries may have had and errors
they may have made in their ministry in Africa and other non-western
countries. Second, a survey is made of principles of communication
that have been suggested in order to facilitate the spread of the Gospel
message in such countries. Third, an analysis is given of gospel content
issues that have arisen over the years.
A Critical Appraisal of Missionary Methods
The following mistakes have been criticized with more or less
vehemence:
The disregard of African culture
Several authors refer to the fact that early missionaries
19
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looked down upon or ignored the African culture which already existed
when they arrived on the continent.
Donald R. Jacobs (1972, p. 5) states:
Unfortunately, at the beginning of the century, because of the new tools and weapons he had developed, western man fe lt culturally superior and looked upon the non-white v/orld in a patronizing way, and missionaries were not free of this.
Ram Desai (1966, p. 13) underlines the same tendency:
The early missionaries laboured under the assumption that Africans were without any religion, education and culture and that Africa provided a virgin field where they could sow the seed of westernization and civilization. It is revealing to note the attitude of some of the early missionaries toward the Africans. In 1873, a missionary remarked: "When I carry my torch into the cave of Africa, I meet only filthy birds of darkness."
Roman Catholic leaders have given increasing attention to this
problem. Speaking to a group of African scholars, Paul VI (quoted in
Meeting the African Religions, 1969) stated:
Many customs and rite s , hitherto regarded as strange appear now to the ethnologist as integral parts of special social sys tems worthy of study and demanding our respect. In th is m atter, it seems opportune that we should take our stand on some general concept characteristic of those ancient African cultures. They have a moral and re lig io u s value which seems to us worthy o f attentive consideration.
D isregard o f African methods o f communication
As a consequence o f the neglect o f local cu ltu res , r e lig io n s ,
and patterns of thoughts, the communication between natives and ex
patriates was inadequate. Paul D. Fueter (1962, p. 15 ), describing the
meeting o f the Bible and the Nyakyusa people, emphasizes th a t the basic
problem o f conveying the message in A fric a is the problem o f coimunication.
One of the mistakes of the early missionaries was to give importance to
rational concepts rather than to the African's own ways of communication,
such as the r it u a l.
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Based on missionary experience in Indonesia, H. R. Weber
points out the problems missionaries had conmunieating with illiterates.
Illiterates were not highly regarded in the new order of society and were
looked at askance by both educated people and missionaries. In many
respects, they were treated as people of a lower grade. In Africa as in
Indonesia, the cultural gap reinforced the missionary isolation. Weber
recognizes that local methods of thought and communication were different
from the missionary ones (p. 6).
Attitudes of paternalism and inflexibility
Almost the entire group of early missionaries were very strict
in terms of church d is c ip lin e . Vine Chikudi Izeobu (c ite d in Berman,
1975) presents his personal testimony in regards to Seventh-day
Adventist education in Nigeria. Son of a Seventh-day Adventist minister,
Izeobu received his primary, secondary, and college education in SDA
institutions in Nigeria. He notes the general misunderstanding of
polygamy on the part of Adventist educators and the rigid insistence
upon matters of eating and Sabbath keeping which were among the factors
leading to a separate Seventh-day Native Church of Christ (p. 160).
He protests the interdiction against speaking vernacular languages, as
well as what he calls the "imperialist mentality and arrogance" of some
missionaries and the paternalistic attitude of school authorities (p. 170).
This testimony may be considered as subjectively unfair and lacking in a
balanced judgment of Seventh-day Adventists education, but it shows at
least that there was a lack of positive communication and reciprocal
appreciation between school a u th o ritie s and A frican students.
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Collaboration with political powers
J. Mfouiou (cited in Berman, 1975, p. 227) presents this
aspect o f missionary methods in connection w ith the Catholic Church.
He re la te s the c o n flic t between Catholic m issionaries and the Cameroonian
nationalists. The Catholic Church appeared highly committed to colonialist
political power. The conflict degenerated into an open confrontation in
the country.
This situation unfortunately created a strong resentment
against church leadership, leading the intellectuals to aggressive state
ments such as "we were sold to the white man by the clergyman" (Dinwiddy,
p. 436).
Desai (p. 13), adopting the historical approach, indicates that
a close link existed between political leaders, explorers, and mission
a rie s . Mission s ta tio n s , he says, have often been used by p o litic a l
leaders as "the most efficient agents and the cheapest and the best
posts a government can employ."
Missionary errors emphasized
That missionaries have made mistakes is historically attested.
It could not have been otherwise since missionaries were, in spite of
th e ir commitment to the Gospel , human beings and subject to human
shortcomings. Many modern scholars emphasize these shortcomings and
seem to conclude that the missionary adventure has failed. Hans Kung
C1961, p. 14) quoted by Ngindu Mushete (1977, p. 26) states:
Following the example o f Paul, the Church became Greek with the Greek world and barbarian w ith the barbarian European world. However, it has not become Arabic with the Arabs, Black with the Blacks or Chinese with the Chinese. Viewed as a whole the Church o f Jesus C hrist has remained a European- American a f f a ir .
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John S. Mbiti (1970, p.3), for instance, emphasizes the " failures and
drawbacks, the superficialities and foreigness" of Christianity through
out Africa. Bankole Timothy (1974, p. 14), with vehemence, affirms that
"Christianity has been prostituted by the west is a fact few would deny."
Donald M'Tikulu (1974, p. 14) urges that these errors of the past must be
recognized and corrected.
A recognition of missionary ministry
Beside the voices of criticism , objective scholars recognize
the p o s itive aspects of missionary methods. T. A. Beetham (1967, p. 34)
states th a t among a ll m issionaries "there have been w ell known, and many
more unknown exceptions" who did not exhibit a superiority complex in
their God-given ministry in Africa. Desai himself (p. 45), in spite of
his strong criticism, recognizes the positive contributions of the
missionaries, namely, the development of a written form of many African
languages in the course of translating the Bible into those languages
and the development of education. In the early mission movement, and up
until fairly recently, the education of Africans was almost entirely the
responsibility of missionaries. He also recognizes the missionary contri
butions in the medical and agricultural fields in self-help programs.
Stephen Neill (1970, pp. 48-70) develops the main points which
can be considered as the positive side of the missionaries'actions.
They really did love those to whom they ministered, they learned African
languages, they took advantage of the new methods of ethnology and
anthropology, they taught people to learn to support themselves without
becoming dependant upon the mission and they developed a g ric u ltu ra l
institutions, they promoted medical knowledge and developed schools, and
many o f them devoted themselves to their ministry with a self-effacing
service.
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If we must recognize, then, the fact that methodological errors
have been made in the past by missionaries, it is also the requirement
of intellectual probity and fair objectivity, to assert that these men
of God, in spite of weaknesses, brought to Africa the treasure of the
good news of Jesus Christ. Through their ministry, Africans have met
Jesus C h ris t, th e ir Redeemer.
Suggested P rin cip les of Communication
Along with the critical appraisal, several principles of communi
cation have been suggested.
Come with a learning attitude
The main challenge missionaries face in their ministry is that
of conveying the gospel message to local people. In his Indonesian
experience, Weber realized that the cultural gap between natives and
missionaries may reinforce the isolation of the latter. Expatriate
patterns of thought and methods of communication are different from those
o f the tribesmen. Then Weber in d icates one way tc f a c il i t a t e communica
tion with the illiterates. He states (p. 5):
The western missionary who had come to teach became pupil. The longer he who had come as a lit e r a t e among i l li t e r a t e s lived with these "letter blind people", the more he realized that he himself was blind among those who could see; that he was a stunted poor intellectual with only one means of communication (through pallid abstract ideas) among imagina tiv e a rtis ts who thought and spoke in c o lo rfu l, glowing pictures, actions, and symbols.
Using the local patterns of thought
In order to increase the effectiveness of communication, it is
indispensable to know and to use the local thought systems. Fueter
(1962, p. 25) suggests that the emphasis should not be placed on rational
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concepts but rather on the African's best form of communication--the sym
bolism of the ritual. Along the same line, Weber (pp. 21-22) suggests
the use of other communication devices: relating concrete experiences,
capitalizing on the rhythmic elements in biblical stories as well as in
music, drawing on the communitive conception of life and the emotional
function of language, for the language, he states, "does not only trans
mit thoughts and ideas, but impressions and emotions outside the in te l
lectual understanding."
Identification and encounter.
J. H. Bavinck (1967, p. 12) suggests what he calls the
"encounter approach" as one of the best ways to reach people in mission
fields. By encounter he means "a meeting-in-love" which includes the
recognition of oneself in the other person, a sympathetic feeling of one's
own guilt and "a sincere desire in Christ to do with this man what Christ
has done with me." He goes on to say:
This "meeting filled with love" implies that we must try to see the person with whom we are dealing. This means that we must seek to see through a person's name, p o s itio n , reasons and arguments and tr y to reach his real l i f e ’ s problems, (p . 132)
The encounter approach is therefore the attempt to communicate
in a deep and soul-to-soul meeting with others. It is to identify
ourselves through love, esteem and deference with those for whom we
m inister.
Let the international authority of the Bible exert itself in all communication
The purpose of the gospel ministry is not just to meet people
in a horizontal fellowship. The aim is to preach the Gospel, to proclaim
the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Bavinck suggests that
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this proclamation implies two methods. First, the method of confronta
tio n , in which a point of contact is sought between gospel and people.
Harry Sawyerr (1968, p. 16) points out that the Bible belongs to all
people. He says that it "cannot be just the peculiar property of one
people, but a foundation stone of the religion of another people." The
apostle Paul's concern was to make the Hebrew Old Testament become a
book for every believer. Every nation can therefore appropriate the
Scriptures. The preaching of the gospel, Bavinck further says (p. 128),
implies a second method, the "direct approach." This means that the
Bible has authority over men, no matter what the socio-cultural background
they belong to. The word of God then is to be taught intensively but
gradually, so that the Holy Spirit may lead people into conversion.
The ScriDtures have been qiven an important place in African
theology. John Mbiti (1971) writes: "Biblical theology must be the
basis of any theological reflection, otherwise we shall lose our
perspectives and may not claim the outcome to be C hristian theology."
(quoted in Kraft, 1979, p. 462)
Dickson (1968, quoted in ^laswell, 1974, d . 205) states: "It
would be inexcusable to fail to give biblical ..‘aching pride of place in
this quest for African theology."
Along the same lines, Harry Sawyerr (1968, p. 6) emphasizes
that the study of the Scriptures should continue to be the norm of the
Church. Sawyerr advocates what he calls "sound doctrinal teachings,"
i.e ., doctrines which are deeply rooted in the written Word of God, such
as salvation and God, sacrifice and worship, sin and forgiveness.
In the "Final Communique" from the Pan African Conference of
Third World Theologians (1977) it was stated that:
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The Bible is the basic source of African Theology, because it is the primary witness of Rod’s revelation in Jesus Christ. No Theology can retain its identity apart from Scriptures. The Bible is not simply a historical book about the people of Israel; through a reading of the Scriptures in the Social context of our struggling for our humanity, God speaks to us in the midst of our troublesome situation, (quoted in Kofi Aopiah-Kubi, 1979, p. 82)
If the Bible is presented as the necessary basis for teaching
Christianity in Africa, a special mention is made of the importance of
the Old Testament. Dickson (1979, cited in Apoiah-Kubi, 1979, p. 98)
gives the following reasons why the Old Testament is appreciated by
Africans: (1) the legalistic approach of the Gospel by early mission
a ries led the A frican to accept the Gospel as law rath er than grace;
(2) the theme oppression versus salvation was more successful in areas
where nationals were politically dominated; (3) the holistic view of
life is a general characteristic of African anthroplogy; and (4) the
general similarities between Africa and the Bible in beliefs and
practices such as the concept of time, human fate, sacrifices, and
rites established a bond. We ought to indicate here that if there are
striking sim ilarities between African beliefs and practices and the
biblical ones, there are also essential differences: (1) the Old Testa
ment concept of time is linear, but it tends to be cyclical in Africa;
(2) destiny and salvation in the Bible are closely related to the new
kingdom of God, while in A fric a , destiny is generally a fa te beyond man's
influence; (3) in the Old Testament sacrifices are prefigurative of Jesus
Christ, but in Africa, sacrifices are, in general, a mystical communica
tion with ancestors and deities. However, similarities do exist and
Dickson shows that there is a theological, cultural, and hermeneutical
continuity between African context and the Old Testament. A. F. Walls
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(1978) notes that "God has given to Christians an adoptive past."
Therefore, a dialogue between Israel and Africa is necessary. He
states: "Perhaps the test between indigenization and syncretism is
the capacity to incorporate the history of Israel and God's people
and tre a t i t as one own" (p. 1 2).
But if the Old Testament is appealing to Africans, there is a
danger o f extremism. Dickson (1979, p. 98) warns th a t caution needs
to be exercised in drawing parallels between the Old Testament and
African life and thought. The one drawing parallels must have seriously
studied both the Old Testament and African traditional beliefs. The
church, Sawyer suggests, should c u ltiv a te the respect o f the young
African scientists and "should always be ready by reason to throw fresh
and perhaps modifying, light upon what we hitherto regarded as revela
tio n . "
The Old Testament is to be taught with caution in order to
avoid extremism, fanaticism and legalism, but as G. Phillips (1948,
p. 10) suggests, it should be the starting point of bringing the Gospel
message to A fricans.
Africanize the Gospel
The methods suggested above are an attempt to meet the funda
mental need which facilitates the success of the teaching of the Bible
in A fric a . That need is the necessity to adapt the methods o f communica
tion to the contextual reality of the people. The gospel is the same, the
message is the same but the way o f presenting th is gospel requires the
use of African realities, African culture, patterns of thoughts, sensi
b ility , and religious beliefs so that the gospel may reach people where
they really are.
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This Africanization of teaching methods, also called indigeni
zation or contextualization, has been emphasized. John S. Pobee (1979,
pp. 53-57) says that Africanization is the only positive approach. He
gives historical evidence of and theological arguments for the success
of indigenization.^ Walls emphasizes the same issue. He indicates firs t
the basic tension which exists in every Christian experience, tension
between two le g itim a te forces: f i r s t , making C h ris tia n ity a t home in
the lives of the people and rooting the gospel in its culture, and second,
the fact that God not only takes people as they are, but also takes them
and transforms them into the Derscns he wants them to be. African
scholars and missiologists agree that, unless the Gospel reaches people
in the concrete reality of their daily concerns and problems, Christ
ianity may come to be regarded as merely one dimension of western im
p e ria lis m .
Analysis o f Gospel Content Issues Raised
Thomas F. Stransky (1979, p. 46) makes an appropriate remark
when he suggests what the theological emphasis in African missiology
should be in the 1980s. He states:
Mission theology in the 1970s mirrored the emphasis of that decade's theology in general-method more than content. One no longer assumes there is only one right way to reflect on what mission is and should be in p ractice. The 1980s w ill see more doing of mission theologies through various methods; more content-theologies and less monotonous we-need-to-dewesternize- the-enterprise.
Many, like Stransky, feel that it is time to move beyond theorizing
about methods of Africanization and to begin dealing with the practical
issue of teaching biblical doctrine.
Vor example, the successful attempt in China by Matteo Ricci (1552-1670) as w ell as the b ib lic a l examples o f Paul and Jesus Him self (Heb. 2:16-18).
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K. A. Dickson (1974, p. 205) takes this view. His position
is that, "unless the content is defined and developed, African theology
might become a mere popular slogan." African theology, he says, should
relate Christianity to the life of the ordinary man in Africa and
should give the church the character of an institution which belongs to
the African world, instead of its being linked in the mind of Africans
with a western mode of life and thought.
Some authors whom the researcher has read make suggestions
which can be helpful in meeting the ibove requirements. Adrian Hastings
and Richard Niebuhr, for instance, deal in depth with certain aspects',
others which are reviewed below present an overview of several themes
and give positive suggestions.
The Christian marriage issue
The Christian doctrine of monogamy is one of the most contro
versial issues for Africans who receive the Bible message. Adrian
Hastings (1973, p. 6) deals specifically with this issue. He recognizes
that, from a biblical point of view, polygamy is less desirable than
monogamy. However, he points out th a t in A frican tra d itio n a polygamous
marriage is considered sacred and binding. Therefore, he feels that
polygamy may be accepted as a valid form of marriage under some circum
stances in an African context. He argues, furthermore, that inasmuch as
the Church denounces divorce in 3 monogamous m arriage, i t should not
advocate the separation of a polygamist from his wives. Such a stand,
feels Hastings,is self-contradictory and ignores the African’s sense
of the permanence and stability of marriage.
C h ris tia n ity and cu ltu re
Richard Niebuhr (1956) concentrates his attention on the
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relationship between Christianity and culture, and considers both the
historical and the theoloqical aspects of the Droblem of Christianity
versus culture. For this study the most important point of Niehbur's
position is that "Christ is above every culture." He states that Christ
should be acknowledged as "the transformer of culture." This implies
that culture is under God's sovereign rule and that the Christian must
carry on cultural work in obedience to the Lord. Christ indeed is the
Creator, the redeeminq Savior of humankind throughout history.
B ib lic a l themes and A frican b e lie fs
Several scholars discuss how biblical themes can be successfully
developed in an African setting. The following seven themes appear to be
those which relate most closely to the researcher's concern.
The examples of Old Testament heroes
Most o f the scholars whose books have beenconsulted in this
study agree that Africans enjoy listening to the deeds of the Old Testa
ment fig u re s. The sto ries o f Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph show a
system of social authority and kinship similar to the African context.
Africans, therefore, are able to appropriate the story of God's people
and make it their own story. Phillips (1948, p. 114) underlines this
African predilection for Old Testament figures. Sundkler (1962, p. 104)
goes further. For him, Africans appropriate the Old Testament past,
identifying themselves with the Old Testament people. He states:
The Old Testament in the African setting is not just a book of reference. I t becomes a source of rememberance. The African preacher feels that Genesis belongs to him and his Church, or vice versa. That he and his African church belong to those things which were in the beginning, (p. 104)
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 32 The idea o f God
There is a general lack of consensus among African scholars about
whether the concept of a High God is present in traditional African beliefs.
The broad range of African religious systems prevents quick generalizations.
But, as Robin Horton (1966) reported, there are among African scholars
both opponents and defenders of the concept of a High God. Taylor (1963)
agrees that the important thing is not the absence or the presence of
the concept of a High God in Africa, the important thing is whether
the idea of an ultimate God exists in traditional Africa. He states:
"I find it impossible to dispute an universal recognition of, and a
desire for, the ultimate God" (p. 83). Harry Sawyerr (1968) suggests
that the traditional idea of God should be transformed. He suggests
th a t God becomes immanent in Jesus C h ris t. He sta te s: "Africans
should be helped to c u ltiv a te a new conception o f God who, though
transcendant, has become immanent in Jesus Christ, whom Christians
know as 'the image of the invisible God' (Col. 1:15, Heb. 1:3) and
through whom they address their worship to God." (p. 65)
This transformation of the concept of God is already taking
place in Africa. Monica Wilson (1971) signals that, among the Nyakyusa
in Tanzania, a shift took place in twenty years in the concept of God.
She states:
The idea o f God is nowhere rejected : i t is added to ideas about shades, w itc h c ra ft and medicines, and since the shades were senior kinsmen the concept of God as Father is not foreign: it is part of the ancient tradition. But some of the imagery changes where God was scarcely distinguished from the shades he was thought of as being beneath the earth as they were, but as he is more c le a rly distinguished he goes u p -s ta irs and dwells above, (p. 47)
A fte r twenty y e a rs , she went back to the Nyakyusa and notes: "By 1955
the shift was complete, and to young and old, pagan and Christian
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alike, God dwelt on high." (p. 47)
The person of Jesus Christ
If the idea of God is generally recognized as present in African
thinking, it is different for the concept of the son of God. In some
societies where a son has real power, the sonship of Christ creates
difficulties. However, channels by which Christ can be effectively
taught to Africans are suggested. One of these channels is to present
Christ as the second Adam. Taylor (1963) starts with the concept of
man. Africans must grasp first the concept of the first Adam, then
Christ w ill be easily presented as the second Adam. He states:
There are many forms under which we may speak o f C h rist. But when our eyes are aligned with the primal vision it is supremely as the second Adam th at we see him matching p e rfe c tly the needs and aspirations of that world. This, I believe, is the heart of the Gospel for Africa and it was from Africa I learnt to tell it that way. (p. 125)
Harry Sawyerr (1968, pp. 92-106) indicates other channels by which Christ
can be taught to Africans. The uniqueness of the Incarnation of Christ,
His sonship with God, His action as agent of creation, and His ministry
as founder of the great family are positive ways through which Africans
can learn to know Christ.
Ancestors and the dead
The concept of ancestors is the source of African religious
systems. Africans live closely with their dead. It is a matter of
primary importance. As Sundkler (1962,p.107) states : "The survival
of the dead, the after-life, are matters of existential interest to
Africans and to their church. Sawyerr also believes that the close
re la tio n between A fricans and th e ir dead is a channel by which the
doctrine of inmortality can be introduced. In fact, the concept of the
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. immortality of the soul, in its platonic and hellenistic forms, is not
so popular in modern Africa. A shift between traditional Africans and
young, educated people is taking place. Taylor (1963, p. 162) says this
shift is especially apparent in towns where the cult of ancestors is no
longer practiced. Phillips (1948, p. 15 ) advocates that a rejection of
ancestors concept is not necessary, but may be positively connected with
the idea of the fatherhood of God. This means that God has to be
presented to Africa, not only as the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob,
but also as the God of the fathers of Africans.
The doctrine o f the church
The doctrine o f the church in A fric a can have a s ig n ific a n t
impact upon the African people, for whom a solidaristic view of society
is essential. Taking advantage of that readiness of Africans to grasp
the concept of the church, Harry Sawyerr suggests a strong doctrine of
the church in Africa. The Christian church, he says, "can Drovide a
fresh mould into which oeople from diverse areas and of varied environ
mental background may find a common unifying influence" ( 1968,p .78)
in Jesus C h ris t. The church becomes, th e re fo re , a common bond o f
kinship which transcends the natural and traditional clan. Presented
as the body o f C h ris t, the church w ill have a deeper meaning fo r
Africans. He states:
The church as the whole Christ, members of the Body integrated into the Head (membra cum capite), is therefore, in our opinion, more likely to appeal to the true feelings of the Africans because the ’ dea of Jesus Christ as the firs t born among many brothers can readily be introduced in this context, (p. 79)
The concept o f man
The concept of man in Africa has a double, holistic meaning.
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It means, firs t, that in his essence man is conceived as a whole, an
indivisible entity. The person who dies is the same one who goes to
live with ancestors. The concept of an independent «ou1 is rather
hellenistic. Secondly, it means, socially speaking, that the human
being is not considered in Africa as an individual separate from the
society. Taylor (1963) underlines that second aspect. He states:
"Taking the Bible as a whole, we can find no conception of man as an
individual existing in and for himself, nor its attention focused on
the individual's relation to God" (p. 117). The Bible's holistic
view of man is in harmony with traditional African anthropology in
which the human being, in its nature as well as in its social
existence, is basically an indivisible reality.
Literature on the Cultural and Religious Heritage of Beti People
The literature on the Beti covers two main areas. First,
ethnological attempts to define the Beti as a tribe and,second,
research dealing with the social and religious aspects of Beti
c u ltu re.
The Ethnic Origin: Who Are the Beti People
Eminent scholars and church leaders have devoted themselves
to the ethnological problem of who the Beti people are.
The Pahouin theory.
Irene Dugast (1949), along with Pierre Alexandre and Jacques
Binet (1958), and later on, Philippe Laburthe-Tolra (1970). adopts
the assumption which distinguishes three different Beti groups called
"Pahouisn": The Fang, the Boulou and the Ewondo. They build up
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genealogies in support of this hypothesis.
The Beti theory
This view is no longer followed by modern A frican scholars,
who, under the leading influence of Engelbert Mveng (1963), focus on
the strong cultural unity of the Beti. To be a Beti is much more
a cultural belonging than a genealogical lineage. Proof of this
is also that it is impossible today to draw an accurate map of the
geographical distribution of the Beti families. This position is
also defended by scholars such as Pie Claude Mgoumou (1977) and
Raymond Mbede (see interview in appendix C3). They reject the
"Pahouin" theory.
In the firs t place the word "Pahouin11 is thought to be an
onomatopoetic word a rtific ia lly created by the colonialist adminis
tration which preferred, because of the dividing rule, to stress tribal
differences among the Fang, Boulou, and Beti. In the colonial period
"people were sp lit and regrouped according to the convenience such
boundaries offered the political and m ilitary interests of the Euro
pean powers" (Area Handbook, p. 9 ).
It was also thought that Western researchers at the time of the
development of the Pahouin theory may have been influenced by the
political interests of their respective nations.
Several Beti scholars, i.e ., Pie-Claude Ngumu, Raymond Mbede,
Abega Prosper, Evouna Michel, and Engelbert Mveng, have written doc
toral research work on the Beti people and have come to the same
conclusions, namely that the Beti people should be seen as a homogeneous
group of people even though there are language differences.
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Cultural and Religious Heritage of the Beti People
Dealing with the religious aspect of Beti culture, Mveng and
R. J. Z. Werblowsky (1972) emphasize the cultural sim ilarities
between the biblical patriarchs and the African people. Theodore
Tsala (1958) and Pierre Mviena (1970) devoted their research to
religious beliefs and practices among the Beti. The main findings
are that the Beti had the concept of God long before the arrival of
western missionaries. However, this belief in God did not prevent
them from worshipping secondary gods and ancestors. Details of their
beliefs are further outlined below.
God
The Beti believed in the existence of a supernatural, omnipotent,
being--the "Being par excellence"--which they called Zamba (Ewondo),
Zambe (Boulou), or Zambi (Fang). It is their belief that Zamba is the
c reato r o f heaven and e a rth , the ru le r o f the universe.
A linguistic analysis shows that the term used by the Ewondo-
speaking Beti for god, that is, Zamba, is an interrogation rather than
a statement.
"Zamba" is derived from the in te rro g a tiv e pronoun Za^ (who)
and the noun mba (creator, builder). Zamba, therefore, asks, "Who is
the builder?" The Ewondo-speaking Beti have another name fo r th is god.
They c a lle d him Ntondo Obe— one who harvests (tondo) and plants (b e ).
This expression emphasizes the absolute power of Zamba over men's
lives. Ntondo Obe epitimizes Job's definition of God--one who gives
and who withdraws (Job 1:21).
The Boulou-speaking Beti called this god Zambe— from the
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 38 interrogative pronoun Za (who) and mbe the past tense of the verb ne
(to b e). Thus Zambe means “Who was there?"
The Fang-speaking Beti emphasize the role of Zambe Mebege
(a primary god), working with Dibobia-abo (a secondary god)J However,
if gods of a secondary level and the spirits (minsism) did exist in
the Beti system of religious beliefs, it is nevertheless certain they
believed in and worshipped their god as the creator of both the
universe and mankind.
The son o f God
The Beti believed that their god was also a father. He had
a son c a lle d Diso Zamba. The son's mother is c a lle d Ngon Zamba (the
daughter of god). To Western thinking, this would make Disso Zamba
a grandson of god, but Beti people do not make any difference in the
p riv ile g e d re la tio n s h ip of son or grandson and to do so would be to
miss the main point o f p a tr ilin e a l analogy.
God the father
A Beti legend speaks o f "Ngon Zamba j ’ adzen mon" (th e daughter
of god in search of her son). The legend says the daughter of god lost
her son and is looking for him. Because of this the traditional rite
of a kpweban otui (skin incision) was performed on young children to
protect them from Ngon Zamba. Since this rite was celebrated long
before the colonial period, any missionary influence can be excluded.
Thus, not only did god have a son and a daughter, but he was
also perceived as the father of all mankind.
^See Fernandez (1977, p. 1) for more information.
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The entrance of sin
Another Beti legend states that god created men and lived
among them as a father. Then god went on a journey. Near the village
there was a special forest. God forbade anyone from entering that
forest. While he was away on his journey, however, a disobedient
woman went into the forest. Her disobedience brought about the anger
of god and he removed himself from the habitat of men and went to live
far away. This legend is similar to the Genesis account of disobedience
bringing about the separation of God and man.
The Beti legend continues by relating that when the disobedient
woman went to the forbidden forest she met Evu (the devil) who was
killing animals. The woman brought Evu back to the village with her,
and w ith him came death- which soon began to rage among men. (An
interesting side effect of this legend should be noted for it is an
indication of why women were considered mainly responsible for sin
and treason and consequently were excluded from all confidential or
"shed" meetings.)
The law of God
A Beti proverb says, "Zamba anga kag mimbege ebul" (God has
given nine burdens). Here again one needs not question nine instead
of ten laws. The proverbial context shows nine to be symbolic. The
p o in t is th a t god gave s p e c ific laws to mankind. These proverbial
laws deal with three main areas: (1) ngaltsoo (minor incest or sexual
intercourse within the tribe and within the family; (2) nnom tsoo (major
incest or murder of a family member); and (3) robbery.
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Since disobedience to these laws was very often punished by
death it explains why the law of god was perceived as a heavy burden
and not as a blessed privilege. Those who transgressed these laws
were destined to tolc-ndong (a n o -w a y -o f-re tu m , dark h e ll) .
The sim ilarities between biblical and Beti religious ideas
discussed here, are summarized in table 1.
The main r ite s o f the Beti people
Besides the minor rites (i.e ., skin incision and circumcision)
celebrated by the Beti, two major rites were found to have had profound
social and religious implications. These are the rite of so (initi-*ticr.)
and the rite of essob nyol (purification).
TABLE 1. SIMILARITIES BETWEEN CHRISTIAN BELIEFS AND THOSE OF THE BETI PEOPLE
Christian Beliefs Beti Beliefs
1 . God—Father and Creator Zamba—father and creator
2 . The Son o f God has a mother Ngon Zamba has a son
3. The forbidden fruit The forbidden forest
4. Disobedience separated Disobedience caused god to men from God move away from mankind
5. Sin enters through Eve's Sin enters through a woman's disobedience disobedience
6 . God gives ten comnandments God gives nine burdens
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The rite of so was practiced all over Beti land as the main
religious rite. By definition it was the rite of initiation into
manhood.
In a hidden, sacred place, young men received intensive social
and religious training for six months. The training was designed to
enable them to face their full duties and responsibilities as men.
The day o f the in itia t io n ceremony the young men were sub
jected to a series of military tests and trials. Each initiate had
to demonstrate m ilitary courage, moral dignity, and religious humility
as well as personal greatness—all the qualities regarded as fundamental
for a successful manhood. The rigor of these tests and trials is
attested by the fact that some youths died during the ceremonies.
Occasionally young men who transgressed the rigid rules were killed.
Those who successfully passed the te s ts were escorted trium phantly
back to the v illa g e .
The r i t e o f Esob nyol ( l i t e r a l l y , body wash) occurred when
nnon tsoo (major incest) was committed or when someone was danger
ously ill. The people believed that whenever these conditions
existed it was due to nsem one nnam (sin in the village). The close
connection of individual versus society implied that a personal sin
was at the same time a social and collective threat. Therefore
when someone was convicted, and usually as a result also convinced,
of sin or was dangerously ill, esob nyol was practiced—generally in
two phases.
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1. Phase one was public confession. The guilty person stood
and confessed his or her sins (real or imaginary) and laid his or her
hands on a white sheep, a white hen, or a "four-eyed dog" (one with
two natural marks or points on the eyebrows). The animal was then
slaughtered and its blood was sprinkled on the sinner.
2. Phase two was the washing. The confessed sinner was
conducted to the river. Amid songs and dances, he or she was
washed and the sin (re a l or im aginary) was believed to be washed
downstream. Both the guilty one and the village as a whole were
declared purified, and very often, in the case of illness, complete
healing occurred.
Here again obvious sim ilarities between Christian beliefs
and those of the Beti people are noted. And, as stated above, since
these beliefs and rites were taught long before the missionaries'
arrival, direct Christian influence itself is excluded. However,
when Mveng and Werblowsky (1972) presented the findings of their
study at the Jerusalem congress on Black Africa and the Bible, they
pointed out that there is a long, close traditional interaction
between Black Africans and Bible teachings--from Old Testament
times to the New Testament era. This may explain why in many
respects the socio-cultural and religious settings of Black Africans
are so close to the Biblical context.
Thomas Alobo (1978) gives a careful evaluation of the confron
tation between the So and Christianity. He concludes that an open
dialogue should have taken place between these two religious experi-
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ences in order to improve the Beti appraisal of the C h ristian message.
Instead of rejecting these rites in toto there should have been
attempts to find points of commonality with gospel rites.
Some subject areas considered
Tetoum Abraham (1966) narrows the subject area and lim its
himself to the polygamy problem. His views on this issue are similar
to those adopted by Hastings. He m aintains th at polygamy is , in
principle, contrary to the ideal will of God and is therefore less
satisfactory than monogamy. However, it is indeed a valid and legal
form of marriage which has been tolerated, if not permitted, by God
himself in the Biblical context.
Henry Ngoa (1968) deals with the sociological aspect of
marriage among the Beti. His findings paralelled those of Mviena
(1970). Nkou (1974) made a study in the area of marriage and family
life , giving a modern approach to the matter of divorce, polygamy,
love and personal commitment. I t did not deal with the h is to r ic a l,
cultural and religious heritage of the Beti people.
Other subject areas have been investigated. Lucien Mbarga
(1968) devoted his M.A. thesis to the human and religious value system
of the Beti people, concluding that they did have a value system that
could be clearly traced. He did not rank or fully develop the
system as such. The p rie s t D. Nkada (1977) emphasizes the very
important role played by the funeral ceremonies among the Beti.
He identifies the therapeutic psychological problem of dealing with
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grief, as well as settling the economic and family problems that
naturally result when there is a loss in the family-
A re je c tio n o f Western c u ltu ra l values
Some scholars such as Mongo Beti (1956) and Marcien Towa
(1979) appear as those who promote most strongly the rejection of
western cultural ties with Africa. Ekitike Behounde (1978) shows that
this rejection, which is politically motivated, finds its strongest
expression in Beti's novel, Perpetue (1974). The theme of rejection
fostered by these scholars is not generally followed by others.
On the contrary, the majority of modern scholars among the
Beti recognize the value of both western and biblical philosophies of
life and pay attention to religious issues. The general consensus,
however, is that Beti patterns of thought and Beti values must be
taken into consideration in any religious endeavor. Religious educa
tio n , as w ell as secular education, must be rooted and contextual!zed
in the daily experience of the people. Skillful researchers at the
National Institute of Scientific Research, like Michel Evouna (1978)
and Mbala Owono (1978), devote their efforts to rediscovering the
implications and the importance that traditional education might
have on modern education. At this point their findings are not
helpful in the study but may become meaningful later as investiga
tions continue. Bebbe Njoh (1979) indicates that the contextualiza-
ticn of education among the Beti faces today specific difficulties
which are strictly inherent to the rising nation's challenges, namely,
the low rate of scholarization, the quality of educators, the region
al differences, the insufficiency of equipment.
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The primary responsibility of Christian educators among the
Beti is to attempt a satisfactory solution to these challenges and
to promote a system of religious education which is relevant and
meaningful to the people and, at the same time, faithful to the gospel.
L ite ra tu re on Methods o f Teaching the Bible in Western Societies
The purpose in this section is not to give an exhaustive
review of all books written by western religious educators in the
field of Bible teaching Methodology. The objective is to extract
from re le v an t w ritin g s the basic teaching p rin c ip le s employed in
western societies, endeavoring to illustrate how the universal
aspect of these laws of teaching can be applied and adapted to
African realities.
The Universal Laws of Teaching
Several methods of teaching have been suggested by western
scholars over the centuries. John Swett (1880) suggested general
methods covering a ll class a c t iv it ie s . Howard F. Vas (1956) lis te d
and described seventeen different methods of teaching in the realm
of religious education. While the researcher recognizes the value
of each particular method suggested by western scholars, he found
that it would probably be more relevant to this study to go back
to the general and universal laws of teaching, which would be more
useful in Africa, rather than to review multiple and particular
methods. In this domain, the work of J.M. Gregory (1977) from the
researcher's point of view, seems to be particularly relevant.
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Gregory points out seven timeless principles which are valid anywhere,
and which have been developed and differently restated by almost all
western educators.
The law of the teacher
Gregory underlines the fact that if the requirements a teacher
should meet were fu lfilled , "the teacher would be a model man or a
woman, a perfect assemblage of impossible excellences" (p. 27). That
is, the personal qualities required for a teacher are vital but,
humanly speaking, d if f ic u lt to f u l f i l l . But th is d if f ic u lt y of
realizing the ideal does not suppress the ideal. It reinforces it,
on the contrary.
Several authors have emphasized this power of the teacher's
personal example. Mary Hunter Moore (1937) emphasizes the s p iritu a l
preparation and the spiritual example of Bible teachers. They have to
be an example by being loving souls, fasting with prayers and
exhibiting mature behavior. White (1903) underlines that "those
who would impart truth must themselves practice its principles.
Only by reflecting the uprightness, nobility and unselfishness of
their own lives can they impress others" (p. 28). Clifford Wilson
in Jesus the Master Teacher (1975) underlines the necessary personal
qualities without which the effectiveness of a teacher remains
compromised (p. 55).
If these qualities are impossible to reach, then, says
Gregory, the teacher, a t le a s t, "must know th a t which he would teach"
(p. 28). It seems elementary and obvious, but it is indispensable.
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Otherwise there will be no teaching. Howard Colson (1970) emphasizes
the necessity of mastering the Bible material (p. 97) and Brown
(1971) advises a systematic study of the Scriptures.
The law o f the learner
Gregory states this law as follows: "Gain and keep the atten
tion and interest of the learner upon the lesson. Do not try to
teach without attention" (p. 20). In order to keep the attention and
to arouse the in te re s t o f the le a rn e r, several methods are suggested.
Wilson (1974) gives as an example the ability of Jesus to maintain
interest by the use of questions and stories. Kenneth 0. Gangel (1956)
of Miami University advocates the principle of involvement in the
learning process. Gregory himself suggests what he calls the problem
method (p. 42) by which a "natural" situation is created so that the
learner himself finds solutions to the problem. Lawrence Richards
(1978) suggests that the Bible should be taught creatively. "A
creative teacher," he says, "makes his classes fresh, vital and
interesting, and his class is productive" (p. 67).
In order to maintain the attention of the learner, several
authors have suggested the use of appropriate illustrations. White
(1958) gives the example of Christ who aroused the interest of his
hearers "by figures drawn from the surroundings of their daily life"
(p. 28). Concerning dealing with the young children, Marlene L.
Lefever (1973) advocates the advantages of training small children
through the means o f play and games. Along the same lin e o f thinking
Finley B. Edge (1937) underlines the following, namely, the use of
questions and answers the organization of discussions and the use of
s to rie s .
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 48 The law of the language
It can be stated in its simplest form as follows: "The
language used in teaching must be common to teacher and learner'
(p. 54). Gregory calls the language the "medium of communication."
Appropriate and re le v an t coirmunication must bridge the gap between
the teacher and the learner. Along the same line of thinking,
McKinney and Plummer (1911) emphasize the p rin c ip le of adaptation
which is what, in the African context, African scholars might call
indigenization, Africanization, or contextualization.
The language used must be simple and practical. White
(1909) gives the example of Jesus, who valued the human language
by using i t w ith s im p lic ity and power (p. 24). In his Jesus the
Master Teacher, Wilson (1974, p. 89) describes the simplicity of
Jesus' style and points out the fact that the cornnon people heard
Christ "gladly" (p. 94). Simplicity also implies that priority is
to be given to the practical and natural and not to the abstract
ideas.
The law of the lesson
Gregory states it as follows: "The truth to be taught must
be learned through truth already known" (p. 68).
It implies , first, that the teacher should progres
sively lead the stydent from the known to the unknown in order to
enable the learner to master step by step new elements of knowledge.
It implies also that there is "a truth to be taught." There is a message to convey, a truth to teach and a
knowledge to transmit. One is dealing here with the content of
the teaching, and the researcher purposely does not aim to review
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the multiple and very often contradictory doctrines of the western
churches, in order to lim it himself to the basic gospel themes.
Brown (1971) suggests that the content of religious teaching should
be the Word of God which the teacher receives through careful study
o f the S criptures (p. 12). Akers and Moon (1980, p. 18) summarize
these main Gospel themes as Jesus taught them, namely, (1) truths
about God the Father whose love established the plan of Salvation
through Christ, and (2) truths about the Kingdom of God of which
Jesus wants mankind to be members a t His soon coming
The law of the teaching process
It has been stated as follows: "Excite and direct the self
activities of the pupil and as a rule tell him nothing that he can
learn himself" (p. 85). This means that the learner's own mind
should be stimulated to action. His thought should be kept as much
as possible ahead of the teacher's expression, so that the learner
becomes the discoverer and anticipator of truth. Pierce (1969, p. 67)
suggests that appropriate discussions be developed and conducted.
Drakeford (1974) suggests what he calls Experimental Bible Study. He
underlines that the student should be a participator rather than a
spectator. He should be led, through dynamic involvement, toward
an adventure of self-discovery. Wilson (1974, p. 117) shows that
Jesus remains the Master in the technique which consists of ex
c itin g and d ire c tin g the mind of the le a rn e r by the use o f ques
tions. Richards (1978, p. 75) suggests that the learner should be
gradually moved from the lower levels of learning activities to the
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highest. He mentions five main steps: (1) the rote level or the
ability to repeat without thought of meaning; (2) the recognition
level or the ability to recognize biblical concepts; (3) the restate
ment level or the ability to express or to relate concepts to
biblical systems of thought; (4) the relation level or the ability
to relate Bible truths to life and see appropriate responses;
(5) the realization level, actualizing and applying biblical truths
in daily life . This technique which consists of directing the
le a rn e r's mind toward a dynamic and gradual grasp o f the Gospel
message should be developed and mastered by religious educators in
A fric a .
The law of the learni ng process
I t is the above law perceived from the le a rn e r's point o f view.
Gregory states it as follows: "The pupil must reproduce in his own
mind the truth to be learned" (p. 106). If the law of the teaching
process involves the means by which the self activities are to be
awakened, the law o f the learning process determines the manner in
which these activities w ill be employed. It brings one from memoriza
tion as a learning process to personal characterization of the truth
taught. It implies independent thinking. White (1903) emphasizes
the necessity of independent and positive thinking. She states:
"The mind th a t depends upon the judgment o f others is c e rta in , sooner
or later, to be misled" (p. 231). Independent and positive thinking
lead to the problem solving which Gangel (1956) advises. Colson
(1970, p. 132) suggests that Bible truths should be applied when
meeting personal problems. In this case biblical references should
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be wisely selected to meet particular needs. This requires intensive
contact with God through His Word, and the permanent desire to apply
God's counsels in daily life . Richards (1970) concludes that "those
who do what C hrist t e lls them w ill learn to love God more and more"
(p. 94).
The law of review and application
Gregory states it as follows: "The completion, test and
confirmation of the work of the teaching must be made by review
and application" (p. 115). The objective is to perfect, to confirm
and to make useful the knowledge received. This implies evaluation
of what has been done. Pierce (1969, p. 115) develops this evalua
tion of Bible study experiences in terms of procedures and content.
The teaching procedures should be constantly improved and the learner
should always monitor whether he understands the Gospel message better.
The application of this message in daily life is the ultimate objec
tive of Christianity. Evaluation in religious teaching may raise a
question, i.e ., how can a man objectively evaluate spiritual things?
But it is admitted that the purpose of evaluation is not so much to
have an accurate idea of the spiritual growth of the learner.
Pierce justifies the purpose of evaluation (p. 116). It is first
to verify whether the written word which is taught is clearly
grasped. Second, i t helps to examine the e ffe c ts o f the teaching
process, and its consequences. It is also a sound and practical
way to guide one toward achieving the spiritual .goals which one
determines for himself when he accepts this trust. Then Pierce
concludes: "You will not try to evaluate those results of Bible
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study which cannot be evaluated w ith p r o f it . But you are on so lid
educational ground to look closely at the many observable results
which do appear" (p. 116).
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DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains information on the three instruments
used for gathering data for this study. First a description is
given of the sample under study. This is followed by a description
of the survey questionnaire, its development, field testing and
general method of procedure and administration. After a discussion
next of the interviews and review of the literature as additional
data gathering instruments, there follows a summary of the procedures
used in the study.
THE SAMPLE
Inasmuch as the study concerned i t s e l f with e ffe c tiv e methods
of communicating with Beti Africans specifically and other Africans
and non-westerners generally, the review of the literature was aimed
at the latter by gathering principles of communication applicable in
all inter- and intra-cultural situations A short section of it
referred to the ethnic, cultural and religious heritage of the Beti
people. The interviews with scholars also dealt with Beti people as
a whole while the survey focussed only on a select sample of the Beti
people. For purposes of clarity a description of the select sample
of Beti people is given together with that of the Beti people as a
whole. 53
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The Geographical area covered by the Beti people
The Beti are a part of the Bantu group of peoples who inhabit
equatorial Africa and number about one million. About 80 percent
(800,000) of the Beti people live in southern Cameroon, the remaining
20 percent (200,000) extend into Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. The
Beti people,characterized by strong social and cultural ties,there
fore form the human contingent o f West and Central A fric a .
The Cameroon where most of the Beti people reside is approxi
mately 183,000 square miles in size, (see Figure 1 which shows the
Cameroon in relation to the rest of the continent of Africa) and is
often referred to as the hinge between West and Central Africa
containing many of the physical features of both.
The questionnaire survey for this study was conducted in the
seven geographical departments of the Cameroon where the Beti are
mainly established; namely, Dja-et-labo (30), Ntem (31), Kribi (32),
L ik ii (3 4 ), Mefou (3 5 ), Nyong-et-Soo (3 6 ), and Nyong-et-Mfoumow (3 7 ).
(The Beti share five other departments with other ethnic groups--
see fig u re 2 .)
The Geographical area covered by the questionnaire survey
Since the Beti people are comprised of three main language
sub-groups namely the Fang-speaking Beti (comprising 200,000, mainly
living outside of Cameroon), the Boulous-speaking Beti (living in
the Cameroon), and the Ewondo-speaking Beti (living in the Cameroon),
it should be pointed out that the area where the questionnaire survey
was administered happened to be among the Ewondo-speaking B e ti. (See
Figure 3 for a further identification as to the location of the three
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i? —
sourMv/fS'f---.
Fig. 1. The United Republic of Cameroon^
^From Area Handbook fo r the United Republic o f Cameroon, U.S. Government P ritin g O ffic e , Washington, D .C ., 1973.
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\ ] u
’ © W estern NIGERIA S o rt hern K astrrn lecentf South Central
. «•f Province bcu^ocr.es i W nuri □*Dortmert b o u rd c rie t •' Sanaita-Mantimi- 2 Xkam Pro* »f*ces 4 Mungo CHAO 3 Kano Deoartm»}flti •; . f a t 7 Ndian S M a r . u 3 M etchurr 10 Momo 11 M etam 12 R u i *<(! S 1.1 Donita-<’f-M :in t’jn i: : 11 ilam oun 1.1 Xde lfi (la u t N’kam i : Menoua < T > A / ! is ! 13 Mir; ; 2*' A'iaman'.'i c e n t r a : AFRICAN 21 Il.-nuue REPUBLIC 22 Margui-'-Y.'.'iiialn 22 Ian'otic-*-' **:ari 24 D iam are 21 Mayo Danai 2>: lajrn-ct-1 ■ r~ Ka.iei 2* Boumba-NL"'k.. 2D Ilaut Nynri: -10 Oja-et-l.nt>«» .11 N’tom 12 Kribi .21 XyonK-<*t-Kf!r .11 L rk ir M.-fuU lit! W n n L T - r ' . > .17 N’yonita-' - M f- ui niMU .» Haute-Saraira ONGO 7.1 Mbam H
Fig. 2. The Beti Area
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language groups and the area roughly covered during the administration
of the questionnaire survey.)
Bafia • • Bertoua
• Batouri
YAOUNDf —'"''sgE^^'Alconol i n s z . L-Wb2±mayo • Yokadou: ibi Ebolowa
• Djoum
EQUATORIAL fTaoS. GABON GUINEA
Fig. 3. Location of the Beti tribes
Sample Selection
According to the chi-square derivation for a representative
sample s iz e , a sample o f 384 would be s u ffic ie n t to represent a
population of 100,000 or more. As a matter of precaution a sample of
400 tribesmen was selected in order to meet the criterion set (Krejcie
and Morgan, 1979, pp. 607-610).
The four hundred villagers were selected as follows :
One village was randomly selected from each of the thirty-six
organized areas (see Figure 2). Within each selected village at
least eleven tribesmen, both male and female of different age groups
were randomly selected for interviews until the 400 figure was
reached. The researcher ensured th a t two or three out of each o f
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these eleven or more persons had at least achieved a secondary educa
tion. The larger proportion were from those with less than secondary
education. In that way the population of the village tribespeople
was more clo sely represented. A fin a l analysis o f sample is qiven
according to sex and age in Table 1, according to education in Table 2
and according to religion in Table 3.
TABLE 2
DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE ACCORDING TO AGE AND SEX
SEX AGE TOTAL
Below 30 Years 30 to 60 Years Above 60 Years
M 82 80 9u 260
F 80 40 20 140
Total 162 120 118 400
It should be noticed that men, more than women, were selected
among adult and old people. Women were tra d itio n a ly excluded from
the main religious rites and their input in traditional practices is
rather limited. It should be noticed also that there is a small
number of respondents of college education level (7), and those who
do not have religious affiliation (3). Their responses have been
considered as less representative than the responses of the other
groups.
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TABLE 3
DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE ACCORDING TO EDUCATION
No Formal Primary Secondary College Age Sex Total Education Education Education Education
Below F — 15 60 1 76 30 M 8 69 5 82
30 F 16 21 3 40 to 60 M 4 50 22 1 77
F 16 4 -- - 20 Over 60 M 40 58 — - 98
F 32 40 63 1 136 Total M 44 116 91 6 257 T 76 156 154 7 393
TABLE 4
DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE ,ACCORDING TO RELIGION
No Age Sex Adventi sts Protestants Catholics Total Affiliation
Below F 4 12 64 80 30 M 3 6 16 56 81
30 F - 4 5 31 40 to 60 M 5 10 65 80
F - - — 20 20 Over 60 M - - 10 88 98
F - 8 17 115 140 Total M 3 11 36 209 259 T 3 19 53 324 399
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THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
Development of the Questionnaire
Before leaving Andrews University for the Cameroon, the re
searcher together with an anthropologist and measurement experts of
Andrews University developed a tentative draft of a 92-question
questionnaire as a method of gathering data and with a view to ad
minister to 400 tribesmen. The purpose of the questionnaire was to:
(i) rate the appeal value of 25 core biblical themes.
(25 questions)
(ii) field-test for the presence of an operative Beti
value system. (12 questions)
( i i i ) compare Beti and core B ib lic a l knowledge bases fo r
purposes of possible pedagogical implications.
(32 questions)
(iv ) test for preferred procedural methods of teaching.
(17 questions)
Validation of the Survey Questionnaire
On arrival in the Cameroon a try-out of the questionnaire
was conducted in a pilot study involving ten villages (the findings
of which were not recorded in the main study). After further input
from Beti scholars and a technical counselor from the National Center
for Education the survey instrument was amended to contain 90 ques
tions only. (Appendix A gives the amended questionnaire administered
to the 400 tribesmen in the 36 Beti villages.)
Field Survey Arrangements
The firs t step toward field research was to get a government
perm it upon a rriv a l in Cameroon. A fte r the appropriate a p p lic a tio n ,
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the Secretary of the National Office for Scientific and Technical
Research (see appendix o ) delivered the permit, and the Director
of the National Center of Education gave the researcher a technical
counselor, Michel Evouna. The President of the Union o f Seventh-day
Adventists also designated a minister, Clement Mahele, to help con
duct the research in the villages. In order to avoid misunderstand
ings among the villagers, who are mainly Roman Catholics, the
researcher applied fo r and received an o f f ic ia l recommendation from
the local government officer, le Prefet de Mfou. This recommenda
tion was very helpful. The government administration persuaded Beti
villagers that the Adventist minister who conducted the survey was
doing neutral and s c ie n tific research. They needed to be convinced
that it was not at all an attempt to convert them from Catholicism
to Adventism. In each village, the traditional chiefs were gathered
and the selection was made of those who were to be interviewed.
The communication was facilitated by the fact that the team of re
searchers were Beti-speaking people and were recommended by the
public administration, two basic prerequisites to obtaining objec-
ti ve answers.
The itinerary for making the field survey which lasted six
weeks was organized into five routes, with Yaounde as a departure
point for each:
Route 1 Yaounde-Mbalmayo-Zoetele: visiting 13 villages
Route 2 Yaounde-Mfou-Djeng-Nkolafamba: visiting 7 villages
Route 3 Yaounde-Mbankomo-Ngoumou-Akono: v is itin g 7 v illa g e s
Route 4 Yaounde-Ngoulemakong-Matomb: v is itin g 5 v illa g e s
Route 5 Yaounde-Mbalmayo-Ngoulemakong: v is itin g 4 v illa g e s
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Method of Administering the Survey Questionnaire
Because many of the tribesmen were illite ra te and in order to
maintain a sim ilarity of procedure the questionnaire was administered
in the form o f a personal in terro g atio n w ith each tribesman. The
technical advisor and his helper assisted the researcher in recording
the answers as they were given.
Statistical treatment of the Survey data
In order to answer the several questions posed by way of the
sixteen hypotheses proposed earlier in the study, it was necessary
to do certain statistical calculations and analyses. For purposes
o f computing c e rta in s ta tis tic s for each o f the hypotheses and making
the various compilations, the collected data were taken to the Andrews
University computing center for processing and recording. The final
resu lts were recorded in tab u lar form giving fo r each question:
--a to ta l sample response
—a response according to age, education, religious affiliatio n
and sex
—an indication as to whether the sixteen hypotheses were
rejected or upheld according to the chi-square analysis at
the .05 level of significance. That is, if the departure
from proportionality of response frequencies was so great
that it could arise by chance no more often than five times
in a hundred, it was considered that the departure from
the null hypothesis was due to more than chance. This was
considered to indicate a statistically significant difference
in the responses of the sub-groups.
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THE INTERVIEWS WITH BETI SCHOLARS
As a second method of gathering d a ta , the researcher conducted
tape-recorded interviews with five main Beti scholars who were known
and respected for their academic achievements, research on Beti issues
and standing among the Beti people. In order to obtain a balanced
input from different points of view, the following were selected for
whom is also provided a brief biographical identification.
The Reverent Engelbert Mvenq: (h is to ria n ) He has w ritte n several
books dealing with history, theology and African Arts, as well as
anthropological essays. He is indeed a leading scholar, especially
in French A fric a .
Abbe Michel Evouna: (researcher) He received his theological train
ing in France (Saint Supplice Seminary), studied philosophy at the
University of Aix en Provence and took qraduate studies in Education at
the U niversity o f Caen. Michel Evouna now works as o f f ic ia l researcher
at the National Institute of Education in Yaounde, Cameroon. His
personal assistance in conducting the survey is highly appreciated.
Mbede Raymond: (experimental psychologist) He studied theology in
Cameroon, Zaire and France (B .A ., M .A ., and Ph.D. in experimental
psychology at the University of Paris). Raymond Mbede devoted him
self to the problem of Beti-tribe theories. He is currently professor
of experimental psychology at Yaounde University.
Prosper Manga: (philosopher) He is an active Christian and holds a
Doctorate in philosophy. He now works as professor of logic at
Yaounde U n iv ers ity .
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Aime Cosendai: (e x p a tria te missionary) He is not a scholar in terms
o f advanced education. He is not even a B eti by b ir th , but by heart
and adoption. Pastrr Cosendai is a pioneer missionary of Seventh-day
A dventist missions in Cameroon. He has worked among the Beti people
fo r more than fo rty consecutive years. He worked as Union President
for seventeen years. His great experience in the Beti society and
his moral authority among Beti scholars is a fact. He acted in the
interview as an "observer from outside" and his input was essential
for the balance of opinions.
Others: The researcher had the opportunity also to discuss the
issues presented in this dissertation with some other well-known
Beti scholars and mention must be made of the contribution of Marcien
Towa, Doctor of Philosophy, Chairman, Department of Philosophy, at
Yaounde U n iversity: Raphael Onambele, h is to ria n : and Pie Claude
Ngoumou, specialist in African liturgy. The interviews with the
last-named scholars,while recorded,do not appear in the appendix since
the research only required five such recorded interviews.
The interviews with these scholars were largely unstructured
in order to allow for free elaboration and for continuity of thought
processes. As w ill be seen from the five recorded interviews conducted
in French and which appear in Appendices C, C-j, C^, C^ and C^, the
questions raised during the interviews covered the following topics:
1. Who are the Beti people?
2. What are th e ir value systems?
3. What is their pattern of thought?
4. What was their appraisal of missionary methods of Bible
teaching?
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5. What was their evaluation of the survey questionnaire?
Besides getting information on all the topics under discussion
the main intention of the interviews were really to discover the
s tru c tu ra l components and s ig n ific a n ce o f the Beti value system as
well as their patterns of thought. Their contributions were
recorded in the findings (Chapter V) in documentary and narrative
s ty le .
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
As a th ird method o f gathering data a thorough review was
made of the literature related to the study. By this means the
researcher wished to build a theoretical framework that would:
( i ) enlarge the parameters o f his knowledge o f the topic
and its attendant problems
( ii) help him to identify general principles of effective
communication in inter- and intra-cultural settings,
particularly relating to religious education and
religious educators in Africa and other non-western
countries.
(iii) assist him in identifying general principles of teaching
(iv ) acquaint him w ith the e th n ic , c u ltu ral and re lig io u s
heritage o f the Beti people o f the Cameroon.
The research material of English-speaking scholars used in
the review of the literature was consulted at the James White Library,
Andrews University, and from the private library of an anthropologist.
The French literature reviewed was consulted at the Bibliotheque
Nationale in Paris, the Protestant Seminary Library in Cameroon and
the Yaounde University Library also in the Cameroon. While the detailed
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review of the literature consulted appears in Chapter II, the summary
findings are recorded in Chapter IV.
SUMMARY
In order to discover the answer posed by the basic problem
pursued by this study, namely to find an improved method of gospel
communication among Africans, the researcher embarked on a four
pronged research approach. First he researched the available sources
of literature to discover principles of teaching and communication
in inter- and intra-cultural situations. Second, he developed a
90-question survey questionnaire that would assist him to find b ib li
cal methods and insights highly congruent with Beti social, religious
and c u ltu ra l components. T h ird , he conducted unstructured interview s
with Beti scholars with a view to discovering the structure of the
Beti value system and their pattern of thought and 'earning. After
a careful analysis of the findings from these three sources (Chapter IV)
the researcher constructed five religious teaching units (Chapter V)
which purported to have incorporated the insight gained from the
findings of the study. The design and methodology of this study
concludes with a summary of the major findings listing implications
for current practice and future research (Chapter VI).
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PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE DATA
Introduction
In this chapter the data obtained and analyzed by the
procedures outlined in Chapter I I I are presented. F irst the find
ings from the review of the 1 iterature (in chapter II) are sunmarized
Next follows the findings from the interviews with the Beti scholars
The findings from the survey questionnaire with the statistical
analysis is presented last.
Findings from the Review of the Literaure
The findings from the review of the literature are grouped
into three sections, namely general principles of communication,
general principles of teaching and identification of the cultural
and religious heritage of the Beti people that are significantly
related to the study.
Principles of Communication
The following five principles were identified as important
when religious educators work with in te r- and intra-cultural situa
tions. The religious educator in Africa should:
1. Come with an attitude of humble service and not with a
spirit of superior pattemalistic Christian privilege.
67
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2. Always communicate a genuine attitude of empathy and
id en tification to those for whom he works.
3. Recognize his role as teacher of Christian message and
as such admit that while Christianity is supra-cultural
in its loyalties and aspirations, it must of necessity
be knowledgeable of and function appreciatively within
the framework of the cultural, social and religious
milieu in which it finds itself.
4. Search for and capitalize on the predilection of African
people for certain Biblical topics which because of their
history and heritage find an echo in their souls, such
as the Old Testament biographies and ritu a l, the father
hood of God and the doctrine of the Church as a community
bound by a common bond of kinship.
5. Adapt his methods of communication so as to incorporate
with awareness the local
--language of the people
—modes of communication such as the symbolism of
ritual and stories as concrete lesson examples
—group loyalty appeal value
— realities so as to Africanize the gospel
— reverence for the authority of God's Word by way
of the Bible.
General Principles of Teaching
Seven principles of teaching were identified in the review
of the literature as follows:
1. The Law of the Teacher
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The teacher teaches more by what he is than by
what he teaches. Inspiration is not taught but caught
in the encounter between one mind and another. The
teacher must live with love and winsomeness the truth
that he teaches.
2. The Law of the Learner
The password here is to gain and keep the atten
tion of the student. Methods such as stories, questions,
illustrations from familiar surroundings, play, games
and involvement have been suggested as aids to achieve
these.
3. The Law of the Language
Language must be simple, practical and adapted to
the level of understanding. It must be common to teacher
and student.
4. The Law of the Lesson
Here the dictum is to teach "From the known to
the unknown."
5. The Law of the Teaching Process
"Excite and direct the self activities of the
pupil and as a rule te ll him nothing that he can learn
himself." Knowledge gained by self a c tiv ity is more
lasting than those learned passively. The student should
be a participator learner rather than a spectator learner
in order to reach the highest level of learning.
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6 . The Law of the Learning Process
Lead a child to the place where he can think for
himself. Lead him beyond the level of memorization
to creative application of knowledge and further on to
reliab le judgment and wisdom.
7. The Law of Review and Application
Verify from time to time whether what has been
taught has been clearly grasped. Evaluation must be
part of teaching.
Cultural and Religious Heritage of the Beti People
The review of the literature revealed several cultural and
religious aspects in the heritage of the Beti people that could
constitute a meaningful basis for dialogue. These matters are iden
tified in an unpriorised manner:
Concepts of the Supernatural
The Beti believed in Zamba as the creator, who gives and
takes at w ill. He is the ultimate god. He is the father who had a
daughter called Ngon Zamba. She is referred to as having lost her
son for whom she is searching.
Sin
Zamba lived with mankind near a forest which was declared
o ff-lim its to mankind. Once during his absence on a long journey
a disobedient woman went into the forest and met the devil (Evu) who
was k illin g animals. She brought him home with her and so death
came with her. Because of this woman's disobedience Zamba moved
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away from mankind. Sin thus caused by a woman caused separation
between Zamba and man.
Law of God
God gave man nine laws (burdens) dealing with minor incest
or sexual offences, major incest or murder and robbery. Punishment
was often by death but whoever transgressed went to the dark place
of no return.
Rites celebrated by Beti people
The So (in itia tio n into manhood)
This in essence was the main religious ceremony which
with adulthood and its privileges included the right to
worship the god with the adults.
Esob Nyol (purification or lit e r a lly body wash)
This occurred when someone was found guilty of major
incest or when someone was dangerously i l l . Sin was thought
to be the cause of i t a ll. Because personal sin was regarded
as a societal threat esob nyol was practiced in two phases.
Phase one was public confession. Hands were laid on a white
sheep or four-eyed dog which was then slaughtered and the
blood sprinkled on the sinner. Phase two was the washing.
Amid songs of dancing the sinner was taken to the rive r and
washed. Both the sinner and the whole village were declared
cleansed.
Other rite s such as funeral rite s were discussed in the
light of having significant therapeutic and economic value and worthy
as objects of study for religious educators. Polygamy,although seen
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as undesirable and contrary to the w ill of God, was seen as a valid
form of marriage and a new evaluation of the methods o f dealing with
i t should be sought.
Findings from the Interviews
From the interviews the researcher gathered insights with
respect to two main characteristics of the Beti people, namely
their pattern of thinking and their value system. These are dealt
with under separate heading.
The Beti Pattern of Thought
Prosper Manga points out that the Beti people have a system
of logic somewhat different from that of the so-called westerner
and he takes issue with the westerner who thinks his logic is better.
He says:
The problem of logic resolves itself through argumentation. Logic is the organization of language which takes into account a certain set of rules (norms, categories) and a perspective (the need to say something). Western logic has ra tio n a lity as a support along with basic principles (the principles of identity, of non-contradiction, the middle exclusive, of finality, etc.). It has some objectives: clarity, rigor, universality, that is to say, the possibility to give a speech which is in te l lig ib le to everyone. Western logic is a conceptual logic. Therefore, the concept presents the reality from a certain angle but does not exhaust the re a lity . To admit the poverty of the concept is to destroy the pretense of conceptual logic as being the only form of logic and is to ask oneself about, for example, symbolic logic.
There is an increasing tendency among African scholars to
challenge, as Manga does, the exclusivity of Western conceptual logic.
Beti scholars unanimously agree that there are d iffe re n t types of
patterns of thought in Beti speech which imply a p lu ra lis tic logic.
Four main components of this logic are considered.
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The logic of experience
Marcien Towa insists on the aspect of the logic of experience.
Experience carries much weight in Beti thinking. Hence Beti wisdom is
found basically in popular stories where the key test of the validity
of a statement relies on how i t confronts daily experience.
A typical Beti story illustrates this.
One day the antelope brought the tortoise into court. He
accused the tortoise of keeping his ram for years and fo r not giving him
a certain number of the ram's offspring, according to the rules.
The day of judgment came and the tortoise won the case
easily. He simply convinced the animal brood that in a ll his life
experience he had never seen a ram giving birth to a lamb.
A non-Beti listen er may not see the weight of this defense
speech. But for a Beti listener, it is essential. Experience ranks
high in his mind. Not only does this story illustrate the weight given
to the speech of an experienced man but i t also explains the role played
by the elderly people in the society. I t is believed that since they
have dealt successfully with the experiences of a long l i f e , they
deserve careful attention. This is not necessarily a question of age,
it is rather a question of credibility. The speaker's declarations have
been verified by day-to-day experiences.
All this does not imply, however, that Beti tribesmen do
not grasp abstract ideas. They master ideas of ju stice and love just
as other people do. But to them concepts that relate to practical
daily experiences are valued much more highly than are simple
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intellectual abstractions.
The logic of symbolism
The logic of symbolism is prevalent among a ll Black African
societies. It plays a key role in both the intellectual and spiritual
lif e of the people. Here a careful distinction must be made. Symbolism
in the Beti context does not have an empty reference. I t does not imply
a simple analogy, for instance, of washing the feet and moral purity.
In the Beti context, symbolism implies effectiveness, power, action—
in a word, dynamism.
The trib al leader who early in the morning arrives to bless
a young woman for fecundity is not merely expressing wishes, he is
acting. The words he pronounces and the gestures he performs carry
power and he dynamically transfers fecundity to the young woman.
At the esob nyol ceremony, the laying of hands on the animal
effectively transfers guilt from the person to the animal. The washing
ceremony at the river is a positive purification and a dynamic restora
tion of society.
Along this same line of thinking, the ceremony of giving a
baby a name is of great importance. A name is not simply a symbol to
distinguish one individual from another. Each name has a specific
meaning and each baby is expected to dramatically experience in his or
her lifetim e the basic meaning of his or her name. To lose such a name
is to lose the sense of existence.
The logic of participation
In his doctoral dissertation, Mbede Raymond (1979) recalls
the story of two Beti women who went to market to sell peanuts. One of
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peanuts. When asked the reason for her behavior, she ju s tifie d herself
saying she had compassion on the women who were buying such small heaps
for they could not possibly satisfy their families with so l i t t l e food.
This Beti saleswoman was not a s elle r only, she was by p a rti
cipation also a buyer. Thus the Beti tribesman does not trade primarily
to make a p ro fit on the buyer. He trades in order to establish a human
relationship—which explains why Beti people are behind other tribes in
business and trade. In other words, for the Beti the problems of his
neighbor are his own. He feels, "I am a part of my neighbor. His joy,
suffering, poverty, or wealth are also mine." This togetherness is
fundamental in the behavior of the Beti people. A person is never an
individual; he is an integrated part of the whole—a forceful part of
the society and a dynamic element of the universe.
Among the Beti tribesmen then, the logic of participation
constitutes a key point of th e ir cosmology. Mveng (Interview, 1980)
explains:
What Westerners call animism is a wrong interpretation of our cosmology. In fa c t, between man's body and the cosmic body there is continuity. We are the parents of animals, plants, stars. The extension of our bodies reaches the cosmos. This is the reason why the destiny which occurs in our con science level occurs also in the cosmos in the unconscious level. Actually, our conscience is the conscience of the cosmos. This explains why the same struggle between the op posing forces of life and death in us is repeated in the huge b a ttle field between lif e and death in the cosmos. Here we find the basis for our traditional medicine, for our system of divinations, for all our relations with the world. Conse quently, there are plants for death and plants for life; animals for death and animals for life . There are no material objects— pebbles, stones, or whatever you want— in nature which have a neutral reality. On the contrary, all realities are effective commitments and actions for life .
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The logic of initiation
The importance of the rite of £0 (initiation) with its social
and religious implications was noted above. In itia tio n plays an impor
tant role in Beti thinking--logic--also. It implies first of all that
there are progressive steps in the acquisition of knowledge. Testimony
for the logic of initiation within the Beti circle of society comes from
two sources—Beti oral lite ra tu re and the in itia tio n rites themselves.
1. Beti oral literature lies primarily in two story cycles:
the beme (wild boar) cycle and the Kulu (tortoise) cycle. Berne is the
stupid one, par excellence--lying, cheating, superstitious, and cowardly.
Kulu is the opposite--bright, wise, clever, balanced, and rational.
While in the Beme cycle the hero represents ebin (the u n in itiated ), in
the Kulu cycle the hero represents nKpe so (the master of initiation)
who has the highest moral, s p iritu a l, and in tellectu al achievements.
In these two cycles, then, lie the two levels of thinking— the nonini
tiated and the initiated.
2. In the in itia tio n rites themselves there is evidence
that four levels of thinking exist. Here ebin (the noninitiated) is
the ignorant one, par excellence, the raw recruit in the in itia tio n
process. Mvon (the learner) is the one who is transformed progressively
by the process. The product of the process is nyem (the knower), one
who has reached adulthood. F in ally, nKpe so (the master of in itiatio n )
is the cultural ruler of the society. He is considered the link be
tween natural and supernatural knowledge.
This four-step process is indicative then of the four levels
of thinking; and, furthermore, each speaker is classified as belonging
to one of the four levels— as determined by his hearers according to
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the weight and c re d ib ility of his speech. The Beti listener does not
pay attention to the lecturer's intellectual performance alone. He must
know who is speaking and to what level of in itia tio n the speaker belongs.
In other words, the lecture is only as important as the lecturer himself
and a certain amount of compatibility should exist between the two. I f
this basic requirement is no longer valid in political speeches (and
the very word "politics" has become so pejorative to the Beti that a
political lecturer is perceived as a liar who runs only for position
and power), it still carries heavy weight in reliqious matters.
The logic of in itia tio n implies secondly that the human being
cannot be the ultimate criterion of truth. Even though the initiation
master himself rules over his students, he is simply a representative
who receives knowledge from the ancestors and thus, ultim ately, from
the one who rules over the ancestors, namely god. The claim of Western
secular scholars, that human reason should be the criterion of universal
knowledge is in direct conflict with the logic of initiation.
The four patterns of thought expressed in experience, symbo
lism, participation, and in itia tio n are fundamental to Beti thinking.
Any expatriate person workinq amonq the Beti, therefore, must take these
patterns into consideration. Otherwise, he runs into the risk of
being affectively and intellectually rejected by Africans.
As an example, Laburthe-Tolra (1970) in his Yaounde d'apres
Zenker (1895) relates the misadventures of the German colonialist
Zenker. I t seems Zenker summoned the Beti chiefs and elders to a
meeting, but he did not take into account th e ir basic thought patterns
Instead he forced them to answer questions according to his own ration
ale. As a result they deliberately gave him the wrong information and
Zenker concluded that the chiefs were incapable of correct thinking
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The Beti Values
The Beti people have specific values which give consistency
and meaning to th e ir daily existence. The priest Michel Evouna
o ffic ia l researcher in the National Center of Education Yaounde finds
the source of a ll Beti values in the concept of A t i. A linguistic
analysis is necessary here. Ati refers to a concept that characterizes
a manbeti. Beti is plural and designates the trib a l members. Nti is
the singular form of Beti and means freeman, noble, or lord. By exten
sion, Ati refers to the basic qualities of a freeman, a noble, or a
lord. In the Beti cultural context, these qualities include respect
for lif e , the value of a person, the importance of religious commit
ment, the key role of the family, lif e in the community, nobleness,
hospitality, and intellectual openness.
Respect for lif e
Life ranks high in 8 eti society. Michel Evouna (Interview,
1980) states:
The l i f e one receives through blood must be transmitted. To procreate becomes imperative. The link is sacred. A Beti who commits murder of a brother or father is guilty of a very serious crime. I t is the ultimate sin which can be expiated only by a series of purification rites, i.e., esob nyol or ndonqo. The direct socio-cultural consequences of this transmission of lif e is evident in the importance of the family, the power of kinship, and exogamous marriages.
Life is valued because i t comes from ancestors and, ultim ately,
from God. It is a duty to transmit it—a necessity to procreate, to
have a family, and to respect the lives of family members. Any attempt
against the sacred link of blood is perceived as ultimate g u ilt.
Importance of religious commitment
According to Beti b e lie f, lif e is not something man owns by
right or might. L ife is a sacred g ift from supernatural beings. The
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unfathomable scope of lif e is that while i t includes human experience,
i t goes far beyond human lim its. Mveng (1980) underlines this when he
states:
Ethnologists spoke erroneously about idolatry or animism, for in our mentality there is no idolatry or animism because man, in our tradition, considers himself a limited force. He is a force, a product of which man is not^ the author. I f there is one fundamental thought among the Beti people i t is this: that this human product, this product which is man, has not been conceived by man.
This is to say then that the Beti excludes from his thinking
the assumption that the cosmos, including man's world, is a self-made
adventure. Religious experience therefore becomes an integrated part
of the full human experience.
Moral code of conduct.
The pride of being a man beti (a free man, a lord, or noble)
implies a code of moral conduct.
Wisdom. The Beti wants to be a wise man. Manga (Interview,
1980) expresses the typical Beti ideal. He states:
The Beti w ill not react in a given situation lik e a Bamileke or a Bassa. For while the bamileke's basic con cern is to augment his material wealth, the Beti, on the contrary, values prudence, the ruse, wisdom,_and i n t e l l i gence-- ' En^in_ene_ve_ajcerr //life is prudence / 1
Courage. So rites required a high level of physical, moral,
and sp iritual courage. Painful tests, such as a ke son si (a long,
dark tunnel along which So learners endured the hardest physical tr ia ls ), and humiliating experiences, such as a di avon So (when S£ learners
after days of fasting were invited to partake of a delicious meal and,
to their bitter disappointment, received jars of excrement), had the
Vhe Bassa and the Bamileke are other tribes livin g in South Cameroon.
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purpose of reinforcing physical and moral strength. So^ learners needed
true military discipline and training. To be accepted among adults,
the in itia te had to prove he would be able to risk his lif e for the
general interest of the society.
Pride of a man b e ti. The ideal Beti man is one who is
generous and f a ir , who has many wives and a couple of servants. The
Beti pride, however, has negative consequences for adjustment to con
temporary economic development. For example, the Beti people are in
capable of economic growth. T rad itio n ally, the Beti are s elf-sa tis fied
and look down on other tribes. Not only does a Beti make little effort
to improve his material condition, he actually despises trading because,
according to his tradition for moral conduct, he perceives tradesmen
as making a p ro fit at the expense of others— thus making tradesmen
dishonest and immoral. Moreover, the fir s t tradesmen in the country
were either slave traders or migratory tribes, both categories which
did not rank high in the Beti thinking.
Even now in the 1980s the Beti remains morally proud to be a
betiman, a noble, but socially and economically he is far behind those
who do not conceive of business as a moral issue.
Family and kinship
Beti people value family and kinship. Procreation is perceived
as a divine command and one without children is in despair. Questions
14, 15, and 55 of the survey dealt with the procreation issue. According to the findings of the survey, 66 percent of the Beti people
marry to have children. This reason is more prevalent among the adults
(83 percent) than among the youth (45 percent). They consider s te r ility
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as a curse from God (53 percent) more often than an attack from an
enemy (27 percent) or from purely physical reasons (19 percent). One
should note, however, that the youth regard s te r ility as a result of
sickness (49 percent) more than a curse from God (30 percent) or from
human enemies (11 percent). The old people followed more closely the
tendencies of the general sample: i . e . , the old people believed s te ri
lit y to a curse from God 63 percent of the time (sample, 53 percent) a
curse from enemies 29 percent of the time (sample, 19 percent) and
blamed a sickness 6 percent of the time (sample, 27 percent).
From question 55,which considered marriage on the basis of procrea
tion or the value of love, it appears that marriage for love of a sterile
woman is generally rejected (old people, 75 percent; sample, 50 percent;
youth, 27 percent). Young people give greater support to marriage for
love (38 percent as compared with the old, 20 percent; sample, 19 per
cent) or prefer to pray for healing (34 percent, compared with the old,
4 percent, or the sample, 19 percent).
In spite of the shift in values between adult and young people,
Beti tribesmen values regarding procreation, family ties, and kinship
remain fundamental in Beti society. The exogamous marriage is s tric tly
observed within the clan. To commit incest is perceived as highly
immoral.
Community lif e
The direct result of strong kinship and size of family has developed a sense o f organized comnunity lif e . Mveng (1980) emphasizes
this aspect of Beti life :
The cultural values the Beti in regard to their anthro pology seems to be summarized in the fact that a Beti is a
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communitive being, that is, a person is f ir s t of a ll conceived as a member of a community. This community begins fron the nucleus man-woman and moves toward the nucleus parent-children and expands its e lf to the ethnic concept. . . . Western thought is essentially individualist, at least traditionally. Even within the modern so cialist movement, the Western world remains essentially individualist. But among Beti, the thinking is essentially commun. I do not say c o lle c tiv is t, because collectivism indicates an aggre gate. But here there is no aggregate. Here there is a biologic structure, a bundle of human relations--numerous, interdependent-- which cannot be isolated from one another.
In the lig h t of this fundamental concept of thinking, the
principles of solidarity, liberality, and hospitality are natural con
sequences. In this communitive lif e , the individual is not, as in the
collectivist society, reduced to an ordinal number. The social life of
Beti consists in building human relations among members of the society.
Here the logic of participation plays a key role. There is
nothing which belongs exclusively to an individual as such—not even
his children or his w ife. Everyone has some rig h t, some part, but also
some responsibility in all activities.
This explains why the woman in the market (see p .75) could
not help being at the same time the seller and the buyer--precisely by
communitive participation. It explains also why a certain parasitism
is growing among contemporary young Beti. By virtue of communitive lif e ,
great numbers of unemployed youth go to the c ity and live with family
members who work. I t is d iffic u lt for the workers to reject their un
employed brothers. In the survey for this study, the majority of
employed family members said they would keep an unemployed family member in their home even i f that family member did not participate in the
domestic duties (old people, 88 percent; youth, 50 percent; total sample,
66 percent). Few would send away the unemployed member who wouldn't
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help with the household duties (old people, 4 percent; youth, 16 per
cent; total sample, 9.5 percent). In terms of classification values,
kinship and community lif e are much more important than economic growth.
Hospitality
Anyone who knows the African people recognizes th eir sense of
hospitality. In Beti land this hospitality is part of the moral code.
As in Old Testament times (when Lot entertained angels, Gen 19:1),
before the arrival of Westerners, all late travelers were invited to
eat and rest. I t was both a moral and religious requirement. This
spontaneous sense of hospitality practiced among the Beti s till exists
despite the arrival of Western individualism and economics.Responses
to Question 61 of the survey demonstrate this idea. To whomwould the
last banana be given in times of famine where children were crying for
food? Only 2 percent of the old people and 8 percent of the youngsaid
they would give i t to themselves (total sample, 6 percent). Would they
give i t to the crying children? Twenty-four percent of the old said
yes, while 32 percent of the adults and 60 percent of the young said
they would. But if a foreign stranger were present, 72 percent of the
old people, 62 percent of the adults, and 31 percent of the youth (total
sample, 53 percent) agreed they would give the banana to the stranger.
Many young people would starve themselves in favor of the stranger (31
percent), but they would not starve th eir children in favor of a for
eigner (60 percent). I f the conflicting element of hungry children is
eliminated, the sense of hospitality of Beti people remains hiqh.
A missionary, Cosendai (Interview, 1980) who lived among the
Beti people for fo rty-five years te s tifies :
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Many times when we arrived at a village for the first time, we have experienced the manifestation of a natural welcoming faculty. We have at times been welcomed with a certain curiosity— mainly at the beginning of our stay in Africa--but the welcome has always been spontaneous and amiable. Men have invited us into the confines of their houses of palaver and women into their smokey kitchens with no sign of hostility. I have often asked myself, what kind of welcome would be given by a Swiss or Breton to an African who asked for hospitality? Would they invite him with the same ease and with the same good humor?
Openness
The historian Raphael Onambele explained the aspect of open
ness in the Beti culture. According to legend, the people f ir s t crossed
the Sanaga River on the back of a python. Recent migrations brought
the Beti from the northeast to their present location. The migration
mixed up families and ethnic groups so completely it is out of the ques
tion now to establish an accurate geographical chart of Beti families.
The people met and mingled and integrated with others and became very
open to the influences of other people. Due to this openness, the fir s t
missionaries met no major problems (as contrasted with Muslim trib es).
This openness also made the Beti among the f ir s t African tribes to
accept Western education on a massive scale (92 percent of Beti
children in south Cameroon attend the school).
Thus it can be seen that the thought patterns, set of values,
indeed, the very nature of the contemporary B eti—his desire for
wisdom and courage, his pride as a man b e ti, his openness and
hospitality—present a positive perspective to evangelical efforts.
A Consistent Set of Values
A man beti claims to be a free man, a lord, who has
received his lordship and freedom from ancestors through the
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sacred link of blood. The consequences of that ati concept leads
to a set of specific values. The lordship and the freedom imply
the respect for life (a sacred g if t ) , the religious experience
(the human being is not self-made), family ties (essential to
perpetuate the blood links), procreation (transmission of life ),
communitive l i f e (family extends to trib e ), and hospitality (a
social and religious responsibility). The ati_ concept then is the
nucleus which generates all the Beti values. The values are
portrayed in fig. 4.
Religious Experience
Openness Moral Code of Conduct
Procreation ATI Respect of Life
Communitive Life Hospitality
Family and Kinship
Fig. 4. Beti set of values.
Findings from the Questionnaire Survey
The findings from the questionnaire survey is For purposes
of convenience presented as follows in two sections, findings
according to the purposes of the questionnaire, and findings rela
ted to the testing of the hypotheses.
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Findings according to the purposes for the questionnaire survey:
Four purposes marked the administration of the questionnaire
survey:
To Obtain a Beti appeal value rating for the 25 core B iblical themes
The 400 respondents to the questionnaire revealed ( see table
4 for details) that they were more interested in topics about the super
natural and least interested in topics dealing with manner of life^
To test for an operative Beti value system
The responses to questions 54-65 dealing with values clearly
revealed that the Beti people had a firm value system in which hospitality
procreation, respect for life , family care, group relatedness and commitment
to religious beliefs rate above average, (see pp 114-119 for further
details on this section!.
To id en tify preferred procedural methods of teaching(External methods)
The Beli tribesmen had a distinct preference fo r folk to be
helpful and interested in their affairs(see pp. 89-96). They valued
highly the religious leader who spoke to them in their own language. They
placed much weight on the uprightness integrity and noble example(see
p.Pfl )• F le x ib ility , tact and understanding in religious matters are not
regarded as shortcomings or weaknesses but as virtues. They also evi
denced a strong respect for the authoritative and normative role of the
Bible in the lif e of every person, (see p. 92. Also see pp 89-96 for
further information on this section)
^ A median response for each theme has been derived by assigning a value 1 to D, 2 to d, 3 to N, 4 to a, and 5 to A ( see table 4 p.87) These median responses are shown in the MR column. The most appealing theme is therefore that with the highest MR value and the themes are then ranked accordingly.
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TABLE 4
BETI RATING OF OEGREE: OF APPEAL OF 25 THEMES
Biblical Theme Percentage Response in each category
A a N d D MR Rank
1. Existence of God 95 1 2 1 2 4.968 1 2. Notion of sin 78 6 2 8 6 4.859 17 3. Person of Jesus 90 6 2 0 2 4.944 5.5 4. Atonement 85 6 4 2 3 4.912 11.5 5. Baptism 92 4 3 1 1 4.951 3 6 . Communion 87 9 2 1 1 4.925 8.5 7. Procreation 83 8 2 2 4 4.036 23 8 . Church attendance 58 10 3 9 19 4.647 21 9. Day of Rest 29 5 3 2 60 1.325 25 10. Sacri fi ce 58 8 4 4 27 4.629 22 11. Circumcision 32 4 4 4 7 4.884 14 12. Women Submission 81 6 2 2 9 4.883 15.5 13. New Earth 87 2 4 2 5 4.825 8.5 14. Word of God 81 5 3 4 7 4.883 15.5 15. Health Laws 68 5 4 5 18 4.765 20 16. Holy S p irit 90 3 3 1 2 4.950 4 17. Miracles of Christ 88 4 4 1 4 4.926 7 18. Li fe After Death 84 4 5 0 8 4.899 13 19. Polygamy 32 5 4 2 56 1.384 24 20. Resurrection 90 4 2 2 2 4.944 5.5 21. Brotherly Love 93 3 2 1 1 4.962 2 22. The Church 87 5 6 1 2 4.920 10 23. Mystery of Death 76 2 11 2 8 4.849 19 24. Mystery of Evil 79 3 13 2 5 4.854 18 25. Forgiveness of Sin 85 4 8 1 2 4.912 11.5
^A=strongly appealing; a=moderately appealing; N=neutral d=moderately d is lik e ; D=strongly dislike MR=Median responses.
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To compare Beti and core Biblical knowledge basis for pedagogical imp!ication(Internal Methods)
The findings revealed that the Beti people had a strong
Biblical knowledge congruency in matters relating to God(see p. 97),
Jesus Christ(see p. 97), Baptism(see p. IOCJ, the Lord's Supper
(see p. 208), sin(see p. 99), the Word of God(see p. 101). They
showed strong interest in dreams(see p. 103), l if e a fte r death matters
(see p. 107) and Health reform. Vegetarianism was seen as a white
man's health concern. While th eir views are rather incongruent with
Biblical teaching, there appear to be areas of congruence with
definite pedagogical implications.(see p. 97 for further information
on this section).
Findings according to the Testing of the Hypotheses
The researcher developed four hypotheses relating to each of
the four main objectives(a total of sixteen) for administering the
questionnaire used in the study. Stating it in the null form he
hypothesized that the variables of sex, age, education or religious
a ffilia tio n would not influence the answers of the respondents to
the survey questionnaire.
In presenting the data from the questions for each hypothesis
considered throughout this section, responses to each question are
placed as percentages with each response option. Then i f the chi-
square analysis reveals a significant difference among the responses
of the sub-groups,these differences are briefly described.
Preferred Procedural Methods of Teaching(External Methods)
Questions related to hypothesis 1 to 4 are numbered 37
to 5 3 ,(see appendix A pp. 221-222)
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Hypothesis 1
Beti of d ifferen t age groups have the same attitude toward
the methods of teaching used by Christian missions.
(The detailed responses relating to this hypothesis are in appendix B]
(pp. 232-234)
Hypothesis 2
Beti of different educational levels have the same attitude
towards the methods of teaching used by Christian missions.
(The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in Appendix B 2 (pp. 246-
248)
Hypothesis 3
Beti of different religious affiliations have the same attitude
toward the methods of teaching used by Christian nissions.
(The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in Appendix 83 (pp. 262-264)
Hypothesis 4
8 e ti men and women have the same attitude toward the methods of
teaching used by Christian missions.
(The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in Appendix B 4 (pp 277-
278)
Question 37: The leaders of your church have shown interest in ------learning of your tribe’s religious, social, and eco nomical needs:
Total sample : 22% Much interest 46% Some interest 31% No interest
^ The old people are more of the opinion than young people that church le< iers did not show interest in the needs of people.
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Sex: Women more than men say that their religious leaders show some interest in their religious and social needs.
No significant difference was found for either education level or religious affiliation.
Question 38: I f someone comes and questions about your human needs, w ill you Total sample : 60% welcome him as a friend I 29% be suspiscious againt him ? 11% reject him as someone who is interfering in your private life.
Age : Young people are more suspiscious toward the one who inquires about th e ir needs than older persons are.
Education : The more people are educated, the less they welcome inquiries about th e ir needs.
Religion: Roman Catholics welcome more readily than Protestants and Adventists those who ask about th eir personal needs. Sex: Men are less suspicious than women when th e ir religious leaders ask questions about their personal needs.
Question 39: The foreign religious teachers you have met
Total sample: 37% all spoke to you in Beti. 46% some spoke to you in Beti. 17% none spoke to you in Beti.
Age: Older people, more than the younger, consider that religious leaders did learn the Beti language.
Education: A much higher proportion of the two less educated groups than o f the other groups responded that all the missionaries spoke to them in the Beti language.
R e lig io n : Women, more than men, recognize that some of th eir religious leaders did speak the Beti language.
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Sex: The Roman Catholic respondents stated more frequently than the others that their religious leaders learned and spoke the Beti language.
Question 40: I pay more attention to a speech
Total sample: 78% if if is directly in Beti. 12% i f i t is translatedform French to 8 e t i. 10% i f i f is in French.
Age: Adults and old people are much more interested in using the Beti languagein teaching the Bible than young people.
Education: Those of the two lower educational levels are more appreciative than others of the direct use of Beti in sermons.
Religion: Roman Catholics pay more attention than Protestants and Adventists when a religious speech is made in Beti rather than in a foreign language.
No significant difference was found for the sex variable.
Question 41: The church is mainly
Total sample: 35% a Beti affair. 55% a universal body. 10% a Western in stitu tio n .
Age: Young people, more than adults, consider th e ir church as being a universal body.
Education: Those of the two lower educational levels are somewhat less in agreement than the others that the church is a universal body. About 40 percent of these two lower groups consider the church a Beti a ffa ir .
Religion: While the majority of respondents consider the church to be a universal body, this feeling is stronger among Protestants than the other two Christian groups.
No significant difference was found for the sex variable.
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Question 42: The personal example of religious leaders
Total sample: 37% is important for my faith . 11% has some importance for my faith. 52% is not important for my faith.
Age: The younger respondents are more demanding for the spiritual example of religious leaders than old people.
Religion: Protestant believers are much more demanding for the spiritual example of their church leaders than Adventists and Catholics.
No significant difference was found for either sex or education.
Question 43: The Bible is prim arily for you
Total sample: 89% the Word of God that speaks to people of a ll nations. 6% a white man's book which has a message for a Beti 5T a white man's book that is not relevant for the Beti
Age: The elders are s lig h tly more sure of the Bible as being the Word of God than the young people.
Education: The more people are educated, the less the Bible appears to be primarily the Word of God, although s t i l l the majority of each group have this opinion.
Religion: Except those without religious a ffilia t io n , the Bible appears to be highly appreciated by Beti people who consider i t as the Word of God, though the Protestants are slig h tly less positive (83%) than those of the other religious affiliations (95% and 90%).
No significant difference was found for the sex variable.
Question 44.: Your criterion in religious matters is
Total sample: 64% the bibical teaching. 23% your own understanding. 13% your religious leader's opinion.
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Religion: Seventh-day Adventists (952), more than Protestants (722) and Catholics (612), consider the Bible as their cri terion in religious matters.
No significant differences was found for the three variables age, education, and sex.
Question 45: Dreams are primarily
Total sample: 51% true communication with supernatural beings. 22% I am not sure. 26% simple unconscious human thoughts.
Age: There is a clear s h ift between adult and young people. Few younger people believe that dreams are primarily true communication with supernatural beings. Most of the two older groups do believe this.
Education: Beti of secondary education level and those of college level reject the idea of dreams as being communication with hereafter beings while less educated people quite strongly accept the idea.
Sex: Men, more than women, consider that dreams are true communication with supernatural beings.
No significant difference was found for the religious affiliation variable.
Question 46: I f someone te lls you "I saw a ghost last night." Would you Total sample: 65% be inclined to believe him because spirits do exist. 17% question whether it really was a ghost. 18% disbelieve because sp irits do not e x is t.
Age: The younger people believe less than elders in the reality of spirits.
Education: The less people are educated, the more they believe in the existence of spirits.
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Religion: Roman Catholics believe much more than Protestants and Adventists in the existence of ghosts. The majority of Adventists state that ghosts do not exist.
Sex: Men, a l i t t l e b it more than women, believe in the existence o f ghosts.
Question 47: The Bible says Jesus rose from death. This statement is
Total sample: 82% easy to understand for a Beti. 8 % impossible to understand for a Beti. 10% d iffic u lt to understand for a Beti.
Age: More adults than younger people say that the doctrine of Jesus Christ's resurrection is easy to understand.
Education:- Less secondary educated students than those of the other groups find resurrection from death easy to understand.
No significant difference was found for Religious affiliation or sex.
Question 48: What does ''evu" mean?
Total sample: 56% A vicious spirit. 20% A mysterious body organism. 24% All of the above.
Age: Adult people are the group who believe most in the evu as being a vicious s p irit.
No significant difference was found for education, religion or sex.
Question 49: In concrete situation, is the spell caster (nkokong)
Total sample: 29% unable to kill a Christian? 27% able to k ill some Christians? 44% able to k ill any Christian?
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Age: Young people believe less than adults that the spell caster can kill a Christian.
fio significant difference was found for education, relig io n , or sex.
Question 50: The diviner (mvivigi)
Total sample: 37% does really see some truths. 39% is just a lia r who does not see anything. 23% is able to detect any kind of hidden magic weapon.
No significant difference was found in the answers for the four different different variables age, education, relig io n , and sex.
Question 51: Can a Derson
Total sample: 10% choose a God given destiny? 27% modify a God given destiny? 63% never escape from a God given destiny?
Age: The young people are equally divided among options 2
and 3, while the great majority of the other two groups tend to response 3.
Education: The more people are educated in western patterns, the less they are fa ta lis tic .
No significant difference was found in the answers for the variables religion and sex.
Question 52: Is a medical doctor
Total sample: 22% more successful than Beti healer? 69% as successful as a Beti healer? 9% less successful than a Beti healer?
Age: More young people than the other groups believe that the medical doctor is more successful than the African healers.
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No significant difference was found in the answers for the variables religion and sex.
Question 53: Understanding and fle x ib ility in religious matters are
Total sample: 86 % a religious leader's qualities. 10% I have no opinion. 4% a religious leader's shortcomings.
Age; Young people (78%) are somewhat less sure than others that understanding and f le x ib ilit y are spiritual qual itie s .
Religion: Seventh-day Adventists more than Roman Catholics and Protestants consider flexibility a quality for a religious leader.
No significant difference was found in the answers for the variables education and sex.
Comparison of Beti and core Biblical knowledge Bases for Pedagogical Implications ( Internal Methods)
Questions relating to the hypotheses 5 to 8 are numbered 5 to 36
(see appendix A pp. 217-220) Hypothesis 5
Beti of d ifferen t age groups have the same attitude toward
the content of gospel issues.
( The detailed responses to this nypothesis are in appendix B^,
pp 229-232. ) Hypothesis 6 Beti of different educational levels have the same attitude
toward the content of Gospel issues.
(The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in appendix B2
pp.242-246)
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Hypothesis 7
Beti of different religious affiliations have the same atti
tude toward the content of the Gospel issues.
(The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in appendix 8^ pp.
258-262).
Hypothesis 8
Beti men and women have the same attitu d e toward the content
of Gospel issues.
(The detailed reponses to this hypothesis are in appendix B^ pp.
274-276).
Question 5: The idea of God
Total sample: 96% God objectively exists. 3% I do not know 1% God does not exist.
Age: The younger respondents were s lig h tly less certain of God's existence, although a large majority of this group indicated their agreement (90%).
Education: With increasing educational levels, there is a slight decrease in the proportion stating that God objectively exists.
Religion: In spite of the negation by two of the three unbelievers who responded, most respondents of d ifferen t religious affiliations say God objectively exists. There is a slight decrease from Adventists to Catholics, to Protestants.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 6 : God is
Total sample: 941 close and caring. 5% far off and indifferent. ]% vengeful and awful.
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Age: S lig h tly less young people (86%) than others believe in a close and caring God.
Education: Except for some intellectuals of college level, God is a caring father for Beti people, though with a s lig h t decrease in certainty through secondary and elementary levels.
Religion: Seventh-day Adventists and Roman Catholics are those who respond more strongly than Protestants (83%) that God is close and caring.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 7: Jesus Christ is
Total sample: 92% God revealed to all nations. 5% a created being sent by God to all nations. 3% a white man sent for whites only.
Age: Although most respondents believe that Jesus Christ is God revealed to all nations, there is a greater emphasis among old people than among younger respondents (83%).
Education: There is a slight decrease from 100% to 90% in those believing that Jesus Christ is the revelation of God for a ll nations, in moving from uneducated to secondary educated. Only 43 per cent of the college educated persons believe this.
Religion: ^More Adventists(100%) and Catholics(96%) than Protestants (83%) consider Jesus Christ as God revealed to all nations.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 8: For me Jesus Christ is primarily
Total sample: 86 %A personal Savior and close friend. 12% A messenger from God. 2% Someone who has no relevance for me.
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Age: Less young people (76%) than the other groups consider Jesus Christ as a close friend.
Education: The more people are educated in modem schools, the less Jesus Christ is for them a close friend, although the large portion of a ll respondents believe in Jesus Christ.
Religion: The large majority of all affiliated Christians consider Jesus Christ as a personal Savior and close friend. One third of the unaffiliated replied this v/ay, and two thirds said that He is irrelevant to them.
Sex: Men more than women say that Jesus Christ is their close friend.
Question 9: To sin '-s prim arily
Total sample: 90% To be disobedient against God. 4% to jeopardize one's life . 6% To bring a curse upon the tribe.
Age: Younger respondents are less affirm ative (83%) than the other groups that sin is primarily disobedience against God.
Religion: While the three "unbelievers" say that to sin is to endanger one's l i f e , the large majority of Christian respondents say that to sin is primarily to disobey God,Adventists being somewhat more positive than tholics, and considerly more so than Protestants (81%).
No significant differences was found for the variables education and sex.
Question 10: The cause of evil is ultimately
Total sample: 40% the devi1. 49% man. 11% God.
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Sex: Men tend to say the cause of evil is the man, while women tend to say that the cause is the devil.
Education: Intellectuals attribute the cause of evil equally to the devil and man while those of secondary education attribute i t to the devil and the less educated a t tribute i t to man.
Age: Contrary to young people who attribute the cause of evil to the devil, both old and adult people attrib u te the cause of evil to human beings.
No significant difference was found for the variable religion.
Question 11: The purpose of baptism is primarily
Total sample: 74% To wash sins. 16% A rite de passage. 10% To Die from sinful lif e .
Age: The old people (88%) consider baptism a sin-washing process more than adults (71%) and young people (66%).
Education: There is a decrease in the number considering baptism a sin washing process from 81 per cent of elementary educated students to 61 per cent of secondary students.
Religion: People without church a ffilia tio n say that baptism is a rite de passage. Adventists say i t is a symbol of dying from sinful life and other Christians believers say i t is a sin-washing process.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 12: The blessings or the curses of a father
Total sample: 27% have always objective consequences. 70% have conditional consequences. 4% have no consequences.
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Age: Although most respondents believe that a curse or a blessing of a father has conditional consequences, almost 40 per cent of the respondents say a curse from the mouth of a father always has objective conse quences.
Education: With increasing education, fewer say that the blessing or curses of a father always have objective consequences. 4 3 per cent of the intellectuals say that they have no no consequences.
Rel i gi ori: More of the Protestants than of the other groups say that a father's curse always has objective consequences.
Sex: More women than men believe that tha curses or the blessings of a father have conditional consequences, and more men say that they always have objective consequences.
Question 13: A word from the mouth of God
Total sample: 46% should be understood and accepted. 46% should be accepted without thought. 8 % should be discussed and contested.
Age: Young people believe that a word from the mouth of God should be understood before being accepted, while older respondents believe that the Word of God should be ac cepted without any discussion.
Education: With increasing education up to secondary level, there is increasing emphasis on understanding for acceptance. The majority of the college level respondents believe that the word from God should be discussed and contested.
/ Religion: While those who do not go to any church are ready to question the Word of God, the majority of Roman Catholics prefer to obey God without thinking and the majority of Protestants and Adventists prefer to under stand before they obey.
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Ho significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 14: The ultimate purpose of marriage is
Total sample: 66% procreation. 12% pleasure. 22% companionship.
Age: There is a s h ift between older respondents, who believe that procreation is the ultimate purpose of marriage, and young people who give some importance to the companionship aspect of marriage.
Education: The more that people are formerly educated, the less they believe that procreation is the ultimate purpose of marriage.
Sex; More men than women believe that the ultimate purpose of marriage is procreation, and also more men than women believe that the purpose of marriage is for companionship.
No significant difference was found for the religion variable.
Question 15: To die without an heir is
Total sample: 53% a curse from God. 27% a biological handicap. 20% an attack from enemies.
Age: There is a sh ift here between young people who believe that to die without an heir is a biological handicap while older respondents believe that to die without an heir is a curse from God.
Education: The more that people are formally educated, the less they believe that to die without an heir is a curse from God.
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Religion: All "unbelievers" and the majority of Adventists say that to die without an heir is a mere biological handi cap while the majority of Catholics say it is a curse from God, and Protestants are equally divided over a ll three responses.
Sex: The majority of both sexes agreed that to die without an heir is a curse from God. The remaining women tend ed to believe that i t is a biological problem, while the rest of the men were equally divided among the second and the third alternatives.
Question 16: Polygamy is primarily
Total sample: 32% wrong in the eyes of God. 5% opposed by white men for th e ir own special and moral values. 62% good for the African society.
Age: Young people believe that polygamy is mainly wrong in the eyes of God while older respondents believe that polygamy is good for the African society.
Education: The respondents from the lower two education groups think that polygamy is good for African society, a majority of those of secondary education think that polygamy is wrong in the eyes of God, while those of college education are equally divided between those two extremes.
Sex: The majority of men believe that polygamy is good for the African society while the maioritv of women believe that polygamy is primarily wrong in the eyes or boo.
No significant difference was found for the variable re lig io n . Question 17: Polygamists
Total sample : 56% can have eternal life 35% I do not know 9% cannot have eternal life .
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Age: Young people are not sure i f polygamists w ill have eternal lif e while older respondents believe that polyganr'sts w ill go to heaven.
Education: Respondents of informal education and primary education le vels believe that polygamists w ill go to heaven while a majority of those of secondary and college education levels declare that they do not know.
Religion : The three who do not have religious a ffilia tio n and the majo rity of Roman Catholics believe that polygamists w ill go to heaven while the majority of Adventists and Protestants do not know.
Sex: Men believe that polygamists w ill go to heaven while women say they do not know.
Question 18: Being polygamist
Total sample: 53% I approve of it . 6% I have no opinion. 42% I disapprove of i t .
Age: Young people disapprove of becoming polygamists while older respondents approve.
Education: The more formal education respondents have, the less they approve of being polygamists.
Religion: The majority of Roman Catholics approve being polygamist, while the majority of other respondents disapprove.
Sex: The majority of men approve being polygamists, while the majority of women disapprove.
Question 19: To keep my body in the healthiest condition possible
Total sample: 88 % is a program to follow carefully. 8 % I already know about it. 4% I am not interested.
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More old people than younger respondents state that a health program is good to follow, but this is partly because a number of younger ones claim to know about the program already.
Education: Some intellectuals say they already know about the health program while those of lesser education think health reform is a good program to follow.
Religion: The "unbelievers" declare that they already know every thing about the health program, while the large majority of Christians say that to keep their body in the healthi est condition possible is a worthwhile program to follow, the Protestants (81") less than the other two groups.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 20: Vegetarianism is primarily
Total sample: 24% a biblical teaching to follow. 27*. not necessary for eternal life . 50* 3 white man's health concern only.
Age: Young people are much more ready than older respon dents to accept the vegetarian diet as a 8ib lical teaching.
Education: The more respondents have formal education, the more they are ready to accept vegetarianism as a Biblical teaching.
Religion: The majority of Adventists consider vegetarianism a Biblical teaching, while the majority of other respondents do not.
Sex: Men say vegetarianism is white man’s concern while women are divided on whether vegetarianism is a B iblical teaching or not.
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Question 21: Should ancestors
Total sample: 80% be remembered. 9% be forgotten. 11% be worshiped.
Age: More older respondents than younqer respondents believe that ancestors should be remembered. But 20 percent of the younger respondents fe lt that ancestors should be worshipped.
Sex: More men than women believe that ancestors should be honored and remembered, though about 20 percent of the women thought that ancestors should be worshipped.
No significant difference was found for education or religion.
Question 22: How do you conceive ancestors?
Total sample: 12% as important as Jesus Christ. 8 % no relation with Jesus Christ. 79% less important than Jesus Christ.
Age: Less young people (66 percent) than older ones said that ancestors are less important than Jesus Christ.
Education: With increasing education there is a decrease (to 71 percent) of those declaring that ancestors are less important than Jesus Christ.
Religion: More Catholics than Adventists or Protestants thouqht that ancestors are less important than Jesus Christ. 26 percent of the Adventists stated that there is no relationship of ancestors with Jesus Christ.
Sex: More men than women believe that ancestors are less important than Jesus Christ.
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Question 23: Ancestors
Total Sample: 43% are able to bless and to punish. 18% are indifferent. 39% are unable to do anything.
Age: There is a s h ift between young people who believe that ancestors are unable to do anything, and older respon dents who believe that ancestors are able to bless and punish.
Education: The more people are educated, the more they believe that ancestors are unable to do anything to the living.
Religion: Catholics slig h tly favor the response that ancestors can bless and punish over the response that they can do nothing. Protestants are equally divided between these two responses (with 28 percent saying that ancestors are in d ifferen t to the liv in g ); while Adventists are equally divided between the responses that ancestors are in d ifferen t and that they are unable to do anything.
Sex: The majority of men say ancestors can bless and punish, while the majority of women say that ancestors cannot do anything.
Question 24: The b e lie f that people continue to be alive after death
Total sample: )6% is a biblical teaching. 76% is an African belief. 7% is a white man philosophy.
No significant different was found for the four variables age, education, religion and sex.
Question 25: To pray for those who are dead
Total sample: 61% I can do it . )4% I have no opinion. 26% I cannot do i t .
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Age: More older respondents than young people are w illing to pray fo r those who are dead.
Educati on: While the majority of those of the two lower education levels say that they can pray for the dead, less than 50 percent of secondary educated can do so and only 14 percent of college educated.
Reliqion: Roman Catholics say that they can pray for those who are dead while the other three groups of respondents can not.
Sex: More men than women say that they can pray for the dead.
Question 26: To pray to those who are dead
Total sample: 57% I can do it . 10% I have no opinion. 33% I cannot do it .
Age: Older respondents can pray to those who are dead while young people can not.
Education: The more people are educated, the less they are w illin g to pray to the dead.
Religion: Roman Catholics say that they can pray to those who are dead while the other three groups of respondents do not.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex
Question 27: Singing and dancing with tomtoms:
Total Sample: 82% is approved in the Bible. 9% the Bible has nothing to say about i t . 9% is disapproved by the Bible.
i
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Age: Young people (77 percent) less than other respondents believe that singing and dancing is approved in the Bible.
Education: 90 percent of the elementary group stated that the Bible gives approval, but only from 71 to 77 percent of the other groups. The smaller parts of these groups leaned towards Biblical disapproval (no formal education) and Biblical silence on the subject (secon dary and college groups).
No significant difference was found for the variables religion and sex.
Question 28: Music with Beti rhythm:
Total sample: 12% is a sin against God. 82% I do not know. S i is not a sin against God.
Age: Old people are more uncertain than young people as to whether music with rhythm is a sin against God. 24 percent of the younger group think that it is a sin.
Education: The majority of other respondents do not know whether music with Beti rhythm is a sin against God; but 43 percent of the intellectuals consider it a sin.
S£x: Women are somewhat less uncertain than men. There were 18 percent of the men who were against, 9 percent of them think that music with Beti rhythm is a sin.
No significant difference was found for the variable religion.
Question 29: Before God the wife is
Total sample: 5% in fe rio r to the husband. 63% equal to the husband. 32% superior to the husband.
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Age: There is a s h ift between young people who believe that wife and husband are equal before God, and old people who believe that the wife is in fe rio r to the husband before God.
Education: Respondents of primary education level are less affirm ative than the other respondents on the idea that before God the wife is in fe rio r to her husband.
Religion: About unanimously the three groups of respondents say before God men and women are equal , in spite of the fact that many Catholics and Protestants believe that men are more important.
Sex: With less emphasis among men, the majority of respon dents say that men and women are equal before God.
Question 30: In family leadership, the husband is
Total sample: 6% the subordinate of the wife. 20% equal to the wife. 74% the chief of the wife.
Age: Older respondents believe more strongly than the younger people that the husband is the chief of the wi fe .
Education: The more the respondents are educated, the more they accept the equality of women.
Sex: More women (35 percent) than men (11 percent) thought that the husband is equal to the wife.
No significant difference was found for the variable religion.
Question 31: Who should be the priest of the family in Christianity?
Total sample: 61% The husband. 31% I t does not matter. 7% The wi fe .
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Age: The older respondents are more sure than the younger that the husband alone should be the priest of the family. 55 percent of the younger feel that it does not matter.
Education: The more the respondents are educated, the more they accept the idea by which the religious leadership in the family should be shared by both the husband and his wife.
Religion: Those who do not go to any church say both wife and husband should be priests of the family. The majority of Christian respondents say that the priesthood of the family belongs to the husband, though this is a stronger opinion among Catholics than others.
Sex: The majority of men say the priesthood of the family belongs to men while women are divided whether this priesthood belongs to the husband exclusively or to both of them.
Question 32: To drink palm juice instead of wine and to eat a piece of manioc instead of bread:
Total sample: 21 % makes the communion more meaningful to me. 60% makes no difference. 19% makes the communion meaningless to me.
No significant difference was found in the answers for the four variables age, education, religion, sex.
Question 33: To worship on a day other than Sunday:
Total sample: 13% I can do it . 27% makes no difference. 60% I cannot do it .
Age: Only 45 percent of young people, but the majority of other respondents w ill not accept worhiping God another day than Sunday. Of the young people, 40 percent said that it. makes no difference
Education: The more the respondents are educated, the less problem they have with respect to worshipping God another day than Sunday.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Re 1i gion: While 64 percent of Catholics state that they cannot worship on a day other than Sunday, less than 50 percent of other religious groups gave this response. These almost equally stated that they can or that it makes no difference.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 34: The idea of a Saint protector:
Total sample: 11% is a biblical teaching. 68 % is an African belief. 21t is a white man heritage.
Age: The large majority of older respondents is more a f f ir mative than young people that the idea of a saint protector is an African belief.
Education: Except for the seven college graduates who say that the idea of a saint protector is a biblical teaching, the large majority of other respondents attribute it to African belief.
No significant difference was found for the variables religion and sex.
Question 35: To bear the name of a saint protector (Christian name
Total sample: 20% I am happy to do so. 16% It makes no difference to me. 64% I would refuse to do so.
Age: There is a difference between young people, who are not w illing to bear the name of a saint protector, and old people, who are more willing
Education: The respondents of the two lower educational levels refuse to bear a name of a saint. Less than half of the secondary and college educated respondents refused Religion: "Unbelievers" and Adventists like Christian names, Roman Catholics do not. Protestants are divided.
Sex ’ ’ Men, more than women, d islike Christian names
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Question 36: What is the relationship between the Saints and the Beti ancestors?
Total sample: 27% They are equals. 22% Some ancestors are saints. 51% They are totally different.
Age: Older respondents believe that ancestors are to ta lly different from saints. Many young people believe that some ancestors are saints.
Sex: Men, more than women, say that ancestors and saints are totally different.
No significant difference was found for the variables religion and education. Test for an operative Beti value system
Questions related to the hypotheses 9 to 12 are numbered
54 to 65, see Appendix A, pp. 222-224
Hypothesis 9 :
Beti of d ifferen t age levels have the same conception
of Beti values. The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in
appendix Bj, pp 234-235.
Hypothesis 10
Beti of different educational levels have the same concep
tion of Beti values. The detailed responses to this hypothesis
are in appendix B 2 , pp. 248-249
Hypothesis 11
Beti of different religious affiliations have the same
conception of Beti values. The detailed responses to this hypothesis
are in appendix B^, PP 264-265
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Hypothesis 12
Beti men and women have the same conception of Beti values.
The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in appendix B^, pp. 278-
279 -
Question 54: A rich Greek salesman has lost his wallet containing CFA 5000. You have found i t . Will you:
Total sample: 40% Give it to the owner without compensation. 54% Take the money as a God-given luck. 6% Meet the owner and claim compensation.
Age: Compared to the other groups, more of the younger aroup w ill give the money back without compensation, anc. less w ill keep it .
Educati on: Less educated people w ill keep the money for themselves. Educated people of secondary and college level are equally divided on whether they w ill keep the money or give i t to the Greek without compensation.
R eligion: Those who do not have religious commitment w ill not give the money back to the Greek, while Christians are divided on whether money should be kept or given back to the white owner. Catholics tend to favor keeping it, and Adventists and Protestants slightly favoring returning the money without compensation.
Sex: The majority of men w ill keep the money as a God-given luck while women prefer to give it back to the white owner.
Question 55: You have just fallen in love with a partner and you plan to get married when the doctor informs you that the partner can never have a baby. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 51% Cancel the marriage project. 30% Maintain the project. 19% Pray for supernatural fecundity.
Age: While older respondents refuse to get marriage to s te rile woman, young people are divided.
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Education: The more people are educated, the less they would cancel a marriage project with a s te rile woman.
Religion: The majority of unbelievers will maintain the project, Adventists will Drav for supernatural fecundity. Cathol ics w ill cancel the oroiect. Protestants are uncertain.
Sex: The majority of men w ill cancel the marriage i f the lady is sterile while women are uncertain of their attitude if the young man is declared to be sterile.
Question 56: You have adopted a foreign orphan and a s p irit te lls you during a night dream to sacrifice him in order to exorcise the curse that threatens the whole village What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 92% Protect the orphan because i t is immoral to k il l . 14% K ill him and obey the s p irit. 4% K ill him by w illin g to save the tribe from the curse.
Age: Somewhat less (76 percent) of the young people w ill protect the orphan.
No significant difference was found for the variables education, religion and sex.
Question 57: Your brother is kept a prisoner by enemies. They request CFA 50,000 otherwise they may k ill him. This is the exact sum that you have recently received as a dot for your daughter. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 73% Give the money. 10% Not give the money. 12% Search for another way in order to save his lif e without money.
Age: Less (68 percent) of the young people w ill give the money to save the lif e of their brother.
No significant difference was found for the variables education, religion and sex.
^Question 58: You have a good salary, 50,000 CFA a month. What is best to do?
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Total sample: 36% Faithfully give 5,000 or more each month to the Church. 10% Not give anything to the Church. 54% Give something, but not 5,000 each month to the Church.
Religion: Adventists will pay the tithe while Catholics and Protestants prefer the free offering system.
No significant difference was found for the variables education, age and sex.
Question 59: An angel te lls you during a night dream to sacrifice your child in order to please God. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 42% Obey the dream order. 40% Disobey. 18% Consult the religious leader.
Age: Young and old people w ill as fir s t choice sacrifice the child to obey the dream, while adults say they w ill disobey the dream.
Education: Those of college education w ill not follow the dream. Other respondents hesitate between to sacrifice or to save the child, the elementary group prefering to disobey, the other two groups preferring to obey.
No significant difference was found for the variables religion and sex.
'Question 60: A neighbor's chicken d irties one of your kitchen beds and at the same time goes to lay an egg in your chicken's nest. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 73% Bring the egg to the neighbor. 15% Keep the egg for compensation. 12% Tell your neighbor the incident and discuss the issue.
Age: Less (61 percent) of the young people than of the older groups, w ill bring the egg back to the owner.
Education: The more people are educated, the less lik e ly they w ill give the egg back to the neighbor.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 117 Religion: People without religious affiliation and Protestants w ill keep the egg for compensation. Catholics w ill give i t back to the owner. Adventists are uncertain, though they tend (42 percent) to give i t back.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 61: One night there is no food at home. Your children are hungry and you have just found a few bananas in a corner when two la te , tired and hungry travelersknock at your door. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 41% Give the food to the children. 53% Give the food to the foreigners. 6% Not to give the food to anyone.
Age: There is a s h ift between young people, who prefer to give the banana to the hungry children and the older respondents who w ill give the banana to the foreigner.
Education: The more people obtain formal education, the less likely they are to give the banana to the foreigner instead of giving it to the hungry children.
Sex: Men w ill mainly give the found banana to the foreigner while women prefer to give it to the hungry children.
No significant difference was found for the variable religion.
Question 62: A popular and famous healer tells you that your neighbor is a "kong" holder and the best way to stop his misdeeds is to burn his house down. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 24% Burn down the "kong" holder's house. 58% Refuse because i t is immoral to burn down somebody else's house. 18% Tell the healer that he is a liar.
Age: Less (42 percent) of the young people, say that they w ill refuse to burn down the house of a kong holder. 35 percent of the young people w ill te ll the healer that he is a liar.
Education: With increasing formal education, there is a decreasing tendency to refuse and an increasing tendency to te ll
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the healer that he is a liar—apart from the elementary group, where 33 percent w ill burn down the house.
Religion: Roman Catholics like many Adventists will refuse to burn down the neighbor's house, while many Protestants w ill prefer to burn down the house.
Sex: Less women than men w ill refuse; 28 percent of women will tell the healer that he is a liar.
Question 63: You work in town and a brother-in-law who is in trouble requests to stay in your home for 6 months. He does not have any income and you must pay a ll the expenses. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 66% Give him shelter and food without question. 10% Reject him because you cannot afford parasites. 24% Accept him but ask home work compensation.
Age: Less of the young people (50 percent) than of the older ones will give shelter without conditions to the in-law.
Education: The more people get formal education, the less like ly they w ill give shelter unconditionally to an in-law.
Religion: Unbelievers" w ill not give shelter to the in-laws while Christians will do it--though Protestants (48 percent) to a much smaller extent than Catholics and Adventists.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Question 64: A missionary arrives in your village in order to organ ize a church. You are requested to give your house to him and to stay with one of your brothers. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 80% Leave your house without hesitation. 13% Not leave the house for any reason. 7% Bargain some compensations.
Age: The young people are less likely (61 percent) than the older to give th eir house to the missionary without hesitation.
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Education: The proportion who w ill leave the house without hesi tation decreases as the level of formal education increases.
Religion: Unbelievers" w ill not give their house to the mission ary while the large majority of other respondents w ill, though Adventists and Protestants are less inclined to do so than Catholics.
Sex: Less men (79 percent) than women (82 percent) w ill give their house to the missionary.
Question 65: You have just fallen in love with a partner and you plan to get married when your partner claims that the only one thing that he/she w ill not do is to share your religious beliefs. What is the best thing to do?
Total sample: 69% Cancel the marriage project. 17% Maintain the marriage project. 14% Bargain the issue.
Sex: More men (75 percent) than women (60 percent) w ill cancel the marriage Droject i f the partner refuses to share religious beliefs.
No significant difference for the variables age, education, relinion.
Beti appeal value rating of 25 core Biblical themes
Questions related to the hypotheses 13 to 16 are numbered 66 to 90 (see appendix A, p. 225).
Hypothesis 1?
Beti of different age groups have the same preferences toward
biblical themes. The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in
Appendix B, pp. 236-240
Hypothesis 14
Beti of different educational levels have the same preferences
toward biblical themes. The detailed responses to this hypothesis are
in Appendix B 2 > pp. 250-256
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Hypothesis 15
Beti of different religious affiliations have the same
preferences toward b ib lical themes. The detailed responses to
this hypothesis are in Appendix B.j, PP- 266-272
Hypothesis 16
Beti men and women have the same preferences toward biblical
themes. The detailed responses to this hypothesis are in Appendix
B4, pp. 280-284
General questions applied to the themes: For each one
of the following themes, indicate i f the theme is strongly appealing
to you (A), moderately appealing (a), neutral (N), if you moderately
dislike it (d) or strongly dislike it (D).
Theme 1, question 66 : The Existence of God
Total sample: 95% strongly appealing 1% moderately appealing 2% neutral 1% moderately dislike it 1% strongly dislike it
Education: Only 57% of the college graduates strongly like the theme of the existence of God; 43% of them strongly dislike it.
Reliqion: .. . Slightly fewer(90%) Adventists than other religious groups like the theme of the existence of God. Only 1% of the three who do not have religious a ffilia tio n was in this category.
No significant difference was found for the variables age and sex.
Theme 2, quest i on 67: The notion of sin. 78% strongly appealing 6% moderately appealing 2% neutral 8 % moderately dislike it 6% strongly dislike it.
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Age: Fewer (71%) of the younger people strongly lik e the theme of the notion of sin.
Education: The more formally educated, the less favorable respondents are to the theme of the notion of sin.
Religion: The Adventists are more favorable than the Catholics, who are more favorable than the Protestants
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Theme 3, question 68: The Person of Jesus Christ
Total Sample: The tribesmen reacted as follows: 90% strongly appealing 6% moderately appealing 2% neutral 0% moderately d islike i t 2% strongly dislike it
Education: The theme of the person of Jesus Christ is strongly appeal ing to 93% of uneducated and 90% of elementary and second ary educated, but to only 57% of the collegegraduates.
Religion: The theme is strongly appealing to 100% of Adventists, 90% of Catholics and 89% of Protestants.
No significant difference was found for the variables age and sex.
Theme 4, question 69: The Idea of Atonement
Total Sample: The tribesmen reacted as follows: 85% strongly appealing 6% moderately appealing 4% neutral 2% moderately d is lik e i t 3% strongly dislike it
Age: Adults and old respondents strongly like the theme of Christ's atonement, more than young people do (78%).
Education: College graduates reject and some moderately like the theme of atonement, while the other groups of respondents strongly like i t .
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Religion: Protestants (71-) find the theme of atonement less appeal ing than Catholics (88%) and Adventists (95%)
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Theme 5, question 70: Baptism
Total Sample: The general sample reacted as follows: 92% strongly appealing 4% moderately appealing 3% neutral 2% moderately d islike and strongly dislike
Education: There is a slig h t decrease in the "strongly appealing" res ponse from no formal education (99%) to elementary (93%) and secondary (90%); then a drop to 43% (with 29% "appealing") among the college group.
Religion: All Adventists, 93% of Catholics and 85% of Protestants strongly like the theme of baptism, while most “unbelievers" dislike it.
No significant difference was found for the variables age and sex.
Theme 6, question 71: The Communion
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 87% strongly appealing 9% moderately appealing 2% neutral 2% moderately d islike and strongly dislike
Education: The more formal education, the fewer state that they "strongly like" the theme of communion.
Religion: lhe majority of Adventists, Catholics, and Protestants strongly like the theme of Holy Communion. Adventists ]jke i t s lig h tly more than the others.
Sex: Women favor the theme of Holy Comnunion more than men do.
No significant difference was found for the variable age.
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Theme 7, question 72: Procreation
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 83% strongly appealing 8 % moderately appealing 2% neutral 2% moderately dislike 4% strongly dislike
Age: Adults and old respondents are much more in favor of procre ation than are young people.
Education: The greater the degree of formal education, the less favorably the respondents are inclined to the theme of procreation.
Religion: Two of the three "unbelievers" who responded d islike the theme of procreation while Adventists like it moderately and Catho lics and Protestants strongly like it.
Sex: Men are more favorable than women to the theme of procreation.
Theme 8, question 73: Church Attendance
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 58% strongly appealing 10% moderately appealing 3% neutral 9% moderately dislike 19% strongly dislike
Age: The younger group (60%) favor the theme of church attendance more strongly than the other two groups, while 31% of older respondents dislike i t strongly.
Sex: Women are more favorably inclined than men to the theme of church attendance.
No signigicant difference was found for the variables educ ation and religion.
Theme 9, question 74: The Day of Rest
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 29% strongly appealing 5% moderately appealing 3% neutral
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Theme 9, question 74: The Day o f R est, cont.
Total Sample, cont.: 2% moderately dislike 60% strongly dislike
Age: The older group strongly dislike the theme of the day of rest. 47 percent of the young people strongly dislike it, while 38 percent strongly like it.
Education: The more formal education, the less is the dislike of the theme of the day of rest.
Sex: Men dislike the theme of the day of rest more than women do.
No significant difference was found for the variable religion.
Theme 10, question 75: The Sacrifice
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 58% strongly appealing 8 % moderately appealing 4% neutral 4% moderately dislike 27% strongly dislike
Sex: Women like the theme of sacrifice somewhat more than men.
No significant difference was found for the variables age, education and religion.
Theme 11, question 76: The Circumcision
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 82% strongly appealing 4% moderately appealing 4% neutral 4% moderately dislike 7% strongly dislike
Age: The younger group are somewhat less favorable than the older two groups to the theme of circumcision.
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Theme 11, question 76: The Circumcision, cont.
Religion: Those who do not go to church strongly dislike the theme of circumcision. Adventists (56 percent) are much less favorable than Catholics and Protestants to this theme.
Sex: Men are more favorable than women to the theme of circumcision.
No significant difference was found for the variable education.
Theme 12, question 77: Women Submission
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 8 l t strongly appealing 6% moderately appealing 2% neutral 2% moderately dislike 9% strongly dislike
Age: Older respondents are more favorable than young respondents toward the theme of women submission.
Education: The more formal education received, the less receptive the respondents are to the theme of women submission.
Religion: The Adventists are less favorable than the Catholics who are less favorable than the Protestants to the theme of women's submission.
No significant difference was found for the variable sex.
Theme 13, question 78: The New Earth
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 87% strongly appealing 2% moderately appealing 4% neutral 2% moderately dislike 5% strongly dislike
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Theme 13, question 78: The New Earth, cont.
Age: The older respondents are somewhat more favorable than the younger to the theme of the new earth.
No significant difference between groups was found for the variables education, religion and sex.
Theme 14, question 79: The Word of God
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 812 strongly appealing 5% moderately appealing 32 neutral 42 moderately dislike 72 strongly dislike
No significant difference between groups was found for the variables age, education, religion, and sex.
Theme 15, question 80: Eating and Drinking Laws
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 632 strongly appealing 52 moderately appealing 42 neutral 52 moderately dislike 182 strongly dislike
Age: The proportion strongly approving of the theme of eating and drinking laws decreases as the age of the group in creases .
Religion: All "unbelievers" dislike the theme of eating and drinking laws, while Adventists are more favorable than Protestants and Catholics.
No significant difference between groups was found for the variables education and sex.
Theme 16, question 81: The Holy S p irit
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 502 strongly appealing 32 moderately appealing 32 neutral 12 moderately dislike 22 strongly dislike
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Theme 16, question 81: The Holy Spirit, cont.
Religion: Adventists (74 percent) are considerably less "strongly favorable" than Roman Catholics and Protestants to the theme of the Holy S p irit.
No significant difference was found for the variables age, education and sex.
Theme 17, question 82: The Miracles of Christ
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 88 % strongly appealing 4% moderately appealing 4% neutral 1% moderately dislike 4% strongly dislike
Education: Those with more formal education responded less approvingly to the theme of the Miracles of Christ.
Religion: Catholics and Protestants are more favorable than Adven tists to the theme of the miracles of Christ while two of the three "unbelievers" were opposed.
No significant difference was found for the variables age and sex.
Theme 18, question 83: Life A fter Death
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 84% strongly appealing 4% moderately appealing 5% neutral 0% moderately dislike 8 % strongly dislike
Age: A smaller proportion (76) of the older group strongly like the theme of the lif e a fter death.
Education: A high majority of respondents from the two lower education levels strongly like the theme of life after death. A smaller majority of the secondary education group responded this way, while those of college education are equally divided between likin g and disliking the theme.
No significant difference was found for the variables religion and sex.
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Theme 19, question 8 4 : Polygamy
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as fellows; 32" strongly appealing 5% moderately appealing 4% neutral 2% moderately dislike 56% strongly dislike
Age: Adult people d islike the theme of polygamy (65 percent) more than the old people (54 percent) and young people (52 percent).
No significant difference was found for the variables education, religion and sex.
Theme 20, question 85: The Resurrection
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 90% strongly appealing 4% moderately appealing 2% neutral 4% moderately and strongly dislike
Age: Younger people are somewhat less favorable (87 percent strongly favorable and 9 percent strongly unfavorable) than the older group to the theme of the resurrection.
No significant difference was found for the variables education, religion, and sex.
Theme 21, question 86: Brotherly Love
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 93% strongly appealing 3% moderately appealing 2% neutral 2% moderately and strongly dislike
Education: Those with no formal education are s lig h tly more in favor of the theme of brotherly love than those with elementary and secondary education; and the college group are much less in favor of this theme.
No significant difference was found for the variables age, religion and sex.
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Theme 22, question 87: The Church
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 87% strongly appealing 5% moderately appealing 6% neutral 1% moderately dislike 2% strongly dislike
Education: Those with no formal education favor the theme of the church somewhat more strongly than the elementary and secondary group, and much more strongly than the college group.
Religion: Adventists are somewhat less favorable than Catholics and Protestants to the theme of the church.
No significant difference was found for the variables age and sex.
Theme 23, question 88: The Mystery of Death
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 76% strongly appealing 2% moderately appealing 11% neutral 2% moderately dislike 8 % strongly dislike
Age: The young are considerably more strongly favorable (82 percent) than the old and the adults (67 percent) to the theme o f the mystery of death.
No significant difference was found for the variables education, relig io n , and sex.
Theme 24, question 89: The Mystery of Evil
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 79% strongly appealing 3% moderately appealing 13% neutral 2% moderately dislike 3% strongly dislike
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.Theme 24, question 89: The Mystery of Evil, co n t.
Age: The old are more strongly favorable than the other two groups to the theme of the mystery of e v il.
Religion: Catholics are more strongly favorable than Protestants, who are more strongly favorable than Adventists to the theme of the mystery of e v il.
No significant difference was found for the variables education and sex.
Theme 25, Question 90: Forgiveness of Sins
Total Sample: The respondents reacted as follows: 86 % strongly appealing 4% moderately appealing 8 % neutral 1% moderately dislike 1% strongly dislike
Religion: Adventists were less strongly favorable (79 percent) than the other two Christian groups to the theme of the fo r giveness of sins.
No significant difference was found for the variables age, education and sex.
With four different hypotheses (with respect to age, education,
religion and sex differences) being tested in relation to each of the
86 questions, a total of 344 chi-square tests were made. Of these,
215 or 62.5 percent indicated significant differences, a rejection
of the null hypothesis.
SUMMARY
This chapter has presently the findings from the review
of lite ra tu re , the interviews and the survey questionnaire.
Data from the questionnaire were also analyzed to test the hypo
theses relating to differences by age, education, religious
a ffilia tio n and sex.
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METHODS OF TEACHING
Introduction
This section is focused essentially on the general Drin-
ciples which have to be taken into account i f the Bible is to be
e ffic ie n tly taught to Beti tribesmen. The suggestions discussed
in this chapter a r e ,fir s t of a ll,th e summary of the finding from
the three sources of data, namely the questionnaire, the review
of literature, and the interviews with scholars. The general prin
ciples presented (External methods) and the specific Gospel issues
analysed (Internal methods) have been selected because of their
relevance and their importance in Beti society. The researcher
himself iniects into these findings his own exDerience of seven years
of teaching in secondary schools, three years of ministry as public
evangelist, two years as chairman of the theoloay department at the
Adventist College for French speaking Africans at Nanaa-Eboko,
The fact that the researcher himself is a man Beti may be enough
reason for him to enrich the findings by his personal insight.
External Methods
In chapter IV, findings were presented, from the interviews,
lite ra tu re review and the survey questionnaire, which indicate the
importance of certain methodologies in presenting the Gospel to 8eti.
Seven important methodologies (External methods) are discussed in this
section. Where questionnaire data are mentioned in this chapter,
131
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reference w ill be made to the page in chapter IV where these data
are presented.
Communi cation
Teaching the Bible is not just a fellowship meeting, an
"encounter" in which feelings dominate and in which a clear
knowledge is not transmitted. Teaching implies addressinq people
to convey a messaae. Communication is therefore the key of any
teachinq endeavor, of any worthwhile encounter. The teacher and
the learner must at least agree that they are speaking the very
same language, otherwise misunderstandings and frustrations
disturb the affective, intellectual and spiritual connections.
To improve communication with Beti people requires two major
considerations:
F irst, as fast as the educator can, he should learn and
speak the Beti language. This is important because communication
is more complete when people speak the same language, but also
because a non-Beti who learns and speaks the native language
gives proof that he values the people who speak that language.
Consequently, the villag ers' confidence in the religious edu
cator increases and human relationships are improved. The survey
shows (see p.90,question 39)that, according to villag ers, missionnaries
did make an e ffo rt to speak in Beti. The point of view of the
older people is relevant here because of th e ir personal experience
and connection with the work of early missionaries. They indi
cated (54 percent) that early missionaries did speak Beti. Seven
teen percent said missionaries did not. In spite of the fact that
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generally agreed that expatriate religious educators among the
Beti did learn the language. The Ewondo language, in fact, became
the o ffic ia l language of Catholicism in South Cameroon, and it is
for this reason that, in that area, the Roman Catholic Church is
an Ewondo-speaking Beti a ffa ir. This is to say that the Betis do
value their language. Seventy-eight percent of the people sur
veyed answered (question 4 0,p.31) that the Word of God is much more
meaningful to them i f i t is preached in Beti (young people
60 percent, adults 91 percent and old 90 percent). One may argue
that this is because many of them do not have much education.
However, 71 percent of college educated B eti, 58 percent of the
Beti who have a secondary education, and 92 percent of those with
an elementary education as well as Beti illiterates (89 percent),
agree that they value i t highly when one speaks to them in their
language. Jesus Christ adopted human language (1 John 1:1),
valued i t and used i t with simplicity and power (White, 1909,
p. 24). This principle should not be neglected in dealing with
Beti villagers.
However, communication implies more than simply language.
The second consideration to be kept in mind is the necessity to
know and to use the local patterns of thought. As indicated and
described e a rlie r (see pp. 55-82) Beti people think within
certain patterns of thought which should be known and adopted.
I t is understood that the universal aspects of human reason, as
defined by the western world, should be taken into consideration
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because of the increasing influence of scie n tific technology and
scien tific studies on young people. But the fact remains that
both educated and less-educated Beti will be more effectively
reached i f their traditional patterns of thouqht are known and
adopted. The religious instructor should adopt here a learning
attitude and realize, as Weber (1960,p 5} suggests, that those
for whom he ministers are more than "letter blind people". On the
contrary, they are " imaginative artists who think and speak in
colorful, glowing pictures, actions, and symbols"
Engelbert Mveng (1980,p .297) suggests the same attitude :
I do believe today that for a true Christian theology, a theologian worthy of the name should begin from his own experience and always take into account a ll the other great human experiences and what he cannot formulate in his own traditional language, he should borrow from other traditions which complete his own.
This is to say that a religious teacher among the Beti
may have something to teach but also something to learn from
them. It should be considered a privilege to communicate with
them in the context of th eir thought patterns and their cosmology.
Holding up Christ as an example, White (1909, p. 23) states:
The prince of teachers sought access to the people by the pathway of their most familiar associations. He pre sented the truth in such a way that ever a fte r i t was to his hearers intertwined with their most hallowed recollections and sympathies.
Values
This leads to the second point: the appreciation of Beti
values. The findings presented (pp.7B-85) show that Beti peoDle do
have values. These are not necessarily different from universal
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values, but they bear in Beti society a specific weight which
gives to them a certain local uniqueness. The religious edu
cator working with the Beti people should know that they consider
themselves "free men," "lords," "nobles." As Michel Evouna
asserts, this "ati principle" is the key point which explains the
behavior of a man B e ti. Because he is a t i , he values lif e , which
has been transmitted to him by his ancestors and ultimately given
to him by Zamba. Consequently procreation, as well as family care
and regard for kinship ties,is a moral obligation. Ati justifies at
the same time his moral pride and consequently, he mistrusts trade
and business a c tiv itie s . Along the same line of thinking, because
of being a t i , he considers those who belong to his tribe as precious
beings whith whom he shares the same m aterial, spiritual , and social
goods. He shares with them the same duties and responsibilities toward
Zamba and toward other men. This is the reason that hospitality is a
religious requirement. To know these values is good. To appreciate and
apply the positive aspects of them in one's lif e is better. To use this
knowledge and this appreciation in order to reach the heart of a Beti
for Jesus Christ is the best method a religious educator can use. For
example, one of the basic values is that a person is not an individual
separated from the group. He is, as Mveng(1980) says, "a bundle of
multiple and interdependant relations which cannot be isolated from
one another." This is an excellent way by which to introduce among the
Beti people,the Christian notion of the Church as a worshipping commu
n ity and a body. The Scriptures te ll us that God "made of one blood
a ll nations of men" ( Acts 17:26) and that brotherly love is the core
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of Christian commitment (lJohn 4:7). They also underline the importance
of the forqiveness of sins as well as the universal aspect of salva
tion. These biblical teachings are valued in in d ivid u alistic western
societies. They gain more depth and more meaning in a society in which
the interdependance of Deople is the golden rule of any social a ctiv ity .
Mveng ( 1980 d . 280) points out that the dynamic and positive power of
the Gospel will operate with more effectiveness in African and community
oriented societies rather than in western and individual oriented
societies.
Finding the Needs
Needs finding is , in fact, a universal requirement. You cannot
succesfully devote energy to help people i f th e ir basic needs have not
been yet recognized. Questions 37 and 38 of the survey dealt with this
specific issues. Beti people said ( question 37, p 89 1 tnat churcn
leaders were not interested in their needs (31 percent). A total of
78 percent of interviewees seem unhaopy because they beleive that their
social, intellectual and spiritual needs have been neglected by *"he church. However, they said ( question 38, P- 90), that i f someone
would come to ask about their personal needs, they would consider
him a friend (60 percent) rather than an enemy (11 percent). We
must make a difference here between the young people and the old.
Old people appreciate i t i f someone comes along and asks about
their needs (91 percent). The adults are more cautious (70 percent),
and young people are obviously hostile to i t (29 percent). The
young people's hostility is partly explained by the fnct that they
live mainly in the city and the necessity of maximum security has
made them more cautious than the confident v illa g ers . The same
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openness toward people who attempt to discover their needs de
creases with advanced levels of education. Illiterates are more
confident about having people approach them to ask about their
needs (80 percent) than those of elementary education (75 percent)
and even more so than those with a secondary education (35 percent)
or college education (28 percent). This h o s tility from young and
educated people is not related to the needs finding issue its e lf,
but rather to the way in which this questioning is conducted.
They need a much clearer explanation that the attempt to discover
their problems is not directed against them, but is aimed rather
at better serving their spiritual, social, and moral state.
The religious educator among the Beti should,then,keep
in mind that Jesus Himself set the example by firs t discovering
needs of the people (John 4:16) in order to meet them (John 4:29).
White (1903), states:
Our Lord adapts Himself to our special needs. He is a shade on our right hand. He walks close by our side, ready to supply a ll our necessities. He comes very near to those who are engaged in w illin g service. He knows every one by name. ( 3 SDABC, p .1153)
The religious educator among Beti may not be as close to
the tribesmen as God Himself is, but he should realize that the
more he tries to find and meet the f e lt needs of people, the
more successful his ministry is lik e ly to be.
Modeling
The example of a leader is usually more important than his
words. Mary Hunter Moore (1937) emphasizes the role of modeling
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in character building. White also emphasizes this need. She
states (1903, p. 41):
Not as an empty theory were these things to be taught. Those who would impart truth must themselves practice its principles. Only by reflecting the uprightness, nobility and unselfishness of th eir own lives can they impress others.
The principle here reaches the very heart of the Beti philosophy
of traditional education. The children, through th eir parents' actions,
were expected to learn how to behave as responsible persons.
This modeling power of religious leaders has faded away in
Beti society today. According to the traditional patterns of thought,
the Catholic priests were identified with God because to the Beti mind
the one who is sent carries the very same power as the sender Himself.
But these men of God found themselves involved in p o litic a l struggles
against Marxism, and in the d iffic u lt issue of p riestly celibacy,
which was in open and direct con tradition with the traditional
religious requirements of procreation.
Question 42 of the survey was intended to ascertain the Beti's
appraisal of the spiritual example of their religious leaders. (See
paqe 92). Some young people (48 percent), adults (25 percent), and
old people (33 percent), said that the moral example of religious
leaders highly affects their religious experience. Others said that
it does not at all affect their religious life (young 37 percent,
adults 68 percent, old 55 percent, total sample 52 percent). These
results should not be interpreted as saying that the maturity of
adults and old people prevents them from being influenced by other
men's religious lives. The truth lies somewhere else. Many new
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priests have d iffic u lty handling the celibacy requirements of th eir
m inistry and the result is disappointment on the part of elderly
people who value marriage and polygamy, but not fornication. Many
elderly people said to the researcher: " If we were to look at what
the priests are doing nowadays, no one would go to church any longer.
The best thing to do is to leave this problem to God Himself."
The distribution of answers according to religious
affiliation brings other explanations. Catholics remain con
sistent in their criticism of the priests' behavior; only 32
percent look at the priests' example, but 55 percent do not. The
Protestants are much more demanding of their pastors. Sixty
percent look at the pastor's example, 30 percent do not. The
Protestants' church in Africa has tra d itio n a lly been demanding
toward church v/orkers. The answers of the Adventists are indecisive.
Forty-seven percent require the pastor's example, 47 percent do
not. An element of explanation may come from the fact that the
Adventist population of the sample is of young people, and African
young people today do noc pay too much attention to the behavior
of religious leaders.
It appears, in conclusion, that the example of religious
educators is variably appraised in the minds of the Beti. The
poor example of some priests justifies the tribesmen's
disappointment, but the principle of a positive example should be
maintained as a precious comm'tment.
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Disci piing
Making disciples is a gospel requirement (Matt 28:19). It
is also a dynamic factor in character building and a successful
teaching principle. I t means, in the context of this study, that
the religious educator in Beti land should keep in mind that he
has to make not only converts, but also followers, followers of
himself and followers of Christ.
His listeners have to be his followers by virtue of the
modeling principle discussed above . Except in certain cases
in which they have been disappointed by the poor spiritual life
of church leaders, the Beti are accustomed to requiring lordly
behavior. I t belongs to their moral code of conduct. Up to this
point discipleship may just be servile imitation of a teacher, for
the sake of an external morality. Discipleship is more than that.
It implies an inner characterization of Christian principles, in
both the church administration and in the personal spiritual realm.
In regards to the f ir s t point, the survey showed (question
41 p.91 ), that most of the Beti perceive their Church as being
a truly universal institution (55 percent a.id not a national
concern (35 percent) or a foreign institution (10 percent). This
tendency is verified regardless of age, sex, or religious
affiliation.
One may question how does the administrative organization
of the church relate to discipieship ? The answer is that the m« re
the church in its organization presents,at the same time,both a
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universal and a local outlook in terms of leadership and administra
tive methods, the more the church members sense a personal responsi.
b ilit y for the Gospel and their inner commitment for the church in
creases. This is verified in Beti land today . Expatriate connrena-
tions are s t ill active while the Catholic and the Protestant churches
are Africanized.
Regarding the principle of personal discipleship (question
42, d . 92) , the picture is less encouraging. The priests do not
seem to give the tribesmen a spiritual example worthy of true
disciples of Christ.Those who are called to be disciples are to
be moved by the Master so that He can make them like Himself. The
a ti value, in which Beti tribesmen find th eir nobility may become
a positive tool by which the religious educator among them can
explain in a clearer sense the following statements:
He who deservedly bears the name of Christian, which signifies Christlike, will be filled with piety and purity, with love and reverence. (White, 1890, 50BC 1097) Look to Christ, behold the attractive loveliness of His character, and by beholding, you w ill become changed into His likeness. (White, SD, 1955, p. 85)
Progressive teaching One of the temptations the religious educators face in
Africa, is to try to transform tribesmen in the twinkling of an
eye. Although the tribesmen were livin g in darkness not long be
fore, the missionaries expect them to reach the stage of a
perfectly Christ-like Christian i(mediately upon conversion. In
other words, the gospel requirements and the moral standards of
Christianity have to be kept at the highest level. They believe
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that there is no room for compromise, no room for weakness, no
room for understanding, because understanding implies very often
emotions and feelings, two characteristics which they feel
dangerous for a mature C hristianity. This kind of thinking,
though theologically supportable,can be dangereous in the pratical
world and, in fact, has done more harm than good. The lack of
understanding and the in fle x ib ility of some early missionaries led
many tribesmen to bow th eir heads without comprehension and with
out conviction. James Ngugi (1965) illustrates this by describing
the adventures of a Protestant pastor, Joshua:
The man at the mission had said this was a sin. And so a sin i t had to be. Joshua was not prepared to question what he knew to be God-inspired assertions of the white man. After ail, the white had brought Christ into the country. (p. 113)
In Beti land, tribesmen bowed th eir heads and accepted
monogamy, native priests bowed th e ir heads and accepted celibacy,
and the result was an inner rejection of both principles by many.
Perhaps the ati value led the Beti to revolt against what they
felt to be an external and an arbitrary requirement. This may also
explain why the tribesmen, in response to question 53 ( see p. 96)
by a larqe majority said that f le x ib ilib i1ity and tact in regards to
religious requirements are qualities (86 percent) and not short
comings (5 percent) of a religious teacher. Their intellectual
openness, mentioned e a rlie r (see pp. 55-82), is also a factor by
which the Beti, at least emotionally, reject order imposed from
outside.
According to the survey, f le x ib ilit y , tact and unders
tanding in religious matters are not regarded as shortcomings
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or weaknesses. On the contrary, they characterize a teaching
method God Himself uses. The principle White ( 1948,p .19) under
lines of " firs t the bud, then the blossom, and next the fr u it ;
first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear"
describes progressive revelation and, by analogy, i t refers to the
principle by which the Gospel should be taught step by step. The
Scriptures testify that Jesus Himself, when dealing with the Jews'
intransigence toward the le tte r of the law, emphasized what we have
called the priority of life over life principles ( see Matt 12:3-4)
The researcher believes that ideas of health reform and the
Christian view of polygamy, for instance, will have a more far-reaching
effect in Beti land i f they are presented to the people through the
analogy of progressive revelation. 3y this the researcher means that
the religious educator in Beti land, by the use of Scriptures, lets
the Lord impress the lives of Africans, so that their progressive and
inner discovery and acceptance of the Gospel, should bring them step
by step into harmony with the divine w ill.
The Normative Function of the Bible
Many African scholars, like John Mbiti (1979, p. 68), make
an e ffo rt to specify the sources which should become the starting
point of theological thinking for Africa. It appears in both the
analysis of the theology of Mbiti by John W. Kinney (1979, p. 65)
and in the reply Mbiti himself gives to Kinney, that six main
sources of African theology are considered: the Bible, the major
traditions of Christendom, African religions and philosophy, the
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liv in g church, African culture, and African history. But the
relationship between these d ifferen t sources does not seem to be
too clear. Then Kinney, commenting on the methods suggested by
Mbiti, states:
The character of the norm that properly emerges from the encounter between the Bible and the faithful community is not defined and the informing nature of experience for the norm is not evident.
Here lie two major challenges, one to western scholars and
the other to African thinkers. The f ir s t challenge is the western
claim of the normative role of human reason. Some theologians^
have elaborate theologies in which science and reason are the
cornerstone. Western teachers in African seminaries spread this
principle. The Beti young men attending these schools may
conclude that western logic , because universal, has to be accepted
as normative. They may eroneously consider i t as the only pattern
of thought which can adequately express the sacred. Mveng disagrees.
He states : (see appendix C-j p 280)
The fundamental theological problem is that in face of all cultures, the Biblical Revelation is at the same time accomplish ment and injunction. In fa c t, God comes to save us, i.e . to bring solutions to our problems. But there is no people in the world whose tradition represents the totality of human experiences. If the Bible is truly from God, if God is truly interested in men, the message He brings in the Bible must then correspond to the to ta lity of human experiences. Con sequently, this message by defin itio n , must transcend all particular human experiences. This is the reason why we are convinced that there is no philosophical tradition which can adequately express the revealed mystery. The drama, in fact, is not so much on our lev e l. African tradition is not hegemonical. We do not pretend to be the only thinkers and we would never pretend that African thinking should present the only patterns capable of expre-ssinn the sacred.
H h is school of thought is presented by Pinnock (1971,pp 158-174)
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It is therefore a question of intellectual probity and a
question of modesty. The modern African scholar should be aware
of his lim its and should admit that human experience which is
d ifferent from his own could enrich his human and his religious
experiences. Moreover, this intellectual modesty should bring him
to consider the phenomenon of divine revelation as a transcendental
act, in itiated by God, in which He transmits thoughts and facts
the prophet could not have otherwise known. In this case, only
the Bible can be taken seriously.
I f the fir s t challenge relates to the western claim of a
universal logic, the second challenge, on the African side, lies
both in the influence of the dogmatic tradition to which the scholar
belongs and in the need to emphasize the African contribution to
the universal Christian experience. Here lie also the challenges
African scholars meet when dealing with gospel doctrines. By
virtue of the principle Mveng mentioned above, African scholars
should avoid lining up in an easy horizontal ism, an egalitarian
formula which would be the Bible equals African history equals
African culture equals Christian traditions, etc.
The researcher agrees with Mveng that, if the Bible is
truly from God and if God is truly interested in men, then, the
message He brings should, by d efin itio n , transcend a ll particular
experiences in any local culture. The light from the gospel will
then enrich, polish, and complete cultural experiences. I t is
understood, of course, that the Bible is defined here, not as
certain western philosophies have defined i t , namely as a book
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"living and permanent word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). I t is by this
approach that Christianity will not dilute itself in Africa into
several horizontal African humanisms, but, on the contrary, will
tru ly remain what i t was twenty centuries ago, namely, the Good
News of divine salvation through Jesus Christ.
The Beti tribesmen agree with this appraisal of the Bible.
In answer to the survey (question 43 d ,92) they affirmed that the
Bible is f ir s t of a ll the Word of God (89 percent), young people
(80 percent) as well as adults (95 percent). When asked (question
4 4 t p. 92)what should be the guide of th eir sp iritu al l if e , many
said the Bible (64 percent), some said personal opinion (22 per
cent), and others said the priest (13 percent). Religious
a ffilia tio n brought some nuances. Those who do not have any
religious affiliation said they would follow their own opinion
(67 percent) rather than the Bible (33 percent) or the priest
(0 percent). Adventists generally said they would follow the Bible
(95 percent). Few (5 percent) answered that they would follow the
pastor and none (a zero percent) their own ideas. Catholics and
Protestants have the same tendency as the e n tire sample.
I t appears, therefore that, except fo r some university
graduates, precisely because they are exposed to western modes of
thinking, the whole group of Beti tribesmen a ttrib u te a normative
function to the Bible.
The seven external methods discussed above: search for
communication, study of values, discovery of needs, modeling,
^ Opinion of Bultmann according to Pinnock ( 1971, p. 171 )
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discipleship, progressive teaching, recognition of the normative
function of the Bible seem essential to the researcher. If the
religious educator in Beti land would like to present the Christian
message with deeper commitment, he should give careful considera
tion to the methods discussed above.
Internal Methods
Introduction
I t is re la tiv e ly easy to deal with general methods and to
suggest practical solutions in relation to the pedagogical prin
ciples which can meet the re alitie s of Africa. Many scholars have
done this in their particular areas. In the 1960s the large
majority of African countries received p o litical freedom.
In French Africa, the influence of scholars such as Aine Cesaire
or Leopold Senghor led Africans to question western hegemony over
Africa. In mission circles there was a phase of reaction against
westernization; what Stransky (1979, p. 46) calls the "monotonous
we-need-to-dewesternize-the-enterprise" became the le it motiv. It
was easy to agree that missionaries had made mistakes and that
both church administration and church teachings had to be African
ized. The problem became much more d iffic u lt when the necessity
to build up creative thinking was felt.
The d iffic u ltie s , which are not yet resolved, are in two
main domains. One is the former adherence of African scholars to
a theological family inherited from the western missions. Charles
Nyamiti (1973, p. 1) divides these theological tendencies into
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three main schools. He states:
Judging from the writings or discussions on African theology one can, roughly speaking, already distinguish at least three such types: f ir s t , that kind which—for want of better terminology--could be called the speculative school, characterised by a marked tendency towards systematisation and philosophising. It is relatively good at speculation, but less strong in ethnology. This school roughly corresponds to the French-speaking and Catholic theologians. Secondly, the social and biblical school, distinguished by a pragmatic and biblical approach. Being relatively strong in ethnological and social questions, i t seems to attach l i t t l e importance to speculation. One may rouqhly identify i t with the English speaking Protestant theologians. Finally, there is the reactionary school, found especially in South Africa. Its main emphasis is on the need for an indigenous theology of liberation from white oppressors--an attitude it shares in common with that of the supporters of the so-called "Black Theology" in America.
The difficulty remains then, that an African scholar may just
perpetuate an orthodox western theology with, for instance, a
Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Adventist flavor.
The second is the risk of over-emphasizing the African
aspect of disciplines (African philosophy, African history, African
culture, religions, sociology) so that African theology becomes
merely a horizontal mixture of as many African humanisms as there
are varieties of African traditional experiences. In this case,
i t would be rather d iffic u lt to avoid the syncretism of Chris
tianity and African beliefs and practices.
In the researcher's opinion, there should be a permanent
and dynamic dialogue between African experience and divine reve
lation. He agrees with Mbiti when he suggests that "biblical
theology must be the basis of any theological reflection, other
wise we shall lose our perspectives and may not claim the outcome
to be Christian" (quoted by Kinney, 1979, p. 65). But this use
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of "basis" should not be understood in a mathematical sense. For
example, we cannot say that in order to merit the appellation
Christians, we should build up a systematic theology in which
80 percent w ill be b ib lic a l, 10 percent w ill be the traditions of
Christendom, 10 percent African beliefs. On the contrary, the
basis should be, as has been suggested, the acceptance of biblical
revelation^ as authoritative and normative, and should be the
confrontation of this revelation with African realities. In other
words, what is suggested in this study is not just the adoption of
African elements which Nyamiti (1973, pp. 15-32) discusses. It
is, on the contrary, the inner transformation of African experience
by the power of the Word of God. African theology should be, then,
a love encounter in which the Africans, not only meet God and
receive Kis free salvation through Christ's righteousness, but
also a love encounter in which the Africans know God and receive
the transcendent information He has given in the Written Word.
This confrontation between the Word of God and the human
being is what Bavinck (1967,p 128) calls the" direct approach". Here
God has to speak through His Written Word, under the ministry of the
Holy S p irit, and the human being should learn to listen to the voice
of God.
A view of heathendom in which non-Christians are just miserable
slaves failed in the darkness of Satan's rule , should be replaced by
a positive appraisal of the heathen. As White states :
^Biblical revelation refers to God's special revelation to the authors of the Old and the New Testament.
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Wherever there is an impulse of love and sympathy, wherever the heart reaches out to bless and u p lift others, there is re vealed the working of God's Holy S p irit. In the depths of heathenism, men who have had no knowledge of the written law of God, who have never even heard the name of Christ, have been kind to His servants, protecting them at the risk of their own lives. Their acts show the working of a divine power. The Holy S p irit has implanted the grace of Christ in the heart of the savage, quickening his sympathies contrary to his nature, contrary to his education. The "Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" is shining in his soul; and this, i f heeded, w ill guide his feet to the Kingdom of God.
( 1900. d .385)
The confrontation of biblical revelation and African be
lie fs and practices becomes then an ongoing encounter in which the
little light Africans have received from God over many generations
w ill be completed by the greater Light which comes from the gospel.
The same S p irit of God which was working slowly in the heart of a
sympathetic non-Christian African, w ill enlighten and sanctify his
lif e with much more effectiveness when that African meets the Cross
of Calvary.
I t is in the perspective where the revealed written word of
God is authoritative and normative that the following issues are
discussed.
The Issues
Ten main issues are considered in the present study. Five of
them— the idea of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Word of God, some as
pects of the Holy Communion and baptism—do not seem to be new to a
Beti villager. Long before the arrival of modern Christian missions
Beti people were to some extent acquainted with ideas and practices
similar to these. I t is understood, of course, that they did not
grasp the deep Christian meaning and implications of these issues,
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but at least a common ground does exist and this makes i t easier for
the dialogue between Beti beliefs and practices and Christianity to
take place. The other five issues--Christian marriage, life after
death, health reform, the law of God, and the notion of evil--have
conflicting points with Beti beliefs and traditions. Some common qround
can be found between biblical theology and these Beti traditions,
but some aspects of them are in such direct contradiction to the
Gospel that the reconciliation of both is not easy. The religious
educators among the Beti should handle d iffe re n tly these two cate
gories of themes. With the fir s t he should teach by using the method
of dialoguing in the lig h t of mutual esteem; with the second, he should
preach the Word of God in the light of progressive revelation.
Dialogue versus preaching
Pierce Beaver(1968, pp. 116-18) discussed the nature and the
requirements of dialogue in mission circles. The researcher's use
of the term in this study requires c la rific a tio n .
Dialogue implies, fir s t of a ll , that Christianity does not
have the exclusivity of God's revelation. Through dreams and visions,
God has given some knowledge of what is wrong and what is right to all
human beings. White states: "Today in every land there are those who
are honest in heart, and upon these the lig h t of heaven is shining"
(PK, p. 253)
I t is true that in every generation God had His agencies. Even among the heathen there were men through whom Christ was working to u p lift the people from th e ir sin and degradation. (DA, p. 35)
To be willing to engage in dialogue with Africans implies that
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there is a worthwhile and positive aspect of their beliefs and
practices which should be seriously considered.
The consequence is that Africa has the opportunity to teach
something valuable to the secularized western world as well as to
learn from western Christianity.
Dialogue implies, secondly, that there are enough common
points of agreement between African religious concepts and western
Christianity that can serve as a fruitful point of deoarti/rp i toward better communication between Africans and western Christians
and, consequently, toward mutual appreciation, esteem, and love.
Dialogue implies th ird ly ,th a t all religious systems are not equal
because special revelation in the Scriptures, and ultimately in Jesus
Christ, is above natural revelation. Jesus Christ, being God revealed
to mankind, is the criterion of any particular revelation. This means
the dialogue partners should go to the meeting with honesty, openess,
willingness to learn from the Lord and to run the risk of being won
by Jesus Christ.
Dialogue implies, fin a lly , the freedom to choose and the humi
lit y to accept, to respect and to love those who choose d iffe re n tly.
After a ll, the Lord Jesus Himself knows who is going to be member of
the Kingdom of God.
In this study, the method of dialogue is primarily applied
to those themes in which solid and positive points of contact exist
between the Gospel and Beti beliefs and practices. The instructional
unit ( see pp.182 to 203) is organized so that the people attending
the weekly meetings actively contribute to teaching and learning pro-
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There are, however, several points in African beliefs and
practices which are in obvious contradiction and in opposition
to the teaching of the Gospel. In this case, what is sin should be
identified as sin and the call to repentance should be given. This is
true regardless whether there are points of contact or points of
conflict between the teaching of the Gospel and African beliefs.
The manner of presentation is essential here, and the Bible instruc
tor should follow the examples of Jesus Christ. Above a l l , the
Holy S p irit should be allowed to work in the hearts of the hearers.
The conversion,then, becomes a responsible act of obedience to the
Word of God. As Beaver (1968, p 119) states, "the price of dialogue
is great, but the rewards may be great too".
Teaching through Dialogue
The following five Biblical themes have several points of
contact with the religious beliefs of Beti people. This common ground
w ill be presented, as well as the d iffic u ltie s which should be kept
in mind when dealing with these issues.
The notion of God. It has been indicated earlier (see
question 5,p.97)that the Beti believe in God. The fact that
99 percent of the persons interviewed are Christians suggests that
their answers have been influenced by their present faith. In
lig h t of that consideration, question 6 of the survey becomes
an indication that the concept of God the Father is valued by
Beti tribesmen.
I t appears then .that today tribesmen conceive of God as a
father who takes care of His children. The fact that this opinion is
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more widespread among adults than among young people may indicate tnat
this conviction arises from more than simply a Christian influence.
In fact, traditional Beti legends present similarities between the
biblical God and the Beti Zamba ( see chap.II. p .40 ) The Bible and
Beti cultures, then, are complementary on some aspects of b e lie f in
God. The second quality of God which is stressed among the Beti is
that God is pov/erful. Question 51 of the survey shows this (see
page 95.
The general tendency among adults and old tribesmen is to be
lieve in a strong fate but there is a s h ift shown by the fact that
many young people believe that a man can reject or modify a God-given
destiny (57 percent). In Beti land fate does not refer to an abstract
impersonal force. I t is always applied to Zar-ba ncul mese (the God
a ll power).
I t is obvious that, in spite of these points of contact the
traditional Beti Zamba or Ntondo Obe has qualities which are not
Christian. Not only is he an abritrary God (fatalistic) but he is
also a demanding God who gave nine heavy burdens to mankind.
In his dialogue with the B eti, the religious educator should
emphasize the universal fatherhood and the power of God from b ib lical
sources such as: fatherhood--Deut 32:6, Ps 89:27, Mai 1:6, Matt 6:4,
Matt 23:9; power of God—Gen 18:3, Job 22:25, Ps 89:9, 147:5, Rev 1:8.
When these qualities are understood, a further step should come in
which the complete scriptural picture o f God would be brought up: the
love of God—John 3:16, Rom 5:5, John 2:5; 3:17; 5:3; the mercy of
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God—Acts 15:11, 20:24, Rom 5:15, Titus 2:11, Heb 2:9; the seeking of
God—parables of the prodigal son (Luke 15) and the lost piece of
silver (Luke 15:9).
These notions w ill then be grasped gradually and valued by the
tribesmen. I t is understood, however, that in spite o f the light which
comes from the revealed written Word, God cannot be fu lly grasped by
the limited mind of men.
The Biblical instructor should keep in mind the following guide-
1i nes:
A. Because of the influence of Christianity (99 percent of
Beti are Christianized), their vision of God has become closer to the
Biblical picture (both 0T and NT). God is , therefore, no longer far
off (See question 6 , p. 97 ).
B. The sense of fate being strong, God is s till perceived as
demanding and absolutory. I t is, therefore, necessary to underline
men's freedom of choice in the plan of salvation.
C. The Beti are a p atrilin ear society, the fatherhood of God
should be emphasized and His affection for His children should be
reinforced.
The person of Jesus Christ: Question 7 of the survey aimed to
perceive the Beti people's concept of Jesus Christ. For them, Jesus
is the revelation of God to a ll nations ( see p. 98)
I t is clear that the black theology of South Africa or of Black
Americans carries l i t t l e weight in Beti land.The tribesmen said that
Jesus is God to all nations (92 percent) instead of a creature (4.7
percent) or an exclusive Saviour for whites (2 percent).
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The Beti people who answered these questions obviously do know th e ir
catechism. In fact, they are mainly fervent Roman Catholic church
members. But here again, as discussed above, th eir concept of Jesus
Christ could be enriched by the fact that the ideas of Ngon Zamba
(Daughter of God) and Mon Ngon Zamba (The son of the daughter of God)
belong to their traditions.
The Catholic priest, who brought C hristianity to Beti people,
taught Jesus Christ from that common ground. In his night talks^ with
Beti villagers, the researcher realized that the Catholic instructors
established the Maryology by presenting Jesus Christ as the "Child
of the Daughter of God."
The religious educator who would like to present Jesus Christ
to Beti people has, therefore, a solid common ground from which he
can build a positive Christology. The idea of the divinity of Christ
is not a problem for a Beti. Specific triads such as Zambe-Meyo-Mebege
existed. The relations between them are not clear, but the idea of
one leading God among three divinities is fully acceptable. The Beti
people did not know Jesus Christ in His ministry within the plan of
Salvation of God. The Beti legend te lls us that Zamba had a daughter
(ngon Zamba) who lost her son (Diso Zamba). The attributes of this
child of the daughter of God are not clearly defined and neither is
his function. Knowledge about Diso Zamba is lim ited to the affirm a
tion that there was such a being called the son of the daughter o f God,
and little boys were submitted to the rite of skin incision (Nkpweban
Otui) on their face, which was supposed to protect them against th'e
daughter of God in search of her son. The Beti people through the
For more information about these nights see chapter VI p. 212
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analogy of progressive revelation must come to the Gospel to see with
greater c la rity the one they perceived through the thick clouds of
th eir legends.
The Biblical instructor should then keep in mind the following
guidelines:
A. Beti people are acquainted with the idea of the son of God
and the existence of Jesus Christ is not a problem for them.
B. The concept of tr in ity is not foreign to them because of
the existence of the trilo g y Zambe-Mebege-Dibibia Abo. The instructor
should, however, be careful enough not to deal with polytheism.
C. For villagers, Jesus is universal ( auestion 7 , p.98 ).
The movement of black theology which claims a black Christ has no
influence here.
D. Insist on the priesthood of Christ in the sanctuary (Heb
8:1, 9:24) and relate it to His soon coming.
The Word of God: As people of an oral tradition, the Beti
do not have the idea of a Written Word. The Bible is, therefore, a
new discovery for them. However, they believe that a God does speak,
and Zamba did. Before he withdrew from humans, Zamba was very much
like a man living among His children, taking care of them and forbid
ding them to go to the cursed forest nearby. He v/ent on a journey and
while he was far away a woman disobeyed, bringing at the same time
evil and in consequence death to the village. The legend implies then,
that Zamba did communicate to human beings, advising, blessing, or
cursing. And blessings or curses from the mouth of God do carry weight.
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Consequently, there are three main channels through which the Word of
God can be easily taught to Beti tribesmen.
F irst, there is the belief in the power of the Word. The Beti
do believe that a word is not just a noise which conveys information.
A word is always information and action. The survey (question 12, p .100)
pointed out this b e lie f, when the respondents were asked i f the bles
sings or the cursesof a father have an e ffect. The answers were
shown on page 100.
The most significant answer here is the third one. The people
who believe that a curse and a blessing from a father do not at all
operate are few (old people— less than 1 percent, adults 2- 1/2 percent,
young about 7 percent, total sample less than 4 percent ). From con
versations with people, it appeared that, in conflict opposing
son versus father, if the father is right people believe that his words
(warnings, blessings or curses) always have an effect. I t is not a
difficulty for a 3eti to understand the fact that God created every
thing in six days. I f the word of a man carries action, how much
more words of an almighty God? The d iffic u ltie s western theology
faces today with the creation story in Genesis 1 and 2 may actually
arise from the fact that western man has lost the notion of the power
of a word and more precisely, the power of the Word of God.
The second channel through which the word of God can be taught
to Beti tribesmen is the level of confidence they have in the Word of
God. The response to question 13, what should be the right attitude
toward "a word which comes from the mouth of God," appears on p. 101
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Here again the third question is significant. The idea that
God may be wrong and that his word is to be questioned is not accepted.
The word used in the Beti language fo r the survey is the verb santan,
which means to discuss because the other person is wrong. People do
not santan when something is proven to be right or true. For a B eti,
to santan what God has said implies that i t has been previously proven
that the Bible is wrong. The difference between young people and
adults should be noticed here. Young and educated people prefer to
think before they obey (62 percent) and old people prefer to accept
with confidence without thinking (60 percent). Either the need to
understand the scriptures or to obey with confidence in God are pre
cious elements which the religious educator can use in teaching the
word of God to Beti people.
The third channel is the idea that God uses dreams to speak
to people (Joel 2:28). Those who are acquainted with Africans realize
the importance of dreams in their sp iritu al and social life . Bengt
Sundkler (1960) and Taylor (1963) underline this aspect of African
belief. Its importance is verified among the Beti. When asked
(question 45) i f dreams are truths from a supernatural world or from
the human mind, the Beti responded as shown on nage 93,question 45.
It appears that, in spite of some uncertainty (22 percent),
many people do believe that dreams are truths from beings of the
hereafter (51 percent). Note, however, the difference in young people,
for whom dreams are mainly ideas from the human mind (38 percent)
rather than from divinities (27 percent). This difference nowadays
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is emphasized by educational level . Seventh-two percent of
uneducated people believe that dreams have a supernatural source,
elementary graduates, 62 percent, secondary, 33 percent, college 0 per
cent, total sample, 51 percent.
I t appears that Beti people do believe that God speaks through
dreams, in spite of the fact that some of those who have received a
western education tend to question that belief. But for the common
Beti villager, dreams are seriously taken into consideration as a means
by which God does speak to people.
The religious educator among the Beti people has then, valuable
channels by which the Bible, as the living and permanent word of God,
can be positively taught to the people. However, the following consi
derations should be kept in mind:
A. I f the word of God is to be presented as powerful and
effective, the instructor should avoid magical and superstitious con
ceptions of the Scriptures
B. I f dreams are indeed a channel used by God to speak to
human beings, the difficulty is that people may elevate their own
dreams into God's revelation.
C. The gospel teaches that the dead rest. Dreams from ances
tors should be considered with caution. They may be tricks from devious
s p irits , or performed psychological concerns. They may be African
beliefs used by God to convey specific messages. In this case, the
in ten tio n ality of the dream should be in harmony with the Gospel
Baptism: Teaching baptism to Beti people is an exciting
adventure because of the existence of the rite of esob nyol. The
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rite itself has already been described (see page 41 ) and only its
connection to Christian baptism is considered here. The interviewees
(question ll)perceived the purpose of baptism as noted on p.lOO.
The general tendency is obvious. For everybody, the fir s t
choice is "to wash away sins" (young 66 percent, adult 71 percent,
old 88 percent). The answers reflect the notion of what the old people
like to call nduan Beti (Beti baptism), namely the rite of esob nyol
(body wash). This implies that, for a B eti, baptism is f ir s t of all
a ceremony o f purification. In the riv e r, the guilty one was washed
and the personal, as well as the co llective, sins were washed away
downstream. The journey back to the villag e from the river was a
solemn moment of dancing and rejoicing because salvation of l i f e and
deliverance had taken place in the trib e . The Beti takes baptism ser
iously. I t is not just an empty symbol (an external sign of membership
in the church). Conversion, deliverance, and salvation fuse in one
event, the esob nyol. The deliverance is not only spiritual, it is
at the same time social and physical. As a matter of fact, a person
who was grievously sick, even though he had not committed any known sin,
was submitted to the esob nyol, and very often recovery occurred.
The baptism is also perceived as a ceremony of expiation.
Before going to the river the guilty or sick person laid hands upon an
animal, and his g u ilt was transferred to the animal through a public
confession. The animal was slaughtered and the blood sprinkled on the
guilty one. There are obvious parallels between the Hebrew Yom Kippur
events and the esob nyol, for in both, elements of confession, expia
tion, baptism, forgiveness, and salvation became one single event.
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But there is a problem. I f the esob nyol has a p lu ra lis tic
religious significance, as explained above, the rite has connections,
namely the traditional concept of ritual cleansing, which apparently
disagrees with the biblical significance of baptism. The problem becomes
clear when the answers to the same question are analyzed according to
church a ffilia tio n . The answers from the survey (question 11) were
shown on page 100.
Adventists perceive baptism as change, a passage from an old
sinful life to a new life (58 percent). Catholics and Protestants
do not share this concept (Catholics 7 percent, Protestants 9 percent).
On the contrary, both Catholics and Protestants perceive baptism as a
purification of sins, a washing ceremony (Catholics 77 percent, Pro
testants 73 percent) and the Adventists see i t less so (37 percent).
The influence of church a ffilia tio n is evident in these figures , and
the religious educator in Beti land should attempt to present to the
people the Biblical concept of new birth ( Rom 6:3-5, Acts 2:38) in
relation with baptism.
But in Beti tradition, sin appears to be something with a
material connotation. During the washing phase of the r ite , the
healer shouted a purification formula which ended:
A Osoe nkya a! Avoo! A budbudi Avoo! (Everything downstream! For ever! Everything cleaned up! Amen!)
The Beti tribesmen have found in Roman Catholicism a baptism
which is quite similar to th eir esop nyol. The religious educator, for
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whom the biblical approach remains normative, w ill emphasize the con
fession and renewal aspects of esob nyol, then with biblical examples,he
will reinforce positively the basic purpose of biblical baptism, namely
a new b irth , a renewal of li f e , a public commitment, a union with
Christ, and with the intervention of the Holy S p irit, the fir s t steps
towards a dynamic lifetim e of gradual sanctification through Jesus
Christ's righteousness. This baptism should be a joyous event of re
birth with rejoicing in the Lord.
The Lord's Supper: The Catholic church in Beti land has found
a people whose own beliefs and practices were closely related to its
own teachings. The Lord's Supper is one of them. In Beti practices,
the sacrificial meal was given a fte r a rite in which animals were
slaughtered (the rite of so, the rite of esob nyol or ndongo, the
funeral rites). That sacrificial meal was a rite of participation.
Not only did the Beti feel himself a part of the coimiunity, a living
link with ancestors and a part of the cosmos. The Beti conceives of
man as dynamically engaged in the conflict between l i f e and death, a
conflict which he experiences every day. Mveng (1980) discusses that
belief. He states:
If humanity is a solidaristic reality, humanity is also a destiny. That means that i t is a vast project which takes place in a play which is a dramatization where lif e and death confront each other. In Beti thinking, this is fundamental because the entire educational system is based upon this con cept of man in connection with the concept of the world. Man is a destiny which fu lfills itself within a struggle (between lif e and death). The role of man is to assure the triumph of lif e over death. . . . This struggle I speak about does not only exist in man, it is a part of the very nature of the world. The material world itself is in a struggle for its own survival and the fight of man and the fight of the world are the very same struggle for survival, (see p. 295 )•
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There was then, a kind of identification between man and
cosmos through the s ac rificia l meal, which was a dynamic communion
by which the Beti appropriated the power of the cosmos, the "prin
ciple of life " coming to him through the slaughtered animal. He shared
this vital principle with the members of the tribe, in order to guaran
tee the victory for life which is, at the same time, a personal, a
familial, a tribal, and a cosmic victory of life over death; the des
tiny of the cosmos and the destiny of man are deeply and closely bound
together.
I t is obvious that Beti tribesmen found in the transubstan-
tiation doctrine of Roman Catholicism something very similar to their
own b elief. They accepted readily that the Christian who eats the
Holy bread really and mythically appropriates the flesh, the blood,
the life, and the sanctifying power of Jesus Christ Himself. This
dynamic and mystic conception of the Holy Supper made the Beti people
feel very comfortable with Roman Catholicism.
We are here in the face of a problem of three conceptions of
the Lord's Supper: vital fusionism with the cosmos (B eti), transub-
stantiation (Roman Catholic), and commemorative remembrance (which in
the researcher's point of view, is closest to the biblical teaching).
Which should be presented to Beti tribesmen? The principle of the
normative and authoritative function of the Scriptures is essential
here.
This is to say, as a matter of fact, that this principle of
the normative and authoritative function of the Scriptures gives the
religious educator among B eti, the opportunity to be more than ju st
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an obedient and faithful agent of a given western missionary church.
He must be primarily the teacher of the revealed word of God, and that
word of God which is within the Holy Scriptures should be placed above
any western church doctrine. Church discipline and church orthodoxy
may be challenged here because one may find that the o ffic ia l teach
ings and acts of his church do not agree with the b ib lical teachings.
But that challenge is to be faced very seriously.
Teaching the Lord's Supper to Beti tribesmen in the above con
ditions implies then three steps. First of a ll, one should describe
and discuss according to the gospel records, the Lord's supper story
(see Matt 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25, etc.).
The second step is to le t the people discover the meaning of
the Lord's Supper by the study of specific biblical statements such
as 1 Cor 11:23-25, John 6:53-56, 63 in which a sp iritu al rathe! than
a mystical fellowship is underlined.
The third step should be the practical application of the
Holy Supper in the concrete aspect of their daily experience. Here
the problem of ingredients appears. In the survey (question 32) i t
was asked i f the Lord's Supper is more meaningful when served with
African food, bananas, pineapple juice, mvut (a wild fruit with sweet
red ju ic e ), instead of western bread and wine. The answers were shown
on page 111.
The tribesmen seem not to be concerned with the issue (60 per
cent neutral). The question of African ingredients rather than the
fare of bread and wine may be an inconsequential issue for the Beti
people. What is important is not so much the nature of the food, but
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the dynamic symbolism which lies behind it . The Beti people seem to
be open to a universal menu for the Lord's Supper.
Preaching the Word
I f there are b iblical issues which have certain points of con
tact with Beti practices and beliefs, there are also certain issues
with points of strong disagreement. In these cases, the Word of God
has to be the final authority. A "direct approach" should be taken
and the instructor should le t the Bible speak.
Teaching Christian Marriage to Beti
The religious educator in Beti land will face four main issues
on the question of marriage. One is the practice of polygamy, which
is in contradiction to the Word of God. Two of them, procreation and
family relationships, need to be understood in the lig h t of modern
society. Concerning the final issue, divorce, Beti belief is in har
mony with the Scriptures.
The Polygamy Issue.
Polygamy is in itself the subject of doctoral dissertations and
many books : All Africa Conference (1963). Tetoum (1966) , Hastinqs
(.19731, Schleiber (1974) The following discussion is limited to the
Beti area, in connection with the survey.
To check the Beti appraisal of the polygamy issue, three ques
tions were asked. The first question(question 16),aimed at finding out
what polygamy is primarily for Beti tribesmen, is shown in page 103.
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Old people regard polygamy as right(90 percent) and for young people
polygamy is wrong(56 percent). The chi-square analysis for the
sex variable gives additional information, (see P- 103). It appears
then, that men(77 percent) find polygamy right, while women'62 per
cent) find it wrong. When asked if, in their own opinion they like
or dislike polygamy(question 18, p. 104) th e ir answers show that
65 percent of the men like i t and 28 percent dislike it ; 29 percent
of the women like it and 67 percent dislike it. Finally(question 17),
asked i f they believe that polygamists w ill have eternal life or not
men(73 percent) say decisively that they w ill, but women do not
know(63 percent.)
From the survey, i t appears that a discussion on polygamy with
Beti tribesmen, from a biblical perspective, should consider the fo l
lowing guidelines:
1. Polygamy is not in harmony with the ideal w ill of God.
God Himself instituted monogamy (Gen 2:24) and Christ did confirm the
fact (Matt 19:9). The study of the lives of polygamous families in the
Bible shows that the results were mainly negative; hate between brothers
(Gen 39:1), immorality (Gen 35:22), adultery and murder (2 Sam 11),
jealousy among spouses (Gen 30:1).
2. Polygamy should be regarded as a legal form of marriage.
Beti people have trad itio n ally valued polygamy. In th eir
conception, a polygamous marriage(alug mbama) is as valid and legal
as the monogamous one(aluq etam) . In th e ir vocabulary, the only
form of illeg al situation was ebon (concubinage), where a man and
a woman live together before or without the legal recognition of the
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clan. It appears then, that to consider polygamy as an adulterous
situation is to make a mistake. Polygamy is an alug situation, not
an ebon situation. This implies that to ask a polygamist to"put av/ay”^
his wife is to require him to divorce, and divorce is clearly opposed
by the Scriptures. I t may be indicated that in the Holy Scriptures,
polygamy is presented as a legal marriage(Gen. 29:27-30). Obviously,
polygamy is less desirable than monogamy, but i t s t ill remains
a valid and valued form of marriage in Africa.
3. Polygamy was tolerated by God . However, in spite of
the fact that sin separated men from Him, God adapted Himself to the
situation in order to progressively bring humankind from deprivation
to salvation. He calls Himself the God of Jacob (Ex 3:6, Ps 146:5).
David, although polygamous, was a man a fte r God's own heart (Acts 13:22).
Several authors (Hastings, 1973; Tetoum, 1966) point out correctly that
there is not even any clear and e xp lic it condemnation of polygamy by
God Himself or by Jesus Christ.
A. Polygamy should be handled in the analogy of progressive
revelation. I t has been already stated (page 9) that God did not
bring people from darkness to light in the twinkling of an eye; He led
them gradually to Jesus Christ. It is in the same way that He deals
with those who do not know Him fu lly . White, (SDABC, 1121) states:
God's test of the heathen, who have not the lig h t, and of those livin g where the knowledge of truth and lig h t has been abundant, is altogether different. He accepts from those in
The expression is o ffic ia lly used by the working policy of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (1979,p.C85).The appropriate and logical expression should be "divorce", not "put away" which is ambiguous.
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heathen lands a phase of righteousness which does not satisfy Him when offered by those of Christian lands. He does not require much where much has not been bestowed.
Consequently, the religious educator in Beti land should make
a difference between the old, illite r a te polygamists and young in te l
lectual converts. The old polygamists should be accepted into the
church i f they profess to accept Jesus Christ. From a correct human
and Christian perspective, they should not be asked to divorce their
traditionally legal wives and put wives and children in a dark situa
tion contrary to moral and spiritual principles. The latter should be
taught that, socially, spiritually, morally and physically, polygamy
is contrary to C h ristianity. Their disobedience should be handled
with much more rigor (Luke 14:18). As the survey has shown, old people
find polygamy morally acceptable (90 percent). They think they will
have eternal lif e inspite of being polygamous (79 percent). But young
people are ready for change.
I f the old polygamists who cormiitted themselves to polygamy
before knowing the gospel have been baptized, the church should
organize an educational program in which the principle of progressive
revelation should be intensively taught to church members. Polygamy
w ill be presented as a provisory condition, tolerated by God in His
grace but incompatible to the social, economic, in te lle c tu a l, and
spiritual evolution of the new Africa. The family life workshops and
the marriage comnitment seminars could be adequate training to handle
the polygamy issue gradually and positively.
Procreation. The Betis believe that to procreate is a reli-
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gious duty. Ntondo Obe said people should be formed and f i l l up the
earth. More than that, procreation is never perceived by a Beti as a
purely biological occurrence as i t is doubtless God who creates the
fetus in the woman's womb. They believe that there is no birth with
out God's creative action. Consequently, a baby is a divine g if t . I t
is sought and treasured as such. Michel Evouna(1980) underlines
this reality when he states:
In fact, in traditional Beti society, to procreate many children is an act of adoration and obedience. The order of Ntondo Obe is to m ultiply, to have many wives and children. It is therefore, for a Beti, a matter of strict obedience to a divine requirement. There is no element of moral or spiritual culpability in it. It is a commitment, a responsi bility which is not without a spirit of sacrifice, without moral and spiritual commitment.
The Beti logic is therefore: God is the one without whom I
cannot have a single child. He gives children, and we are blessed i f
we have many. The one who gives children is also the one who gives
means and blessings to take care of these children.
This kind of philosophy is shared by almost all villagers.
Questions 15 and 55 ( P-102 and p.ll4)showed, however, that young
people disagree with th e ir parents on the procreation issue. Only
27 percent of young people consider procreation as the main purpose
of marriage. I t is therefore, obvious that family planning is the
program of the future and that i t cannot be successful among traditional
villagers. The religious educator who works as a family counselor
should underline the notion of man's responsibility and cooperation
in the procreation process and the fact that there is indeed divine
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cooperation in procreation, accompanied by mature, responsible, ano
free cooperation of man. It is a moral and spiritual responsibility
to give children an adequate education, according to the modern social
and economic context.
Family relationship. The Beti are of a strong patrilineal
society. The father is the leader of the family. This does not
mean, however, that the woman does not play an important role. On
the contrary she is the center of family activity, precisely be
cause she is a mother. Her maternity is the source of her
importance. Sita Bella (1972) states:
This role of being mother, which the woman alone holds, makes her a partner of the divine act of creation: she gives life . By her blood which nourishes the child in passing through the umbilical cord, she participates in the same processes as the water which nourishes the earth and holds the lif e of the olant in the ground.
I f her role of mother is over emphasized 1 the woman’s role
of spouse is rather neglected, and her religious leadership is not
accepted. In the survey (questions 29-31, pp.109-110) the interviewees
said that before God, men and women are equal (young people 70 percent,
adults 74 percent, old people 43 percent), but, in family relationships,
they said the woman cannot be the leader (young 95 percent, adults
94 percent, old 94 percent). Family leadership is primarily the re
sponsibility of the husband.
lady without children is in despair, unless she participates in the procreation by bringing to her husband a fe r tile spouse. In this case she is considered the mother of the family and respected as such.
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A significant sex difference was indicated in the responses to
question 30. While 81 Dercent of males and only 62 percent of females
stated that the man is superior to the w ife, 35 percent of the women as
opposed to 11 percent of the men stated that the two are equal.
Beti tribesmen say(question 31) that the woman is not to be the
religious leader of the family(men 6 percent, women 9 percent).
However, there is a strong disagreement on the matter between educated
and less educated people. The younger and more educated people are,
the more they accept the leadership of the woman in both the areas of
Church and home. The answers to question 30(education variable) are
shown in page 110.
It is interesting to note that, while most agree that the
woman cannot be the leader (illite ra te s 3 percent, elementary edu
cation people 7 percent, secondary 4 percent, college 0 percent),
there is at the same time, a refusal to concentrate the leadership
in the hands of the man alone. The approval of men as exclusive
leaders decreases with higher level of education (illiterates
82 percent, elementary 78 percent, secondary 66 percent, college
28 percent). The same picture is shown in question 31 (spiritual
leadership). The belief that the man alone should be the religious
leader of the family decreases with education (illiterates 81 per
cent, elementary 73 percent, secondary 38 percent, college 43 per
cent) .
It is interesting that some feel both home and religious
leadership should be a joint affair and that the tendency increases
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with education. Those who answer yes to the question, "is the husband
equal to the wife in family leadership" are: illiterates 9 percent,
elementary 14 percent, secondary 29 percent, college 74 percent.
There is in Beti land, the opportunity to organize with opti
mism, for their success, marriage commitment seminars in which the
biblical principle may be near equality between men and women are
suggested. I t is necessary to be clear here and to point out that this
togetherness is perceived essentially in the family c irc le . Consider
ing the involvement of women in religious leadership in a church set
ting the Beti are not yet so open. Only 7 percent accept the idea
of the ordination o f women.
Divorce. If there is a Christian marriage issue over which the
Beti people and the gospel strongly agree, i t is the divorce question.
Both the Bible and Beti conceive of marriage as a life -tim e adventure
(Rom 7:2). In the past, divorce practically did not exist among the
Beti , and, in spite of the new conditions created by urbanization,
the divorce rate is still very low. The last official statistics
(1976) show a divorce rate of 3 percent (Bureau Central de Recensement).
Divorce is not permitted in Beti traditions, and Jesus Christ (Matt
19:5-10) adopted the same position, namely, the permanence of marriage.
The religious educator among the Betis has here a positive common ground
with the tribesmen upon which he can stand for worthwhile Christian
marriage teaching.
Teaching Health f’.gr'orm to Beti
Traditionally, Beti people value the human body. Their anthro
pology is unitary. For them, the human being is not p a rtia lly soul
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(which is valuable) and p a rtia lly body (which is to be scorned). The
human being is a unified entity and a dynamic element of the cosmos.
The Beti is, therefore, open to health reform principles in which our
bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor 6:19).
As a matter of fact, traditional Betis did have health laws for
eating and drinking. The basis for these laws was not, of course,
purely and scientifically medical. The Beti believed that what a per
son eats has religious, social and mystical effects upon him and his
descendants. Pregnant women were forbidden to eat some kinds of fish
and meat (eg. tortoise, serpent). Young children, from birth to about
five years, were forbidden to eat any meat. Tobacco was known and
used by old people only. Alcohol was rather unknown. The only forms
of drink ever used by Beti tribesmen before the arrival of western
slave traders were a sweet banana and palm juice. They were conse
quently, in spite of tropical sickness, a rather healthy and strong
people. In the survey (question 19), the four hundred tribesmen con
sulted recognized that a habit of keeping clean and healthy bodies is
a worthwhile program to follow (young 80 percent, adult 90 percent,
old 96 percent (see dp 104-10M.
But the situation unfortunately changed when westerners brought
alcohol into the country. During the two world wars, the Beti learned
to make alcohol for themselves by the alembic method and today many Beti
tribesmen gradually become alcoholics in im itation of th eir former
French colonizers. The growing industries of tobacco and alcohol make
things worse today. To teach health reform among the Beti people re
quires, then, prudence and tact. A God-given diet like vegetarianism
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(Gen 1:29) can be taught only in the light of progressive revelation.
In the survey (question 20 p .105), 23 percent admitted that
vegetarianism is a biblical teachingi50 percent rejected it as a
white man's concern, and 27 percent said that i t is not a salvation
issue. The best way to teach health reform principles.abstinence
from drinking and smoking, meat-eating regulations, and vege
tarianism would be in the light of progressive revelation. By
this the researcher means that one should firs t concentrate one's
efforts by making people fu lly aware of the dangers of drinking and
smoking through the means of programs like the five-day plans.
Second, one should d irect the meat eaters to the God-given
counsels as they are recorded in Luke 20. Third,one should gradually
train church members whose intellectual training and economic con
ditions make them ready for a vegetarian diet and more, as far as
local conditions allow it, towards a constructive and complete
health reform program.
From emo mini an to Nnam Yad
Like other African tribes, the Beti distinguish two worlds,
the emo mini an (the present world of livin g ) and the Nnam Yad
(the world beyond). The relations between these two worlds are not
clearly defined, but the general b e lie f is that there are
interconnections and dreams which are channels for these connections.
The living are emo minlang and the bekon (ancestors) live in Nnam Yad.
These bekon are not spiritual beings, they are not even mythological
monsters. The bekon are mainly the tribal ancestors who have died and
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gone to plant fruit and vegetables so that those who will come after
w ill not starve by famine. For a B eti, death is just a passage between
two worlds,and the person who dies is really the one who goes to the
bekon. The idea of the immortal soul as distinctive does not exist.
From the body the entire person continues to live the very same kind
of l i f e in bekon country as in emo minlang (he works, eats, lives, gets
married). Only his mastery of the universal power is greater than
those who are among the liv in g . The stories Beti te ll to the child
ren around the evening fir e are fille d with the adventures of these
bekon. Questions in the survey (21-23) tes tify (see page 106 and
page 107) that the Beti tribesmen did believe in the re a lity of
bekon (young 50 percent, adult 67 percent, old 83 percent). But this
b e lie f is challenged by educated young people and the b e lie f in bekon
is declining (illit e r a te 77 percent, elementary education 72 percent,
secondary education 51 percent, and college level 14 percent). In
spite of that, the general sample believes in the existence and in
communications with ancestors.
The religious educator for whom the word of God is authorita
tive and normative is in strong disagreement here with the traditions
of the Betis. The Scriptures are clear (see Eccl 9:5-10; Acts 2:34;
Matt 27:52, etc.) and state that there is no connection between the
dead and the living. On this issue the word of God should be
proclaimed with power, but also with intelligence and tact. To
go to the Beti people and to say bluntly to them that th e ir
b eliefs are superstitions from Satan is to make a pedagogical
mistake.
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The best approach would be, fir s t, a sympathetic appraisal
in order to understand the emotional and philosophical basis of
their beliefs. In a society in which family ties and kinship are
important, the desire to believe in the survival a fte r death is
fundamental. From a philosophical point of view, the idea that
life cannot end with this present existence is a valid one and
satisfies the human reason more than the opposite. Beti tribesmen
who believe in the immediate survival of death should be con
sidered with sympathy and respect.
The second step is, then, to present what the Bible says
about the Christian hope. Paul ( Col 3:3) states :
"For you are dead, and your lif e is hid with Christ in
Sod". He points out the b iblical perspective in which the lif e of
a Christian already belongs to Christ even while he is still on
this earth. Consequently, Christ, the only hope for mankind
guarantees our lives. This may lead, of course to the pi atonic
philosophy of the immortality of the soul which has tenuous
connections with biblical teaching, for the Bible declares "the
soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ez 18:4) and considers the soul
as the to ta lity of the human being rather than a d is tin c t element
which separates from the body at death. The Beti w ill understand
better that his family member who died rests in peace (John 11:11)
and that Christ will bring him back to life (John 11:25) in the
glorious day when all (1 Thess 4:15) the people of God w ill meet for
ever. The ancestors, consequently, do not have any power. Their
power is with Christ in God.
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The survey showed that the younger generation tend to chal
lenge the traditional belief in bekon, and the modern religious educa
tor has, with the word of God, positive elements to satisfy its in te l
lectu al, sp iritu al, and emotional needs. The work with illite ra te s
will require tact and a positive use of the Scriptures.
What about ancestor worship? The question was asked whether
ancestors should be worshiped (question 22). The answers are shown
on page 106.
I t appears that contemporary Beti reject the "worship" idea
and prefer the "honor" idea in relation to ancestors. This may be
the result of Christian influence, or the traditional relationship be
tween Beti tribesmen and th e ir ancestors may have been less than wor
ship (strong sense) but more than just a remembrance.
The best expression may be consulted because for the Beti
ancestors living in bekon, were tru ly a liv e , and the Beti did
consult them when major events occurred. I f , for instance, a famous fighter (zingi) died and a month later a difficult fight
(mesing) was organized between two enemy tribes, the village
wisemen went to the cemetery and spoke in front of the grave of
the dead fighter, asking for advice and power to win.
The same kind o f consultation took place when a d iffic u lt
problem came up in the tribes. Presents (food, treasures) were
brought to the grave and the village leader addressed the wise
dead ancestor to request advice and power. The Roman Catholic
church very easily transformed this consultation into the mass of
the dead and consultation of the saints. The survey shows (questions
25-26,pp.107-108)that Beti tribesmen said that they both pray for
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. th e ir dead (61 percent) and pray to them (old people 76 percent,
adults 75 percent, young people 40 percent). This consultation
of the dead and praying to the dead is not agreed on by all
religious groups. Agreeing that they pray to ancestors are
unbelievers 0 percent, Adventist 0 percent, Protestant 17 percent,
Catholics 68 percent). I t appears that on the issue of consulting
the dead, Roman Catholics are those who o ffer the highest resistance
to the biblical perspective.
Teaching the Christian concept of evil
The Beti had specific beliefs in relation to the concept
and the agents of e v il. Three words distinguish the nuances of evil
1. Abe. The word Abe (e v il) applies to the evil in its
natural and cosmic form, and describes the general condition of
humankind: mod binam ane abe (the human being is corrupted).
This expression means that no confidence should be placed in
humans, who are basically corrupted.
2. Asum or Metom (deliberate harm). These refer to a
deliberate and voluntary act, purposely perpetuated against some
body in order to get him in trouble. This kind of evil has the
strongest disapprobation.
3. Nsem (s in ). This refers to the spiritual aspect of
e v il and is reserved to forbid sexual intercourse within the clan
and murder of a close member of the family . While cases of
Asum were judged in the normal court, the cases of Nsem were
solved in purification rites.
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The agents of e v il. Evu appears to be the ultimate source
and the personification of e v il. Brought to the village through
the disobedience of woman (see page 6), the Evu inhabits human
beings and performs criminal acts through them. Consequently, the
Mviimvu is then the man whom the Evu inhabits. His opposite is
Mnimip. the one who is innocent and does not perform crimes.
It appears, then, that in Beti beliefs human beings are
mainly thecause of e v il. The question 10 of the survey was
who is the origin of evil? Responses are shown on paqe 99 .
Human beings, especially for old people, are the cause
of evil and death in the tribe. This explains why, in Beti
society, a death is never natural. There is always somebody be
hind i t whether death occurs by accident, heart attack, or malaria.
The power of e v il. The b e lie f that men are always responsi
ble for the death and suffering of other men has given tremendous
power to sorcerers (nkonkonq) diviners (mviviqi) and traditioanl
doctors.
The survey showed (question 4 9 ,p .94) that there are 27 per
cent of the villagers who believe that a sorcerer can kill any kind
of Christian if he wants to.
The confidence in a traditional healer is lower (8 percent)
than the confidence in a medical doctor (toal sample: 22 percent)
The fear of nkonkonq in Beti society is strongly rooted and
the Bible teacher should emphasize the protection God gives to those
who believe in Him (Ps 34:8; Luke 10:19), for "if God be with us who
can be against us?" (Rom 8:31). To free people from the power of
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Satan, the religious educator should underline the plan of salva
tion and emphasize that Jesus has already won the b a ttle , and the
victory is won through Him.
Teaching the Law of God
Zamba anga kag mimbege ebul (God has given nine burdens), says
a Beti proverb. As indicated e arlie r (see p. 64), these burdens are,
in fact, three main laws dealing with Ngal Tsoo (minor incest), Nom
Tsoo (fratricide) and robbery. It was believed that the transgres
sors of these laws were destined to tolendong (no-way-of-return, dark
h e ll).
So the law of God appeared to be a heavy burden, not a blessed
privilege. To teach the law of God to the Beti implies the fact that
the law is above all an act of love. The following characteristics of
God's law can be developed:
1. Law of love John 5:2-3
2. Law of freedom James 1:25
3. Law which builds up Gal 3:24
4. Permanence of the law Matt 5:17-19
5. Salvation through faith Rom 1:17
The biblical instructor should:
A. Note that Beti people have a strong concept of law which
can lead to a le g a lis tic approach to the law.
B. Explain more fully the principle of free and responsible
obedience, as well as the biblical statement which says that for God
obedience is much better than sacrifices.
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C. Develop the permanence of the law of God and its up
building character: it elevates, it protects, it conducts to Christ
and brings freedom.
Teaching Unit
The Selection of Themes
The survey questions covered twenty-five themes (questions
66 to 90). Ten of these themes were discussed in relation to the
beliefs of the Beti people.(see pp. 150 ff ). Among the findings
already presented (Chapter IV. pp 89-130), the researcher selected
five themes for development in a potential teaching unit. Three of
them seem to be very appealing to Beti people:
1. The existence of God median response 4.968
2. Jesus Christ 4.944
3. Life after death 4.899
Two of them seem to be very controversial for the Beti:
1. The day of re s t* median response 1.325
2. The polygamy issue 1.384
The Purpose of the Unit
This instructional unit is designed to be presented to the
inhabitants of a Beti village, during an evangelistic campaign held
by the local conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Five meetings
in five weeks (one meeting per week) w ill be attended by a minimum
of at least fifty men and women, young and old people, illiterates
and educated people alike.
*The theme the day of rest w ill be presented in the context of the broader topic of the law of God.
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General Objectives
The following five general objectives, one in relation to
each theme, should be considered.
1. The Beti villagers w ill be able to grasp, in connection
with their own experiences, the biblical concept of God, as por
trayed in the Gospel.
2. The villagers w ill appreciate the person and the func
tion of Jesus Christ in the plan of salvation.
3. The Beti people w ill assimilate the biblical teaching
on the human condition before and after death.
4. The Beti people w ill apply the God-given principles
o f Christian marriage in th eir daily experience.
5. The tribesmen w ill understand and w ill experience
the lif t in g dimension of the law of God.
Specific Behavioral Objectives
Each general objective, dealing with one of the five themes
relates to five behavioral objectives: two in the cognitive domain,
two in the affective domain, and one in the psychomotor domain.
01- : Objectives Dealing with the Concept of God
01-1: Each villager will distinguish similarities and
differences between the traditional Zamba and the God of the Bible
by describing at least two of these similarities or differences.
01-2: At least 50 percent of the literate listeners will
l i s t and explain to others two specific qualities of God according
to the epistles of John.
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01-3: The villagers will appreciate the power of the Word
of God by sharing an experience in which the Word of God has been
effective in their lives or in the life of a relative.
01-4: At least 80 percent of the villagers w ill accept the
responsibility to pray to God at least two times during the first
week of the meetings.
01-5: All the villaqers will get a break after one hour.
02- : Objectives dealing with the Person of Jesus Christ
02-1: All the villagers more than seventy years old w ill
describe the rite of Nkpweban Otui and its implication as pro
tection against Ngon Zamba.
02-2: All lite ra te villagers w ill be able to read to others
and explain one verse each of the crucifixion story according to
Luke 23:26-46.
02-3: Each v illa g e r w ill listen during the week to one of
Jesus' parables and w ill te ll i t to his children at the fam ilial
story hour.
02-4: At least two elderly people, two young people, and
two women w ill express th eir feelings about Jesus Christ's ministry
on the judgment day.
02-5: All those who have a Bible w ill scan its pages to
find at least one verse on the second return of Christ.
03- : Objectives dealing with Life after Death
03-1: Each villager will be able to describe the rite of
speaking at the grave of a hero.
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03-2: Five of the most educated listeners w ill develop
why Col 3:3 is the best hope for humankind.
03-3: All the listeners will individually react to what
is the best decision to take in regards to the declarations of the
Bible on the state of the dead such as Eccl 12:7; Eccl 3:19-21;
Job 14:10, 12; Job 19:25; John 5:28.
03-4: The villagers w ill, in an oral discussion, give
th e ir own opinions on the cause of death by stating at least two
reasons why man is and two reasons why man is not the cause of
death.
03-5: The villagers w ill dramatize in five minutes how
they would react the day their family members rise from death.
04- : Objectives dealing with the Polygamy Issue
04-1: The villagers w ill explain why polygamy was valued
by the Beti people and give at least five reasons in relation to
the traditional beliefs.
04-2: In group discussion, all listeners will find out
why the family lives of old Testament polygamists were bad
spiritual examples.
04-3: Educated tribesmen w ill give at least one rational
reason each why they would not personally accept being polygamists.
04-4: One hundred percent of the attendees w ill interpret
biblical verses such as Gen 2:24; Mai 2:13; I Tim 3:2; Matt 19:5
in which monogamy appears to be the ideal form of marriage.
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04-5: All of the villagers w ill kneel in groups to pray
in which one leader will pray to God to especially bless the lives
of the attendees' families.
05- : Objectives dealing with the Law of God issue
05-1: All the villagers w ill describe the "nine burdens"
God gave to humankind.
05-2: In five minutes, the tribesmen will give at least
one example of a ceremonial, political, or sanitary law in the
Old Testament.
05-3: Each attendee will comment on his understanding of the following attributes of God's Law: perfection, holiness,
transcendance, eternity.
05-4: Each attendee will explain the following biblical
references in relation to the role of the Law of God: Jos 1:2-3;
Gal 3:24; Ps 129:105.
05-5: One hundred percent of the villagers will kneel
for a prayer in which everyone w ill ask the Holy S p irit's
assistance for a lif e o f obedience to God.
Day-by-Oay Activities
This instruction would be conducted in five weeks, at the
pace of a two-hour meeting each week. This gives time to the
tribesmen to discuss with the instructors what has been said and
to assimilate properly the biblical elements which are new for
them. The projected a c tiv itie s are outlined in charts 1 through 5.
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Villagers' Activities in the lecture prayer questions Share Share experiences on the of power the Divide into prayer groups and pray Getting acquainted Listen to instructor. Listen to Listen. Educated take notes for Word of Word God
CHART CHART I FIRST MEETING Instruction for the meeting. Prayer Supervise Supervise explanations of villagers Explain attributes of as God stated Conduct experiences Conduct closing prayer Getting acquainted Make attendees Make stand up Stand up and recall John 3:16 biblical God — 01-1 Lecture: The Beti and the Zamba 01-3 01-2 01-4 Listen to prayers and give Time Objectives Instructor's Activities 7:00-7:15 7:30-8:15 7:15-7:30 8:30-8:45 8:15-8:30 8:45-8:50 01-5 8:50-9:00
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Record assignment Record for the week 23:26-46 Explain verse according to Luke on Jesus' ministryComment on the Scan the Bible to Christ's find verses return on nkpeban otui nkpeban Listen judgment judgment day Take Take active part in the review
CHART CHART I I SECOND MEETING SECOND Lead Lead the reading of fixion the cruci story attendees Lecture: Zamba Mon Listen. Describe i f asked the day Greetings and prayer — of Review last lecture. Involve -- 02-2 02-502-3 Conduct the findings of verses Give assignment and pray 02-1 02-4 on the coirments Conduct judgment Objectives Instructor's Activities Villagers' Activities Time 7:30-8:15 7:00-7:15 8:55-9:00 8:15-8:30 8:30-8:45 7:15-7:30 8:45-8:55
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Villagers' Activities Divide into groups. cause of death Discuss the stated Dramatization of personal reaction on on resurrection day Give comments on Col Give comments 3:3 Li sten Li Take active part in the review
CHART I I I CHART THIRD MEETING THIRD Instructor's Activities Involve attendees Conduct the Conduct decisions Give the best decisions on verses Greetings and Prayer — -- of Review last lecture 03-4 group Conduct discussions Time Objectives 8:55-9:00 03-5 Listen 7:15-7:30 7:30-8:158:25-8:35 03-1 03-3 Lecture: I three saw Ghosts Describe son asked rite abom when 7:00-7:15 8:35-8:55 8:15-8:25 03-2 on Col 3:3 comments Conduct
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Villagers' Activities Explain, when asked, the causes of Li sten Li Take Take active part in the review polygamy Divide into prayer groups polygamists polygamy CHART CHART IV
FOURTH MEETING FOURTH Instructor's Activities Involve attendees Review ofReview last lecture Conduct commentsConduct on given biblical Comment verses Lecture: is One Enough Conduct group Conduct discussions Discuss the family lives of O.T. Greetings and Prayer Listen to Educated Beti Educated explain their views on — — 04-1 04-4 04-3 04-2 Objectives T1 me T1 7:00-7:15 7:15-7:30 7:30-8:15 8:30-8:45 8:15-8:30 8:45-8:55 8:55-9:00 04-5 Listen and give closing prayer
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Describe Describe i f asked the of meaning previously given L1sten stated 1n lecture on God's attributesComment feedback, Answer give thanks Take Take active part 1n the review nine burdens of Zamba
CHART V CHART
FIFTH FIFTH MEETING Instructor's Activities Villagers' Activities Involve attendees Review Review of last lecture Lecture: Stop of The Meaning Sign a Feedback and Feedback thanksgiving Closing Closing prayer Kneel for prayer Greetings and Prayer Conduct comments -- 05-3 05-1 05-2 answers Conduct Give examples of O.T. laws as 05-4 Organize group discussions Discuss the role of the of Law God Time Objectives 7:30-8:15 7:15-7:30 7:00-7:15 8:15-8:20 8:30-8:40 8:40-8:55 8:55-9:00 05-5 8:20-8:30
f) CD - 5 3 < (/) o '
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Rationale of Presentation
The presentation of the themes w ill be made according to
the following rationale.
General considerations
The nature of the group of learners. I t is necessary to
keep in mind that those attending the meetings are a mixture of
Beti villa g ers — young, adult, and old people, men and women,
illite ra te s and educated people. The presence of these d ifferen t
groups should be reflected in the presentation.
Sim plicity of s tyle. The majority of the audience in a
Beti village is made up of illite ra te s and people with a primary education (see table 2, p. 60). Therefore, using a sophisticated
teaching u n it is out of the question. The simpler the presentation
is, the b etter for the understanding of the villagers. Illu s
trations should be preferably drawn from the surroundings.
Informal a c tiv itie s
During the five weeks of the presentation the religious
educator who would lik e to use the methods discussed (pp.J31-180)
should not meet people just during the two-hour formal meetings,
otherwise he w ill teach what Taylor (1963, p. 15) calls a class
room relig io n . He must reach out and v is it people so that he can
conmunicate with them, become acquainted with their value system,
discover th e ir needs, and give them the example of a minister of
God.
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Communication. I f the instructor is not a man beti and
does not know the language, he should at least speak French and
bring with him an intellectual who w ill translate when he speaks
with old people.
Finding values. A preparatory study (reading of available
research and w ritings) of the Beti and d irect discussion with
villagers are necessary. A questionnaire like the one suggested
in appendix A (pp. 204 to 213) could be used.
Finding needs. At least one month before the meetings,
the instructor should v is it the villag e, talk with people, listen
to them talk about their spiritual and social needs.
Modeling. During his contact with villagers, the instructor
should keep in mind that his social and sp iritual behavior have direct
influence on the reaction of villagers.
The Presentation of Themes
During the two hour meetings with villag ers, the themes w ill
be presented as suggested in the day-by-day activ itie s sheets. It
should be noticed that these night meetings are not enough to cover
the topics and that plans have to be made before and a fter the meetings
in order to establish better relationships with villagers and to deepen
certain biblical issues for those who are willing to do so. The pre
sentation of themes in evening meetings implies three phases:
(1) A search for dialogue: For each topic and according to
the activities sheet (pp.187-190), the instructor will, at least for
half an hour, discuss with meeting attendees the traditional beliefs in
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relation with the topic to be presented. The indications for dialogue
and the specific guidelines are indicated (pp.151-152)-
(2) A moment to listen: In forty-five minutes the instructor
w ill present, alone or in connection with the meeting attendees, what
the Bible says about the issue. I t is not time to theologize or to
develop theories. I t is the time in which the instructor w ill read
and listen to the word of God as presented in the Gospels.
(3) A step toward responsible obedience: In fo rty -fiv e
minutes, listeners and instructor w ill attempt to understand better the
message from the scripture and consider the best way to fr u itfu lly
apply this message in th eir daily lif e .
The Beti Zamba and the Biblical God
Phase 1: Indications for Dialogue
The instructor should refer to the information presented (see
PP-153"155)-
Phase 2: Presenting the Word
The Scriptures contain a complete portrait of God.
His attributes are: eternal (1 Tim 1:17), omnipotent (Jer
23:23, Ps 135:6), immutable (Mai 3:6), omnipresent (Ps 33:13-15).
In His relations with humankind He is a God of wisdom (Eph
3:10), freedom (2 Cor 3:17), truth (Num 23:19), holiness (Lev 11:44),
love (John 4:8, 16).
His Word: God speaks (Heb 1:1-2). 8y His Word He created
the heavens and earth (Gen 1:1). He created human beings (Gen 1:27-28)
for eternal happiness.
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By His Word He revealed Himself to men (2 Tim 3:16) and
the expression of His w ill for men was recordedwith the loving care
of the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:16).
His plan of salvation: With men's disobedience (Gen 3:6)
sin came into the world, and with sin death (Rom5:12). God sent
His son (John 3:16), through faith (Rom 1:16).
Phase 3: Toward a response to the call of God
Towards a responsible and free response to the loving call of
God, the free gift of salvation (Rom 3:23, 6:23) the light given to
ancestors should be complemented with the greater lig h t which comes
from the Scriptures (Ps 119:105). The study of this word, with open
ness and prayer, brings man to the knowledge of God, which is eternal
l if e (John 17:3). I t is through a faith fu l study of His revealed Word
that Zamba or Zambe, or Ntondo Obe w ill be truly known. He calls all
men from a ll tribes (Rev 7:9), the Beti included.
The Son of God
Phase 1: Indications for Dialogue
Refer to the information presented on pages 155 to 157
Phase 2: Preaching the Word
The Gospel presents Jesus Christ as the Messenger of God who
came to die on the Cross for the Salvation of those who believe in
Him (John 3:16; Rom 8:3-4).
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His nature. C hrist, according to the revealed Word of God,
is God Himself (John 8:24). He existed before the created world
(John 1:1) and with His Father acted as the principal agent of creation
(1 John 1:3). Being God, He le f t His heavenly glory (Phil 2:5-9) to
die on the Cross for our salvation (Isa 53:2-5).
His ministry. Jesus gave his l i f e voluntarily (John 10:18)
in order to give free salvation (Rom 6:23) to those who have faith
(Rom 1:17). He is the only mediator (Acts 4:12, 1 Tim 2:5) who can
bring us to God (John 14:6). Since His resurrection from death
(Matt 28:5-6), He presently acts as sacrificer in the sanctuary
(Heb 8:1, 9:24) for our eternal life.
His second coming. Jesus is coming again (Rev 22:20) to
take the believers with Him (1 Thess 4:16-17).
Phase 3: Towards a Responsible Obedi ence
The return of Jesus Christ is the only hope of the world. Mon
Zamba is coming very soon, for the salvation of the fa ith fu l, and a
l i f e of free and positive obedience (2 Peter 3:14) should be the
objective of everyone.
The L ife After Death
Phase 1: Indications for Dialogue
Refer to the information presented on pages 175 to 179.
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Phase 2: Listen to the Gospel
The revealed Word of God gives a clear teaching on the condi
tion of human beings a fte r death. The Bible says:
that ghosts do not e x is t. The dead have no relations with
the living (Eccl 9:56, 9:10). Their unconscious state is called
sleep (John 14:12; 11:11-13). They w ill not awake from their sleep
until the resurrection day (John 5:28-39). The Bible says, for
example, that David did not go to heaven (Acts 2:34). The biblical
leaders, such as Abel, Abraham, Sara, Isaac and all those who
because of their faith have been persecuted, are waiting in rest
until we all reach perfection together (Heb 11:39-40) at the
resurrection day.
that evil spirits do exist. They are fallen angels cast
out of heaven with Satan (Rev 13:9). Jesus Himself fought and
defeated them (Mark 1:23-26). They abuse the credulity of men
(Rev 16:13-14).
that believers should avoid spirits. Christians should
neither get mixed up in sorcery and magic (Gal 5:19-20)>nor be
afraid of spell casters (Ps 145:8-20), because Christ has given
power to Christians (John 14:12) and they are able to defeat the
devil by his name.
that the dead w ill rise from the grave. Jesus rose from
death (Matt 28:5-6), and the faithful will rise for salvation
(Rev 20:6) to meet Jesus (1 Thess 4:15-17) for ever.
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Phase 3: Towards a responsible acceptance of the Word of God
The beloved dead are s t ill at rest (Eccl 9:56) and th eir lives
are hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3). The Beti should have confi
dence in God's promises and never be afraid of ghosts.
The Christian Marriage
Phase 1: Indications for dialogue
Refer to the information given on pages 166 to 175 .
Phase 2: Preaching the Word
The revelation from the Scriptures on the polygamy issue is
twofold:
An e x p lic it recommendation o f monogamy. The Lord Himself,
in Eden, celebrated the fir s t marriage which was monogamous
(Gen 2:24). The prophet Malachi clearly recommends that men should
be faithful to their f ir s t spouse (Mai 2:13-15), and the recommenda
tions which are given to church leaders in New Testament times are
for monogamous homes (1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:5-6). Jesus Christ Him
s e lf recommended to the husband that he love his wife as Himself,
because they are one flesh (Matt 19:5). Paul followed the same recom
mendations (1 Cor 6:16; Eph 5:31, 33). It is quite clear that the
one flesh concept fits better into a monogamous perspective than a
polygamous one.
A tactful tolerance of polygamy. Although monogamy appears to
be the expression of the ideal will of God in marriage, polygamy appears
to have been tolerated. The Old Testament requirements on marriage,
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divorce, vengeance and sacrifices are explicable in the light of pro
gressive revelation. God is called the God of Jacob (Ex 3:6; Ps 146:5),
in lig h t of the fact that Jacob was a polygamist. David, although a
polygamist, was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). With the
patriarchs of Old Testament times, God took into account the l i t t l e
lig h t they had received, and He did not "require much where much was
not bestowed" (White, 5 SDABC 1121). Many scholars (Hastings, Tetoum)
assert that there is no clear and explicit rejection of polygamy in
the Bible.
Phase 3: Towards responsible obedience
However, although polygamy can be tolerated for those to
whom the l i t t l e lig h t did not clearly indicate the w ill of God
(in Beti land this applies to the illite r a te and old folks who
committed themselves to a polygamous status before the arrival of
the gospel lig h t), i t is also necessary to make room for change.
Polygamy in Beti society affects only 25 percent of the population.
The intellectual and social development of the country make it
difficult to maintain. Finally, the moral and spiritual conse
quences of polygamy in family lif e (Gen 39:1; 35:22; 2 Sam 30:1;
Gen 30:1) are great enough rational, moral, and spiritual reasons
to set forth the monogamous marriage as the only form of marriage
fu lly in harmony with God's plans for fam ilies.
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The Law o f God
Phase 1: Indications for Dialogue
Refer to the information given on pages 181 to 182 .
Phase 2: Preaching the Word
The Holy Scriptures te ll us that God gave His commandments
not to guibble with people, nor to diminish them, but to edify and
elevate them. These God-given commandments can be classified in
four main groups:
The ceremonial Law. They were the shadow of things to
come (Gal 2:16) which had a ritualistic and liturgical function.
They prefigured the expiatory sacrifice of Christ.
The political Laws. They regulated the social, political,
and legal lif e of the Jews, for example, the c ities of refuge
(Num 35:6) or the jubilee (Lev 25).
The Sanitary Laws. God also had to watch over the health
of His children. He gave sanitary laws (Lev 11) to foster the
physical growth and the dynamic development of the people. These
laws concerning health w ill be valid as long as humans are subject
to sickness and death.
The moral law. Written by God Himself (Ex 32:16) and
proclaimed with power, these ten commands are a summary of the
eternal will of God for men and women. The Scriptures attribute
to these ten commands the following qualities:
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- Perfection: Ps 19:7-8; Jos 1:25
- Holiness: Rom 7:12
- Transcendence: Ex 32:16; 20:18
- Eternity: Rom 3:31; Matt 5:17-18
The Scriptures also present their function. They are:
- a reflecting mirror: Jos 1:23-24
- a custodian: Gal 3:24; Ps 129:105
- a guardrail, a protection against danger: Rev 12:12
Phase 3: Towards a mature response
A question of love: 1 John 5:2-3
A question of logic: If God is truly a Father, He is truly
love and holiness and justice. If Jesus truly died on calvary and
guaranteed my lib e rty , my free salvation, then I obey, because I am
saved by such a great love!
A question of lib e rty : The commands of God have no meaning
unless men are already free through Christ's victory over evil and
realize He is ready to help every day.
A question of attitude: The Christian life then becomes
dynamic growth, no matter what the incidents along my pathway
(Prov 24:16). The most important thing is not the eventual incidents
the soldier of Christ w ill face along the way. On the contrary,
i t is his bravery, the ideal that animates him, the cause he fights
fo r, the path he follows and which leads him, unavoidably to victory.
Jesus Himself being the guarantor.
To commit oneself body and soul to this growth, is for a
Beti and for everyone around the world, to be wholly Christian.
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Feedback
The purpose of the feedback is to evaluate how well the
objectives have been met. This in fact an intellectual checking.
The most important one is the sp iritual commitment which can be
evaluated through baptism.
Do you agree or disagree, with the following statements:
Agree Disagree
_____ 1. God the creator had been worshipped by Beti people long before the arrival of missionaries
_____ 2. God is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient
3. By His Word God has created heavens and earth and all things in six days only
_____ 4. Prayer is the best way to conmunicate with God
_____ 5. John 3:16 is not the most important verse of the Bible
_____ 6 . Beti people had an idea of Jesus Christ before the arrival of missionaries
_____ 7. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary is enough for the salvation of whomsoever believes
8. Jesus is now in the heavenly sanctuary in which he officiates for us
_____ 9. Jesus is coming soon
_____ 10. When Jesus comes, the believers w ill rise from death and meet Him for ever
11. To speak to the dead is contrary to the word of God
_____ 12. The lives of the dead in the Lord are hidden with Christ in God
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______13. All dead rest unconscious waiting for the resurrection day
______14. Satan is responsible for the presence of sin
______15. I w ill not meet my beloved dead friends at the resurrection day
______16. To have many wives is not in harmony with the ideal will of God for men
______17. The polygamous marriage is not good fo r me
______18. God has not tolerated polygamy in the Old Testament times
______19. The S p irit of God blesses every fa ith fu l marriage
______20. Polygamy is not disappearing with the evolution of the country
______21. The Law of God is perfect
______22. The Law of God is made to put people into bondage
______23. The Law of God is made to bring people into freedom
______24. The Law of God leads the believer to Christ
______25. Obedience is better than sacrifices
Summary
Chapter V has essentially focused on methodology. The fir s t
section d ealt with the general guidelines (external methods) which
have to be considered in order to improve the human relationship be
tween the biblical instructor and the villagers. The second
section (internal methods) is a discussion of the gospel issues
which are in direct connection with the beliefs and the practices
of the Beti. The third section is a practical application of these
theoretical suggestions.
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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
This study has adressed it s e lf to the problem of finding
a more meaningful approach to the Christianization of the African
people, in general, and of the Beti tribes , in particular. Five
chapters have evolved : Chapter I deals with the basic rationale and
presents the main problems and purposes of the study. Chapter I I , the
review of lite ra tu re , with respect to the Gospel communication among
Africans, brings out the views of African scholars, in general, the
writings of Beti scholars, and the pedagogical universal laws of
teaching as suggested by western scholars. The third chapter of the
dissertation outlines the methodology, presents the sources of data,
namely the review of available literature , the interviews with Beti
scholars and the development and use of the survey instrument.
The research findings are organized in chapter IV. Chapter
V presents suggested methods of teaching applied to Beti land, and a
teaching unit consisting of five selected biblical themes, in order to
suggest a solution to the problems discussed in this study.
SUMMARY
There has been the feeling among some African scholars and missio-
logists that acceptance of the Gospel by African people may in some
instance have been hindered by the methods used in its presentation.
204
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In searching for a more meaningful approach, certain
principles may be useful. These are (1) there are certain Afri
can values, customs, and practices which may be used to fa c ilita te
and improve the African's grasp of the Christian message, (2) there
seems to be some westernized methods which may actually hinder
African believers from fully accepting and internalizing some
aspects of the Christian faith , and (3) there are important ,
positive elements which, when correctly organized and used, may
aid Africans to better integrate the Christian faith in their
daily lives.
The literature reviewed seems to indicate that certain
inappropriate methods have been used in teaching the Bible to
Black Africans. Some of these were a disregard for, or ignorance of
the African culture, inadequacy of proper communication, paterna
lism, collaboration with political authorities, and simple human
errors. However, many positive aspects of mission endeavor also
appear, namely, the development of w ritten languages, translation
of the Bible, and the development of educational, medical, and
agricultural avenues. Though the missionary e ffo rt may have included
some errors, one cannot diminish the fact i t did present Jesus Christ
as the Savior.
Furthermore,the lite ra tu re revealed positive suggestions which
could possibly enhance the presentation of the Gospel to the con
temporary Africans :
1. The religious educator should become acquinted with the
local pattern of thought.
2. The Scriptures should be the norm for carefully cultivating
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a relationship of past with present.
3. Teaching methods which would reach the Africans where
they are need to be developed. In other words, Christianity must
be made at home in the lives of the people so that God can transform
those people into whom he wants them to be.
Interviews with Beti scholars broadened understanding of Beti
philosophy and this strengthened the content valid ity of the re
search instrument. The purpose of the survey was to c la rify the
findings of documentary research. Four hundred randomly selected
tribespeoplej^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^B^^was planned to include men
^t levels
and.
1 survey instru-
lues and to
thods. It
igion or
or o f the
ature, the in-
france for the
______rgy was formulated.
Tire five main
1- Understanding the Bett "people : Beti people mainly live in
South Cameroon. They believe in an ultimate God, maker of sky and
earth and humankind. They believe that, a fte r the desobedience of
■ nor Furthpr reoroduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduct,o 206
a relationship of past with present.
3. Teaching methods which would reach the Africans where
they are need to be developed. In other words, C hristianity must
be made at home in the lives of the people so that God can transform
those people into whom he wants them to be.
Interviews with Beti scholars broadened understanding of Beti
philosophy and this strengthened the content valid ity of the re
search instrument. The purpose of the survey was to c la rify the
findings of documentary research. Four hundred randomly selected
tribespeople were interviewed . Selection was planned to include men
and women of different age groups with different educational levels
and various religious affiliations.
A fter a pilo t study was carried out, the final survey instru
ment was used in order to help ascertain basic Beti values and to
aid in analyzing the Beti appraisal of Bible teaching methods. It
was then necessary to discern whether age, education, religion or
sex significantly influence the value systems and behavior of the
contemporary Beti.
Based on the results of the review of the lite ra tu re , the in
terview and the survey, a set of Bible themes of relevance fo r the
Beti people was organized, and a teaching methodology was formulated.
Findings
The main findings are summarized in five main areas.
1- Understanding the Beti people : Beti people mainly liv e in
South Cameroon. They believe in an ultimate God, maker of sky and
earth and humankind. They believe that, a fte r the desobedience of
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a woman, Zamba moved away from humans and gave them nine burdens.
In order to gain social and sp iritu al fullness, the Beti celebrated
rites such as So (in itia tio n to manhood) and Esob Nyol ( ritu al
healing and cleansing.
Beti people have d iffe re n t pattern of thoughts. These are
mainly ( 1) the logic of experience, which holds that a concept should
be rooted in and tested by daily practical experience ; ( 2) the
logic of symbolism, which asserts that words and ritual gesture
carry power and effectiveness, (3) the logic of participation, which
holds that the social togetherness influences the behavior of
individuals, (4), the logic of initiation, which implies that the
acquisition of knowledge is achieved by progressive steps. These
patterns of thought are still present in Beti thinking and
should be considered when presenting the Gospel to villagers.
The interviews with scholars showed that the Beti peoole
have a consistent set of values which has been developed through
generations. These values are mainly : (1) a respect for life ,
(2 ) the importance of a deep and practical religious commitment,
(3) an adherence to a moral code of conduct,(4) a strong relationship
with fa m ily ,(5) a commitment to community l i f e , ( 6 ) a tradition of
h o s p ita lity ,(7) a reverence fo r procreation and ( 8 ) an innate in te l
lectual openness. These values found th eir source in the ati
concept which acts as a nucleus to motivate and sustain them . The
researcher discovered that a s h ift is taking place among the young
educated Beti. They seek a reformulation and a readaptation of tra-
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ditonal values to the requirements of the modem society.
2- The Universal Laws of Teaching: The second group of
findings relates to the universal laws of teachings as defined
by western scholars. These are: (1) the law of the teacher by
which the teacher teaches more by what he is than by what he knows
(2 ) the law of the learner, which focuses on the necessity to keep
the student s attention, (3) the lav/ of the lanquaqe which
requires sim plicity, (4) the law of the lesson by which the
truth to be taught should be presented from the known to the unknown,
(5) the law of the teaching process, which underlines the s e lf
activity of the learner, ( 6 ) the law of the learning process which
implies inner characterization of the truths which are taught, (7)
the law of review which implies careful evaluation of the learning
a c tiv itie s . These laws are useful to be known and applied in Beti
society because of their universal character.
3- External methods: The third group of findings relates to the
general external r.iethods which should be considered i f the Christian
message is to be effectively conveyed to Beti people. Seven of
these pedagogical principles were suggested: ( 1 ) the necessity
to build up an appropriate and deep communication between local
people and the religious educator, ( 2) the accurate knowledge and
the positive use of values and pattern of thoughts of the Beti
people, ( 3) the careful search and objective evaluation of the needs
of the tribesmen, (4) the importance for a religious educator to
be a livin g example, in words and in actions as w ell, to the peo-
plefcr whom he ministers, (5) the necessity to transcend the level
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of a personal example and to bring the Beti to be faithful disciples
of Christ, (6 ) the wisdom to realize that progressive revelation
implies taking people at the level they are and bringing them
progressively, step by step, toward a better understanding of and
an inner obedience to God, (7) the importance of developing a
high and positive concept of the Revelation of God through the written
Word and consequently taking the authoritative and normative func
tion of the Bible very seriously.
4- Internal methods: The fourth group of findings relates to
specific b iblical issues which are discussed among the Beti people:
Five of these issues are appealing to the Beti: (1) the idea
of an ultimate God is truly present in Beti beliefs and the re li
gious educator will preferably present to them a loving and seeking
God rather than the traditional concept of a demanding and remote
God. (2) The person o f Jesus Christ. The Beti had a general con
cept of a daughter and a son of God and they grasp the ministry of
Jesus Christ better i f His sonship and His righteousness are
adequately tauqht. (3) The power of the Word of God is especially
appealing to Beti because they traditionally believed that a word
is not ju st a noise, but also a power which works. (4) Baptism
to Beti people is an exciting adventure because of the existence
of the rite of Esob Nyol, and the Bible instructor will present
baptism as union with Christ rather than the traditional sin
washing concept. (5) The Holy Supper should also be presented as
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a spiritual rather than a mystical communion with other Christians
through Jesus Christ. Five other themes are often in open contra
diction with the biblical teachings. These issues should be dis
cussed, but the Word of God has to proclaimed with power so that
the Beti beliefs and practices which are not in harmony with the
will of God should be transformed and sanctified through mature
obedience. These issues a re (l) The Christian marriage in which
the conflicting element is the polygamy of Beti people. Polygamy
should be progressively handled through the analogy of progressive
revelation. (2) Along the same lines of thinking Beti should know
that God is interested in their physical health as well as in
th e ir spiritual salvation. The health reform program is to be pro
gressively and cautiously conducted. (3) Contrary to the biblical
views, Beti believe that the dead live and communicate with the
liv in g . Although an understanding of this b e lie f is a necessary
prerequisite, the biblical concept of the rest in Christ of the
dead is to be taught. (4) The origin of sin is mainly, in Beti
land, the responsibility of human beings. The unfortunate conse
quences of this should be positively handled by underlining the
role of Satan and the victory of Christ over the devil . (5) The
law of God should be presented, not as"heavy burdens" but rather
as an expression of love, of freedom and as a factor o f mature and
positive spiritual growth.
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5- Ranking biblical themes: Finally, the survey(question
66 to 90) showed that the Beti people rank the Gospel themes which
they discover d ifferen tly. From the most important to the least
important, here are the themes which are appealing to them: The
existence of God, brotherly love, baptism, the Holy Spirit, Jesus
Christ, the resurrection, the miracles of Christ, Holy communion,
the New Earth, the Church, expiation, forgiveness, life a fte r death,
procreation, circumcision. The following are the most controversial
themes among the Beti people: the day of rest, polygamy, s a c r ifi
ces, health reform.
Discussion and Im plications:
Can one say, at the end of this study, that the research
has been fruitful? The researcher thinks that it was. The findings
presented here enable one to say that a religious educator who
wants to work among the Beti people can obtain much information
that can be useful for his m inistry, in other words, the survey
questionnaire, the responses given in the appendix and the in te r
views with scholars are valuable sources of information which a
Bible instructor could use fruitfully. The strongest implication,
surely, is that "If the teacher or evangelist is to draw the most
positive response from the B eti, he must understand th e ir culture,
traditions,values and beliefs. He should be willing to dialogue
in these areas in such a way as to prepare the ground for the rele
vant Christian topic. He should lead the Beti gently but progress
ively from his values and background toward the truth of God, thus
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preparing him to receive the teaching of the Word. The chapter IV
of this study was an e ffo rt to understand the Beti people and
chapter V was an attempt to communicate the Gospel to them in
relevant terms.
The researcher is aware of the fact that some improvements
could be made in this study. The values system of the Beti people
could have been ranked hierarchically. Likewise, the role of ritu al
in Beti beliefs and practices could have been developed in depth.
The' researcher suggests that further studies be devoted to these
important issues.
Limitiations inherent in the dissertation process have led
the researcher to not consider certain aspects o f the findings which
might have been fr u itf u l. He was not able, for instance, to
use more systematiclly the information received during the social
evenings he spent as the guest o f the villagers. Many old tribes
men presented spontaneous descriptions and explanations of their
beliefs and practices which were not recorded or used because the
methodology selected for the study required three sources of data
namely the interviews with scholars, the survey questionnaire and
the review of literature. The informal discussions with villagers
might have been used for added interest. Likewise the informations
received from these evening discussions and those received from
the analysis of the questionnaire are an important source of infor
mations. The researcher selected the most relevant of them
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and many other useful data were not discussed. For exemple, 25
biblical themes were presented and only ten of them were selected
and developed.
Another limitation was the possibility for the researcher
to be biased in his interpretations of the data. Being a man Beti
himself, he may have been influenced by subjective insights. The
researcher hopes that this was to a great extent avoided both
through the input of others such as the members of the doctoral
comni tte e .
Questions may arise concerning the study. For instance,
one may ask i f i t is not useless to try to evaluate acurately
a developmental research based on spiritual data. The researcher
thinks that objective data should be evaluated by objective norms;
likewise sp iritu al data should be evaluated by spiritual norms.
Consequently, indications concerning the intellectual growth of
the attendees are ultim ately to be te s tify by the outpouring of
the Holy Ghost.
One may ask also, i f the instructional unit presented in
the last section of chapter five reflects the concerns and suggestions
discussed in this stufy. The researcher would like to underline
the fact that he purposely emphasized the necessity to confront
villagers with the direct influence of the Word of God. He
believes that a religious educator should know and master the
modem principles of teaching, as well as the technical aspects
of lesson planning. Likewise, the Bible instructor should be
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aware of the theological implications of a given issue among the
Beti people. But the purpose of these useful prerequisites is to
lead the listen er to a positive exposure to the Word of God, and
not to theologize with his human theories. The most important mo
ment of the evening meeting is not so much the exchanges of in
formation on traditional beliefs as the time when attendees and
instructor listen to what the Word of God, through the ministry
of the Holy S p irit, has to say about a given issue.
Recommendations and suggestions
The researcher acknowledges that a methodology for teach
ing the Gospel to Beti people—and to Africans, in general— is
s till in its in itia l stages. The instructional unit developed in
chapter V is a suggested method that can be applied and evaluated.
The instructional unit is developed so that i t can be conducted
in fiveweeks. Such an experiment should be carried out in a Beti
village by the church. Likewise, the church should promote local
centers of research in which African scholars and expatriate
missiologists, as well as church leaders will attempt to find ele
ment of answers to these issues discussed in this study.
Further dissertation topics recommended for study are the
africanization of liturgy in Beti society, and the adaptation of
church administration for more e ffic ie n t church growth among the
B eti.
Each external method and Gospel theme considered can also
become a specific topic of investigation; for example, the teach
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ing of Christian marriage to the Beti; the concept of evil in Beti
society, etc.
The researcher also recommends further investigation of
a systematic orientation toward the content of the Gospel with the
revealed Word of God as an authoritative source.
As has already been stated, i f the present research would
help a religious educator, whether a foreigner or an African, to
better present the Gospel message to those he comes in contact
with, then, this study will have reached its basic objective.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX A
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE SURVEY
1. Age:
2. Education: 0____ P_ S__ C__*
3. Religion: 0 ____ A_ C__ P__♦♦
4. Sex: M _ F _
CHOSE THE 3EST ALTERNATIVE:
The idea of God:
5. ______God objectively exists. I do not know God does not exist.
6 . ______God is close and caring. God is far off and indifferent. God is vengeful and awful.
The person of Jesus Christ
7. ______Jesus Christ is God revealed to all nations. Jesus Christ is a creative being sent by God to all nations. Jesus Christ is a white man sent for whites only.
8 . For me Jesus Christ is primarily: A personal Savior and close friend. A messenger from God. Someone who has no relevance for me.
♦Education: 0 = None, P = Primary, S = Secondary, C = College
♦♦Religion: 0- No affiliation, A= Adventist, C= Catholic P- Protestant.
JL\7
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The idea of Sin
9. To sin is prim arily: To be disobedient against God. To jeopardize one’s life. To bring a curse upon the tribe.
10. The cause of evil is ultimately the devi 1 . man. God.
11. The purpose of baptism is primarily To wash sins. A "rite de passage." To die from sinful life.
The weight of words
12. The blessings or the curses of a father have always objective consequences. have conditional consequences. have no consequences.
13. A word from the mouth of God should be understood and accepted. should be accepted without thought. should be discussed and contested.
The procreation:
14. The ultimate purpose of marriage is ______procreation. pleasure. ______companionship.
15. To die without an heir is a curse from God. a biological handicap. an attack from enemies.
Polygamy:
16. Polygamy is prim arily wrong i n the eyes of God. opposed by white men for their own social and moral values. ______good for the African society.
17. Polygamous people Can have eternal life. I do not know. Cannot have eternal life .
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18. Being polygamous I approve of i t . I have no opinion. I disapprove of it.
Eating and drinking laws:
19. To keep my body in the healthiest condition possible is a program to follow carefully. I already know about it . I am not interested.
20. Vegetarianism is prim arily a biblical teaching to follow. ______not necessary for eternal life. a white man's health concern only.
21. Should ancestors be remembered. ______be forgotten. ______be worshiped.
22. How do you conceive ancestors? As important as Jesus Christ. No relation with Jesus Christ. Less important than Jesus Christ.
23. Ancestors are able to bless and to punish. are in d iffe re n t. are unable to do anything.
Life after death
24. The belief that people continue to be alive a fte r death is a b ib lical teaching. ______is an African b elief. is a white man philosophy.
25. To pray for those who are dead I can do i t . I have no opinion. I cannot do i t .
26. To pray to those who are dead I can do i t . I have no opinion. I cannot do i t .
Music
27. Singing and dancing with tomtoms: is approved in the Bible. the Bible has nothing to say about i t . is disapproved by the Bible.
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28. Music with beti rhythm ______is a sin against God. I do not know. is not a sing against God.
Family relationships
29. Before God the wife is ______in fe rio r to the husband. equal to the husband. ______superior to the husband.
30. In family leadership, the husband is the subordinate of the wife. equal to the wife. ______the chief of the wife.
31. Who should be the priest of the family in Christianity? The husband. I t does not matter. The wife.
The Holy Communion
32. To drink palm juice instead of wine and to eat a piece of manioc instead of bread makes the communion more meaningful to me. makes no difference. makes the communion meaningless to me.
The day of rest observance
33. To worship on a day other than Sunday I can do i t . makes no difference I cannot do i t .
The veneration of the Saints
34. The idea of a Saint protector is a biblical teaching. is an African belief. is a white man heritage.
35. To bear the name of a saint protector (Christian name) I am happy to do so. It makes no difference to me. I would refuse to do so.
36. What is the relationship between the Saints and the Beti Ancestors? They are equals. Some ancestors are saints. They are totally different.
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Needs findings:
37. The leaders of your church have shown interest in learning of your trib e's religious, social, and economical needs: Much interest. Some interest. No interest.
38. I f somebody comes and questions about your human needs, w ill you welcome him as a friend? be suspicious against him? reject him as someone who is interfering in your private life.
Use of African languages:
39. The foreign religious teachers you have met a ll spoke to you in Beti. some spoke to you in Beti. none spoke to you in Beti.
40. I pay more attention to a speech if it is directly in Beti. i f i t is translated from French to 8 e t i . i f i t is in French.
Discipleship and Modeling:
41. The church is mainly a Beti a ffa ir. a universal body. a Western institution.
42. The personal example of religious leaders is important for my fa ith . has some importance for my fa ith . is not important for my fa ith .
The Bible as criterion:
43. The Bible is primarily for you the Word of God that speaks to people of a llnations. a white man's book which has a message for the Beti. a white Man's book that is not relevant for the Beti.
44. Your criterion in religious matters is the biblical teaching. ______your own understanding. your religious leader's opinion.
The re a lity of supernatural environment
45. Dreams are primarily: true comnunication with supernatural beings. I am not sure. simple unconscious human thoughts.
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46. I f somebody te lls you "I saw a ghost last night." Would you be inclined to believe him because spirits do exist. ______question whether i t really was a ghost. disbelieve because spirits do not exist.
47. The Bible says Jesus rose from death. This statement is: easy to understand for a Beti. ______impossible to understand for a Beti. d iffic u lt to understand for a Beti.
The power of Spirits
48. What does "evu" mean? A vicious spirit. A mysterious body organism. All of the above.
49. In concrete situation, is the spell caster (nkokong) unable to kill a Christian. able to k ill some Christians. ______able to k ill any Christian.
50. The diviner (mvivigi) does really see some truths. is just a lia r who does not see anything. is able to detect any kind of hidden magic weapon.
51. Can a person ______choose a God given destiny? ______modify a God given destiny? never escape from a God given destiny?
52. Is a medical doctor ______more successful than a Beti healer? as successful as a Beti healer? less successful than a Beti healer?
53. Understanding and f le x ib ilit y in religious matters are a religious leader's quality. I have no opinion. a religious leader's shortcoming.
Values
54. A rich Greek salesman has lost his wallet containing CFA 5000. You have found i t . Will you ______give i t to the owner without compensation. take the money as a God given luck. meet the owner and claim compensation.
55. You have just fallen in love with a partner and you plan to get mar ried when the doctor informs you that the partner can never have a baby. What is the best thing to do? Cancel the marriage project. Maintain the project. Pray for supernatural fecondity.
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56. You have adopted a foreign orphan and a s p irit tells you during a night dream to sacrifice him in order to exorcise the curse that threatens the whole villag e. What is the best thing to do? Protect the orphan because i t is immoral to k i l l . K ill him and obey the s p irit. Kill him by w illin g to save the tribe from thecurse.
57. Your brother is kept a prisoner by enemies. They request CFA 50,000 otherwise they may k ill him. This is the exact sum that you have recently received as a dowry for your daughter. What is the best thing to do? Give the money. Not give the money. Search for another way in order to save his lifewithout money.
58. You have a good salary, 50,000 CFA a month. What is best to do? Faithfully give 5,000 or more each month to the church. Not give anything to the church. Give something, but not 5,000 each month to the church.
59. An angel tells you during a night dream to sacrifice your child in order to please God. What is the best thing to do? Obey the dream order. Disobey. Consult the religious leader.
60. A neighbor's chicken d irtie s one of your kitchen beds and at the same time goes to lay an egg in your chicken's nest. What is the best thing to do? Bring the egg to the neighbor. Keep the egg for compensation. Tell your neighbor the incident and discuss the issue.
61. One night there is no food at home. Your children are hungry and you have just found a few bananas in a corner when two la te , tired and hungry travelers knock at your door. What is the best thing to do? Give the food to the children. Give the food to the foreigners. Not to give the food to anyone.
62. A popular and famous healer te lls you that your neighbor is a "kong" holder and the best way to stop his misdeeds is to burn his house down. What is the best thing to do? Burn down the "kong" holder's house. Refuse because i t is immoral to burn down somebody else's house. Tell the healer that he is a liar.
63. You work in town and a brother-in-law who is in trouble requests to stay in your home for 6 months. He does not have any income and you must pay all the expenses. What is the best thing to do? Give him shelter and food without question. Reject him because you cannot afford parasites. Accept him but ask home work compensation.
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64. A missionary arrives in your village in order to organize a church. You are requested to give your house to him and to stay with one of your brothers. What is the best thing to do? ______Leave your house without hesitation. Not leave the house for any reason. Bargain some compensations.
65. You have just fallen in love with a partner and you plan to get mar ried when your partner claims that the only one thing that he/she w ill not do is to share your religious beliefs. What is the best thing to do? Cancel the marriage project. Maintain the marriage project. Bargain the issue.
After the try out in ten selected villages, the following question was deleted :
Out of ten sermons you have heard in the church. How many would you estimate are : Intellectual Pratical Morali st
Questions 66 to 90
Which one of the following Biblical themes are Strongly appealing to you (A) ______Moderately appealing to you(a) Neutral (N) Moderately disliked (d) Strongly disliked (D)
These themes are listed in the following page.(224)
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A a N d D
66. The existence of God
67. The notion of sin
68 . The person of Jesus Christ
69. The idea of atonement
70. Baptism
71. The communion
72. Procreation
73. Church attendance
74. The day of rest
75. Sacrifice
76. The circumcision
77. The woman submission'
78. The new earth
79. The Word of God
80. Eating and drinking laws
81. The Holy S pirit
82. The miracles of Christ
83. Life after death
84. Polygamy
85. Resurrection
86 . Brotherly love
87. The church
88 . The mystery of death
89. The mystery of evil
90. The forgiveness of sin
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B
The chi square analysis for each question is presented according
to the four variables considered: age, education, relig io n , and sex.
each question the responses 1, 2, 3, or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
correspond to the three choices (questions 5 to 65) or the five choices
(questions 66 to 90) the Beti had to answer. N represents the number of
persons who answered each question.
Appendix B^ presents the answers according to the variable age
(vertical numbers): 1= under 30 years old
2= from 30 to 60 years old
3= above 30 years old.
Appendix B^ presents the answers according to the variable
education (vertical numbers): I s no formal education
2- elementary education
3= secondary education
4= college education.
Appendix B^ presents the answers according to the variable
religious affiliation (vertical numbers: 1= no religious affiliation
2 = Adventist
3= Catholic
4= Protestant
Appendix 8 ^ presents the answers according to the variable sex
(vertical numbers): 1= Male
2 * Female
227
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B-j
AGE
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B1
ARE
Appendix B-j presents the answers according to the variable age
(vertical numbers): 1 under 30 years old
2 from 30 to 60 years old
3 above 30 years old.
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N*
(5) 1 .901 .081 1 .019 161 (8) 1 .756 .118 .056 160 ------H 2 . 934 .000 | .017 120 2 .900 .092 .008 120 ------0 1.000 .000 ! .000 118 3 .958 . 042 .000 1 ID ... . T .955 .033 .013 399 .860 .115 .025 399 I T
v 2 X. ' 17.40 P « .002 X? -- 23 .0723 3 < .005
(6) i .863 .124 j .012 161 (9) 1 .826 .050 .124 161 | ------H 2 1.000 .000 | .000 120 2 .917 .058 .025 120 1
3 .983 .617 .000 119 3 .975 .008 .017 118
X .940 .055 .005 400 •VX .897 .040 .063 399
V 2 X : 23. 0839 F < .005 x; - is. 7019 Dr .001
(7) 1 .832 .106 . 062 161 (10) 2 .688 .225 .087 160
2 .975 .017 • 008 120 2 .250 .625 .175 120
3 1.000 .000 . 000 119 3 .145 .718 .137 117
T . 925 . 047 . 027 400 •V*1 .395 .491 .113 397 I 1 „2 ^ * 28 • ' 1973 P< .005 = 1000 .7970 P< .005 229
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RKSPOKSF.5
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(11) 1 .665 .205 .130 161 (16) 1 .559 .075 .366 161
2 .708 .167 .125 120 2 .267 .050 .683 120
3 .882 .092 .025 119 3 .067 .025 .908 119
T .742 .160 .097 400 .325 .052 .622 400
V 2 N* It 00 O >< X = 19.226 P = .0001 ' .1069 P < .005
(12) x .242 .689 .068 101 (17) 1 .304 .608 .087 161
2 .192 .783 .025 120 2 .667 .250 .083 120
.378 .613 .790 .109 .101 3 .008 119 3 119
T .267 .695 .037 400 T .557 .352 .090 400
,2 „2 \ ; 15 .3768 P ; .004 X = 86. 3653 ?< .005
(18) i (13) 1 .62] .193 .186 161 .222 .099 .675 1 .6 2
2 .392 .600 .008 120 2 .633 .058 .308 120
3 .328 .664 .008 119 3 .832 .000 .168 119
T . 465 .455 .080 400 1 .526 .057 .416 401
X2* 94 0618 P < .005 x2=m. 6895 P < .005
(14) i .457 .216 .327 162 (19) 1 .795 .130 .075 161 i - .1 2 .758 .075 .167 120 2 .917 .071 .008 120
.966 .008 .025 119 3 .832 .050 .118 119 3
.882 .077 .040 400 T .658 .125 .217 401 T
*2 X * 51.6268 p < .005 X2 = 20.4834 .005
.416 .261 161 (15) 1 .391 .497 .112 161 (20) l .323
.142 .192 .667 120 2 .625 .167 .208 120 2
.085 .263 .653 118 3 .656 .068 .297 118 3
T .534 .271 .195 399 T .236 .266 .499 399
C X2 : 75. 5039 ? < .005 l^2 - 73.2348 . 00
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1 2 3 N 1 2 3 M
(21) 1 .689 .130 .180 161 (26) 1 .309 .198 .494 162
2 .883 .058 .058 120 2 .750 .033 .217 120
3 .874 .050 .076 119 3 .763 .017 .220 118 T .802 .085 . 112 400 T .575 .095 .330 400
„2 X2 = 21 .9986 P < .005 X -8 6 . 0541 P < .005
(22) 1 .191 .148 .660 162 (27) 1 .772 .179 .049 162
2 .067 .067 .867 120 2 .906 .043 .051 117
3 .092 .008 .899 119 3 .807 .025 .168 119
T .125 .082 .793 401 T .822 .093 .085 398
X2 r 32. 8949 p ^ .005 X2 =37.0668 P < .005
(23) ! (28) 1 .179 .235 .586 162 .241 .741 .019 162
2 .625 .142 .233 120 2 .058 .892 .050 120
3 .585 .136 .280 118 3 .034 .84 7 .119 118
T .432 .177 .390 400 T .125 .817 .057 400
X2 " 72. 9430 P < .005 = 43.6378 P < .005
(24) i .180 .727 .093 161 (29) 1 .100 .700 .200 160
2 .167 .750 .083 120 2 .025 .739 .235 119
3 .144 .831 .025 118 3 .017 .437 .546 1.19
T .165 .764 .070 399 T .053 .633 .314 398
*2 X. * 6.4197 ?- .170 Xf r 51.2820 p ^ .005
(25) j .491 .273 .236 161 (30) 1 .050 .354 .596 161
2 .733 .017 .250 120 2 .067 .158 .775 120
3 .636 .076 .288 118 3 .068 .017 .915 .113
T .607 .138 .256 399 T .060 .195 . 744 399
\ 2 = 45.1091 P = .005 X2 = 50. 8078 p - .005
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RESPONSIS
1 2 3 N I 2 3 N'
(31) i .344 .556 .100 160 (36) 1 .309 .327 .364 162
2 .723 .218 .059 119 2 .258 .208 .533 120
3 .866 .084 .050 119 3 .244 .076 .681 119
T .613 .314 .073 398 T .274 .217 .509 401
2 X^2 = 89.7879 p <.005 \ ^ 3. 9894 1 < .005
(32) L (37) 1 .216 .599 .185 162 .211 .578 .211 161
2 .200 .625 .175 120 2 .258 .400 .342 120
3 .218 .513 .218 119 3 .205 .368 .427 117
T .212 .596 .192 401 T .224 .462 .314 398 ■ v2 \ 2 = 1.1608 P.- .885 X. = 19.3489 P -- .001
i ‘ (33) 1 .148 .401 .451 162 (38) 1 .292 .491 .217 161 ' 2 2 .133 .208 .658 120 .706 .252 .042 119
3 3 .109 .151 .739 119 .916 .050 .034 119
T .132 .269 .599 401 T .602 .788 . 110 399 v2 \ 2 = 29 6599 P< .005 X. =122.2769 P < .005
(34) 1 .188 .500 .313 160 (39) 1 .211 .627 .161 161
2 .067 .775 .158 120 2 .403 .4220 .176 119
3 .051 .814 .136 118 3 .546 .269 .185 119
T .111 .676 .214 398 T .368 .459 .173 399
2 \ 2 -- 39. 2473 p < .005 \ : 41.3514 P < -005
(35) 1 .296 .296 .407 162 (40) 1 .596 .211 .193 161
2 .142 .092 .767 120 2 .912 .067 .017 120
3 .136 .034 .831 118 3 .898 .051 .051 118
T .202 .157 .640 400 T .782 .120 .098 399 2 \ = 69.7963 P ( .005 \ 2 =18.3893 P { .005
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RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(41) 1 .292 .559 .149 161 (46) 1 .500 .216 .284 162
2 .342 .575 .083 120 2 .672 .202 .126 119
3 .441 .508 .051 118 3 .832 .067 .109 119 " 1 1 T .351 .549 .100 399 T . 650 j .167 .182 400
X2 = 11.9085 p = .018 X? ^ 37 .5732 F <.005
(42) x .481 .142 .377 162 (47) 1 . 716 .130 .154 162
2 .252 .067 .681 119 2 .866 .059 .076 119
3 .331 .110 .559 119 3 .907 .042 .051 118
T .368 .110 .521 399 T .817 .083 .100 399
v2 X? - 24. 7807 .005 “ 19. 2991 P = .001
(43) 1 .802 .130 .068 162 (48) 1 .562 .154 .284 102
.950 .025 .025 120 2 .583 .192 .225 120
3 .941 .008 .050 119 3 .538 .252 .210 119
.888 .062 .050 401 .561 .195 .244 T T 401
X2 = 24 .7807 P< .005 14. 9825 P r . . 005 ... ------(44) 1 .566 .277 .157 159 (49) 1 .355 .323 .342 161
2 .692 .192 .117 120 2 .267 .292 .442 120
3 .691 .193 .109 119 3 .206 .186 .568 118
T .643 .226 .131 398 T .288 .273 .439 399
6.9105 p-- .141 = 14.9878 P z .005
(45) 1 .278 .333 .389 .62 (50) 1 .377 .377 .247 161
2 .592 .242 .167 120 2 .433 .367 .200 120
3 .765 .050 .185 119 3 .303 .445 .252 119
T .510 .222 .262 401 T .372 .394 .234 401
^ - 75.2704 p< .005 \2 - 4.7928 .309
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RrsroNSF.s
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 K
(51) 1 .168 .404 .429 161 (56) 1 .765 .160 .074 162
2 .067 .101 .832 119 2 .892 .092 .017 120
3 .051 .248 . 701 117 3 .807 .176 .017 119 T .103 .267 .630 397 T .815 .145 .040 401
\ 2 = 53.7804 p < .005 \ 2 ^ io .0730 3 = 0.39
(52) x .323 .553 .124 161 (57) 1 .685 .154 .160 162
2 .092 .857 .050 119 2 .842 .050 .108 120
3 .222 .709 .068 117 3 .839 .068 .093 118
T .224 .690 .086 397 T .777 .097 .125 400 1 2 K2 = 30 .4270 p< .005 XT = 15- 0463 p ; .005
(53) 1 .784 .148 .068 162 (58) 1 .342 .112 .547 161
2 .967 .025 .008 120 2 .408 .092 .500 120
3 .866 .109 .025 119 3 .322 .09 3 .585 118
.863 .100 .037 401 .544 T T .356 .100 399
X2 = 17 .2684 p s. .002 X2= 2.5496 p = .636
1 (54) i .440 .447 .113 159 (59) 1 .447 .308 .245 159
2 .350 .608 .042 120 2 .358 .450 .192 120
3 .378 .605 .017 119 3 .418 .403 .179 397
T .394 .543 .063 398 T .418 .403 .179 397
2 17 .3329 .002 i f r 18.5341 p - .001
(55) i .273 .385 .342 161 (60) 1 .611 .198 .191 162
2 .575 .283 .142 120 2 .825 .075 .100 120
3 .754 .203 .042 119 3 .798 .160 .042 119
T .506 .301 .193 399 T .731 .150 .120 401
; 74.2985 p < .005 f -- 25. 7449 .005
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1 2 3 N
(61) i .599 .315 .086 162
2 .325 .625 .050 120
3 .246 .729 .025 118
T .412 .530 .057 400
X = 53.3881 P <.005
(62) i .230 .422 .348 161
2 .242 .693 .067 120
3 .261 .672 .067 119
T .242 .577 .180 400
H2 -- 53 .6986 p < . 005
(63) 1 .503 .168 .329 161
2 .725 .050 .225 120
3 .814 .042 .114 118
T .662 .095 .243 399 2 X * 35 7084 p< .005
(64) 1 .606 .244 .150 160
2 .925 .050 .025 120
3 .941 .042 .017 118
T .802 .126 .073 398
„2 \ - 64. 3911 P< .oos
•(65) 1 .611 .185 .204 162
2 .742 .150 .108 120
3 .756 .176 .065 119
T .693 .172 .135 401
\ 2 = 13.5504 p : .069
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RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
(66) 1 .913 .019 .031 .000 .037 161
2 1 . 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 120
3 .958 .000 .017 .025 .000 119
T .952 .007 .017 .007 .o u | 400
^ =• 13.7135 P a. .090
i (67) 1 .714 .093 .031 .025 .137 161
2 .017 .800 i .025 .017 .142 120 i 3 .857 | .042 .017 .076 .008 119
T .782 .057 .022 .075 .062 400
^ 2 =r 38.8771 p $ .005
(68) 1 .882 .050 .025 .000 .043 161
2 .883 .083 .033 .000 .000 120
3 .933 .042 .017 .000 .008 119
T* L .897 .057 .025 .000 .020 400
X f - 6 8041 P - .339
(69) 1 .780 .107 .059 .006 .050 159
2 .925 .033 .017 .008 .017 120
3 .890 .042 .025 .042 .042 118
T .850 .065 .035 .018 .025 397
£ 18.4366 P - .018
(70) 1 .882 .037 .043 .000 .037 161
2 .950 .025 .025 .000 .000 119
3 .932 .051 .008 .008 .000 118
T .917 .038 .028 .003 .015 398
1 8. 7150 p -- .36 7
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RESl’OMSKS
1 2 3 4 5 N
(71) 1 .863 .062 .025 .006 .043 161
2 .833 .125 .025 .000 .017 120
3 .899 .084 .017 .000 .000 119
T .865 .087 .022 .002 .022 400
X 2 -- 7 .0638 p * .530
(72) 1 .719 .162 .031 .006 .081 160
2 .908 .033 .025 .017 .017 120
3 .898 .025 .017 .034 .025 118
T .829 .083 .025 .018 .045 398
» 29.7047 p = <.005
(73) 1 .602 .180 .037 .068 .112 161
2 .592 .058 .042 .125 .1832 120
3 .538 .043 .026 .085 .308 117
T .580 .103 .035 .090 .191 398
^2_ 29.0479 p < .005
(74) 1 .379 .093 .050 .012 .466 161 2 .185 .025 .025 .025 .739 119
3 .263 .025 .017 .025 .669 118
T .286 .053 .033 .020 .608 398
7N2 ^ 25.8257 p = .001
(75) 1 .563 .076 .019 .019 .323 158
2 .568 .068 .068 .059 .237 118
3 .597 .084 .025 .050 .244 119
T .575 .076 .035 .041 273 395
7.6593 467 \ 2 * P -
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RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
(76) 1 .709 .038 .044 .089 .120 158
2 .856 .051 .042 .017 .034 118
3 .916 .034 .017 .000 .034 119
T .815 .041 .035 .041 .068 395
.1428 001 X2*26 P «■ '
(77) 1 .722 .076 .013 .019 .171 153
2 .856 .017 .042 .034 .051 118
3 .874 .076 .008 .017 .025 119
T .808 .058 .020 .023 .091 395
25.3594 p -001 t-1 V—/ I-"* 00 .815 .025 .032 .032 .096 157
2 .897 .009 .068 .000 .026 117
3 .916 .042 .017 .008 .017 119
T .870 .025 .038 .015 .051 393
16.4895 p - .036
(79) 1 .840 .038 .026 .019 .077 156
2 .819 .043 .034 .069 .034 116
3 .773 .067 .067 .059 .084 119
T .813 .049 .049 .046 .066 391
5. 8846 P= .660
(80) 1 .714 .099 .043 .037 .106 161 2 .667 .033 .058 .042 .200 120 3 .639 .008 .017 .067 .269 119 T .677 .052 .040 .047 .182 400
^ 1 22 .2736 P i .004
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 239
RES PONS F.S
1 2 3 4 5 N
00 *—■N N«*- .888 .025 .031 .019 .037 161 2 .874 .050 . 05C .008 .017 119 3 .958 .017 .OOP .000 .017 118
T .905 .030 .03r .010 .025 398
5928 X2 " 5- p e . 693
(82) 1 .839 .056 .025 .006 .075 161
2 .882 .042 .059 .00 0 .017 119
3 .941 .000 .034 .008 .017 119
T .882 .035 .038 .005 .040 399
.9020 p - .115
(83) I .764 .068 .037 .000 .130 161
2 .857 .025 .084 .008 .025 119
3 .916 .000 .025 .000 .059 119
T .837 .035 .048 .003 .078 399
22 .1816 p = .005
(84) 1 .311 .106 .043 .019 .522 161
2 .233 .017 .858 .042 .650 120
3 .412 .017 .017 .017 .538 119
T .317 .052 .040 .025 .565 400
^ 22.1968 P = . 005
(85) 1 .869 .025 .019 .000 .087 160
2 .925 .025 .033 .008 .008 120
3 .907 .068 .017 .000 .008 118
T .897 .038 .023 .003 .040 398
c 15.7192 p . .047
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 240
RESHONSFS
1 2 3 4 5 N
(86) 1 .919 .050 .006 .000 .025 160
2 .933 .008 .033 .008 .017 120
3 .941 .025 .025 .000 .008 118
T .930 .030 .020 .003 .018 398 ■ ^ 2 : 4.7815 p t .781
(87) 1 .893 .044 .031 .000 .031 159
2 .842 .042 .092 .017 .008 120
3 .856 .059 .051 .017 .017 118
T .866 .048 .055 .010 .020 397
J2 K ' 5 .5682 P = .695 00 00 /■> .818 .044 .057 .006 .075 195 2 .667 .017 .217 .033 .067 120
3 .771 .008 .085 .042 .093 118 T .758 .025 .113 .025 .078 397
) ^ r 22.0018 p= .005
(89) 1 .794 .056 .087 .006 .056 160
2 .725 .008 .225 .042 .000 120
3 .856 .008 .085 .034 .017 118
T .791 .028 .128 .025 .028 398
- 26.7893 p ; .001
(90) 1 .876 .031 .050 .000 .043 161
2 .763 .051 .44 .017 .025 118
3 .923 .026 .043 .009 .000 117
T .856 .035 .076 .008 .025 396
X2 • 15.3503 P - .053
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B2
EDUCATION
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 242
APPENDIX B2
EDUCATION
Appendix B2 presents the answers according to the variable
education (vertical numbers): 1 no formal education
2 elementary education
3 secondary education
4 college education.
RESPONSES 1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N 1 1 1.000 .000 .020 76 (8) 1 .921 .066 .013 76
2 .949 .038 .013 156 2 .885 .109 .006 156
3 .948 i .046 .007 153 3 .804 .157 .039 153
4 .714 .000 .286 7 4 .667 .000 .333 6
T .954 .037 .013 392 T .857 .118 .026 391 2 * ? = 25.2278 P < .005 \ = 18.1439 p - .006
1 1.000 .000 .000 76 (9) 1 .961 .013 .026 76
2 .949 .051 .000 156 2 .897 .032 .071 155
3 .922 .078 .000 153 3 .876 .052 .072 153
4 .429 .286 .286 7 4 .571 .286 .143 7
T .939 .056 .005 392 T .895 .041 .064 391 00 69.4354 p< .005 II 4072 P : .210 ^ro
1 1.000 .000 .000 76 (10) 1 .133 .733 .133 75
2 .923 .071 .006 156 2 .265 .606 .129 155
3 .908 .039 .052 153 3 .660 .248 .092 153
4 .429 .286 .286 7 4 .429 .429 .143 7
T .923 .048 .028 392 T .397 .487 .115 390
23.9498 p = .001 = 76.3719 P<. .005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 243
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N i ' - (11) 1 .882 .066 .053 76 (15) 1 .605 .132 .263 76 1 2 .814 .141 .045 156 2 .641 .103 .256 156
3 .614 .216 .170 153 3 .405 .490 .105 153
4 .571 .286 .143 7 4 .143 .857 .000 7
T .745 .158 .097 392 T .533 .273 .194 392
2 *2 \ = 25 .4571 p= .005 ^ - 73 .8070 P- .005
(12) I .329 .658 .013 76 (16) 1 .145 .026 .829 76 ' ' ' "'1 2 .282 .750 .013 156 2 .179 .032 .788 156
3 .222 .719 .059 153 3 .569 .078 .353 153
4 .000 .571 .429 7 4 .429 .143 .429 7
T .263 .699 .038 392 T .329 .051 .620 392
2 - \ - 25.6842 p= -005 \ - 75 .7143 P ; .005
(13) .316 .658 .026 76 (17) 1 .724 .211 .066 76
2 .378 .571 .051 156 2 .679 .212 .109 156 ------3 .641 .842 .118 153 3 .346 .569 .085 153
4 4 .429 .000 .571 7 .429 .571 .000 7
T .469 .000 .571 392 T .554 .357 .089 392 ■5 O ro 64 to P = . 005 V * 52.1904 P= .005
(14) x 1 .855 .039 .105 76 (18) 1 .737 .013 .250 76
2 .750 .077 .173 156 2 .705 .051 .244 156
3 .494 .221 .286 154 3 .260 .091 .641 154
4 .143 .000 .857 7 4 .000 .000 1.000 7
T .659 .125 .216 393 T .524 .059 .471 393
r2 - \ ' 49.8858 P = .005 81.8687 .005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 244
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
1 .974 .026 .000 76 (23) 1 .592 .197 .211 76
2 .917 .051 .032 156 2 .561 .090 .348 155
3 .810 .118 .072 153 3 .227 .266 .506 154
4 .571 .429 .000 7 4 .143 .143 .714 7
1 .880 .079 .041 392 T .429 .181 .390 392
2 .2 \ = 19.9230 p = .003 \ = 50 .2335 P- 005
1 .026 .289 .684 76 (24) l .187 .773 .040 75
2 .192 .199 .609 156 2 .135 .821 .045 156
3 .379 .320 .301 153 3 .190 .693 .118 153
4 .571 .429 .000 7 4 .143 .857 .000 7
.240 .492 392 T .268 T .166 .762 .072 391 ______
\ = 55.7355 p: .005 \ : 8.5081 P= .203
1 .882 .053 .066 76 (25) 1 .658 .053 .289 76
2 .840 .077 .083 156 2 .718 .071 .212 156
3 .719 .118 .163 153 3 .471 .261 .268 153
4 .857 .000 .143 7 4 .143 .000 .857
T .801. .087 .112 392 T .599 .140 .260 392
7 .2444 p ; .. 160 \ - 42 .2662 p - .005
1 .039 .053 .908 76 (26) 1 .813 .040 .147 75
2 .135 .051 .814 156 2 .712 .032 .256 156
3 .149 .136 .714 154 3 .331 .195 .474 154
4 .286 .000 .714 7 4 .143 .000 .857 7
T .125 .084 .791 393 T .571 .097 .332 392
- 2 . \ ' 13.7529 P = .033 \ = 74.4018 P .005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 245
RF.SPOHSKS
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
1 .7*0 .841 .219 73 1 .813 .107 .080 75
2 .904 .032 .064 156 2 .735 .168 .097 155
3 .773 .175 .052 154 3 .386 .569 .046 153
4 .714 .286 .000 7 4 .425 .571 .000 7
T .818 .095 .087 390 T .608 .321 .072 390
36 .0142 P = .005 1^2= 73.3410 P- .005
1 .067 .800 .133 75 1 .184 .605 .211 7fi
2 .090 .853 .058 156 2 .205 .615 .179 156
3 .169 .805 .026 154 3 .214 .571 .214 154
4 .429 .571 .000 7 4 .571 .429 .200 7
T .122 .819 .059 392 T .211 .593 .196 393
\ ‘ = 16 .7594 P= .010 II 1084 p: .602 A,
1 .040 .347 .039 75 1 .092 .158 .750 76
2 .523 .439 .065 155 2 .103 .269 .628 156
3 .745 .190 .286 153 3 .169 .312 .519 154
4 .714 .000 .054 7 4 .429 .571 .000 7
T .631. .315 .314 390 T .132 .270 .598 393
<=25 .5766 p = .005 \ 2 = 18. 3796 p= .005
1 .079 .092 .829 76 1 .105 .053 .842 76
2 .079 .141 .788 156 2 .141 .122 .737 156
3 .046 .288 .667 153 3 .299 .247 .455 154
4 .000 .714 .286 7 4 .714 .286 .000 7
T .061 .199 .740 392 T .206 .160 .634 393
_2 _ ^ ' 22-8863 P = .001 ^ - 49.8291 P= -005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 246
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
1 .250 .092 .658 76 (39) 1 .434 .342 . 224 76
2 .295 .147 .558 156 2 .477 .355 . 168 155
3 .273 .357 .370 154 3 .235 .601 .163 153
4 .286 .286 .429 7 4 .000 .857 .143 7 T .277 .221 .501 393 T .366 .458 .176 391
V 2 - \ r 30 .4684 p r .005 V\ 2 = 28.6324 P= .005 _ .. 1 .253 .387 .360 75 (40) 1 .895 .026 .079 76
2 .206 .432 .361 155 2 .923 .064 .013 156
3 .229 .536 .235 153 3 .582 .229 .190 153
4 .000 .714 .286 7 4 .714 .143 .143 7
T .221 .469 .310 390 T .781 .122 .097 392
V 2 II p 1 00 .2360 = .22 \ = 57.9271 p r . 005
1 .092 .737' . 171 75 (41) 1 .368 .553 .079 76
2 2 .058 .755 . 187 155 .413 .523 .065 155
3 . 171 .579 .250 153 3 .281 .582 .137 153
4 7 4 .571 .143 .286 .-571 .000 .429 2
T .110-. .674- .215 390 T .345 .552 .102 391 2 II 00 .2360 p= .221 \ = i:5.4443 p - .036
.803 .184 .013 75 (42) 1 .311 .081 .608 76
.755 .168 .077 155 2 .327 .109 .564 156
.353 .451 .196 153 3 .455 .110 .434 154
.286 .714 .000 7 4 .143 .286 .571 7
.598 .292 .110 391 T .371 .107 .522 391 2 2 ^ z 69.3345 P = .005 \ =8.8446 P= .183
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 247
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
1 .934 .000 .066 76 (47) 1 .932 .014 .054 74
2 .955 .026 .019 156 2 .865 .083 .051 156
3 .812 .130 .058 154 3 .701 .117 .182 154
4 .714 .000 .286 7 4 1.000 .000 .000 7
T .891 .061 .048 393 T .816 .082 .102 391
J2. V 25 .5370 p - .005 = 22.8499 P- .001 H 00 -cr 1 .645 .224 .132 76 .618 .211 .171 76
2 .718 .154 .128 156 2 .513 .224 .263 156
3 .556 .305 .139 151 3 .571 .162 .266 154
4 .714 .286 .000 7 4 .857 .000 .143 7
T .641 .228 .131 390 T .562 .193 .244 393 ______
10.1093 P= .120 \ - 5.1550 P= .524
1 (45) .724 .118 .158 76 (49) 1 .253 .240 .507 75
2 2 .628 .167 .205 156 .250 .231 .519 156
3 3 .318 .338 .344 154 .333 .320 .346 153
4 4 .000 .000 1.000 7 .429 .286 .286 7
T T .514- .221 .265 393 .286 .269 . 445 391 2 58 .0712 p - .005 .6202 p= .142 ! ! ^ i t( 1 .776 .118 .105 76 (50) 1 .368 .408 .224 76
2 .723 .129 .148 155 2 .333 .391 .276 156
3 .519 .234 .247 154 3 .390 .403 .208 154
4 .143 .286 .571 7 4 .429 .429 .143 7
T .643 .171 .186 392 T .364 .399 .237 393 r2 . ^ : 24.0112 p = .001 ^ = 1.8614 p 3 .932
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 248
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
1 .081 .216 .703 74 (55) 1 .627 .280 .093 75
2 .052 .181 .768 155 2 .673 .212 .115 156
3 .150 .386 .464 153 3 .288 .392 .320 153
4 .429 .286 .286 7 4 .143 .571 .286 7
T .103 .270 .627 389 T . .504 .302 .194 391 II \ 2= 35 .2407 p = .005 -CN 1108 p - .005
1 .122 .757 .122 74 (56) 1 .842 .132 .026 76
2 .199 .769 .032 156 2 .821 .147 .032 156
3 .283 .599 .118 152 3 .792 .149 .058 154
4 .714 .286 .000 7 4 1.000 .000 .000 7
T .226 .692 .082 389 T .817 .142 .041 393 •v
2 *— II 1 \ = 22 .4899 ?= .001 6849 p: .946
\ 1 .908 .079 .013 76 (57) 1 .829 .053 .118 76
2 .917 .058 .026 156 2 .339 .084 .077 155
3 .792 .149 .058 154 3 .688 .130 .182 154
4 .714 .143 .143 7 4 .571 .286 .143 7
T .863. .099 .038 393 T .773 .099 .128 392
V 2 ..2 V 9. 7749 P= .134 \ ' 11.8761 .065
1 .395 .605 .000 76 (58) 1 .316 .105 .579 76
2 .316 .613 .071 155 2 .318 .104 .578 154
3 .480 .434 .086 152 3 .403 .091 .506 154
4 .429 .429 .143 7 -4 .286 .286 .429 7
T .397 .538 .064 390 T .350 .102 .547 391 2 2 \ ' 14.4249 P= .025 \ ~ 3.2855 P=*.772
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 249
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
1 .427 .453 .120 75 (63) 1 .855 .053 .092 76
2 .365 .487 .147 156 2 .697 .097 .206 155
3 .477 .298 .225 151 3 .558 .097 .344 154
4 .143 .571 .286 7 4 .143 .571 .286 7
T .416 .409 .175 389 T .663 .097 .240 392 V It n rH .2 .0470 P = .042 3^ = 35.0066 P-
1 .118 .066 76 (64) 1 .960 .040 .000 1 .816 75
2 .788 .128 .083 156 2 .852 .071 .077 155 1
3 .649 .175 .175 154 3 .686 .209 .105 153
4 .429 .429 .143 7 4 .429 .429 .143 ’ !
T .733 .150 .117 393 T .800 .126 .074 390
2 \ = 12 . 7978 p= .046 = 29.7105 P r •
1 .289 .684 .026 76 (65) 1 .763 .171 .066 76 ]
2 .348 .606 .045 155 ■> .724 .173 .103 156
3 .526 .383 .091 154 3 .649 .149 .201 154
4 .857 .143 .000 7 4 .286 .429 .286 7
T .416 .526 .059 392 T .695 .168 .137 393
<=26 .1522 P = .005 \ 2 : 11.7323 P= .068
1 .197 .737 .066 76
2 .327 .609 .064 156
3 .190 .471 .340 153
4 .143 .286 .571 7
T .245 .574 .181 392
= 53.4239 p = .005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 250 RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
(66) 1 .987 .000 .000 .013 .000 76
2 .974 .000 .013 .013 .000 155
3 .929 .019 .032 .000 .019 154
4 .571 .000 .000 .000 .429 7
T .952 .008 .018 .008 .015 392
X f = 60.4846 p = .005
(67) 1 .816 .013 .000 .145 .026 76
2 .781 .097 .039 .077 .006 155
3 .786 .032 .019 .032 .130 154
4 .429 .286 .000 .000 .286 7
T .883 .059 .023 .071 .064 392 _ 2 X ' 40.1180 P c .005
1------(68) 1 .934 .039 .013 .000 .013 76
2 .897 .071 .032 .000 .000 | 155
3 .896 .045 .026 .000 .032 154
4 .571 .143 .000 .000 .286 7
T .898 .056 .026 .000 .020 392
X f =17.3503 p - .043
(69) 1 .895 .053 .013 .039 .000 I 76
2 .870 .058 .045 .013 .013 154
3 .842 .066 .039 .013 .039 152
4 .286 .429 .000 .000 .286 7
T .253 .067 .036 .018 .026 398
'X* = 25.1577 p _ .014
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 251
RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
1 .987 .013 .000 .000 .000 76
2 .928 .046 .020 .000 .007 153
3 .903 .026 .052 .000 .019 154
4 .429 .286 .000 .000 .286 7
T .721 .036 .028 .000 .015 390
31 .4189 P = .005
1 .908 .092 .000 .000 .000 76
2 .865 .110 .026 .000 .000 155
3 .870 .065 .019 .006 .039 154
4 .571 .000 .143 .000 .286 7
T .870 .087 .020 .003 .020 392
= 21.3592 p - .045
1 .921 .039 .013 .013 .013 76
2 .910 .026 .026 .019 .019 155
3 .719 .163 .033 .013 .072 153
4 .714 .000 .000 .000 .286 7
T .834 .082 .026 .015 .043 391
= 31.7981 p * .001
1 .600 .080 .000 .053 .267 75
2 .574 .058 .052 . 129 .187 155
3 .597 .156 .039 .071 .136 154
4 .429 .143 .000 .000 .429 7
T .586 .102 .036 .090 .187 391 2 \ “ 17.9365 P ' .118
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 252
RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
(74) l .263 .026 .000 .026 .684 76
2 .248 .052 .020 .020 .660 153
3 .338 .058 .065 .019 .519 154
4 .143 .286 .000 .000 .571 7
T .285 .054 .033 .021 .608 390
'Xf = 31.9197 P = .004
(75) 1 .658 .118 .000 .039 .184 76
2 .555 .045 .058 .071 .271 155
3 .557 .087 .020 .013 .322 149
4 .429 .143 .000 .000 .429 7
T .574 .078 .031 .041 .276 387
= 16.7980 p _ .157
(76) i .921 .053 .000 .013 .013 76
2 .897 .026 .032 .013 .032 155
3 .698 .047 .054 .087 .114 149
4 .571 .000 .000 .000 .429 7
T .819 .039 .034 .041 .007 387 2 X r 36.3367 P a .005
(77) 1 .829 .053 .000 .039 .037 76
2 .884 .058 .019 .013 .026 155
3 .711 .067 .034 .027 .161 149
4 .714 .000 .000 .000 .286 7
T .804 .059 .021 .023 .093 387
“T2 * 19.7402 p = .072
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 253 REsror:sKS
• 1 2 3 4 5 N
(78) 1 .920 .040 .027 .000 .013 75
2 .897 .019 .045 .013 .026 155 00 o 00 3 .818 .027 .041 .027 148
4 .714 .000 .000 .000 .286 7
T .868 .026 .039 .016 .052 385
'Xfr 12.1501 p = .434
(79) 1 .787 .080 .013 .053 .067 75
2 .825 .032 .019 .065 .058 154
3 .830 .041 .041 .020 .068 147
4 .571 .143 .000 .000 .286 7
T .815 .047 .026 .044 .068 383
9076 p . .792
(80) 1 .632 .026 .013 .026 .303 76
2 .658 .045 .052 .058 .187 155
3 .727 .065 .045 .052 .110 154
4 .429 .286 .000 .000 .286 7
T .676 .054 .041 .048 .181 392
\ 2 * 16.5687 p *.167
(81) 1 .947 .013 .013 .000 .026 76
2 .935 .026 .032 .000 .006 154
3 .870 .039 .039 .019 .032 154
4 .429 .143 .000 .143 .286 7
T .003 .031 .031 .010 .026 391
X 2 " 18 .4102 p - .104
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 254 RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
1 .934 .013 .013 .013 .026 76
2 .935 .013 .045 .000 .006 154
3 .818 .071 .045 .006 .058 154
4 .571 .000 .000 .000 .429 7
T .882 .036 .038 .005 .038 391
'Xw2 = 32.9216 p = .001
1 .908 .000 .053 .000 .039 76
2 .909 .013 .039 .000 .039 154
3 .753 .065 .058 .006 .117 154
4 .286 .286 .000 .000 .429 7
T .836 .036 .049 .003 .077 391
= 30.7927 p_ .002
1 .342 .013 .013 .026 .605 76
2 .323 .052 .052 .032 .542 155
3 .286 .058 .045 .013 .597 154
4 .143 .286 .000 .143 .429 7
T .309 .051 .041 .026 .574 392
X 2 8 .6688 p * .731
1 .920 .053 .000 .013 .013 75
2 .916 .032 .032 .000 .019 155
3 .882 .026 .026 .000 .065 153
4 .714 .000 .000 .000 .286 7
T .900 .033 .023 .003 .041 390 „ 2 . \ '11.6016 P = .478
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 255 RESPONSES
(86 ) 1 .973 .000 .000 .013 .013 75
2 .929 .026 .032 .000 .013 155
3 .922 .052 .020 .000 .007 153
4 .571 .000 .000 .000 .429 7
T .928 1031 .021 .003 .018 390
'X fr 51.4859 P = .005
1 .920 .053 .013 .013 .000 75
2 .845 .032 .084 .013 .026 155
3 .882 .046 .053 .007 .013 152
4 .429 .286 .000 .000 .286 7
T .866 .046 .057 .010 .021 389
= 23.1917 p - .026
1 .720 .013 .133 .040 .093 75
2 .768 .006 .129 .032 .065 155
3 .770 .046 .099 .007 .079 152
4 .571 .143 .000 .000 .286 7
T .756 .026 .116 .023 .080 389
ii .5596 p *.740 ; i I 00
1 .787 .013 .147 .040 .013 75
2 .832 .006 .123 .026 .013 155
3 .765 .052 .131 .013 .039 153
4 .429 .143 .143 .000 .286 7
T .190 .028 .131 .023 .028 390
16.8101 P = .157
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 256
RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
(90) l .890 .014 .055 .027 .019 73
2 .864 .039 .091 .006 .000 154
3 .838 .039 .078 .000 .045 154
4 .714 .000 .000 .000 .286 7
T .856 .034 .077 .008 .026 388
^ _ 17.6549 p _ .127
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B3
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B.
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION
Appendix presents the answers according to the variable
religious affiliation (vertical numbers! 1 no reliqious affiliation
2 Adventist
3 Catholic
4 Protestant
RESPONSES 1 2 3
(5) 1 .333 .000 ,667 (8 ) 1 .333 .000 .667
2 1.000 .000 .000 2 .895 .105 .000
3 .972 .019 .009 323 3 866 .121 .012 322
4 .868 .132 .000 53 4 .830 .075
T .955 .033 .013 398 T .859 116 .025
X = 72.9816 p ^ < 005 X = 32.6484 P< . 005
( 6) 1 .333 .333 .333 (9) 1 .333 .667 .000
2 1.000 .000 .000 19 2 .947 .000 .053 19
3 .960 .040 .000 323 3 .913 .040 .047 322
4 .830 .151 .019 53 4 .811 .019 .170 53
T .940 .055 .005 398 T .897 .040 .063 397
\ = 27.1526 P< .005 \ r 26.3022 ?< .005
1 (7) .333 .000 .667 3 (10) 1 .333 .667 .000 3
2 2 1.000 .000 .000 19 .737 .158 .105 19
3 3 .941 .043 .015 323 .364 .511 .125 ..321, , 4 4 .830 .094 .075 53 .472 .472 .057 53
T T .925 - .048 . .028 398 .396 .490 .114 396
= 31.4053 p < . 005 \ : 11.3592 P= .078 K 258
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 259
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(11) .333 .667 .000 3 1 .000 1.000 .000 3
.368 .053 .579 19 2 .316 .632 .053 19
.771 .161 .068 323 3 .582 .232 .186 323
.736 .170 .094 53 .358 . 340 .302 53
.744 .161 .095 398 T .535 .271 .193 398 j
J2 \ 2= 50.5786 p < .005 \ - 23 .7990 ?- .001
i 1 (12) .000 .333 .667 3 .000 .333 .667 3
2 .316 .684 .000 19 .421 .105 .474 19
.245 .718 .037 323 3 .319 .053 .628 323
4 .377 .604 .019 53 .358 .019 .623 53 |
.264 .698 .038 398 T .327 .053 .621 398 j II 20.7983 p_ .002 N> 6869 P = .847 A, ---- — '"1r ------1 (13) .333 .000 .667 3 1.000 .000 .000 3 2 .737 .211 .053 19 .263 .579 .158 19
3 .437 .502 .062 323 .607 .319 .074 323 1 4 .566 .264 .170 53 .340 .509 .151 53
T .467 _ .452 .080 398 .558 .354 .088 398 v 2 . 23.7041 P = .001 \ ' 17 .8240 P - .007
(14) .333 .000 .667 3 1 .000 .333 .667 3
.368 .211 .421 19 2 .158 .158 .684 19
.682 .123 .194 324 3 .574 .056 .370 324
.642 .094 .264 53 4 .377 .019 .604 53
.659 .153 .21? 399 T .524 .058 .419 399
nt2 - \ ' 8.0131 P = .237 \ = 19.7400 p 3 .003
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 260
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(1 9 ) .000 1.000 .000 3 (23) 1 .000 .000 .100 3
.895 .105 .000 19 2 .053 .474 .474 19
.901 .068 .031 323 3 .471 .146 .384 323
.811 .075 .113 53 4 .358 .283 .358 53
.882 .078 .040 398 T .432 .178 .389 398
-A ir2- 30.3618 P < .005 \ ~ 21 .4324 P - .002 1 ( 20) .000 .667 .333 3 (24) 1 .000 1.000 .000 3
.526 .211 .263 19 2 .158 .737 .105 19
.201 .272 .526 323 3 .171 . 764 .065 322
.358 .226 .415 53 4 .132 .774 .094 53
.236 .266 .497 398 T .164 .766 .071 397 j 1
7 *= 13.6349 P= .034 •1 692 P= .995 A,
1 ( 21) 1.000 .000 .000 3 (25) .000 .333 .667 3 2 .684 .158 .158 19 .211 .211 .579 19 3 .830 .068 .102 324 .675 .127 .198 323 4 .673 .173 .154 52 .377 .170 .453 53
T .804 . .085 .111 398 .608 .138 .254 398 v 2 . 6334 p = .266 .1554 P .005 ^ 7- \ 31
( 22) .000 .000 1.000 3 (26) 1 .000 .333 .667 3
.105 .263 .632 19 2 .000 .158 .842 19
.099 .059 .843 324 3 .681 .074 .245 323
.264 .170 .566 53 4 .178 .189 .642 53
.420 .083 .797 399 T .575 .095 .329 398
2 2 ^ : 25.1875 P C .005 \ ~ 72.4673 p .005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 261 RESl’ONSKS
1 2 3 N
(27) 1 .333 .667 .000 3 (31) 1 .000 1.000 .000 3
2 .789 .158 .053 19 2 .526 .421 .053 19
3 .841 .078 .081 321 3 .640 .304 .056 322
4 .736 .132 .132 53 4 .519 .308 .173 52
T .821 .093 .086 396 T .614 .316 .071 396
2
00 7577 p = .188 \ 12 .3962 P- .054 A*
1 (28) X .667 .333 .000 3 (32) .667 .333 .000 3
2 .105 .894 .000 19 .158 .421 .421 19
3 .108 .836 .056 323 .201 .630 .170 324
4 .189 .717 .094 53 .245 .491 .264 53
T .123 .819 .058 398 .208 . 599 .193 399
x 2 - - 5382 P= .274 \ 2 = 9.4899 .148
(29) 1 .000 1.000 .000 3 (33) .333 .667 .000 3
2 .263 .684 .053 19 .263 .263 .474 19
3 .034 .637 .329 322 .096 .265 .639 321
4 .096 .577 .327 52 .264 .453 .283 53 T .053 .634 .313 396 .130 .268 .602 399
19.3286 P = .004 \ z 17.0318 .009
1 (30) .000 .667 .333 3 (34) 1 .333 .000 .667 3
X 2 .053 .211 .737 19 .158 .579 .263 19
3 3 .068 .164 .768 323 .108 .706 .186 323
4 4 .019 .358 .623 53 .098 .569 .333 51
T T .060 .196 .744 398 .111 .677 .212 396 ,2 . \ = 11.9420 P = .063 \ =7.7011 P 3 .261
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 262
RESPONSES
N 1 2 3 N
(35) 1 .667 .333 .000 3 (39) 1 .000 .667 .333
2 .632 .211 .158 19 2 .158 .316 .526
3 .142 .130 .728 324 3 .391 .466.142 322
4 .377 .302 .321 53 4 .302 .226
T .201 .158 .642 399 T .365 .461 .174 397
\ - 56.0822 p < .005 ^ r 17.3824 p- .008
(36) 1 .000 .333 .667 3 (40) 1.000 .000 .000
2 .158 .421 .421 19 .579 .053 .368 19
3 .278 .199 .528 324 .812 .114 .074 324
4 .321 .283 .396 53 .654 .192 .154 52
T .276 .218 .506 399 ,781 .121 .098 | 398
= 6.6252 P - .357 \ = 18.5746 .005
(37) 1 .000 .333 .667 3 (41) 1 .000 .000 1.000 3
2 .368 .368 .263 19 2 .211 .632 .158 19
3 .231 .461 .308 321 3 .363 .550 .087 322
4 .132 .528 .340 53 4 .340 .547 .113 53 T .222 „ .465 .313 396 T .350 .549 .101 397
r 3.8641 p _ .695 5^ - 18.6616 p- .005
(38) 1 .006 1.000 .000 3 (42) 1 .000 .000 1.000 3
2 .263 .632 .105 19 2 .474 .053 .474 19
3 .665 .248 .087 322 3 .326 .115 .559 322
4 .377 .377 .245 53 4 .604 .094 .302 53
T .602 .290 .108 397 T .368 .108 .524 397 r2 . \ ' 31.7821 P < .005 \ =15.6288 P 3 .016
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. RESPONSES'
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(43) 1 .000 .333 .667 3 (47) 1 1.000 .000 .000 3
2 .947 .053 .000 19 2 .789 .053 .158 19
3 .904 .049 .046 324 3 .823 .093 .084 322
4 .830 .132 .038 53 4 .744 .038 .189
T .890 .063 .048 399 T .816 .083 .101 397 1 \ 2= 10 .3735 p : .004 V s 57426 .453
1 1 (44) .333 .667 .003 3 (48) .667 .000 .333 3 1 2 .947 .000 .053 19 2 .737 .053 .211 19 .. _ . | 3 .614 .259 .128 321 3 .537 .222 .241 324
4 4 .717 .094 .189 53 .642 .094 .264 53
T .641 .227 .131 396 T .561 .195 .243 399 |
* 2 - \~ = 1 3 .6893 ?= .034 \ • <>.3154 3r .125
(45) 1 .000 .333 .667 3 (49) 1 .667 .000 .333 3
2 .211 .316 .474 19 2 .421 .211 .368 19 2 3 .537 .222 .241 324 .279 .263 .458 323
4 .509 .189 .302 53 4 .288 .346 .365 - i | T .514 .223 .263 399 T .290 .270 .441 397 I I
II Y2 - 00 2048 P= .224 \ ‘ 3. 1804 P - .786
1 1 (46) .000 .333 .667 3 (50) .000 1.000 .000 3
"> 2 .158 .316 .526 19 .316 .421 .263 19
3 .706 .152 .142 323 3 .386 .377 .238 324
4 4 .509 .208 .283 53 .321 .453 .226 53
T .648 .168 .183 398 T .371 .393 .236 399 t 2 2 X : 29.8048 P = -0°5 \ - 2.8398 P 3 .829
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 264
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
1 (5 1 ) .667 .000 .333 3 (55) 1 .000 .667 .333 3
2 .053 .263 .684 19 2 .056 .333 .611 18
3 .099 .270 .630 322 3 .542 .297 . 161 323
4 .118 .275 .608 51 4 .453 .302 .245 53
T .104 .268 .628 395 T .504 .302 .194 397
II 9181 p = .554 ^ 2 r 24.6342 p< .005
r (52) 1 1 .667 .333 .000 3 (56) 1.000 .000 .000 3
2 .263 .579 .158 19 2 .895 .105 .000 19 ■ 3 .219 .706 .075 320 3 .809 .148 .043 324
4 4 .226 .642 .132 53 .811 .151 .038 53 T T .225 .689 .086 395 .815 .145 .040 399
Y 2 - \ = 3. 4708 P= .748 \ - .3578 ? r .999
(53) 1 .333 .333 .333 3 (57) 1 .000 .667 .333 3
2 1.000 .000 .000 19 2 1.000 .000 .000 19
3 .880 .099 .022 324 3 .768 .102 .130 323
4 .736 .132 .132 53 4 . 792 .075 .132 53
T .862 .100 .038 399 T .776 .098 .126 398
Y2 - 16 .4881 P = .011 \ "10 0286 P - .123
(54) 1 .000 1.000 .000 3 (58) 1 .000 .667 .333 3
2 .500 .444 .056 18 2 .789 .000 .211 19
3 .385 .568 .047 322 3 .328 .102 .570 323
4 .453 .377 .170 53 4 .404 .096 .500 52
T .396 .540 .063 396 T .358 .101 .542 397
\ ' 13.6842 p = .033 \ " 19.5272 p = .003
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 265 RFSPONSFS
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(59) .333 .667 .000 3 (63) 1 .000 .667 .333 3
.368 .421 .211 19 2 .684 .000 .316 19
.428 .406 .166 320 3 .697 .080 .223 323
.396 .340 .264 53 4 .481 . 192 .327 52
.420 .400 .180 395 T .662 .096 .242 397
\ = 2.5128 p = 8.67 \ ~ 16.6515 .011
(60) 1 .000 .667 .333 3 (64) .000 1.000 .000 3 i 2 .421 .263 .316 19 .526 .421 .053 »
3 .759 .130 .111 324 .851 .087 .062 322
4 .717 .699 .094 53 .635 .212 .154 52
T .732 .148 .120 399 .801 .126 .073 396
* 2 - \ - 13.0570 P= .042 \ - 33.4387 P .005
(61) .667 1 .000 .333 3 (65) .333 .667 .000 3
.579 .368 2 .053 19 .737 .105 .158 19
.406 .548 3 .046 323 .713 .151 .136 324
4 .396 .491 .113 53 .604 .264 .132 33
.415 .528 .058 T 398 .697 .168 .135 399
7502 P =.452 X2 = 5 7711 P-- .449
(62) 1 .333 .000 .667 3 I 2 .316 .421 .263 19
3 .201 .622 .176 323
4 .453 .396 .151 53
T .241 .578 .181 398
X 2 - p = \ 18.5523 K .005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 266
REsrorrsF.s
1 2 3 4 5 N
(66) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .895 .000 .053 .000 .053 19
3 .966 .009 .006 .009 .009 323
4 .925 .000 .075 .000 .000 53
T .952 .008 .018 .008 .015 398
Vf z 57.5592 p< .005
(67) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .947 .000 .000 .053 .000 19
3 .793 .043 .022 .087 .056 323
4 .679 .170 .038 .019 .094 53
T .781 .058 .023 .075 .063 398
= 24.9373 p ..015
(68) i .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 19
3 .901 .059 .025 .000 .015 323
4 .887 .057 .038 .000 .019 53 I T .899 .055 .025 .000 j .020 398
■V2 0 5.7 92 6 p < .005
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .947 .053 .000 .000 .000 19
3 .879 .056 .040 .019 .006 321
4 .712 .135 .019 .019 .115 52
T .856 .066 .035 .018 .021 395 49.5117 p < .o.)5
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 267
RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 1.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 19
3 .931 .037 .022 .003 .006 321
4 .849 .038 .075 .000 .038 53
T .919 .035 .028 .003 .015 396
•^2 _ 52.8396 p< .005
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .895 .053 .000 .000 .053 19
3 .867 .099 .022 .000 .012 323
4 .887 .019 .038 .019 .038 53
T .867 .085 .023 .003 .023 398
< v 2 - " 36.0355 P < .0 0 5 ‘
(72) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 ! .667 3 1 2 .579 .263 .105 .000 j .053 19
3 .844 .078 .022 .022 .034 321
4 .849 .057 .019 .000 .075 53
T .828 .083 .025 .018 .045 396
\ 2 a 25.8649 P - .015
(73) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .526 .211 .053 .053 .158 19
3 .555 .109 .034 .100 .202 321
4 .774 .038 038 .038 .113 53
T .581 .104 .035 .088 .192 3Q6 i ------“X2 * 11.1517 p = .516
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 268
RES POMS F.S
1 2 3 ' A 5 N
(74) 1 .000 .000 .333 .000 .667 3
2 .263 .000 .053 .000 .684 19
3 .293 .047 .034 .022 .604 321
4 .283 .113 .000 .019 .585 53
T .288 .053 .033 .020 .606 396
^ 2 = 6.0545 p = .913
(75) 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 3
2 .611 .000 .056 .000 .333 18
3 .589 .082 .034 .044 .251 319
4 .528 .075 .019 .838 .340 53
T .578 .076 .033 .041 .272 393
= 6.9597 p _ .860
(76) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .556 .000 .222 .167 .056 18
3 .828 .041 .031 .041 .060 319
4 .868 .038 .000 .000 .094 53
T .817 .038 .036 .041 .069 393 -,2 \ ~ 30.1225 P * .003
(77) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .611 .111 .167 .000 . I l l 18
3 .815 .056 .013 .028 .088 319
4 .849 .057 .019 .000 .075 53
T .807 .059 .020 .023 .092 393
“Y2 » 20.7619 p = .054
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 269
RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .889 .000 .111 .000 .000 19
3 .811 .028 .035 .016 .050 317
4 .887 .019 .038 .019 .038 53
T .870 .026 .038 .015 .051 391
^ = 13.9929 ? ' .301
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .889 .000 .111 .000 .000 18
3 .813 .051 .016 .054 .067 315
4 .811 .057 .057 .019 .057 53
T .812 .049 .026 .046 .067 389
^ 2 -- 14.6414 p . .262
1 .000 .000 .000 .000 1.000 3
2 .737 .053 .105 .000 .105 19
3 .675 .037 .034 .053 .201 323
4 .698 .151 .057 .038 .057 53
T .676 .053 .040 .048 .183 398 ■v2 - \ ~ 23.5784 P * .023
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .737 .053 .053 • 053 .105 19
3 .913 .034 .028 .009 .016 322
4 .943 .000 .038 .000 .019 53
T .904 .030 .030 .010 .025 397
7 ^ 3 32.5013 P = .001
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 270
RESPONSES
1 2 3 A 5 N
(82) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .737 .053 .158 .000 .053 19
.898 3 .031 .031 .006 . 03A 322
.868 .057 4 .038 .000 .038 53
.882 .035 .038 T .005 . 0A0 397
= 22.3682 p = . 03A ----- (83) i .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .684 .053 .158 .000 .105 19
3 .854 .034 .043 .003 .065 322
A .811 .038 .038 .000 .113 53
T .836 .035 .048 .003 .078 397
^ 1 2 .0699 P- .440
(8 A) 1 .000 .000 .333 .000 .667 3
2 .211 .053 .158 .053 .526 19
3 .328 .046 .037 .028 .560 323
A .283 .094 .000 .000 .623 53
T .314 . .053 .040 .025 .568 398
v 2 - \ ' 9.4091 P * .668
(85) 1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .833 .056 .056 .000 .056 18
3 .913 .031 .022 .003 .560 323
A .868 .057 .019 .000 .051 53
T .899 .035 .023 .003 .040 396
* 9.A091 . p = .668
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 271
RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .833 .056 .111 .000 .000 18
3 .938 .028 .019 .003 .012 322
4 .943 .038 .000 .000 .019 53
T .929 .030 .020 .003 .018 396
44.7968 p< .005
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .667 .167 .111 .000 .056 18
3 .891 .034 .053 .012 .009 321
.811 .094 .057 .000 .038 4 53
T .866 .048 .056 .010 .020 395
<^2 ^ 43.4860 p < .005
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .556 .111 .278 .056 .000 18
3 .758 .016 .121 .025 .081 322
4 .846 .058 .019 .019 .058 52
T .757 .025 .114 .025 .078 395
\ 2 =19 . 7774 P s .071
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .722 .000 .278 .000 .000 18
3 .801 .016 .137 .025 .022 322
4 .792 .113 .038 .038 .019 53
T .793 .028 .129 .005 .025 396 2 ^ a 13.6909 P = .435
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 272
RES POMS i:s
1 2 3 4 5 M
1 .333 .000 .000 .000 .667 3
2 .789 .000 .211 .000 .000 19
3 .859 .031 .078 .006 .025 320
4 .885 .077 .019 .019 .000 52
T .855 .036 .076 .008 .025 394
: 34.2050 p S .001
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX B4
SEX
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 274
APPENDIX B, 4
SEX
Appendix presents the answers according to the variable sex
(vertical numbers): 1 Male
2 Female
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
.054 .054 257 (5) 1 .969 .016 .016 258 (9) 1 .891 1“ " 1 " — 2 2 .929 .064 .007 141 .908 .014 .078 141
T T .955 .033 .013 399 .897 .040 .063! 398
\ 2 s 5.3116 P -- .115 3 2276 p = .199
T (6) 1 .946 .047 .008 258 ( 10) 1 .266 .566 .168 256
2 2 .929 .071 .000 141 .631 .355 .014 141
T T .940 .055 .005 399 .395 .491 -113 397
- .6980 P = .705 \ 2 - 55.3255 P <• .005
(7) 1 .926 .035 .039 258 ( 11) 1 . 748 .155 .097 258 2 2 .922 .071 .007 141 .738 .170 .092 141
T T .925 .048 .028 399 .744 .160 .093 399
= 4.0548 P -.132 \ 2 *- .0570 P = .972
' r (8 ) 1 .903 .058 .039 258 (12) 1 .298 .647 .054 258 2 2 .779 .221 .000 140 .206 .787 .007 141
T T .859 .116 .025 398 .266 .697 .038 399 v 2 p< .005 \ 2 " « .0370 \ - 9. 1955 p -- .010
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 275
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(13) 1 .446 .481 .074 258 (19) 1 .860 .093 .046 258
2 .504 .404 .092 141 2 .922 .050 .028 141
T T . 466 .454 .080 397 .882 .078 .040 399 .2 \ 2 = 1.7395 p * .419 \ = 2.3739 P = .305
(14) 1 .690 .078 .233 258 (20) 1 .190 .252 .558 258
2 .606 .204 .190 142 2 .319 .291 .390 141
T .660 .122 .217 400 T .236 .266 .499 399
9^ = 12 .4289 ?= .002 = 11.1399 p * .004
(21) 1 .829 .109 .062 277 (15) 1 .525 .242 .233 257
2 .761 .042 .197 142 2 .549 .324 .127 142 ------T .305 .085 .110 3QQ I .534 .271 .195 399 |
7 2 - \ 2 •- 18.3726 \ ~ 6.8695 ? ' .032 P< .005
(16) 1 .167 .062 .770 257 (22) 1 .101 .062 .837 258
2 .613 .035 .352 142 2 .162 .120 .718 142
T .326 .053 .622 399 T .122 .082 .795 400
..2 \ 2 -- 6. 8355 p ^ .033 \ 5 80.2124 P= <■ 005
(23) 1 (17) 1 .733 .198 .070 258 .518 .191 .292 257 2 2 .241 .638 .121 141 .282 .155 .563 142
TA T .359 .353 .088 399 .434 .178 .388 399
^ - 28.3340 p< .005 7^ = 89.5067 P < .005
(18) 1 .655 .066 .279 258 (24) 1 .156 .770 .074 257
2 .289 .042 .669 142 2 .177 .759 .064 141
Y .525 .057 .417 400 T .163 .766 .070 398
P ; .915 \ 2 = 1777
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 276
RF.SPONT.KS
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(25) 1 .612 .101 .287 258 (31) 1 .695 .246 .059 256
2 .596 .206 .199 1412 .468 .440 .092 141
T .607 .138 .256 '399 T .615 .315 .071 397
11 = 18.5109 P < 00
** 9982 P = .011
1 1 (26) i .603 .101 .296 257 (32) 1 .229 .566 .205 258
2 .521 .085 .394 142 2 .176 .655 .169 141
T .574 .095 .331 399 T .210 .597 .192 400
7^ s 3.4539 P = .178 \ 2 ~ 2 . 4969 p - .287
(27) 1 .827 .081 .081 258 (33) 1 .147 .229 .624 258 ** 2 .791 .115 .094 139 .106 .338 .556 142
T .821 .093 .086 397 T .132 .267 .600 400
^ 2 = .9941 p t .608 V? -5.1920 P = .075
(28) 1 .089 .837 .074 257 (34) 1 .117 .699 .184 256 2 2 .183 . 789 .028 142 .099 .638 .362 141 T T 123 .820 .058 399 .111 .678 .212 397 <> Tf2 - N> 8 . 5622 p = .014 \ = 2 . 00 00 P 1 .241
(29) 1 .050 .543 .407 258 (35) 1 .205 .101 .694 258 2 2 .058 .799 .144 139 .197 .261 .542 142
T T .053 .632 .315 397 .202 .157 .640 600
X? = 27 .9936 .005 X 2 = 16.9080 P< .005
(36. l (30) 1 .074 .112 .814 258 .244 .198 .558 258
2 .035 .348 .617 141 2 .331 .254 .415 142
T .060 .195 .744 399 T .275 .217 .507 400
■v2 - X 2 = 6 .6693 P : .036 \ - 30.7025 P .005
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 277-
RKSPONSKS
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N
(37) 1 .239 .404 .357 255 (43) 1 .899 .050 .050 258
2 .190 .570 .239 142 2 .873 .085 .042 142 1i .... T .222 .463 .315 '397 T .890 .062 .047 400 1
\ 2 = 9-5144 p » .009 2609 p = - 532
(38) 1 .672 .234 .094 255 (44) 1 .671 .213 .116 258
2 .479 .385 .134 142 2 .590 .252 .158 139
T .603 .289 .108 398 T .642 .227 .131 397 2 .2123 P= .001 ^ - 2 . 1457 p = -342 \ 2 - 13
(39) 1 .436 .339 .226 257 (45) 1 .574 .155 .271 258 r "■ 2 .241 .681 .078 141 2 .408 .345 .246 142 — ~\ m V L .367 .460 .173 298 .515 . 222 .280 400 | - : 2 z 18.6921 = 41 .9646 P = .005 P < .005
(40) 1 .782 .121 .097 257 (46) 1 .663 .124 .213 258
2 .782 .120 .099 142 2 .624 .248 .128 141
T .782 .120 .098 399 T .649 .168 .183 399
= .0023 p - .999 *j^2 _ 10.9984 p s .004
. -
(41) 1 .311 .576 .113 257 (47) 1 .817 .062 .121 257
2 .448 .504 .078 141 2 .816 .121 .064 141
T .349 .550 .101 398 T .817 .083 .101 398
2132 p * -122 \ 2 = 4 - X2 = 5. 4480 P ' .066
(42) 1 .346 .121 .533 257 (48) 1 .523 .213 .264 258
2 .411 .085 .504 141 2 .627 .162 .211 142
T .369 .108 .523 398 1* .560 .195 .245 400
^ 2 = 1.7346 ? c .420 XT ■= 3.3754 p = .185
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 278
RESPONSES
1 2 3 N 1 2 3 N 7 ' (49) 1 .305 .250 .445 256 (55) 1 . 564 .268 .167 257
2 .261 .310 .430 142 2 .397 .362 .241 141
T .289 .271 .440 398 T .505 .302 .193 398
4896 p = -475 = 9. 2202 p _ .010 1* X
(50) 1 .341 .399 .260 258 (56) 1 .798 .167 .035 258
2 .423 .387 .190 142 2 .845 .106 .049 142
T .370 .395 .235 400 T .815 .145 .040 400
2 3 0400 3248 p » .313 X p.- -219 X * 2-
» (51) 1 .121 .195 .684 250 (57) 1 .805 .078 .117 257
2 .725 .134 .141 142 2 .071 .400 .529 140
.104 .268 .629 396 T .777 .098 .125 399 T . J 2972 \ 2 = 18 .3316 p r .210 \ 2 a 3’ p = - 192
(52) 1 .220 .098 .098 255 (58) 1 .362 .117 .521 257 2 2 .234 .702 .064 141 .348 .071 .582 141
T .225 .689 .086 396 T .357 .101 .543 398
= .9302 p _ .628 X = 1.9940 P - .369
(53) 1 .864 .089 .047 258 (59) 1 .416 .431 .153 255
2 .859 .120 .021 142 2 .426 .348 .227 141
T .802 .100 .037 400 T .419 .402 .179 396
7685 P .152 1. 5473 P-- .461 X2: 3. *
(54) 1 .328 .637 .035 256 (60) 1 .729 .151 .120 258
2 .518 .369 .113 141 2 .739 .141 .120 142
T .395 .542 .063 397 T .732 .147 .120 400
*^2 = 27.0111 p < .005 \ 2 - -0183 P= *991
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 279
r
1 2 3 N i (61) 1 .358 .576 .066 - !
2 .514 .444 .042 142
T .414 .529 .058 399 II CO 3364 p 3 .015
(62) 1 .253 .623 .125 257
£ .225 .493 .082 142
T .243 .576 .180 399 j
..2 11 .2950 p= .001
(63) 1 .665 .074 .261 257
2 .652 .135 .213 141
T .661 .095 .044 398 |
5999 \ 2 « 3- p - .165
1 (64) 1 .789 i .156 .053 256 |
2 .823 ! .071 .106 141 j i T .801 .126 .073 397 1
3466 P = .025
1 (65) 1 .748 .136 .116 258
2 .599 .232 .169 142
T .695 .170 .135 400
7 .0324 p 1 .034
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RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
( 66) 1 .946 .008 .023 .008 .016 258
2 .965 .007 .007 .007 .014 141
T .952 .008 .018 .008 .015 399
.6308 p - .960
(67) 1 .826 .050 .031 .058 .035 258
2 .702 .071 .007 .106 .113 141
T .782 .058 .023 .075 .063 399
13.3483 p _ .010
1 .872 .074 .035 .000 .019 | 258 f 2 .950 .021 .007 .000 .021 { 141
T .900 .055 .025 .000 .020 1 399 l
- 5.9978 P - .112 ------.855 .059 .039 .020 .027 j 256
.857 .079 .029 .014 .021 140
.856 .066 .035 .018 .025 396
2 = .3523 p _ .986
(70) 1 .899 .047 .035 .004 .016 257
2 .957 .014 .014 .000 .014 140
T .919 .035 .028 .003 .015 397
9953 o - .559
(71) 1 .826 .112 .031 .004 .027 258
2 .943 .035 .007 .000 .014 141
T .867 .085 .023 .003 .023 399
= 8.4792 p - .075
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RESPONSES
1 2 3 4 5 N
(72) 1 .848 .051 .031 .019 .051 257 2 . 793 .143 .014 .014 .036 140 T .829 .083 .025 .018 .045 397
11 1154 P s .058 I I ^ l ^
(73) 1 .555 .059 .039 .125 .223 256
2 .631 .184 .028 .021 .135 141
T .582 .103 .035 .088 .191 397
.7749 26 P<
(74) I .285 .027 .031 .027 .829 256
2 .291 .099 .035 .007 .567 141
T .287 .053 .033 .020 .607 397
.2 _ 9.0461 _ .060
.523 .062 .047 .059 .309 256 (75) 1
2 .674 .101 .007 .007 .210 138
T .576 .076 .033 .041 .274 394
2 - 15.1774 p _ .004
.836 .051 .031 .021 .070 256 (76) 1
2 .783 .014 .043 .054 .065 138
T .817 .038 .036 .041 .069 394
_ 15.6436 p _ .004
(77) 1 .828 .066 .027 .027 .051 256
2 .768 .043 .007 .014 .167 138
T .807 .058 .020 .023 .091 394
2 \ - 13.8715 P = .008
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RESPONSES
1 2 3 A 5 N
(78) 1 .875 .031 .047 .012 .035 256
2 .860 .015 .022 .022 .081 136
T .870 .026 .038 .015 .051 392
2051 379 P - • 1 1 II 1 -O
.792 .051 .031 .059 .067 255 .(79) 1 2 .852 .044 .015 .022 .067 135
T .813 .049 .026 .046 .067 39
A = 2-5573 634
(80) 1 .674 .039 .043 .062 .182 258
2 .681 .078 .035 .021 .184 141
T .677 .053 .040 .048 .183 399
3644 P - •359 \ 2 "- * •
(81) 1 .891 .031 .035 .012 .031 257
2 .929 .028 .021 .007 .014 141
T .905 .030 .030 .010 .025 398
= .8175 P = • 936
(82) 1 .864 .031 .04 7 .008 .051 257
2 .915 .043 .021 .000 .021 141
T .882 .035 .038 .005 .040 398
\ 2 = 2. 6443 p= .619
(83) 1 .817 .043 .051 .004 .086 257
2 .872 .021 .043 .000 .064 141
T .837 .035 .048 .003 .078 398
^ 2 = 1.3495 p _ .853
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RF.SPONSFS
1 2 3 4 5 N
(84) 1 .817 .043 .051 .004 .086 257
2 .872 .021 .043 .000 .064 141
T .837 .035 .048 .003 .078 398
3495 853 i- P - '
(85) 1 .322 .031 .050 .031 .566 258
2 .305 .092 .021 .014 .567 141
T .316 .053 .040 .025 .566 399
■2- 7.1496 p _ .128
.895 .035 ...... 027 .000 .043 257
.907 .036 .014 .007 .036 140
.899 .035 .023 .003 .040 397
\ 2 = .3274 P - .988
(87) 1 .922 .027 .027 .000 .025 257
2 .943 .030 .007 .007 .007 140
T .929 .030 .020 .003 .018 397
= 1.6865 p = .793
1 .844 .051 .070 .008 .027 256
2 .907 .043 .029 .014 .007 140
T .866 .048 .056 .056 .012 396
= 3.4706 p = .482
(89) 1 .727 .027 .145 .023 .078 256
2 .814 .021 .057 .029 .079 140
T .758 .025 .1 1 4 .025 .078 396
= 6.1460 p - .189
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RF.SI’Or.’SFS
1 2 3 4 5 N
(90) 1 . 786 .023 .148 .027 .016 25 7
2 .800 .036 .093 .021 .050 140
T .791 .028 .128 .025 .028 397 1
\ - 4.6252 P « .328
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX C
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX C
INTERVIEW DU REVEREND PERE MVENG
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APPENDIX C
INTERVIEW DU REVEREND PERE MVENG
J.N. - Reverend P&re Mveng, qui est beti et qui ne l'e s t pas?
R.P.M. - Je vous dirai que c'est une question 3 la fois difficile
et facile. En effect, dans 1'analyse des populations africaines
aujourd'hui, il y a lieu de tenir compte de deux elements: 1 'figment
ethnique et l'eiement culturel. Et les grandes differences que vous
trouvez chez les auteurs viennent de leur point de depart dans leur classi
fication. Ou bien ils partent de l'eiement ethnique, ou bien ils partent
de l'eiement culturel. Je pense que si nous voulons analyser la realite
d'oD nous partons aujourd’ hui, c'est 3 dire si nous voulons p a rtir de
notre experience quotidienne, le point de depart le plus sOr est 1 'e le
ment culturel. II est en effet tres difficile de faire 1 'analyse des
groupes ethniques africains et de remonter 3 une tr£s haute antiquite en
dSgageant des elements sans melange. C'est extrgmement d iffic ile . Les
populations africaines telles que nous les connaissons aujourd'hui sont
le resultat de longues migrations. Au cours de ces migrations, il y a
eu plusieurs rencontres et plusieurs interferances et nous sommes arrives
aux groupes ethniques aujourd'hui comme la resultante de plusieurs croise-
ments et tout au long de ces croisements il s'est constitue des ensembles
ethniques et culturels qui sont ceux que nous connaissons aujourd'hui.
Prenons le cas d’une region comme celle des Grands Lacs. Vous
avez un pays comme le Rwanda dont nous pouvons dire qu’ ils sont des pays
unifiques culturellement. Vous avez 13 des groupes ethniques differen ts,
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comne les Batwas et les Batutsi, qui sont physiquement et historiquement
distincts mais qui ont rgussi 3 s'assim iler culturellement et qui con
stituent un grand ensemble prgsencant 1 'avantage d'une langue naticnale.
Mais il est certain qu'on peut encore distinguer l'eiement ethnique entre
eux tous. II est certain aussi que meme parmi ces groupes tr§s d istin cts,
des interferences sont multiples et les croisements ont eu lieu de te lle
sorte q u 'il n'y a plus de Batutsi purs de Batwas purs.
Prenons le cas des Betis. Les betis sont-ils un groupe ethnique?
II est tr§s d if f ic ile de le dire. Dans les ouvrages les plus rgcents et
mgme ceux dgja anciens comme ceux de Tessmann, que j ’ai analyst dans mon
Histoire du Cameroun, vous verrez aue ce qu'on appelait les Pahouins
les Pangwg, les Fangs, et que nous regroupons au.iourd'hui sous le nom de
Fangs-Betis, c'est 3 dire 3 la fois les groupes Fwondos apparentgs du
Cameroon et les groupes boulcu du Gabon, reprgsentent une cinquantaine de
groupes ethniques. Mais qu’est-ce qui f a it 1’unitg de ces groupes? On
cro it--ce sont des hypotheses—a u 'ils appartiennent 3 un meme mouvement
migratoire qui serait venu du meme N il. Mais cette hypothSse n'est pas
scientifiquement gvidente. Par contre ces groupes appartiennent 3 une
rgalitg culturelle qui est manifestge tout d’abord par une communaute
de langue. C'est la meme langue qu'on parle dans le Centre-Sud, qu'on
parle en Guinge Equatoriale et dans une grande partie du Gabon, avec des
nuances diverses. Et c'est pour cela que, pour rgpondre a votre question,
je voudrais que la rgalitg b eti, aujourd'hui, reprgsente d'abord un
groupe linguistique de diffgrentes ethnies qui parlent la meme langue,
divisge en trois ou quatre dialectes et qui couvrent le Sud du Cameroun,
la Guinge Equatoriale et une grande partie du Nord du Gabon.
Originellement, on ne les appelait pas les Betis. L'appellation
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Beti est aussez rgcente. Elle est le rSsultat de plusieurs approximations
pour essayer pr 6cis§ment de trouver un dSnominateur commun entre tous ces
groupes ethniques qui parlent la meme langue.
L 'a ti au Cameroun, reprgsente un p e tit groupe dialectal bien
prgcis situe au Nord de la Sanaga et proche du groupe ethnique qu’on
appelle les Sananga. Dans la region de Ngoro, j'a i eu l'occasion de
visiter cette region avec des amis et d'etudier un peu l'histoire de cette
region-13. Eh bien, il semble que beaucoup de nos groupes qu'on aopelle
"betis" actuellement soient derives au moins linguistiquement, de celui-
13. La langue "ati" te lle qu’elle est pariee sur les bords de la Sanaga
n'est plus du tout la langue ewondo actuelle; elle a beaucoup evolue et
le mot b e ti, dans le Sud-Cameroun s’est developpe par opposition aux
boulous, car c ’est les boulous qui appelaient tout ce qui venait de cote
de la Sanaga du Nord des "betis" par opposition au boulou. Aujourd'hui,
le mot "beti" englobe meme les boulous. C’est pour cela que dans certains
auteurs, on refuse precisement d'inclure les boulous parmi les betis.
Enfin, le mot "beti" que certains linguistes ont assimile au pluriel de
monti, le seigneur, c'est 3 dire les maitres de la terre, les autochtones
semble avoir d£sign£ dans la region ewondo d'abord, les premiers occupants
de la terre. Puis apr£s, il a signifie les autochones et comme dans le
christianisme primitif le mot "paganus” qui signifiait "villageois” a
fini par signifier "pafen". Et c'est ainsi que, egalement dans notre
region, les betis sont les non-baptises.
Voil3 les differentes significations qu'on a aujourd'hui du mot
beti. Du point du vue qui vous intSresse qui est celui de votre etude
qui est surtout cu ltu relle , nous pouvons dire que les betis comprennent
un ensemble d'ethnies appartenant 3 une mgme zone culturelle et parlant
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une mgme langue, le fang-beti et qui couvre une zone ggographique allan t
du Centre-Sud en passant par la Guinge Equatoriale et une grande partie
du Gabon. II reprgsentent plus de un m illion d'auditeurs gtendus sur
ces trois territoires.
J.N. - Maintenant, disons que s 'il s'agit du groupe beti de
langue ewondo, au lieu du b e ti, je suis d'accord avec vous et je comprends
que le beti devrait gtre normalement un terme ggngral si on prend un
point de depart culturel. Les betis de langue ewondo, sont-il limitgs
aux bangs, aux ewondos ou y a - t - il d'autres subdivisions?
R.P.M. - Quand vous gtudiez les arbres ggnealogiques, vous verrez
qu1effectivement ce qu’on appelle les groupes ewondo, c’est a dire les
descendants de celui qui a fa it traverser la Sanaga au groupe qui
occupeu le Centre-Sud actuellement, se retrouve sous les plus grande
ethnies ewondo et bene. Mais cependar.t 1'analyse des ewondo et des bene
montre que chacun de ces groupes a des sous-groupes assimilgs ou § ceux-
ci aussi bien du cots des ewondo que de cotg des bene.
Une constatation: c'est que ces groupes ewondo-bene, se trouvent
dgdoublgs dans la zone que nous appelons boulou et fang, zone qui s'est
dgfinie par opposition a eux. C'est ainsi que mgme 3 Yaounde, vous avez
un groupe ewondo en f a it , qui est un groupe assimilg et qu'on appelle les
engono que vous trouvez ici dans les quartiers 3 Yaoundg. Vous retrouvez
le mgme groupe du meme nom chez les boulous de la rggion d'Ebolowa. Vous
retrouvez un groupe analogue chez les Fangs du Gabon. Et les ggngalo-
gistes tendraient 3 montrer que ces trois groupes remontent a un ancgtre
commun. Ce n'est peut-gtre pas gvident, mais la similitude des noms
d'ancetres pose un problgme 3 l'intgrieur d'une dire culturelle ou se
trouve ggalement l'id e n titg du langue. C'est vous dire que mgme si ncus
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voulons nous lim iter 3 la region ewondo et bene, c'est 3 dire la Centre-
Sud actuel, nous sommes obliges de d£border de cette rdgion parce q u 'il
y a des liens historiques et ethniques qui font dclater les limites
Stroites geographiques oans lesquelles se trouvent aujourd'hui les ewondo
et les bene.
D6j3 dans les “Yaoundg-textes" de Charles Atangana q u 'il a ecrits
sans doute avant le premi£re guerre mondiale, il a eu 1'occasion de parler
des g£n£alogies des Ewondo et il a voulu ju s t if ie r son titre de chef
supreme des ewondos et des bene, en montrant q u 'il Stait apparent^ 3
la fois aux ewondo et aux bene. II a f a i t un arbre g£n£alogique extreme-
ment int£ressant ou il voyait la ramification des deux groupes et 13 il
a pu analyser tous les groupes ethniques qui constituent le groupe bene
et le groupe ewondo. Tout cel a est grev£ d'hypotheses, mais l'essentiel
est de savoir que le travail existe et que nous avons bel et bien l ’arbre
g£n£alogique des bene.
J.N. - Quels sont done, selon vous, les valeurs traditionnelles du
beti? Et quelle est la methode de cat£ch5se la plus adaptee pour leur
presente 1'Evangile?
R.D.M. - En ce qui concerne les valeurs culturelles fondamentales
des betis, et la mdthode de catechise la mieux adaptee, je pourrais vous
dire qu'en commengant par la deuxieme question— la m£thode d'approche--
je peux vous dire que les premiers missionnaires ont ete remarquables.
J 'ai f a it beaucoup de recherches dans ce domaine et en toute honnetete,
je dois reconnaitre qu'ils ont £t£ de beaucoup en avance sur certains
travaux que nous faisons actuellement. Vous savez que le premier grand
missionnaire qui a £ c rit en langue ewondo est un p£re allemand. Mais
que, avant de publier ces ouvrages relig ieu x en langue ewondo, il a
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d'abord f a it une etude ethnologique de la region, etude extremement
fouiliee qui n'est pas seulement une etude linguistique, mais une etude
sur les conceptions religieuses des populations q u 'il avait a aborder
et je dois dire que je relis toujours avec beaucoup d'admiration ces
etudes qui sont extr§mement fouiliees et qui me paraissent tres serieuses,
si bien que, evidemment, tous ces premiers missionnaires ne pouvaient
aborder cet uni vers qu'avec les chemins q u 'ils ont fa it eux-memes et
appris 2 l'e c o le . C'est ainsi que sur le plan methodologique, il y a
des lacunes graves, car ils abordent notre culture sous 1'angle apologe-
tique, c'est a dire pour voir immediatement ce qui, dans notre culture,
correspond aux categories de la foi chretienne et ce qui ne correspond
pas. Et c'est 13 le defaut majeur de la methode d'approche, parce que
ce faisant, ils jettent dans 1'ombre une partie importante de notre vision
de I'homme et de notre vision du monde, et d’autre part ils s'exposent 3
mal interpreter notre vision du monde et de I'homme parce q u 'ils ne la
consid6rent pas en elle-meme, mais par rapport aux valeurs chretiennes et
encore des valeurs chretiennes te lles q u 'ils les ont experimentees dans
leur contexte germain et c'est pour cela qu'on peut leur reprocher des
lacunes graves, mais le point de depart, c'est 3 dire le fait d'avoir
commence par jeter un coup d'oeil attentif sur nos valeurs culturelles,
est louable.
Maintenant, pour aborder votre deuxiSme question, je vous dirai
que non seulement pour les b eti, je pense que pour tous les peuples,
la premiere demarche, si 1'on veut jauger la culture d'un peuple, c'est
d'interroger sa conception de I'homme et sa conception du monde. Pour
moi, personnellement, c'est ma methode, celle qui me semble la plus
valable, son anthropologie et sa cosmologie. Je crois que si on arrive
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3 cerner assez clairement quelle est la conception de I'homme et quelle
est la conception du monde qui soutient 1'activity, 1'organisation, les
comportements d'un peuple donnS, on est plus proche de ses valeucs cul-
turelles fondamentales. Et le defaut que nous venons de relever dans la
methode les missionnaires a £t£ qu'ils ont effectivement pose le probleme
de cette conception du monde et de cette conception de I ’homme, mais ils
1'ont pose a partir de leur catechisme et de leur philosophic scolastique.
Ainsi, ils ont evacue d'avance certaines realites sans meme avoir pu les
analyser dans leur objectivite.
Ainsi, revenons aux beti. Les valeurs culturelles beti, en
ce qui concerne d'abord leur conception de I'homme, comme on a vu, semble
de resumer dans le f a it que le beti est un etre communautaire, c'est a
dire que la pe-sonne humaine est congue d'abord comme membre d'une com-
munautC, cette communautg all ant du noyau homme-femme au noyau homme et
enfants, au noyau fami lie pour s ’gpanouir dans le noyau ethnie et je
crois que cette structure de base est fondamentale. Si nous la nggligeons,
i l y a beaucoup de choses qui deviennent incomprghensibles. Cette struc
ture anthropologique de base f a it que la notion de personne qui est
majeure dans toute la morale et la thSologie chretiennes, si nous la
transposons telle qu'elle, c'est a dire dans son concept occidental, a
notre milieu africa in , nous risquons de commettre des erreurs monstres,
car la personne, dans la tradition beti n'est pas 1'individu. La pens§e
occidentale est essentiellement individualiste, du monins la pensSe
traditionnelle. Meme a l'in tS rie u r du mouvement socialiste moderne,
1'occidental reste essentiellement individualiste. Mais chez nous, chez
le beti, la pensSe est essentiellement communautaire, je ne dis pas
collectiviste, parce que le collectivisme marque un agrggate. Or ici,
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ce n'est pas un agrggat, c'est une structure biologique. La communautg
est une structure v itale et communautaire. La personne humaine est une
rgalitg, un faisceau de relations humaines, multiples interdependantes
et qu'on ne peut pas isoler les unes des autres. C'est ce qui me semble
extrgmement important. Retrouvez la morale chrgtienne et reprenez ce
qu'on appelle le libre arbitre, reprenez le sens de la responsabilitg,
reprenez toutes ces notions et rganalysez-les a la lumigre d ’une rgalitg
qui n'est plus un individu, mais un faisceau de relations humaines. Re
prenez a la lumigre de la meme rg a litg , le concept de conmunautg,
d'gglise, la notion fondamentale du christianisme qui est 1'amour du
prochain, la relation a autrui, et voyez quel gclairage illumine tout
cela. Reprenez les concepts de grace, de salut, le concept de pechg, de
culpabilitg, le concept de pardon et restituez-les dans une anthropologie
essentiellement communautaire. Voyez toute la diffgrence. Vous voyez
que nous sommes dgja de plein-pied sur le catgchisme qui vous prgoccupe.
C'est pour cela que finalement, le point de vue mathodologique rejoint
essentiellement le point de vue pgdagogique.
J 'a i parlg de la conception de I'homme, je oourrais en dire
autant de la conception du monde, dans mes essais d'anthropologie. J ’ai
montrg que si f'homme est une rg alitg communautaire, I'homme est aussi
un destin, c'est 3 dire que c ’est un grand projet qui se rgalise dans un
jeu qui est une mise en scgne dramatique oO s ’ affrontent la vie et la mort.
Dans la pensge beti, ceci est essentiel car tout le systgme
gducatif beti est donng sur cette conception de I'homme, 1ig 3 la con
ception du monde. L'homme est un destin, un destin qui s'accomplit au
sein d'une lutte qui oppose la vie et la mort. Le role de I'homme est
d'assurer le triomphe de la vie sur la mort.
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J.N. - Je vous ai suivi I ’autre soir a la Faculty Protestante.
Vous avez dgveloppg ce point et cela m'a intgressg de voir ce double
aspect du triomphe apparent de la mort dans certaines society africaines
en ggngral, mais que sur les b eti, 1'accent est mis davantage sur la
possibility du triomphe de la vie sur la mort et vous pourriez peut-etre
en donner un gelairage nouveau.
R.P.M. - S i, parce que la signification profonde de tous nos
rites, la signification profonde de nos relations avec le cosmos, se
trouve 13. Car cette lu tte dont je parle n'existe pas seulement dans
I'homme, elle est constitutive de la creation du monde. Le monde materiel
lui-mgme est en lu tte pour sa propre survie et la lutte du monde et la
lutte de I'homme sont la meme et identique lutte pour la survie.
J.N. - Pourtant, Pgre Mveng, il me semble deduire de cela
q u 'il y a un problSme: si dans le developpement de I'o rig in e du mal et
le probleme du mythe de comme vous I'avez dgveloppe l'a u tre soir, le
beti semble attribuer I'o rig in e du mal non au cosmos ou moins a la
d iv in ite qu'a I'homme, comment y a u ra it-il la notion du mal en dehors de
l'homne si I'o rig in e semble situge au niveau de I'homme?
R.P.M. - Mais c'est que precisgment, i l n'y a pas "d'en dehors
de I'homme". C'est que le destin du cosmos et le destin de I'homme
sont le meme destin.
J.N. - C'est a dire que I'homme, ce n’est pas 1'individu.
R.P.M. - Ce n'est pas 1'individu.
J.N. - Je raisonnais la avec une rationality occidentale.
R.P.M. - Ce que les occidentaux ont appeie animisme est une
fausse interpretation de notre cosmologie. Mais, en f a it , entre le
corps de I'homme et le corps du cosmos, i l y a continuity. Nous sommes
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parents des animaux, des plantes, des astres, tout le prolongement de
notre corps va jusqu’aux limites du cosmos et c'est pour cela que le
destin qui se realise au niveau de la conscience chez nous, se realise
dans le cosmos au niveau de 1'inconscience. Mais en fa it notre con
science du cosmos. C'est ga, et c'est pourquoi c'est la meme lu tte qui
oppose en nous la vie et la mort. Voila pourquoi le cosmos est un im
mense champ de bataille entre la vie et la mort. Et je vous parlais
tout 3 l'heure de la conception du monde, c ’est ainsi que toute la
mgdecine trad itio n n elle, tout le syst&me de divination, tous nos rapports
au monde sont fondgs 13 dessus. C'est q u 'il a des plantes pour la vie
et des plantes pour la mort, et des animaux pour la vie et des animaux
pour la mort. II y a des objets matgriels, des cailloux ou des pierres,
tout ce que vous voulez, dans la nature, il n'y a pas de rgalitg indif-
fgrente. Mais toutes ces rgalitgs, sont en plus des positions en action
face 3 la vie . . .
J.N. - Cela explique aussi pourquoi, chez les betis et chez
les peuples noirs en principe, il n'y a pas de division, section entre
le sacrg, le profane le s p iritu e l, le tempore 1.
R.P.M. - Et voila pourquoi cette espece d'unitg entre le
destin de I'homme et le destin du cosmos, cette lutte, cette lutte qui
le dgchire simultangment l'honme et le cosmos explique notre aprghension
du cosmos et notre attitude vis 3 vis du monde matgriel. En effet, ce
qu'on appelle la mgdecine traditionnelle n'est autre chose qu'un systgme
trgs savant de dgchiffrement des signes de la nature. Le monde est un
grand livre ouvert ou se lit I'histoire de notre destin et ou sont
inscrits les noms de nos alligs et de nos adversaires. Le mgdecin
traditionnel est un initig qui sait dire le nom de nos alligs, c'est 3
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dire le caillou, la plante, l'herbe qui militent en notre faveur. II
sait lire le nom de nos adversaires, qui militent en faveur de la mort et
c'est pour cela que ce qu'on appelle la sorcellerie 3 notre niveau, est
une science. Ce n'est pas seulement un irratio n n el, c'est une science
mais il semble, d'un autre ordre. Par la aussi, on apprend a lir e , a
dgchiffrer, mais avec des yeux d 'in itig s . Et vous voyez ainsi pourquoi,
comme je vous disais au dgbut, il est ngcessaire de partir de la concep
tion de I'homme et d'abontir a celle du monde. Et vous voyez que les
deux se rejoignent et en se rejoignant ainsi, ils posent le probleme de
leur application pgdagogique.
Vous voyez que 13 oO l'ethnologue a parlg du fgtichisme, 13
1'on parle d'idoiatrie, dans notre mentality, il n'y a pas d'idolatrie,
car I'homme, dans notre tradition, se considSre comme une force lim itge,
ccmme une force qui, elle-meme est un projet dont I'homme n'est pas
1'auteur, et s 'il y a une pensge fondamentale chez les b etis, c'est la
pensge que le projet humain, le projet que I'homme n'a pas gtg congu par
I'homme. Et voila pourquoi l'id o l5 tr ie n'existe pas chez nous, parce
qu'il n'y a pas d’objectivation des objets de la nature en eux-memes
qui puissent constituer des anges de Dieu. Tout ce qui est 3 1'intgrieur
de la nature est reference a l'au-del3 de la nature. II y a pour tous
les Stres, une double reference, reference 3 I'homme d'ou prise de
position dans le combat qui oppose la vie et la mort. C'est pour cela
une reference 3 la rgalitg de la nature est ou adversaire ou allig et
une rgfgrence 3 l'au-del3, c'est 3 dire au-del3 du projet que nous somnes
parce que tous ces objets font partie du projet que nous sommes.
J.N. - En d'autres termes, pour le beti, le supra-naturel n'est
pas, comme le disait le professeur Towa, de 1’imagination. Le supra-
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naturel est une rgalitg vgcue, expgrimentge . . .
R.P.M. - C'est parce que nous gprouvons a tout instant ce com
bat de la vie et de la mort que nous gprouvons a tout instant l'au-dela
de ce combat. C'est parce que nous vivons a tout instant les crgances
de nos limites que nous vivons a tout instant l'expgrience de l'au-dela
de notre limite. II y a 13 une vgritable philosophie.
J.N. - Et ne voyez-vous pas 13 une d iffic u ltg lorsque nous
essayons de prgsenter leur catgchgse sur le plan dogmatique chrgtien--
peu importe de la famille dogmatique--mais disons l'Evangile vient avec
des dogmes trgs prgcis et quand on les confronte avec une philosophie
beti te lle qu'elle apparait, n'y a u ra it-il pas quelque point de choc?
R.P.M. - Ngcessairement, il y aura, et ce qui est vrai pour
la pensge beti l'e s t pour toutes les pensges. Voyez-vous, le problSme
thgoloyique fundamental c'est qu'en face de toutes les cultures, la
rgvglation de la Bible est 3 la fois un accomplissement une mise en
demeure. En e ffe t, Dieu vient pour nous sauver, c 'e st 3 dire apporter
la rgponse supreme 3 nos problgmes. Or, il n'a y a aucun peuple au
monde dont la tradition reprgsente la totalitg des expgriences humaines.
Et si la Bible est vraiment divine, si Dieu s’intgresse vraiment 3
I ’homme, i l faut que le message qu’ il nous apporte dans la Bible puisse
rgpondre 3 la to ta litg des expgriences humaines. Done, ce message, par
dgfinition, doit transcender toutes les expgriences particuligres. Voil3
pourquoi nous sommes convaincus q u 'il n'y a pas une trad itio n philoso-
phique qui puisse traduire adequatement de fagon exhaustive le mystere
rgvglg. Le drame, en fait, n'est pas tellement 3 notre niveau. La
tradition africaine n'est pas hgggmonique. Nous ne prgtendons pas §tre
les seuls penseurs et nous ne prgtendrons jamais que la pensge africaine
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puisse presenter les seules categories capables d’exprimer le sacrg. Je
crois que le drame se trouve au niveau de la pensge occidentale (qui est
en crise aujourd'hui). Parce que l'ambition de l'Occident a toujours
Ste que la tradition de l'Occident est la tradition universelle, la pensge
de l'Occident est la pensge universelle, ses categories sont des cate
gories universelles. Et ce faisant, ils avancent l'ambition de vouloir
traduire adgquatement le sacrg. Mais 3 tous les niveaux e lle gclate et
c'est pourquoi il y a le foisonnement des heresies en Europe. C'est
pourquoi il y a des fameuses crises thgologiaues et des b a ta ille s , des
guerres de religion et toutes ces crises auraient ete attgnuges si dans
la tradition occidentale, comme dan toutes les traditions, il y avait au
point de depart 1'acceptation de ses limites et 1'admission du fait que
1'experience humaine est plus grande que n'importe quelle experience
particuligre d'un peuple et c'est pour cela que je oense qujourd'hui que
pour une vraie thgologie chrgtienne, un theologien digne de ce nom, doit
partir de son experience et doit toujours tenir compte des autres grandes
experience humaines et que ce qu'il n'arrive pas traduire dans le
langue de sa tradition, il doit l'emprunter aux autres traditions qui
compietent la sienne.
J.N. - En d'autres termes done, le message rgvglg reste
quand mgme un glgment normatif.
R.P.M. - Une interpretation gtymologique de Dieu a p a rtir
d'un dialecte bantou donng me semble peu scientifique parce que le
nom de Dieu "Aambe", appartient 3 tous les dialectes bantou jusqu'au
Cap. Quelles que soient les influences que ces dialectes ont subi dans
leur zone ggographique 3 travers les sigcles, c'est pour ga que j ' a t -
tribue ce nom-13 3 ce que j'a p p elle le bantou p rim itif. Or, les
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etymologies comme Zamba ou Zambe, que Charles Atangana a essayd d'em
ployer, partent du dialecte ewondo tel qu'il existe aujourd'hui, c'est
3 dire la langue parlde grevge des influences du milieu e t des autres
groupes ethniques rencontres. Mais ces influences se sont ajoutees.
Ils ont trouve le mot "Zamba" deja 13. De meme 1'appelation qui me
semble la plus ancienne, c'est celle de la cosmogonie des Fangs qui, eux,
ont une triade. Done, il y a d'abord "Zambe", qu'ils connaissent, puis
il y a Zambe ou Zame, Meyo et puis Mebege. Mebege etant le premier
principe lui seraient deiegueles deux autres. Mais en fait, il n'est
pas evident que dans la pratique Meyo et Zambe sont cr£es par Mebege.
Ils sont engendrgs, ce qui n'est pas la mme chose. Noun nous trouvons
13 devant un autre ph 6nom§ne qui demande beaucoup de prudence. Nouns
nous trouvons devant, ce que nous appelons aujourd'hui 1' influence
ggyptienne, car les cosmogonies Sgyptiennes ont §t£ les premieres au
monde qui nous prgsentent les schemas triadiques et les plus anciennes
cosmogonies des origines sont toujours basSes sur des triades et vous
savez que c'est de 1'Egypte qu’est n£ le vocabulaire de la doctrine de
la Trinity. Or, ces triades se produisent toujours par generation
spontanSe. C'est ou le principe premier qui se reproduit. Alors cela
montre tout simplement que dans la pensge africaine nous nous trouvons
en face de deux syst£mes: 1 'affirm ation d'un Dieu supreme, consider^
comne 1'auteur de l'univers, puis deuxiemement, quand on veut mainte-
nant analyser qui est ce Dieu supreme, on trouve des courants multiples,
triades qui montrent que cette affirmation n'est pas une notion abstraite
et so lidaire, mais que c'est une rg alitg propre 3 trois personnes. Et
c'est 13 que pour le thgologien africain il faut renconter aux sources
et utiliser celles qu'on ne trouve pas dans les autres traditions. Mais
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nous sommes aussi des historiens. II faut etre honnetes. Nous trouvons
dans le pass£ de I'Afrique des figments gtonnemment riches. Pourquoi
les metrre entre parentheses?
J.N. - Cela m'amgne 3 vous poser une derni&re question. Vous
avez fait allusion Vautre soir a la Faculty Protestante, de ce role du
Noir et de I'Afrique dans l'aventure chrgtienne, 3 partir des Saintes-
Ecritures. Je serais trSs heureux si vous pouviez me donner un sommaire
de vos recherches sur ce que vous avez pu voir, concernant 1' impact,
l'apport du nSgre dans la tradition chr€tienne et le role qu'a pu jouer
l'eiement noir, sans tomber dans une sorte d’apologetique de la negritude,
mais en essayant de voir comment le Noir a pu vraiment etre pesent et
collaborateur dans l'aventure chretienne.
R.P.M. - J 'a i, en 1968, ecrit: La Bible et I'A frique Noire,
j 'a i f a it une communication au cours de ce congres ou j ' a i repris les
passages de la Bible qui se rgferent aux Noirs, aux Noirs africains et
ou j'a i montrg que I'Afrique Noire antique est certainement un des
elements constitutifs associe a la naissance de la trad itio n biblique
et cela a plusieurs etapes. La question reste posee a nous aujourd'hui,
que nous ne pouvons pas ecouter, parce que la tradition occidentale ne
s'est pas transmise aux A fricains, mais nous, nous devrions nous pencher
sur cette questions: pourquoi et comment? Ces deux questions n'ont pas
encore regu de reponse. En e ffe t, vous verrez que d'abord I'Afrique
Noire, dans la gSgraphie biblique, dSs la GenSse, a l'gpoque ou
s'applique la Gen&se est represents.
La terre de Cush, c’est I'Afrique Noire, et puis, toujours
dans la Gen&se, a I'o rig in e des civilisatio n s, vous avez les arbres
ggnSalogiques avec la gSnSlogie de Nemrod et de Cush, le premier grand
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fondateur des civilisations noires. C'est lui qui a fondg les premieres
v ille s , qui a gtabli les premigres constitutions, les premieres lois.
C'est assez gtonnant. Et puis dans le livre des Nombres, vous avez le
fameux rgcit du mariage de Motse, qui pour moi est fondamental, parce
que Motse est marig a la fille de Jgthro, et il renvoie la fille de
Jgthro et son enfant et Dieu lui demande de prendre une Cuschite, une
gthiopienne, ou plus exactement une Noire. Ca, ce sont des textes
gcrits noir sur blanc dans la Bible. Or, nous savons dans le liv re des
Nombres, 25&me chapitre, que Dieu est opposg au mariage des ju ifs avec
patens et plus particuli§rement avec des madianites et q u 'il fa it
massacrer tous ceux qui s'gtaient marigs avec des Madianites. Done,
Dieu f a it exception pour les Cuschites, done ils ne sont pas considgrgs
comme des vulgaires patens. Ils sont associgs au message rgvglg et
d'autre part, dans les autres livres de la Bible, nous voyons que
chaque fois qu’il est fait allusion 2 Cusch, eh bien, ce n'est pas dans
les mgmes termes qu'avec les autres patens. Au 18e chapitre d'Esate, au
moment oO le prophgte maudit tous les peuples patens des alentours,
mgme les ju ifs quand il arrive 2 Cusch g ta it 2 des termes plus conciliants.
II envoie ses messagers sur des navires de joncs, leur parle et il con-
clut en disant qu'il attend le jour oQ le peuple 2 la peau brune et 2
la taille glancge, lui apportera des offrandes.
Nous voyons 2 la cour du roi Ezgchias, dans Jgrgmie, un servi-
teur noir appelg Ebed-Melec, qui est le seul reprgsentant de la conscience
morale dans cette cour et s'oppose au complot qui veut condamner le roi
et que Dieu, pour le rgcompenser, lui d it qu’ il va conclure avec lui une
alliance gternelle. Et il y a 12 des choses assez gtonnantes tout au
long de Vancien Testament.
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J.N. - Nous sommes 13 un peu 3 1 'opposg de "Maudi soit Canaan I"
R.P.M. - Absolument. C'est pour ga que moi j ' a i demontrg que
"Maudit soit Canaan" n'a rien 3 voir avec le peuple noir, d'autant plus
que nous savons qui est le peuple cananeen. Nous le savons, c'etaient
les habitants et les autochtones de la Palestine que les Juifs ont
massacres 3 leur retour d'Egypte accomplissant ainsi la fameuse maledic
tion.
Alors, ceci se poursuit dans le Nouveau Testament, car, comme
par hasard, il y a un passage dans le N.T. 8e chapitre des Actes, ou il
a fa llu qu'on introduise la conversion des Noirs, comme si la Bible
avait craint d'oublier, ga vient comme un cheveu dans la soupe. Ce
n 'e ta it pas necessaire mais c 'e ta it seulement important: la conversion
de cet ethiopien; et qui f a it continue maintenant, parce que la legende
en Ethiopia a montre q u 'il a fonde une communaute la-bas.
Alors voil3 les recherches que j 'a i faites.
J.N. - Le titre du livre, c'est?
R.P.M. - L'Afrique Noire et la Bible.
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INTERVIEW DE M. PROSPER MANGA
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APPENDIX C1
INTERVIEW DE M. PROSPER MANGA
J.N. - M. Manga, en tant que philosophe de formation univer-
sitaire et professeur de philosophie par profession, etes vous cependant
un chgtien praticant?
P.M. - Je suis chr§tien.
J.N. - Comment conci1iez-vous engagement philosophique et
engagement chretien?
P.M. - [.'engagement philosophique, c'est la confiance accordee
3 la raison. La raison est un faculty donnSe a I'homme pour comprendre,
organiser et meme pour finaliser le monde, et aussi pour eclairer notre
existance et notre vie sociale. Mais la raison en tant que faculty
n'est pas un facteur absolu. II y a 1'irratio n el qui impose des limi'tes
au raisonnement philosophique. De plus, i l n'y a presque pas d'existance
valable qui n’a it un support quelque chose qui donne sens, quelque
chose se trouve comme le couronnement de 1'existance: 1'Absolu. L'exis-
tance doit trouver son sens dans un absolu consider^ comme une transcend-
ance, comme une perspective qui nous a ttire et par laquelle nous devons
Stre. C'est ici le point de jonction entre 1'engagement philosophique
et la fo i. Mais pourquoi le christianisme? C'est parce que le
christianisme est souci de la reconciliation de I'homme avec l'absolu
(amour, dgcouverte de so i, ideal humain). C'est ainsi que dans la peste
d'Albert Camus, le Docteur Rieux a un comportement de chr^tien meme si
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J.N. - C'est done que vous vous sentez parfaitement a l'aise
d'Stre a la fois philosophe et chrStien.
P.M. - Parfaitement.
J.N. - En tant que professeur de logique, formd dans le moule
de la logique cartysienne, et Beti de naissance, croyez vous q u 'il existe
une logique Beti differente de la logique cartysienne?
P.M. - Tout problgme de la logique se resoud dans la discus-
s ivitS . La logique est 1 'organisation du langage, compte tenu d'un
ensemble de r§gles (normes, categories) et compte tenu de la perspective
(souci de dire quelque chose). La logique occidentale a pour support la
rationality avec des principes de base (principe de 1'identity, de la
non contradiction, du tiers exclu, de la finality etc.). Elle a des
objectifs la clarty, la rigueur, 1'universality, c'est 3 dire la possi
b ilit y d'ynoncer un discours in te llig ib le par tous. La logique occiden
tale est une logique conceptuelle. Or le concept presente la ryality
dans un certain angle mais n'ypuise pas la rd a lity . Admettre la pauvrety
du concept, c'est ruiner toute prytention de la logique conceptuelle
comme la seule logique et s'interroger sur, par exemple, la logique du
symbole. La mise en question de la logique conceptuelle implique done
la mise en question de la raison, opposye 3 T in tu itio n . L'eau, par
exemple, pour le chimiste, est H^O ne signifie rien du tout. Pour lu i,
l'eau, c'est ce qui dysaltyre, ce qui dyiivre. L'eau qui est vie, e'en
est encore une autre logique, un autre angle, symbolique.
Nous voici done dans un pluralism. D'ou le f a it que le Beti
a sa logique, logique au niveau de 1'o ra lity , du symbole, de 1'intuition,
de 1'experience. D'ou les proverbes Beti, construits sur la logique Beti
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Mveng j'anong vian w'afia Nyat j'a b ig , zok j'akogolo mig.
II y a ici une logique opposge 3 la logique conceptuelle. L'alignement
repose sur 1'opposition tnvenq-vian et sur 1' in so lite nyat j'a b ie , zok
j'akogolo mie. II en est ainsi de I'adage:
Etetam gtam, anden mbol gtam Asen zoabon gtam.
L'accent est ports sur la diversitS des gluances et l'orateur ici indique
la difference d'angle on de nuances sur un certain nombre de faits.
Experience, in tuition, symbole, participation sont des cate
gories sans lesquelles le sens du proverbe ou du discours Beti gchappe.
J.N. - Qu'en est-il des valeurs?
P.M. - La valeur, c'est au nom de quoi on fa it quelque chose
C'est ce qui donne consistance a une existence dSterminSe. C'est ce que
nous ergons dans notre culture pour pouvoir atteindre la transcendance.
Je crois que le discours thgologique doit §tre culturel. II faut vivre
Dieu, mais il faut le vivre dans sa culture. Le Beti ne rSagira pas
dans une situation donnge comme le Bamilgkg, le Bassa. Alors que le
Bamilekg a le souci de base d'augmenter son avoir m ateriel, le Beti, lu i,
pronera la prudence, la ruse, la sagesse, 1' intelligence: enyinq ene
ve aken. Aken gtant un q u a lific a tif englobant toutes les nuances de
1' in te l 1igence, sagesse, ruse, prudence. II existe done des valeurs
Beti que l'on dgcouvre en lisant les precepts de la vie Beti et qui
seraient, entre autres, 1'existence, la dignitg, I'honneur, un certain
individualisme dans 1’amour propre, la combativitg et le courage.
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INTERVIEW DE M. EVOUNA MICHEL
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INTERVIEW DE M. EVOUNA MICHEL
J.N. - Vous qui etes chercheur par profession, et qui etes
beti de naissance quelles sont selon vous les valeurs fondamentales du
peuple beti?
E.M. - Je fonde toutes les valeurs sociales, gconomiques,
religieuses, cu ltu relles, du people beti sur ce que 1'on appele l 'a t i .
Quoi qu'il soit mal aise de cerner la notion de l'a ti, car l'a ti, par
definition, c'est quelque chose qui tend vers la beaute, vers la lib e rte ,
vers la transcendance. Par consequent un beti c'est quelqu'un qui a
double naissance, une naissance biologique qui f a it du lui un "man
beti" (qui apparentient au clan beti) mais aussi et surtout une naissance
culturelle et spirituelle qui fait que tout beti digne de ce nom et un
ATI, c'est 3 dire ethymologiquement, quelqu'un qui se veut noble, qui
se veut grand, qui se veut lib re. A cette valeur de base qu'est 1'Ati
se greffe par voix de consequence un certain nombre de valeurs clef:
L1importance et le respect de la v ie : La vie que 1'on regoit
par le sang doit aussi etre transmise. La procSation devient ainsi un
impSratif. D'autre part, ce lien du sang est sacre. Un beti coupable
du meurtre d'un p§re, d'un fr3re ou coupable d'un inceste comme une
faute trSs grave. C'est le p£che par excellence qui ne pouvait etre
expifi que par une s£rie de rites de purifications spSciaux tels que
1'gsob nyol ou le ndonqo. Les consequences sociales ou culturelles
309
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directes en sont 1' importance de la fam ille, le pouvoir de la parents,
les mariages exogamiques.
La piStS en tant que valeur: Cette vie qui est sacrSe est
transmise par les ancetres, qui la dStiennent eux-memes de Ntondo obe
(Dieu crSateur), source ultime de toute vie. La piste est done la
reconnaissance q u 'il existe un lien fundamental entre soi ceux qui vous
ont transmis la vie, et 1 'auteur ultime de cette vie. La piSte devient
ainsi une composante nScessaire de l'univers beti. Au sens large elle
est trSs englobante et implique la piStS fam iliale (le respect du pere
et la mSre et des anciens) les culte des ancetres et la crainte de Dieu.
La s o lid a rity : La society ne se prSsente pas comme une
agglomSration d’ individus autonomes, mais comme un tout solide dont les
SlSments sont cimentSs entre eux par le lien sacrS et unificateur du
sang. Pour me rSsumer sur ce point, disons que toutes les valeurs b eti,
le respect de la vie, la piyty, la solidarity, 1'h o s p ita lity, l'abondance
matyriel, la relation avec autrui etc. prennent racine dans cette notion
fondamentale de l 'A t i.
J.N. - Du point de vue mythodologique, quels seraient selon vous
les yiyments d'occidentalisation introduits par le missionnaire chretien
au sein de la sociyty beti?
E.M. - II y a eu une profanation de la nature par 1'occident.
Le beti sait que la nature est une cryation et une presence de Dieu; elle
grouille de forces, forces cryes par Dieu, et que lu i, le b eti, peut
exploiter. II y avait done une sorte de culte de la nature. En maty-
ria lis a n t et en objectivant par contre la nature, le beti est ameny a
ne dycouvrir que I'aspect extyrieur, le carcan, le squelette. Le lien
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immediat, mystique, profond avec la nature devient de plus en plus com-
promis. Le Christianisme tentera de le remplacer par des ceremonies
annexes, les sacrementaux par exemple. On b in it l'eau, on b in it les
maisons, les medailles, on permet aux gens de porter les medailles,
ceremonies qui, sommes toutes, rapproche moins de Dieu que 1’exploitation
du sens mystique de la liaison sacrie existant entre le beti et la nature.
La tendance ginirale devient dis lors 1'imposition extirieur du message
divin sans explication, sans participation du peuple. On ne part pas
de la connaissance pratique de 1' indigene pour le pousser a un niveau de
reflexion personnel on p rifire lui imposer ses croyances presque par
force, sous le pritexte que les siennes, trad itio n n elles, sont mauvaises,
mais que les nouvelles, importies, sont parfaites. A cette imperialisme
dogmatique, Ton peut ajouter 1’introduction d'une certaine logique
cartisienne. Le cathichisme repond a une certaine mentality qui est
surtout occidentale. On nous a transmis le message divin a travers cette
logique si bien que il y a des choses sur le plan dogmatique que nous
ne connaissons pas, qu'elles sont etrangeres a notre mode de pensie.
Ceia n'implique pas que le systSme de pensie occidentale soit supirieur
ou in firie u r au notre, je voudrais souligner seulement q u 'il s 'a g it de
deux approches diffirentes de la realite. En mettant I'accent sur
l'aspect mitaphysique du contenu de la f o i , on eloiane l'homme beti
dans la comprehension du message re vile . Enfin, sur le plan methodolo-
gique, 1' introduction du christianisme a abouti 3 la disorganisation,
3 la disintegration de la famille beti. Le missionnaire a voulu couper
le nouveau convert! de sa fam ille paienne. Ce n 'e ta it probablement pas
par propos d ilib ir i, mais ce n 'it a it qu'une consequence. Consequence
assez grave, dans la mesure oO on ne se sent plus soli dire dans sa
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famille, parce que dans la cocigtg beti il fall ait etre absolument soli-
daire 3 tous les cas. Le pgchg lui-meme g ta it avant tout social et
fa m ilia l. Connut en secret ou non, il avait des consegquences directes
sur la famille et toute la tribu. Ce sens de la respcn.sabilitg collective,
fu t largement mis en cause par 11 introduction de l'individualisme occi
dental .
J.N. - M. VAbbg, je voudrais tout de meme savoir, sur le plan
du contenu du message chrgtien, s 'il y auraient des rgserves que vous
pourrez faire au christianisme tel qu'il nous a gtg prgsentg?
E.M. - Sur ce plan je pourrais formuler deux interrogations:
une relative au problSme de la polygamie, I'a u tre relative au cglibat
sacerdotal. Ces deux doctrines ont gtg imposges de force a 1'homme beti.
Je me demande si e lle n'ont pas d'avantages de fondements culturels que
purement gvanggliques. Si le Christ g ta it ng 3 Yaoundg, et q u 'il y
aurait eu une nouvelle Pentgcote, ma question est de savoir, si le
missionnaire beti envoyg dans ce cas pour precher 1'gvangile au monde,
n 'au rait pas exigg de nouveaux convertis q u 'il soit polygammes et que
tous les prgtres soient ngcessairement marigs. En f a it , dans la socigtg
trad itio n n elle b eti, c'est un acte d'adoration et d'obgissance a Dieu
que de procrger beaucoup d'enfants, 1‘ordre de Ntondo obe c’est de vous
m u ltip lie r abondemment, avoir beaucoup de femmes et beaucoup d'enfants;
c'est done pour le b e ti, une obgissance s tric t 3 1'ordre divin. II n'y
a aucun glgment de culpabilitg moral ou spirituel 13 dessus. C'est un
engagement, une responsabilitg qui ne va pas sans esprit de s ac rifice,
sans engagement moral et s p iritu e l. De meme, il y a vait des pretres
dans la socigtg traditionnelle b eti. C’gtaient des zones vgngrgs,
respectges, ils gtaient, ga va de soi, marigs. La socigtg beti, en
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effet, ne donnait aiicun crgdit 3 un cglibataire, qui ne pouvait de ce
fa it remplir aucune fonction sgrieuse dans la socigtg. Tout cglibataire
est considers comme un homme incomplet, car la participation 3 la nature
d'adulte s'achevait par le mariage. Lorsque nous comparons ces positions
traditionnelles, avec 1'enseignement de 1'gvangile, nous n'y voyons pas
d'oppositions formelles ou systgmatiques. Cotime dans les sainte Scritures,
le prStre beti ast marig. II est respects, vSnSrS. Comme dans 1'Ecriture
sainte le mariage 3 regime polygamique est bien present, et ce qu'on peut
dire du moins, c'est que, s 'il ne semble pas totalement approuvS par Dieu,
par le f a it de 1 'institution du mariage monogamique dans le jard in d'Eden,
mais du moins il est tolSrS et done accepts dans les Ecritures Saintes.
La souplesse de 1 'attitude de Dieu dans les Ecritures Saintes, tranche
avec la hautaine et brutale intolSrance des premiers missionnaires sur
ce domaine. Le Christianisme atteint ainsi l ’homme beti de plein fouet
sur ce point, mettant ainsi en question Tune de ses valeurs fondamentales,
le respect et 1 'importance de la vie. Tout tien t par la vie. Tout est
dans la vie. Un beti n'est un homme digne de ce nom que dans la mesure
ou il peut participer au processus de transmission de la vie. C’ est
done un impgratif moral et spirituel que de procreer, d'avoir des en-
fants, en grand nobre, autant qu'on peut, sans se soucier de son statut
social ou gconomique. Ce principe du respect de la vie et de la partici
pation au processus de la vie, ancrg au sein meme du systeme de pensee
b e ti, ju s tifie plSnement le mariage des pretres et la polygamie du
peuple beti. En quoi ces deux faits culturels beti seraient-ils
necessairement infgrieurs et humiliants comprativement aux valeurs
occidentales qui leurs sont opposges? L'arbitrage des Ecritures Saintes,
sur ce point prgcis, n'est pas determinant. J'en termine ici par une
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question que j ’ai posge il y a quelques instants, a savoir, si le Christ
Stait ng a Yaounde, et que les premiers missionnaires avaient ete recrutgs
parmi les beti et envoygs dans le monde entier par I'action de la pente-
c8te, s'en seraient-iIs alls de par le monde imposer de force la mono-
gamie et le cglibat des prgtres?
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INTERVIEW DE M. RAYMOND MBEDE
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APPENDIX C3
INTERVIEW DE M. RAYMOND MBEDE
J.N. - Je vous est entendu presenter votre these de Doctorat 3
la Radio Nationale. Pour vous, qui est beti et qui ne 1'est pas?
R.M. - Cette question est extremement epineuse dans la mesure
ou il y a plusieurs thgses. II y a par exemple la these de Madame Irene
Dugast, elle reconnait que la situation se complique puisqu’avant on a
pas essaye de determiner qui e tait beti ou qui ne l'e t a it pas. La these
de Charles Alexandre, un ancien colon, qui e ta it au Cameroun, et qui
s'est converti en Histoire. II essaie d'eiiminer plus ou moins d'autres
tribus, de distinguer seulement quelques especes de noyaux: les Ewondo,
les Eton, les Bulu, parmi les beti. Le P&re Rigobert Veng dans son livre
I 1Histoire du Cameroun, lu i, part de I'a c tu a lite du Cameroun. J'avais
aussi interroge M. l ’Abbe Abega Prosper e t j 'a i consulte les vieux du
village qui m'ont donne leur point de vue. De tout cela j'ai essaye
de faire une synthSse, pour voir qui est beti et qui ne 1'est pas.
Personnellement, j 'a i d'abord trouve que cette question e ta it d if f ic ile
i resoudre, dans la mesure ou se sont des occidentaux arriver ic i qui
ont essaye de d e fin ir qui e ta it beti ou qui ne 1'est pas. Et quand
nous voyons comment ses gens entraient dans nos pays, nous constations
qu'ils y entraient par petit bout, divisans le pays en zone d'influence
religieuses, si bien que le Littoral surtout etait Protestant, et le
centre-sud Catholique. A ces oppositions religieuses, s'ajoutaient
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les distinctions linguistiques. Les Protestants parlaient Bulu, les
Catholiques parlaient Ewondo. Alors mon probl&me est de savoir si ces
diffSrentes sources 1inguistiqi’es sont d£terminante pour dire que tel ou
tel tribu est beti? Ma thSse principale est, quand 3 moi, que ce qui
compte, c'est que les gens qui sont dans la meme zone c u ltu relle, done
la mCme zone linguistique que ces gens 13 appartiennent 3, je ne dirai
pas 3 la m§me trib u , mais au mgme groupe ethnique, qui a un certain
nombre de valeur, et que ces valeurs sont v€hicul£es dans ce groupe, et
que ces gens 13 naturellement forment le groupe b eti, si bien que person
nel lement qu'on soit Bulu, Eton ou Mbitambani . . . on est beti. L'unite
est linguistique puisqu'on a pas besoin d' interpreter d'un groupe 3 un
autre, e lle est aussi culturelle dans la mesure ou tous ces peuples
partagent les mgmes valeurs et les memes coutumes fondamentales.
J.N. - Je crois que ce ph£nomene culturel est determinant, tous
les chercheurs beti que j'a i rencontres partagent cette opinion. De tout
ce que vous avez mentionng les valeurs fondamentales du peuple b eti,
auriez-vous defini quelles sont ces valeurs? Les auriez vous mise en
1umi 5res ?
R.M. - Dans ma these de 3e cycle, ce qui m'intSressait c 'g ta it
de voir les choix gconomiques en fonction de la culture. Est-ce que le
beti est un commergant? Quelle idee se f a i t - i l du commerce? Je me suis
rendu compte qu'au niveau meme du principe, que la conception occidentale
du commerce Stait diffSrente de la conception beti. II n'y a pas chez
les beti de symgtrie des valeurs c'est 3 dire que je peux changer un
taro 3 contre un rggime de banane. On ne peut pas estimer d'une matiere
pertinente et precise ces valeurs, ces objets. Le beti est done lie non
seulement au tro c, mais en m§me temps de l'id g e q u 'il se fa it du commerce.
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Cette idge est caract£ris5e par deux principes: 1) Le refus du commerce
en tant qu'accumulation quantative de bien. Le taro et le regime de
bananes ne seront pas echanggs en valeur de leur quantity objective, mais
en fonction de la relation qui existe entre les deux interlocuteurs;
2) La personalisation des ^changes commerciaux. Le commergant beti
n'est pas celui qui vise 3 s'enrichir sur le compte du client, puisqu'en
vertu de la participation humaine et de la relation nScessaire entre
lui et son clien t, i l devient par participation quelque peu son propre
client. Les prix ne sont done pas fixe, mais discutSs entre le vendeur
et le client. Cet element affectif introduit dans les ^changes commer
ciaux neutralise 1 'gpanouissement du commerce, car le choix gconomique
n'est pas lie comme a 1 'Occident de la massification des richesses en
vue d 'S tablir un certain royaume pour dominer sur les autres. Au con-
traire, si le beti a des biens, c'est pour essayer de les partager avec
les autres. L'acte commercial n'est done pas massification impersonnelle
des biens mais au contraire prgpondSrence de 1'a f f e c t if et de la person-
nalisation pour l ‘activit§ gconomique. Le bien materiel, la dot par
exemple sert avant tout a noyer et 3 tisser les contacts et les relations
entre les membres de la tribu. Nous sommes la 3 l'oposg de la pens£e
occidentale.
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INTERVIEW DE M. COSENDAI
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APPENDIX C, 4
INTERVIEW DE M. CCPENOAI1
Ayant eu le privilege de vivre avec la peuple Beti du Sud
Cameroun, depuis 1937, j ’ai appris 3 le connaTtre et 3 l'aim er 3 tel
point’ que je me demande si je suis en mesure de rgpondre objectivement
3 la premi6re question concernant ses qualites et ses defaults. Quand
on aime peut-on encore etre vraiment sans prejuge?
Je vais tout de meme essayer.
Commengons par les qualites, bien que celles-ci ne se decouvrent
pas toujours les premieres.
Sa faculte d'accueil. Avant meme que nous ayons pu franchir
la barriere de la langue et de la difference de couleur et de culture,
nous avons pu, ma feirnie et moi, apprecier la faculte d'accueil du peuple
Beti. Nous 1'avons ressentie particu1ierement en zone rurale. Les villes
ayant, comme partout, depersonnalise les individus, cette faculte a ten
dance 3 se perdre dans les milieux urbains, bien qu’e lle cherche 3 y
survivre, dans des conditions moins favorables.
A maintes reprises, quand nous sonnies arrives pour la premiere
fois dans un village, nous avons pu experimenter la faculte naturelle
s'accueil qui s'est manifestee 3 notre egard. Nous avons ete regu avec
une certaine curiosite parfois, surtout au debut de notre sejour en
\ e s questions et les reponses ont ete ecrites.
307
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Les hommes nous recevant dans le cercle intime de la "case des palabres"
et les femmes dans leur cuisine enfermye. sans aucune manifestation
d'hostility.
Je me suis souvent demandy, par comparaison, quelle serait
l'accueil qu'une fam ille suisse ou bretonne, accorderait a des visiteurs
africains qui se prysenteraient 3 la porte pour demander 1'hospitalite.
Les laisserait-on entrer dans le cercle de la famille avec la meme
fa c ility et la mgme bonne humeur?
Sa bonne humeur. Cette disponibility vis-3-vis de 1'ytranger
est fa c ility 3 mon avis par le fa it que, malgry les contrarietys, les
ennuis, les inconvenients qui peuvent se prysenter, I'homme B eti, sait
en ggngral, garder sa bonne humeur. II r i t facilement de ses propres
malheurs. I I sait qu'aprgs 1'orage, le soleil revient toujours.
Son sens de la solidarity. Bien que 1'individualisme ait
tendance 3 se manifester, particuligrement dans les milieux urbains et
dans les classes aisees, ’e sens de la solidarity familiale reste pro-
fondement encre dans le coeur et dans les coutumes du peuple Beti. Chez
lu i, les termes de pere ou de m§re, de frgre ou de soeur ne s'appliquent
pas seulement aux membres de la cellule fam iliale directe, mais a tous
les membres, hommes et femmes,appartenant 3 la meme descendance.
Ce sens yiargi de la fam ille permet 3 un Beti de se sentir
chez lui, dans n'importe quel village habity par d'autres Beti. II y
trouve toujours un lit et une table pour le recevoir. II ne peut pas se
sentir ytranger.
Ce sens aigu de la fam ille trouve son expression fin a le dans
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le f a i t que les problames familiaux et sociaux qui posent aux veufs et
aux veuves, aux orphelins et aux vieillards, trouvent naturellement leur
solution au sein meme des families allides par le sang et par les tradi
tions ancestrales.
Dans la socidtd Beti fid le 3 ses traditions, i l n'existe pas
d'orphelinat, ni de maison pour les vieillards, pour la simple raison
que la fam ille dlargie prend soin de ses enfants et de ses vdtSrans.
Son sens de la palabre ou son sens de la reconciliations.
Cette ouverture vers 1'autre, cette bonne humeur, ce sens de la solidarity,
permettent au Beti de rggler par la dialogue, par la palabre parfois
lorsque et tumultueuse, mais finalement efficace, les conflits familiaux
et sociaux les plus compliquSs et les plus sdrieux. II peut y avoir des
"affaires" trSs graves, i l peut meme y avoir du sang versa, par la palabre
dans laquelle interviennent toutes les parties, et particuli§rement l'avis
des anciens, tout finit par s'arranger. Bien que certains peuvent garder
des rancunes tenances, en gdndral le Beti sait pardonner et connaTt la
valeur de la reconciliation.
Le respect d'antrui. Ces qualites font que, dans son for
interieur, le Beti respecte en general la personne et la propriete
d 'an tru i. Pendant toutes mes visites et mes tournees dans les zones
rurales, j 'a i souvent loges dans des maisons dont les portes ne fermaient
pas 3 cie et je n'ai jamais ete victime d'un vol.
Comme partout a ille u rs , dans le monde, le manque de respect
de propriete d'antrui est un phdnomane qui se manifeste principalement
dans les zones urbaines oG le chomage et le manque de ressources naturelles
poussent les gens a convoites le bien s'antrui et a s'en servir.
Yoyons maintenant quels sont les defauts des Beti. Comme la
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plupart des autres hommes les Beti ont principalement les dSfauts de
leurs qualites.
Le sens de la solidarity familiale pousse a 1'extreme pour cer
tains, peut se transformer en parasitisme familial. Aussitot qu'un
membro de la famille accSde 2 une position sociale lui procurant certains
avantages m ateriels, il est s o ilic itS par les autres membres qui es-
timent q u 'il doit subvenir 2 leurs besoins et qui cherchent a vivre a ses
dSpens.
II en est de meme du sens de 1'hospitalitS. A 1'occasion
d'SvSnement heureux ou malheureux, naissance, mariage, toute la parents
accourt et s'attend 2 etre logSe, hebergge, dSdomagSer pour ses frais
de voyage sans se rendre compte q u 'elle est en train de miner son hote,
de le plonger dans des dettes qu'il mettra plusieurs mois a combler.
Dans les deux cas, et dans celui de la dot et des transactions
familiales, il arrive bien souvent que la solidarity traditionnelle soit
2 sens unique et perd ainsi son vrai caractgre; elle est dgfigurSe et
travestie par 1'amour du gain qui est "la racine de tous les maux"--
mais ce mal est, en partie, un mal imports par la c iv ilis a tio n matSria-
lis te .
La bonne humeur, et 1 'optimisme qui caracterise le peuple Beti
peut aussi se transformer en insouciance et en nonchalance, chez certains.
Dans le domaine du tra v a il, le Beti est capable de fournir de
gros efforts lorsqu'il s'agit d'une tSche urgente: dSfrichement,
labours, construction d'une maison. Mais certains manquent de persSver-
ence et se montrent peu disposSs 2 un e ffo rt continu, quotidien.
Ses bonnes dispositions le poussent 2 etre trop facilement
satisfait de lui-m§me et 2 renoncer 2 tout effort d’amSlioration de
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son gtat, de son environnement qui exige d'etre toujours 3 la recherche
du mieux.
En consequence, il est regrettable d'observes q u 'il arrive
tr§s souvent que ceux qui ne sont pas disposes 3 payer le prix d'un
amelioration sont contre ceux qui arrivent par leur in itia tiv e et leurs
efforts 3 ameiiorer leur sort.
Les methodes d'evangelisation
1) Les plus efficaces. Les methodes les plus efficaces pour
approcher Thomme Beti et le gagner a 1'Evangile deviennent manifestes
a mesure qu'on les experimente.
a) Le contact personnel avec Thomme. La transmission de la
Bonne Nouvelle ne peut se faire que par un contact personnel. Elle est
un temoignage et non une propagande. En consequence, pour que ce
temoignage soit regu, i l importe de gagner la confiance de ceux a qui
il doit §tre transmis. Cel a implique que le messager doit ecouter avar.t
de parler. II doit apprendre avant d'enseigner. Ecouter pour comprendre,
apprendre pour apprecier. II doit apprendre a connaTtre les valeurs
africaines avant de les juger.
II doit ensuite vivre de fagon concrete le message q u 'il
desire transmettre. Toute contradiction entre le message et le messager
dgmolit la confiance et rend tout temoignage impossible.
II doit etre ouvert au dialogue afin de trouver le terrain
sur lequel il peut rencontrer son inter!ocuteur. II doit etre pr§t a
recevoir avant de pouvoir donner.
Ce contact personnel ne sera possible qu'3 la condition de
connaTtre la langue et la culture de 1 'interlocuteur. Mais pour le
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connattre viellement, il doit 1'aimer. Alors naTtra la sympathie qui
rendre le dialogue possible et permettra la transmission du message.
b) Le contact direct avec Dieu par sa Parole. Mettre le plus
rapidement possible 1'homme en contact direct avec Dieu et avec sa Parole.
Cette Parole ne pouvant etre transmise que par le temoignage oral et par
le testament e c rit, on comprend alors toute 1 'importance, d'une part,
de la personnalite du messager, de son experience religieuse et, d'autre
part la necessity de mettre 1'interlocuteur 3 meme d'apprecier par lui-
m§me, la puissance de la Parole de Dieu. Cela seul ju s tifie deja, sans
les limites 3 ce seul objectif, les efforts d’alphabetisation et de
scolarisation entrepris par les messagers de Dieu.
c) L'audio-visuel. Pour atteindre ce deuxieme objectif: mettre
1'homme en contact avec la Parole de Dieu, T u tilis a tio n des methodes
audio-visuelles est indispensables: rouleaux d'images, diapositives,
film s, diagrammes, illu s tra tio n s , brochurs, journaux. L'enseignement
en parabole, largement u tilis e par Jesus convient particu1ierement bien
au contexte africain et 3 la culture africaine riche en maximes et en
proverbes. Mais il ne faut pas que 1'image et 1'illustration servent
d'ecran ou de simple distractions. Elies doivent au contraire conduire
1'esprit vers la verite reveler en Christ et aider les hommes 3 la
concevoir et 3 la recevoir.
d) Avec le devoloppement des media les emissions radiophoniques,
la television peuvent aujourd'hui contribuer 3 atteindre des m illiers,
pour ne pas dire des millions d'auditeurs qui n'accepteraient jamais
d'aller ecouter un predicateur dans une eglise. L'interet suscite par
ces emissions radio, T .V ., peut alors Stre suivi par des efforts publics
d'evangelisation, des seminaires regroupant les auditeurs et par les
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cours de Bible par correspondance. Ces media atteignent la classe
in struite, rassemblge dans les centres urbains et adm inistratifs.
e) Comment atteindre les masses rurales? Le moyen par excel
lence c'est le temoignage d'une fam ille chrStienne vivant sa foi au
milieu de ses compatriotes. Ce temoignage peut-etre celui d'un evangg-
liste ou d'un membre lafc forme pour etre capable d'enseigner les Saintes
Ecritures.
2) Les mgthodes les moins appropriees. Les methodes les moins
appropriees sont evidetriment cel les qui se sont rveies improductives ry
celles produisant des effets negatifs. Parmi ces methodes, on peut
citer:
a) L'enseignement religieux confondant culture et re lig io n --
critiquant et denigrant les coutumes dites "pafennes" pour imposer par
la force, par la propagande ou par des moyens demagogiques, une forme de
culture dite "chretienne".
b) Le synchretisme religieux consistant 3 tenter de marier
certaines doctrines chretiennes avec des croyances africaines. Ce com-
promis entre la foi et les coutumes conduit ingvitablement a une double
distorsion: 1'abandon de verites rgv£l£es par Dieu dans sa Parole pour
adopter les traditions des hommes; la ''christianisation'' de certaines
coutumes ou noyances qui sont en contradiction avec 1 'enseignement du
Christ, rgvglg dans les Saintes Ecritures.
On retrouve cette double distorsion dans 1'usage des medailles
de la Vierge et des saints remplagant les tetiches, dans l'adoption de
cfir&nonies fungraires compatibles sou le culte des morts et la v€n€ration
des ancetres, dans la pri&re pour les morts ou pour les saints remplagant
ou accompagnant 1'gvocation des esprits des ancetres.
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c) Le formalisme religieux consistant 3 enseigner une doctrine
comme on propage une idyologie pour des raison de prestige ou de predo
minance, tout en 'V*eniant ce qui en f a it la force": libSrer I'homme de
la puissance du p§chd, le rgconcilier avec Dieu et avec son semblable,
lui redonner la pleinitude de son humanity en rdtablissant en lui 1’ image
de son Crdateur.
Les points de doctrine biblique
1. Les points de doctrine biblique qui seront les plus faciles
3 accepter, pour un Beti, sont ceux qui rgpondent a ses besoins les plus
profonds de fraternity, de security et de paix.
II y a d'abord ceux qui s'accordent ou qui confirment ses propres
croyances et convictions en un Dieu Cryateur tout puissant. II sera
receptif quand i l apprendra que ses idyes fondamentales concernant
I'homme et ses origines ne sont pas seulement celles de ses ancetres, mais
que ceux-ci les ont regues, les ont puisees dans une ryvyiation commune a
tous les peuples, ryvyiation qui remonte 3 I'origine du monde. Ryvyiation
qui se perd dans la nuit des temps et a u 'il retrouve dans sa fraicheur
et sa purety dans les Saintes Ecritures.
Le Beti sera done intyressy par 1'enseignment des Saintes Ecri
tures sur les points suivants:
a) La ryvyiation concernant les origines de Thomme, la creation
de 1' homme et de la femme.
b) L'existence de Dieu ne pose pas de probleme pour lu i. Mais
i l apprendra avec jo ie 3 connattre un Dieu qui n’est pas seulement tout
puissant, mais tout amour. La ryvyiation de Dieu comme un pere sera pour
lui une "Bonne Nouvelle".
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c) Les questions poshes par les auditeurs, des Emissions et des
conferences publiques montrent que le Beti s'interesse beaucoup a la
question de l'o rig in e du mal. II sera heureux d'apprendre que Dieu n’est
pas le crSateur du mal et que Dieu "ne tente personne". II aura peut-etre
un peu de peine 3 admettre sa propre responsabilite dans ce domaine, car
ses traditions et son temperamnent le predispose 3 accepter une certaine
fatalite dans la souffrance et dans le mal. II croit 3 une sorte de
predestination. En raison de ses tendances et de ses croyances, il sera
heureux d'apprendre 3 connattre le plan de Dieu pour le salut de I'homme.
d) La revelation du plan du s a lu t. II sera interesse par le
fa it que 1'idee de sacrifice pour le peche qu'il retrouve dans ses rites
d'initiation et de purification (rite du "S6“ et du "Va'a minsem") a son
origine non seulement dans ses traditions, mais aussi dans la revelation
du plan de Dieu pour l'abolision du mal. II comprendra que ses traditions
concernant le pardon peuvent etre enrichies par la revelation et qu'elles
font partie du tresor commun de toute 1'humanite, ce tresor qyant ete
providenciellement revele et conserve dans les Saintes Ecritures. II
apprendra avec int§r§t que les sacrifices fa its par les hommes, les siens
comme ceux des Israelites dans le sanctuaire et le service levitique,
sont uniquement symboliques et que la "re a lite est en Christ" qui est 3
la fois le grand prtre et le sacrifice (victime expiatoire et propiciatoire
pour nos pSchges). II sera ainsi amene 3 accepter Jesus comme son Sauveur.
II comprendra qu’ il n'est pas "un Juif" ou "un blanc" un "stranger" mais
q u 'il est "le don de Dieu" pour toute 1'humanite.
e) Christ le lib erateu r. I I sera heureux d'apprendre que la
personne et 1'enseignement du Christ lu i apporte non une nouvelle forme
d'esclavage ou de colonisalisme, mais la vraie liberation. La liberation
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de I'homme et de la femme. De tout l'horime et de tout homme. II sera
intgressg et gagng par le fa it que Jgsus n'est jamais du cote des domina-
teurs, des oppresseurs, les persScuteurs, mais de cote des opprimgs, des
affiggs et des persecutes. La profession de foi de Jesus fondge sur
les Saintes Ecritures (Esafe 61 et Luc 4) et devenue une rgalite dont,
lu i, le Beti, peut bg n ificier, car Jgsus est le Sauveur de tous les hom
ines, sans exception.
La puissance de Jgsus pour gugrir, pou chasser les demons, lu i
communiquera la sgcurite q u 'il recherche contre la maladie et le mauvais
sort.
f) L'intercession, la prigre. II apprendra avec jo ie q u 'il
peut communiquer avec Dieu, que Dieu n'est pas un Dieu lo intain, in
accessible, qu'il gcoute la prigre de ses enfants. Cette communication
lui apparaitra comme etant bien supgrieure 3 celle qu'il a tentg d'ob-
tenir avec les esprits des ancetres et qui 1' a plongg souvent dans
1'incertitude quand ce n'est pas dans le dgsespoir.
Une fois expgrimentg, le privilege de la prigre secrgte et
directe, sera pour lui 1'un des pi Tiers de la fo i.
g) Les Saintes Ecritures. Persuade, par la prigre, que Dieu
parle aux hommes, il sera prepare 3 recevoir la pensge que Dieu a parlg
aux hommes par les prophets et par son F ils (Hgb. 1:1, 2) et que les
Saintes Ecritures qui contiennent cette communication, sont inspires de
Dieu. Bien qu'gcrites par des hommes de nature et de culture diffgrentes,
elles ne sont pas 1'oeuvre de I'homne, mais la Parole de Dieu. En con
sequence, il ne considgrera plus la Bible comme un livre gcrit par les
Blancs, pour ju s t if ie r ou imposer leur re lig io n , leur conception du monde,
mais il 1'acceptera comme la Parole que Dieu adresse 3 tous les hommes,
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quelle que soit leur origine et leur culture.
h) Le baptgme.Par rapport aux ablutions que ses ancetres p ra ti-
quaient pour diffgrentes raisons, le bapt&me par immersion lui apparaTtra
comme un symbole ad£quat du changement de vie qu’implique la foi en Dieu
et en J£sus-Christ, son lib£rateur.
i) La communion fra te rn e lle . Son sens de la solidarity
trouvera 2 s'exprimer de fagon tangible dans la famille chr£tienne dans
laquelle il est entre par la foi en Dieu et en Christ. II trouvera dans
la communion fratern elle la satisfaction de ses besoins sociaux les plus
profonds.
Les reunions, les services religieux, les chants, les priSres
en communs et plus particuliSrement, les services de communion lui de-
viendront tr$s prScieux.
2) Les points de doctrines les plus difficiles 2 adopter pour
un B eti. Les points de doctrines qu'un Beti aura le plus de peine a
accepter sont ceux qui entrent en contradiction avec ses croyances et les
traditions et qui l'obligent a abondonner certaines coutumes et certaines
habitudes.
a) La nature de I'homme et 1'gtat des morts. Comme la majority
des peuples Bantous, les Beti croient que I ’homme est constituy de deux
yiyments, Tun materiel qui est le corps; et 1 'autre spirituel qui est ce
qu'on appelle I ’Sme ou l ’esp rit. Ils partagent avec d’autres peuples
du monde TidSe que la mort, n’est qu’une apparence puisqu’elle n’est
que le passage du monde visible des vivants, dans le mond invisible des
esprits des morts.
II aura done, pour des raisons affectives et psychologique,
quelque peine 2 accepter VidSe biblique du sommeil des morts, de leur
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inconscience totale jusqu'au jour de la resurrection non seulement du
corps mais de l'§tre tout entier.
b) Les relations de I'homme et de la femme. L'idge que I'homme
est le maTtre, le chef et que la femme est 13 pour le servir est profondg-
ment encrge dans l'Sme du Beti (Beti ne s ig n ifie -t# i1 pas seigneur, maTtre,
lib r e ). II aura un peu de peine 3 accepter que I'homme et la femme ont
les memes droits devant Dieu et les memes responsabi1it£s 1‘un envers
1' autre.
En consequence, la conception du mariage d'un homme et d'un
femme, tel que Dieu 1'a voulu, de la qualite exceptionnelle de cette
union de 1 'in d iso b ilite de cette union, sera d if f ic ile 3 concevoir et
demandera une certaine maturity spirituelle pour itre acceptge.
c) Le caractgre historique de la rgyglation. Du fait de son
isolement gthnique et de ses rapports historiques avec les nations mgditer-
rangennes, faussgs par le colonisalisme, le Beti aura de la peine a ad-
mettre que la rgvglation a it gtg donnge aux Semites les ancetres des
Israelites et qu'elle a it pu leur etre transmise Dar les peuples occiden-
taux qui sont aujourd'hui en Dasse de la rejeter.
Mais 1'etude de 1'h istoire des peuples d'Afrique d'une Dart, et
1'etude du dgroulement du plan de Dieu pour le salut de 1'humanite
arriveront 3 le convaincre:
a) que ses ancetres avaient certainement participe a la reve
lation primitive de la vgritg, comme tous les autres peuple de la terre;
b) que tous les hommes, tous les peuples de tout perdus en
s'gloignant de la source de la vgritg;
c) qu'en raison de cette deviation generale qui a donng
naissance 3 touts les religions crgges par les hommes. Dieu n'a trouvg
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qu'un homme 3 qui se reveler, Abraham;
d) que c'est dare la descendance de cet homme qu’il a pu se
manifester en Christ en prenant la nature humaine;
e) que dgsormais tous les peuples, y compris les Juifs, les
descendants d'Abraham, y comoris les occidentaux, y compris les Africains,
ne trouveront le salut au'en Jgsus-Christ, le sauveur de tous les hommes.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX D
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPENDIX D
AUTORIZATIONS OF RESEARCH
1- Attestation given by the President
of the Union of Seventh-day Adventists in West-Central
Africa.
2- Autorization given by M. le Prefet
de Mfou
3- Autorization given by the Delegate
General at the National office for Scientific and
technical research at Yaounde, Cameroon.
335
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. . > union de/ egli/e/ novEnn/TE/ du r jo u r
\ j ' k Efl RFRIOUE CERTRRLE
b . p . :o i 'A i ' u n u l R fcf. u n i e o u ?e l b i
YAOUNL-> I-
ATTESTATION
Je soussigne, Maurice ZEHNACKER, President de I'Union des Eglises Adventistes en Afrique Centrale, atteste que le
Pasteur Joseph NKOU
actuellement etudiant-boursier de notre Union d l'Universite Adventiste aux U .S .A . se trouve au Cameroun en vue d'y effectuer des travaux de recherches pour la preparation d'une th&se de doctorat portant sur I'enseignement de la Bible aux populations Beti du Sud-Cameroun.
En foi de quoi la presente attestation lui est dfilivrec, pour servir et valoir ce que de droit.
Fait d Yaounde, le 27 decembre 1979.
Le President
336
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PREFECTURE DE UFCU
OURE'MI DU COURCIER •*.Fru, la :2 re 7Ricr. -?cn
N» e i/L /ftQ S /B C .-
[ t PREFET DU O:? .HTClEuT DE L < lFZU b - M F Q U -
b MM. la s OGUS-PREFCT'J DE'J '.R.lcrjDT ' : ~rTT de - MFC U - 3 IKHK - i'.R-'NKfF'C - c_
«• •’ i *Li I 4 G - :COUMEU
- E . £ _ - »n
3'ai l ’honriCLT du vous fairo conujlLiv 'u-i .cn--iour
Jo3cph fiKGU, ''astaur tt t-tudiont ct, science do I'. oucj ion -ux Ctatc-Unio va puscar on vJjGur d' nviron un r.’.oii; urn" !•; U;:r.r-
tniccnt do la _Fi.'U on vuo u*y u j . rac:i r r:l i^vcs b la prtipn r j iio n ao ea tn is a oa doc t o r e t .
II va sillonnor loa vil'egcs l'.’3 <-n vuc dc lor intorrojor zur las v l ’uro et
las croyoncos fonda:;ur,Coios du L.ti t*\.u ■,...1,n.:rl.
En consdqucnce» jn vous donando do vouloir bien lu r6soj vor un bon accuoil ct do lu i Facilitcr oos rochorchcs./-
(l) <|.£»U0CK MIN YEN' o /o /
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OFFICE m i nNfL hF RECHEPEUE r.f-tfCE Fnr> s c r c y y j p-jc SC IEfTIFIQ U F ET TECHNIQUE APH TECHWir.'L [’FSF.'
DIRECTION Gr r!ERALE HE APQ"1’ PTFn!
DIVISIO j; TECHNIQUE^- t e c h v in 'i. np.'Ts:
RESEARCH-PERl'IT \ ''Jr= = -
AUTOP.ISrTIPN nE f>ECHFr,C;l£
N° 286
VU la lei n° 65/LF/5 du 22 l'ai rortartt crdatior dr l ,ftffice d?tior;-:l de le ^echerche Scienti fif'ue et Technique ^ f’INRFUL o f La1- v o S 5/L F /5 o f ?2n'* * > v , to s et en t.hp r e t i o m l r'-r ficc for Scientific and Technical "rscarch ; VU le dgcrot n° 74/619 du 3uir. 1S74 "ortant a’,rl ic^tim d"> la Lai n° E5/LF/5 di? 22 Mai 15FE susr^ntirnnd ; rlilDFUt of decree S!A 74/63E of fit.h Jimn, 1?7», to ?rriv r_5/L/S c f 22 •’e y , 10^5; VU les decrets n°s 74/P83 3 PS1 71 Pctrhn lr*74 orrtrnt orr?nis?ti,'n des I n s t i t u t s de 1 'ON/'f'EST ; VIN5FUL of decrees "os. 74/EP2 to "91 tr nr-jamize th
pr / ?■' a r e . Pa^-taor. J jvp p ji. j!JQP.U......
Press' *.* ;(r* i'VIE -VnVoV ‘deV rSTIVey TdVWfrtW W W -YDS N a 11 on a 1 i t f / U 21 i c r a 1 i ty . . .C.a Ae.r.o.u.n.a.1.s.e...... ast autori.s A * effacte'r d~s trevaux dp r-'ch erctes m Of - n *-1 ir.uo " o ie du Carrareun dans le renion de / is authorized to carry opt <;r Otjct de la recherche pcursuivie/ the subject of the fesrarc*' ie ...... I/.E^QIGNEMENT DEE LA BIBLE AUX POPULATIONS BETI DU SUD uAiitRObh. Cette autcrisation ast valaHe nour unr durde da/thi- authnri s?ti on is va lid for the ncriod o f ICQiS .(31 ''traut 6tre rt- on reour.st./-, :z:.\ ic:i:r,’AYE 338 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 33y- C >2 $ trnvoux de recherche deivcnt *t.ro oxf'cutcs sous rfscrv'- d'rbsorvati cps s t r i c t e (ics clau ses n o r t h s A N N E y F cor:r-iTioNS '■ u e m ? l i '* par t o u t curprHFi'p, p t ' t f c o r r c e t t t * i’t p ^ i s '•t t o --*. a) Le Charchaur ou l'4puiro da ch^rchaiTs dnvr-ni* rr*.r''r:’ 1’attiche d. 1 r- M ru c tio n dSnernl • d_* 1 1 r,v' "CST d*s son arrivf.-*. au f o r 'r p y r >t event It depart sit la terrain. b) Lf Chrrchaur nj I 1 an/ire d-.* ch«rcbnur? nr^nd 1 1 enr?/'r^~pt d.-* d.*rcs--r •' le Piractinn r^nfiralo de 1 ' RNAREST.-'rieux* copies du rarnort sur l-.s r '- chorchos ct les etudes et deux conies das publications so r?*>rart*rh ? ccs recherc^es en ryp-. o u la or^sonf-p ?utcri s?t . c) Lc Cbcrchour py l'ecuirn do c^erc^nors n'a ms in droit d,ei--)rrtor ri Terri teir? de 1 a nf rut "> i ny I'rin du r ap'-ir'un , dor'imp* s t •-'-•i-ts arctfo- 1 ctiowes ou a.utr^s oeuvres d’art., don4- 1 ? "roscnt-.- '■rinf cc vue. cultural un interct national. d) Les Cbercheurs d m t lr-s autnrisations ont uop dypac it-. *tr o is noi s, davront iov?ver ur ramcr* trirostriol d? l« urs frau'-iy •* i» p 1 r e c t i on r-AncraU- f’ : 1 BCST. c) Lr fbercheur d-*yra recru^cr '.n nartnnfirc- ou un o'*11.chora tc it c~'r- rcunsi s cmrn assistant ^sr.s sor foidra, f) Cette autorisation pv-rd s? vaifir c1’"11'; fc*s run lc r‘-/'rc, i-,jr nu l'f- ouire do ct-ercheurs ouitto I-.' Trrr’ to ir'1 Ca^dreupais fv.’ n*- li d?t' cr 1 'expiration r-s-o si e'est ■'•'•jr '» re''rpir -'i' Iru* t'ros ;. L'intf- rcssf dcvrs *■-1 adrassor dr- nouveau aux autcritfs comf-tr ptrs pour une pruvell/' autorisaticn. cooocoonoc°ocoocoocc' a) The pcsr.archer or roserrc1' tea1- stoll *'o ronuirrd tr contact t ! c v?.*r'- c u a rts rs of .'Vt-'.REST, i r person i r m d i n t l y on a r r iv a l end Kr f i r - •■■r-cro- dinr to ani/ ''art of the Upi*ed Pnnuhiic n.' C’r-mrp "‘■cr rosoarct is tc >-o carri?-1 cut. b) - t the end of his/^or ectivitine and -«foro dor.prti'r-' fm r the ’’nitrd FfnuMic rf r.n-frnrn, t uo "f <;n»rr.her or r*so?.rci' *''?*■' r1*?!1 in ? d''i ti m tc t^is nut.hrrizaticn deposit corios o'* romrt of fi^ld ros'?rc-' <»’orlf (tvr'/',J) Mith the rirnc^or "ororal of n'r prc.T, r d **'pr-after, '"’t east tvo co^ips of all i-ii^poijnnt. '•”‘■1 icetiops rosulti r n fro" t.tp field vert effected in tK? L'pite'', Dapi»^lic of rfr"rrrr, c) Urder no circnrst’nees shall tue rrsoerch-'r or research toa'- allev-^ t r c a rrv uvti nMr-cts of cultural vain1 cr ',rrnr'»nfs of octional irterest to th° ''nited nonutlic of r*r-rpor.n ■dHr.nt a couorint le tt'r or approval fro*e the- crmet.rnt authorities. d) researchers *-ith research nornits exceedin'* throe '■f.nths stall nm s.rt quarterly ropcrts of their field to tue Headryapte-rs of e) The lesearcbor rr rosearch tear stall ho r-^H'cH to rrcrut a or^:.r^rr^.'-' ccunter-nart or cfilla1cr?tpr or assistant 1n hi- research trap. f) This authorization loses its voliditv onco t.S? researrh-r or resoarc-'- tear- leaves the United penuhlic of r cT“proon before the dntr- its expira tion. In this oasu the cornetant authorities stall hnvp to h^ cnntacted arte for a frosh authorization./- Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. BIBLIOGRAPHY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. BIBLIOGRAPHY Akers, Georqe, and Moon, Robert. "Integrating Learning Faith and Practice in Christian Education,"Journal of Adventist Educat ion, Summer 1980, pn. 17-31. Alexandre, Pierre- and Binet Jacques. Lp Groupe d it Pahouin. Paris: Presses Universitairps de France, I9b8. Alnbo- Thomas. La Rencontre du fhristianisme avec le groupe Fanq-Beti. m.A. thesis, Sherbrooke University, October 1978. Anderson, F. Team Teaching in Christian Education. Chicaqo: Aaron Markuson, 1972, Appiah-Kubi, Kofi and Sergio Torres, Eds. African Theology en Route, New York: Orbis Books, 1977. Balandier, Georges. Sociologie actuelle de l'Afrique Noire. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1963. Bankole, Timothy. Missionary Shepherds and African Sheep. Ibadan, Nigeria: Daystar Press, 1971. Bavinck, J.H. An Introduction to the Science of Missions. Philadel phia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1960. Beaver, Pierce. The Missionary between the Times. New-York: floubledav. 1968. 1968. Becken, Hans-Jurgen. Relevant Theology for A frica. Durban, Natal: Lutherman Publishing House, 1973. Beetham, T.A. Christianity and the New A frica. New York: Praeger, 1967. B ella, S ita. "La Femme Africaine et la Bible." in Mveng and Werblow- sky Black Africa and the Bible. Jerusalem: Israel In te rfa ith Committee, 1972. 341 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 342 Benson, C.L. Teachinq Techniques for Sunday School. Abinqdon Press, 1968. Berman, E.H. African Reactions to Missionary Education. New York: Teachers College Press, 1975. Beti, Mongo. Mission Terminee. Paris: Bucher/Chastel, 1958. . Le Pauvre Christ de Bomba. Paris: Robert Laffont, 1956. ______. Perpetue. Paris: Buchet/Chastel, 1974. ______. Rember Ruben. Paris: Union Generale d'Editeurs,1974. Boto, Eza. Ville Cruelle. Paris: Editions Africaines, 1954. Brown, Parbo, and H.C. Preparing for Effective Bible Teaching. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971. Blihlmann, The Mission on T r ia l. New York: Orbis Book, 1979. Bureau de Recensement. Combien Sommes Nous. Yaounde, Cameroon, Ministere de l'Economie et du Plan, 1976. Chapman Geoffrey. Ed. Africa's Way to L ife . London: Chapman, G..1966. Colson, H.P. Preparing to Teach the Bible. Nashville: Convention Press, 1970. Crum, Mason. The Project Method in Religious Education. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971. Desai, Ram. Ed. C hristianity in A frica. Denver: Akan Swallow, 1962. Dickson, K.,and P. Ellingworth. Eds. B iblical Revelation and African Belief. London: Lutterwortn Press, 1972. ______. "Theologica Africana" in New Testament Christianity for A fri ca and the World. Edited by Glaswell London: SPCK, 1974. . "Continuity and Discontinuity between the OT and African Life end Thought." in Afric?n Theoloby en Route. Edited by Kofi Appiah-Kubi: New-York : “0rbis Books, 1977, pp. 95-108. Dinwiddy, H. "Mission and Missionnaries as Portrayed by English speaking Writers of Contemporary African Literature'.' in Christiani ty in A frica. Edited by Ram Desai, Denver A Swallow, 1962. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 343 Drakeford, J.W. Experimental Bible Study. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1974. Dugast, Irene. Inventaire ethnique du Sud Cameroun. Yaounde, Cameroon: In s titu t Francais d'Afrique Noire, 1949. Eavery, C.B. How to Be Efficient Sunday School Teachers. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zonderwon Publishing House, 1955. Edge, F.B. Helping the Teachers. Nashville: Broadway Press, 1959. Ekitike, Behounde. Une Lecture de Perpetue. Sherbrooke University, 1978. Erickson, . The Living God. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979. ______, . The New L ife . Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979. Evouna, Michel. Recherche sur 1‘ Education T rad itio n elle. Yaounde, Cameroon: CNE. 1968. Fernandez, J.W. Fang Architechtonics. Philadelphia: In s titu te of Human Issues, 1977. Fortes, M.,and G. Dieterlen . African Systems of Thought. London: Oxford University Press, date. Fueter, P.D. "The Bible and Nyakvusa Religion." Ministry, 3:1 (October 1962): pp 3-8 Gangel, K.O. Understanding Teachinq. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1956. Gerber, Charles Bible Studies. Dammarie-les-Lys, France: Editions Signes des Temps. 1949. Glasswell.M.E.and W.Fashole-Luke . New Testament Christianity for Africa and the World. London: SPCK, 1974. Gregory, J.M. The Seven Laws of Teachinq. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977. Hastings, Adrian. Christian Marriage in Africa. London: SPCK, 1973. Horton, Robin. "Conference: 'The High God in A fric a .1" Odu 2:2, 1966. Jacobs, Donald R. "African Culture and African Church," in A New Look at Christianity in Africa. WSCF Books, Vol. 2, No 2. pp. 5 to 8. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 344 Kinney, John W. The Theology of John M biti. Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research, 3:2(April 1979), pp. 65-67. K raft, Charles, and Wisley, Tom. Eds. Readings in Dynamic Indigeneity. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1979. Krejcie, Robert V., and Morgan, Daryle. "Determining Sample Size for Research A c tiv itie s , " Educational and Psychological Measurement 30,(Autumn 1979):607610. Laburthe-Tolra, Philippe. "Minlaaba. Histoire et Societe tradi- tionelle chez les Beti du Cameroun.'Aix en Provence, 1979. Lefever, M.L. Turnabout Teaching. Elgin, Illin o is : David C. Cook Publishing Co., 1973. Maquet, Jacques. A fric a n ity —The Cultural Unity of Black A frica. London: Oxford University Press, 1972. Marella, Paul Cardinal. Meeting the African Religions. Rome: Libe ria Editrice Abciram, 1969. Mballa Owono, R. L'Enfant et son Milieu dans le Contexte Traditionel A fricain. Le Cas de 1 'Enfant B eti. Yaounde, Cameroon.1978. Mbarga, Lucien. "Valeurs Humaines et Pastorales de"l'Ati" M.A. thesis, Inst, de Pastorale Cathechese de Paris, June 1968. Mbede, Raymond. "Des Formes d'Emprises personalisees aux rapports de transaction de type commande: Etude de Psychologie experi- mentale sur le Beti du Sud Cameroun." Doctoral dissertation, Universite de Paris. 1979. M biti, John S. African Religions and Philosophy. New York: Praeger, 1969. ______. "New Testament eschatology in an African Background* in Charles Kraft and Tom Wisley Readings in Dynamic Indigeneity. William Carey Library, 1979.pp.455-465. ______. Concepts of God in A frica. London: SPCK, 1970 Mfoulou, J. "The Catholic Church from Misunderstanding to Opposition" in E.H. Berman African Reactions to Missionary Education. New York: Teachers College Press, 1975. Moulongo, Doumbe. Les Coutunes et le Droit au Cameroun. Yaounde Cameroun: Editions CLE, 1972. M'Timkulu, Donald. Beyond Independence. New York: Friendship Press, 1970. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 345 Mushete, Ngindu. "The History of Theology in Africa" in Apiah Kubi, African Theology en Route. New York: Orbis Books, 1977. Mveng, Engelbert. Histoire du Cameroun. Paris: Presence Africaine, 1963. Mveng, Engelbert, and Werblowsky, R .J.Z., Black Africa and the Bible. Jerusalem: Israel In terfaith Committee, 1972. Ngoa, Henry. Le Marriage des Ewondo. Doctor of Sociology dessertation, Sorbonne, Paris, 1968. Njon, Bebe.Problems Africains d1Education. Yaounde, Cameroon: CNE, 1979. Ngugi, John. The River Between. London: Heinemann, 1972. Ngoumou, Pie Claude. Ein Beitraq Zur Religion der Ewondo Sprechenden B e ti. Vienna: Berger, 1977. Nichol, Francis D., ed. Seventh -day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7 . (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1953-1957) (Hereafter abreviated SDABC). Niebuhr, Richard. Christ and Culture. New York: Harper, 1956. Nkada, D. "L'Avenir des funeraiTies dans la societe 3eti." M.A. thesis, Sherbrooke University, March 1977. Nkou Joseph. Le Bonheur Chez Soi. Yaounde, Cameroun: Imprimerie I.M .A ., 1968. ______. “ L'Eglise Adventiste en Afrique Equatoriale." B.A.thesis Collonges-Sous-Saleves, France: 1972. Nyamitti, Charles. "Approaches to African Theology, in"The Emergent Gospel. New York : Serqio Torres , Ed. 1978 . The Scope of African Theology. Kampala: Gaba Publicat ions, 1973. Okolo, Chukwudum B. "Diminished Man and Theology: A third World Perspective." AFER, 18:2 (1976) P h illip s , G. The Old Testament in the World Church. London: Lutter worth Press, 1948. Pierce, R.A. Leading Dynamic Bible Study. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971. Pinnock, C.H. Biblical Revelation. Chicago: Moody Press, 1971. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 346 Pummer, F. Soul Winning Teacher. London: Flamming H. Revel Co., 1911. Pobee, J.S. Toward an African Theology. Nashville: Abingdon, 1979. Ranger, Terence. "The Church, the Nationalist and African Religion," in Christianity in Independent A frica. Edited by Fashole'- Luke and R. Gray. London: Rex Collins, 1978. ______. The Historical Study of African Religions. Los Angeles: California Press, 1972. Richard, L.O. Creative Bible Teachinq. Chicago:Moody Press, 1970. Sawyerr, H. Creative Evangelism. London: Lutterworth Press. 1958. Shorter, Aylward. African Culture and the Christian Church. New York: Orbis books, 1974. Stransky, Thomas F. "Mission in the 1980's" Occasional Bulletin of Missionary Research3:2 (April 1929): pp. 45-48. Swett, John. Methods o f Teachinq. New York, American Book Co., 1880. Taryor, L. Impact of the African Tradition on Christianity. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilm Int., 1976. Tetoum, Abraham. "La Polygamie et le Christianisme en pavs Bamileke." M.A. thesis, Universite de Montpellier, France: 1966. Towa, Marcien. Essai sur la Problematique Philosophique dans I'Afrique Actuelle. Yaounde, Cameroom : Editions CLE, 1979. Turner, H.W. Profile through Preaching. London, Edinburq House Press. 1965. Vas, H.F. Effective Bible Study. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1956. Vine, Chikudi Izeobu "Seventh-day Adventist Education in Nigeria" in African Reactions to Missionary Education . Edited bv E.H. Berman. New York: Teachers College Press, 1975, pp.165-75. Wall, A.F. "Africa and C hristianity," in Mission Focus, 6:7, (November 1978, pp. 15-20) Weber, R.H. The Communication of the Gospel to Illit e r a t e s . Madras: The Christian Literature Society, 1960. White, Ellen G. Christ Objection Lessons. Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1900. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 347 White, Ellen G. Desire of Ages. Moutain View, C alifornia: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898. ______. Education. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1952. ______. Evangel ism. Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publis- ing Association, 1946. ______. Fundamentals of Christian Education. Nashville, Tenessee: Southern Publishing Association, 1923. ______. Gospel Workers. Moutain View, C alifornia: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1915. . "Letter to a Leading Missionary Worker in Africa,"M.S. 491, pp. 114, 115. ______. The Ministry of Healing. Moutain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1905. ______. Prophets and Kings. Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Association, 1898. . Testimonies for the Church, Moutain View, California, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1923. ______. Selected Messages, Book 1. Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958. Wilson, Cl iffo rd A. Jesus the Master Teacher. Grand Rapids, .Michigan: Baker Book House, 1977. Wilson, M onica. Religion and the Transformation of Society . Cambridge University Press, 1971. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. VITA Name: Joseph Nkou Date and Place of Birth: 1941 Akonolinqa, Cameroon Undergraduate and Graduate Schools Attended: Seminaire Adventiste du Saleve, France University of Paris X, Nanterre, France University of Yaounde, Cameroon Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan Degrees Awarded: 1972 Licence in Theology Seminaire Adventiste du Saleve 1975 University Diploma of Literary Studies University of Yaounde 1976 Licence in Literary Studies University of Yaounde 1978 Master of Arts (Education) Andrews University 1980 Doctor of Education (Religious Education) Andrews University Professional Experience: 1960-65 Secondary Teacher, Cameroon 1972-75 Evangelist, Douala and Yaounde. Canaroon 1975-77 Chairman. Theology Deoartnent Seminaire Adventiste d'Etudes Superieures pour I'A friru e Francophone Nanga-Eboko, Cameroon Actual Position: Director, Department of Education African and Indian Ocean Division of Seventh-day Adventists Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.