Date of Award
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2023.
Degree Name
Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL)
Director
James Nati
Abstract
When we hear of proverbs, we tend to think of pithy sayings that are witty and memorable. Proverbs are found in many cultures, and naturally, proverbs form part of the Bible. Biblical and African proverbs can contribute to nourishing the Christian life and its reflection. Acquisition of wisdom and knowledge through proverbs can bring a person to awareness of how God reveals God’s self—helping a person to be more attuned to self, others, and the environment around them. The Book of Proverbs offers a source of reflection for the church traditions, while African proverbs offer great resources for reflecting the people's lived experiences. The biblical and African proverbs use metaphors, images, and languages that connect to people in a personal way, and challenging them to reflect deeply are great resources for reflecting on discernment.
This thesis examines how cultural values expressed through proverbs can contribute to enriching Christian Spirituality. The goal is to demonstrate how the lived experience expressed through various proverbs can help us appreciate the wisdom found in Ignatius of Loyola’s understanding of discernment. This thesis seeks to put a cross a contextualized cultural wisdom, in this case, the Gῖkũyu people of Central Kenya in dialogue with Biblical wisdom expressed through the Book of Proverbs to highlight the key elements found in Ignatius of Loyola’s process of discernment.
Recommended Citation
Ng'ang'a, Patrick M., "Biblical and African Proverbs as a Framework for Studying Spirituality: Exploring the Role of Proverbs Among the Gῖkữyữ People of Kenya" (2023). Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations. 111.
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/jst_dissertations/111