Es’kia Mphahlele’s etching of two axes of religion using the framework of his concept of Afrikan humanism in father come home

Abstract

This article looks at Mphahlele’s application of his theory of Afrikan Humanism in his novel Father Come Home (1984). Since he regards religion as pervasive in the life of Africans, the novel is analysed from a religious perspective. The aim is to highlight the consciousness crossroads faced by the postcolonial African as portrayed in the book. It is proposed that a prior study of Mphahlele’s concept of Afrikan Humanism shall reveal more meaning in his fictional writings, as well as in the fiction of other postcolonial Africanist writers.