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Wisdom and Initiation in Gabon

Bonaventure Mvé Ondo
€102.99
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A01=Bonaventure Mve Ondo
Aesthetics
African History
African Mythology
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Anthropology
Arts
Author_Bonaventure Mve Ondo
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B06=James F. Barnes
Category1=Non-Fiction
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Category=JBGB
Category=JFHF
Category=JHM
Category=QDTS
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Cultural Anthropology
Cultural Studies
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Language_English
Literature
Literature and the Arts
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Price_€50 to €100
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World Studies Literature

Product details

  • ISBN 9780739181447
  • Weight: 404g
  • Dimensions: 160 x 239mm
  • Publication Date: 05 Dec 2013
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
  • Publication City/Country: US
  • Product Form: Hardback
  • Language: English
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Description
Wisdom and Initiation in Gabon: A Philosophical Analysis of Fang Tales, Myths, and Legends is a study of the philosophical significance of Fang mythology and the rituals of Initiation that lead to Wisdom. Bonaventure Mvé Ondo argues that Fang tales, myths, and legends are components of the foundation of a worldview that sustains and protects a unique, historical Fang identity. For Mvé Ondo, the contemporary challenges to the existence and identity of the Fang require, perhaps more than ever, recognition of the central role of mythology. At an historical moment when Africans are faced with the challenges of westernization, the metaphysics of the Fang, illustrated and preserved by tales, myths, and legends, is a critical element of Fang survival. Mythology is far more than a collection of amusing or awe inspiring stories, they are profoundly important moral lessons for the Fang in their continuing encounters with such contemporary challenges as materialism and, as the “stories” in this book illustrate, the constant struggle to live lives of purpose and meaning. For Mvé Ondo, the critical, central issue for the Fang is to focus on the distinction at the heart of his analysis, i.e., the crucial distinction between “to have” and to “to be.” The lessons transmitted from generation to generation by these marvelous stories are, Mvé Ondo argues, central to living lives that reflect and perpetuate the eternal truths of the Fang experience.
About Bonaventure Mve Ondo

Bonaventure Mvé Ondo was born near the city of Oyem in the Gabonese Fang heartland, and is the author of several books that explore Fang history and culture. He served as the rector of Omar Bongo University in Libreville, Gabon, and most recently as vice-rector of the Association of Francophone Universities. In 2013, he was inducted into the French Legion of Honor for his contributions to the advancement of Francophone education.

James F. Barnes is professor of political science at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. He is the author of Gabon: Beyond the Colonial Legacy and co-editor with Michael Reed of Culture, Politics and Ecology in the Gabonese Rainforest. He has also authored several commentaries and articles on Gabonese politics.

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