The African and Jewish questions between religious prophecy and freedom seeking: a study in Edward Wilmot blyden’s philosophy

Abstract EN

Exile, slavery and persecution were tense and often challenging themes in African and Jewish history.

for the Jews, the desire of return to Jerusalem was a response to the desperate plight encountered worldwide as well as a need to fulfill a religious prophecy.

for Africans, repatriation to Africa meant an escape from the high amount of institutional racism and whiteabuses in the churches of the united states.

this study tries to expose thenature of the African and Jewish questions from the standpoint of edwardwilmot blyden.

through a close reading of blyden's thoughts, the article reveals that blyden saw that the Jewish situation resembled that of Africa as both were harassed and stigmatized.

yet, he confirmed that the Jewish caseis different in the sense that Jews' long for repatriation was completely religious much more than racial or political.