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Olaudah equiano perspectives
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Olaudah Equiano was an African male born into a religion where he believed in one higher power and that art and music were an important part of his religion. Africans used art and music to express ideas. Positive thinking was encouraged by the African beliefs. Not too long after Equiano’s journey starts, he is converted to Christianity. His African beliefs and way of life helped him adopt Christianity and be faithful to God throughout his travels. At first, when he converts he makes it important not to violate the Ten Commandments. Equiano’s loyalty for God was like none other. The role of religion in Equiano’s life is important because it affects the way he thinks, for example, Equiano believed that his life was predestined and over …show more content…
time he starts to express more Methodist beliefs.
His beliefs were also his strength as he persevered through constant struggle and upheaval in order to obtain his freedom. In the following quote, it is obvious that religion is an important component in Equiano's attainment of selfhood and identity throughout: “...I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word, and to implant the seeds of piety in me, even one of the meanest of his creatures.” In Chapter 1, as Equiano describes the religion of his people, it is noticeable that there are quite a few similarities to Christianity and Judaism, such as the belief of one Creator being and the practice of circumcision. While he claimed to practice the religion of the Eboe land in which he was raised, Equiano soon learned of Christianity and began to embrace its teachings. Even before he converted, Equiano grew sensible of a God that existed and was aware of him, often praying and attempting to order his behavior along Christian teachings, even going so far as to …show more content…
believing himself to have offended God when Pascal sold him to Captain Doran. “I was sensible of the invisible hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace.
Now the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for salvation.” It is in this very quote that Equiano reveals the nature of his faith to be one of humility and acceptance of his sinfulness. Upon finishing his Arctic voyage, Equiano is determined to seek out religion in a deeper and more meaningful manner. Like many men searching for truth, he visits the churches of several different religions and finds most of them “lackluster.” He turns to the Scriptures and finds sustenance there, preferring his quiet times to church services, and eventually meets with an old man with whom he discussed a new conception of Christianity. This conception, centered around faith rather than on simply good actions, which was inspirational to him. As he continued to study, however, he realized that even this faith was not enough. His conversion took place while he was reading the Book of Acts and reflecting on his life. He felt that the "invisible hand of God" was present in everything he had done, and wept at the thought of his sinfulness and
debt for God's forgiveness, which marked a new phase in his definition of his identity. He eventually embraces Methodism and the idea of the free gift of salvation as central to the Christian message, which becomes central his life from then on. He has difficulty working with men who are indifferent toward religion, and makes ardent efforts to convert men who were not Christian. His religion allows him to enter into the European culture and establish his credentials for his readers. In essence, he makes himself more familiar and less 'other' by his embrace of Christianity, thus his religion is deep and personal, but it is also a way for him to become part of the cultural mainstream and more effectively disseminate his abolitionist views. Until he was converted, he believed that good works were most important, and so he was diligent in keeping the Commandments, only really failing to avoiding blasphemy. This God watched over mankind, and Equiano believed the the good things that happened to him were God's praise, while the bad things were mistakes to be learned from. Equiano spoke often of being favored by Providence and even referred to himself as a predestinarian, one who believes that his life's course was already ordained, and so it was his responsibility to accept this. God is very present in Equiano's life. When he "damns" the ship out of frustration when pumping water, he ascribes the subsequent near-wreck of the ship to his curse. God is even more “present” when Equiano is born again and converts to Protestantism. Equiano reports that he feels a great peace due to his intimate relationship with God. Not only does he no longer fear death, he actually welcomes it as meaning he is closer to God. Equiano distinguishes between the Christianity of white slave holders and the "true" Christianity practiced by himself and his Methodist and Quaker friends, emphasizing the hypocrisy of the slave owners in part of their faith. He even goes as far as touting the simple faith of his African brethren as being more honest and legitimate, comparing them with the Jews. White Christians involved in the slave trade were hypocritical in regards to their faith as they did not live up to the simplest tenets outlined in the Bible and allowed greed, lust, pride, and anger to permeate their hearts in spite of their professed faith. They undermined God's authority by placing His creatures in bondage, and blindly defined their slaves as immoral, full of vice, and ignorant; Pretending to be pious by attending church and exulting in their public displays of religiosity while beating and cursing their slaves in private, they ignored the Ten Commandments and blasphemed the name of God. By the end of his journey, Equiano not only exemplified the true tenets of Christianity, he also realized that the invisible hand of God was in every event of his life, ultimately understanding he has learned a lesson of "morality and religion."
Finding a way in life can be difficult. Following that way can be even more difficult, especially when it goes against someone's origin. In Acts of Faith, Eboo Patel tells his story of what it was like to struggle through finding himself. Patel asks the question of "How can I create a society of religious pluralism?" throughout the book, and raises implications about what our children are being taught in different societies throughout the world.
wasn’t always a devoted agnostic he was raised by religious parents, in a dual religion household where
Equiano recalls his childhood in Essaka (an Igbo village formerly in northeast Nigeria), where he was adorned in the tradition of the "greatest warriors." He is unique in his recollection of traditional African life before the advent of the European slave trade. Equally significant is Equiano's life on the high seas, which included not only travels throughout the Americas, Turkey and the Mediterranean; but also participation in major naval battles during the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), as well as in the search for a northwest passage led by the Phipps expedition of 1772-1773. Equiano also records his central role, along with Granville Sharpe, in the British Abolishionist Movement. As a major voice in this movement, Equiano petitioned the Queen of England in 1788. He was appointed to t...
First published in 1789, Volume I focuses on Equiano’s short time in Africa followed by his treacherous journey as a slave. He begins the narrative with an in depth description of his homeland of Nigeria, speaking of their food, clothes, and religious views. He then recounts the events following his kidnapping, as well as the treacherous expedition from Africa to the West Indies known as the Middle Passage. Once in the West Indies, Equiano saw firsthand the selling of his countrymen. While there, he was not purchased, so Equiano was taken to Virginia, where he labored in the fields of a plantation. Not long after arriving in Virginia, Equiano was sold to Henry Pascal, a lieutenant in the British navy. After purchasing Equiano, Pascal returned to England. During their journey, Pascal renamed Equiano Gustavus Vassa. Once in England, Equiano began to go to church with his new friend Robert Baker, who began to teach him to read and write. Pascal later sent Equiano to work for his sisters, the Guerins. The Guerins promoted his education and Christianity, and eventually, the sisters convinced Pascal to permit Equiano to be baptized. Eqiano was extremely loyal to Pascal, but after a few years the slave was sold to James Doran. Equiano was astonished th...
much about many of the local native beliefs. But he has also learned of death, hatred,
Religion is one of the defining features of Equiano’s life story. Equiano was first exposed to Christianity when he was about twelve years old and during his primary arrival in England and he first experienced the sight of snow. Equiano was curious and he asked someone to find out that God created it. This is an experience in which he becomes more acquainted with God. Equiano goes to church and is in awe of the place as he has never been in such a setting before.
...h Equaino, and he asked Equaino why the white men on board swear, lie, and get drunk when they know what Equaino knows, but Equaino is the only one to not participate in those activities. Equaino responds with, “the reason was that they did not fear God, and that if anyone of them died so, they could not go to, or be happy with God” (128-129). Equiano truly believed in leading a life that he preached so that he could one day be united with God.
During 1766, Olaudah Equiano learnt to read the bible and seen amazement at the exact laws and rules his country, Nigeria, have always abided by. After becoming baptized, Equiano identified himself with the Christian abolitionists in England and began to write his first autobiography about Ibo religion. Equiano elaborates on how Christianity correlates with the African descent and its culture. In his passage, he describes the similarities between the Jews and the Africans—from circumcision to offerings, from purifications to washings, from believing in one Creator to life after death.
Everyone contributes something to the common stock; and, as we are unacquainted with idleness, we have no beggars” (39). The concept of slavery was accepted as a part of the culture and even in the fields of Isseke, Africa slaves were put to work. “Sometimes indeed, we sold slaves to them, but they were only prisoners of war, or such among us as had been convicted of kidnapping or adultery, and some other crimes, which we esteemed heinous.” (38) Equiano’s fortune landed him in the hands of a wealthy widow who purchased him from the traders who had kidnapped him. He lived the life as a companion to the widow and her son.
The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equiano's own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equiano's long, remarkable journey. Through Equiano's own experiences, the reader uncovers just how massive a role religion played in the part of his Narrative and in that of his own life. More specifically, we learn of how his religious conversion meant a type of freedom as momentous as his own independence from slavery. As one reads his tale, one learns just how dedicated he his to that of his Christian faith; from his constant narration of the scriptures to the way that Equiano feels a growing sense of empowerment from the biblical texts for the oppressed community. However, at the same time, one may question Equiano's own Christian piety. Did Equiano really seek to tell the tale of his soul's spiritual journey, did he really believe God would set him free or was he simply using religion as a ways of manipulating British and American readers to accept him as a credible narrator. Regardless of which of these facts is true, religion is quite possibly the defining feature of his life story.
After Ultima dies, balance is restored. Antonio learns how to combine ways from Catholicism and Paganism to create a new set of beliefs that guide the rest of his life. Antonio’s combining of the two religions show that both share similarities. All religions borrow idealisms and even practices from others to create new religions. In doing so, many people learn to come together and find peace by practicing religions that they feel will help them be the best person they can grow to be and that is what Antonio
Olaudah Equiano in his Interesting Narrative is taken from his African home and thrown into a Western world completely foreign to him. Equiano is a slave for a total of ten years and endeavors to take on certain traits and customs of Western thinking. He takes great pains to improve himself, learn religion, and adopt Western mercantilism. However, Equiano holds on to a great deal of his African heritage. Throughout the narrative, the author keeps his African innocence and purity of intent; two qualities he finds sorely lacking in the Europeans. This compromise leaves him in a volatile middle ground between his adapted West and his native Africa. Olaudah Equiano takes on Western ideals while keeping several of his African values; this makes him a man associated with two cultures but a member of neither.
In, conclusion the experiences of Equiano’s servitude in Africa differed from his experience in England. The African slave trade primarily was based upon providing jobs to families or punishment to real criminals. Many times the cruel example of being kidnapped from your village and forced into this way of life was also prevalent. This narrative contains the terrifying events of a young a child being held captive. The sources we have of the truth from this period of time are limited and hard to obtain. Servitude still exists to today in many parts of Africa and will remain a common part of their
...ificed for all the sins of mankind. Feeling ashamed and sad, he questions his own faith by saying that his son was too young to have scaped world s and flesh s rage (Lines8, 9). Finally, he uses a tender word like peace to signal that he has accepted his son s death, forgiven himself and God, and realizes that everything will be all right.
He had found, "God had, in the obedience of Jesus Christ, reconciled humanity to himself." "What was required of mankind, therefore, was not strict adherence to law or the fulfillment of religious obligations, but a response of faith that accepted what God had done." In other words he realized that religion is based on love and not fear. Basically, he realized that everyone is burdened by sin because it happens as a result of our weaknesses. He concluded that man could never earn his salvation by leading a blameless life or by performing holy acts. Instead, man's salvation was a divine gift from God resulting from faith in Jesus, especially the saving power of his death and resurrection. This was known ...