Making the Bible available in a pluralist society

ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire — The Bible is absolutely key in helping people of other faiths to find out more about Jesus and God. This point was made several times by the Bible Study leader at the People of the Book Centre in Abidjan.

“Without the Bible we could not educate these new believers who must now understand why Christianity is the key to salvation,” he said.

“Many people are like I was... They were interested in Christianity but frightened to find out more because they would perhaps cause upset in the family.”

In the room were two new Christians. There is nothing new or strange in this. In Côte d’Ivoire’s pluralistic society families frequently have Muslims and Christians living alongside each other. The first of the two was only five months old in his new faith.

“We come here once a week to learn more about the Bible, he said. “We find the study of the Bible very important in understanding just what we have committed ourselves to. It is easy to make the decision to follow Jesus but much more difficult to understand all the implications and put his teachings into practice.”

Her own Bible

The other, a lady who had been a Christian for nine months, had only a Gideon New Testament. She said how much she would love to have her own Bible, especially one in her own language.

“Many people are like I was,” she said. “They were interested in Christianity but frightened to find out more because they would perhaps cause upset in the family, especially if the family background does not contain Christians.

“There is a great need for Bibles in French and Arabic, and for Bibles in our languages, Jula and Mooré. We see them in the shops or at the Bible Society but they are too expensive for us. We would have to save for many years before we could afford our own copy. Studying the Bible helps to strengthen me in my new faith. It helps me to have the right attitude to those who oppose me or question my decision to become a Christian.”

Côte d’Ivoire has a broad and equal mixture of Christians, Muslims and animists, who have all lived together harmoniously until recently, when one of the nation’s rulers began to foment xenophobia. This resulted in a wave of false nationalism, according to many church leaders. One of the key facets of Ivorian society, they say, was the mixture among its people of many different ethnic origins and faiths.