Meet the President - Rockhurst University
Meet the President - Rockhurst University
Meet the President - Rockhurst University
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Two <strong>Rockhurst</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>the</strong>ology professorsreflect on why <strong>the</strong> African roots of <strong>the</strong> Bible go unnoticed.By Jamie Sievering, MBA ’06What does Jesuslook like? Theimages you’velikely known allyour life of Jesusand o<strong>the</strong>rs in Christian history maynot reflect <strong>the</strong>ir true appearances. Buteven if that’s <strong>the</strong> case, does it reallymatter what he looks like?First, a few facts. Did you knowthat Moses’ wife was Ethiopian? Andsome of <strong>the</strong> early Roman Catholicpopes were black? Jesus had ancestorsof African descent. After Israel andEgypt, Ethiopia is mentioned morethan any o<strong>the</strong>r nation in <strong>the</strong> OldTestament. Many Egyptian pharaohswere of Ethiopian descent. The Nileactually starts in Ethiopia.Today, <strong>the</strong> rich heritage of Ethiopia— and <strong>the</strong> rest of Africa — seems allbut left out of Christian teachings.But if Africa and its people are soengrained in <strong>the</strong> Bible and <strong>the</strong> earlyChristian church, why don’t we knowmuch about it?“It’s in <strong>the</strong>re, but people are blindto it,” says Daniel Stramara Jr., Ph.D.,assistant professor of <strong>the</strong>ology andreligious studies, who specializesin early church history. “A lot ofCaucasian Americans are obliviousto <strong>the</strong> biases that get unconsciouslyput forth.”A prime example is <strong>the</strong> blondhaired,blue-eyed image of Jesusmany Americans have grown up with.“He looks like a white guy,” saysStramara, “but Jesus was really oliveskinned. He’s a Mediterranean Jew,and some of his ancestors were fromAfrica. From a historical point ofview, that’s just <strong>the</strong> way it is.”According to Stramara, people ofAfrican heritage in <strong>the</strong> Bible tend tobe ignored by those who see <strong>the</strong> peopleand stories through a Caucasianlens. To have a fair perspective, all ofChristianity needs to be understoodin a balanced historical context sono group is ei<strong>the</strong>r overemphasizedor neglected.An interest in researching misguidedperceptions about ethnicityin <strong>the</strong> Bible is why Stramara traveledto Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in November2005, to attend <strong>the</strong> InternationalConference on <strong>the</strong> Bible and ItsAfrican Roots. Along with educators,pastors and seminary students fromaround <strong>the</strong> world, Stramara met withdignitaries and locals, worshippedin local churches and visited holyand historical sites in a crossculturaleffort to reclaim some of<strong>the</strong> African heritage that is overlookedin <strong>the</strong> Bible.His trip brought him face to facewith Lucy, <strong>the</strong> oldest known humanoid,who was found in Ethiopia; ledhim into <strong>the</strong> depths of a mountainwhere churches are carved from <strong>the</strong>earth; and introduced him to PrimeMinister Meles Zenawi in a discussionsession aimed at promotingbetter ties between black Americansand Ethiopians. Both Stramara, whois eager to share his experiences withstudents, and Craig Prentiss, Ph.D.,associate professor of <strong>the</strong>ology andreligious studies, explore <strong>the</strong> growingdebate in <strong>Rockhurst</strong> courses such asChristianity II; Eastern Christianity;Religion in America; and Religion,Ethnicity and Race.Daniel Stramara Jr., Ph.D., assistantprofessor of <strong>the</strong>ology and religious studies,traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, inNovember to explore <strong>the</strong> Bible’s neglectedAfrican heritage.<strong>Rockhurst</strong>4spring 2006 13