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Document Details :

Title: The Identity and the Divine Incarnation
Subtitle: A Mystical Exploration of the Spiritual Experience of Léopold Sédar Senghor
Author(s): MANGA, François H.
Journal: Studies in Spirituality
Volume: 31    Date: 2021   
Pages: 167-190
DOI: 10.2143/SIS.31.0.3289733

Abstract :
Léopold Sédar Senghor, the famous French language scholar, has more than one achievement in his life. For instance, his political activities led him to enter history as the first president of the Republic of Senegal in West Africa. These prominent public positions, however, do not say everything about him. As a fruitful writer, Senghor published many texts in which he exposes his understanding of the world. About ten years after his death, several of the letters he sent to Cees Bartels revealed an unknown aspect of his life. In these writings, Senghor dares to speak about his faith, vision of life, and spiritual experience backed by his affinity with the mystical experience of the Spanish Carmelite nun Teresa of Avila. The current article intends to expose this hidden side of Senghor for three main reasons: a better and essential knowledge of Senghor, breaking through the African spirituality, and an understanding of the mysticism from the perspective of the African experience on incarnation.

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