Read Isaiah 58:6-10, then read the last paragraph of chapter 16 of Things Fall Apart. What themes do these two passages share? As Christians, we are called to more than just "saving" people, getting them to pray a prayer of salvation. We are called to live an "abundant life" and to bring others into it through discipleship. What have you learned about being God's instrument for healing in a broken world?
Watch the first 4 minutes of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icziYULmHJc How does its message connect to the themes of Things Fall Apart? What could the missionaries (particularly those under the leadership of Rev. James Smith) have learned from this video in their quest to fulfill the Great Commission and help the poor? As a Christian, how do you relate to the message of this video from your own experience with missions and evangelism?
Continuing from last week (when we discussed the fact that it is not possible to approach difficult parts of history without bias), this week’s Question of the Week will address a differing view of colonialism and imperialism from last week’s video:
PART 2: Read the article handed out in class today by Dinesh D’Souza, an American immigrant from India. React to it. What aspects of colonialism does he bring to light? What do you think this article gets right? Are there any important aspects of colonization that the article misses? Why does D’Souza say he can give two cheers, but not three? (Reminder: There is no need to answer every single question posed here, just choose a topic related to the article that you find interesting and comment on it.) As we discussed in class today, it is not possible to approach difficult parts of history without bias. With that in mind, the next two questions of the week will address various views of colonialism and imperialism: PART 1: Watch this 5 minute video about the history of British colonialism: https://youtu.be/CHrHgnRswhM React to it:
This is a controversial question, but I think you all are mature enough to have an intelligent discussion about it. It is one of the central questions I’d like to focus on for this novel: Is it possible for one culture or society to be better than another? To answer this you must explain what you mean by “better.”
(Please be aware that I may comment as a “devil's advocate.” My goal is not to argue my personal opinion but to get you to think and develop your thoughts about this ultimate issue.) "If you only hear one side of the story, you have no understanding at all," (Chinua Achebe, The Atlantic Online, Aug 2, 2000).
Achebe wrote this novel because he was tired of reading novels about Africa written only from a Western perspective. These books often portrayed African cultures as stupid and homogeneous, and he wanted to show that these cultures (though flawed) had an organized government with a rich way of life. Until this novel, people only read about one side of the story. Things Fall Apart changed that. With that in mind, what does the quote above mean and where have you seen this idea illustrated in your own life? Look up the definition of humility. An important theme one could take from the novel we are about to read is that humility is an essential trait for human beings to have: we must be humble in how we interact with people, particularly people who are different from us. (I think of Micah 6:8, which calls for us to walk humbly with God.) What do you think about this? Can you describe a situation in which you or a loved one learned how to exercise humility (or should have)?
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Non-Western LiteratureGuidelinesThe whole purpose of this assignment - whether you're reacting to an idea, sharing your own story, or analyzing the reading - is to discuss the ultimate issues of life. With that in mind, make sure that you: Archives
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