PROPHECY IN JEREMIAH AND THE PROPHETIC ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN BURKINA FASO: COMPARATIVE STUDY
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Date
2005
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
For many of us a prophet is a religious figure, an intermediary between God and his
people. His message in most cases comes as a warning about impiety and injustice in the
society, encouragement in difficult moments, or a piece of information on any topic that God
intends to communicate. In a broader sense, the understanding of the prophet has evolved to
mean the one who "speaks" for or on the behalf of someone. Seen from that angle, the prophet
is both a social and religious protagonist playing a leading role in the society. It is not a recent
phenomenon; it is as old as the beginning of human society because in every society some
have been naturally endowed or called to defend and promote the rights of the less fortunate.
In this reflection we are going to explore the lives and message of two prophets: Jeremiah a
biblical prophet in Israel and the journalist Norbert Zongo a secular prophet in Burkina Faso.
Both prophets lived in a context that sparked an intense prophetic revolt against
injustice and impiety of their respective communities. Jeremiah struggled against the evil of
his community and suffered the consequences of his bold preaching. As a professional
journalist, Zongo denied the gross abuses and violations of human dignity and he paid all by
his life. We are re-reading the lives of Jeremiah and Norbert Zongo from a Christian
perspective. What can we learn from their lives? As Christians, we have always been taught
that faith has a charity dimension, and a socio-political thrust toward justice. We are not only
moved to compassion but we must also act. We live in a society where exploitation and
oppression have been institutionalized; consequently our Christian charity must transform
itself into a fight for justice and peace. Our involvement in social struggle for peace and
justice can rekindle the hope of many victims of the structure of oppression and injustice.
In this perspective, we intend to proceed as follows: in the first chapter, we will
discover the figure of the prophet Jeremiah, his call, message and struggle to live up his
prophetic mission. In the second chapter, we will analyze the sociopolitical situation in
Burkina Faso and the main events that prompted the prophetic reaction of Norbert Zongo and
his subsequent death. In the third chapter, we will attempt a comparative approach of the two
prophets Jeremiah and Zongo, their common characteristics. In the light of their lives, we will
draw all the elements which can inspire us today in our struggle for a just and better society.
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PROPHECY IN JEREMIAH AND THE PROPHETIC ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN BURKINA FASO: COMPARATIVE STUDY