Steve Biko’s Black Theology of Liberation from the Perspective of Ubuntu

Abstract

This article seeks to bring Steve Biko’s Black theology of liberation (BTL) into dialogue with Desmond Tutu’s BTL. Using the philosophy of ubuntu as a lens, the article interrogates the differences in Tutu’s and Biko’s use of this approach in their quest for Black liberation. Several scholars have argued that within the context of BTL, Tutu relied more on Christian theology derived from the Bible and tradition, while Biko relied more on Black consciousness to develop their thinking. In this article, I show how they each used ubuntu as a philosophy, even though they used it differently, especially when read in the context of race and reconciliation. The article concludes that Biko’s understanding of Isintu – African culture, African spirituality, and the African philosophy of ubuntu – can help shape Black consciousness philosophy and thus is important, especially for a contemporary BTL.