What Is Not Sacred?

Book Description

In a world where spiritual traditions often clash rather than complement each other, scholar Laurenti Magesa presents a transformative exploration of how ancient African spirituality continues to thrive alongside Christianity. Rather than viewing these as competing forces, he reveals how traditional African religious wisdom has persisted through centuries of missionary influence, offering profound insights for contemporary spiritual seekers.

Magesa challenges readers to reconsider fundamental assumptions about the sacred, proposing that recognizing the inherent holiness in all existence can revolutionize our connections with others, different cultures, the divine, and our natural environment. His work demonstrates how African spiritual traditions, far from being displaced by Christianity, have maintained their vitality and continue to provide valuable guidance for modern life.

The book unfolds in two complementary sections. First, Magesa examines how traditional African spirituality shapes human understanding and governs relationships between people and their environment. He then bridges ancient wisdom with contemporary concerns, illustrating how these spiritual principles can enrich interfaith conversations, inform ethical governance, advance peace and justice efforts, and deepen Christian practice in our interconnected global society.

For readers seeking to expand their spiritual horizons beyond familiar boundaries, this work offers a respectful yet bold invitation to discover wisdom traditions that have sustained communities for generations while remaining remarkably relevant to today's spiritual and social challenges.