Rahab, Identity Transformation, and Reconciliation in the African Great Lakes Communities

Abstract

Abstract African communities are plagued by the cult of origins. Identity has become an important factor in how people manage their communities and relationships. The role of identity in social and political life has caused frustrations and violence, placing identity politics at the forefront of scholarly discourse as well as discussions of policymakers, community builders, and reconciliation activists, especially in postcolonial Africa. As part of the Great Lakes Initiative’s efforts to foster reconciliation among communities in Africa, this article reads the story of Rahab in the context of the desperation caused by the cult of identity and suggests that African Christians broaden their understanding of who “their people” are.