The Stoicism of Nelson Mandela – Daily Meditations | Introducing Ubuntu Stoicism
This post inspired my compilation book, ‘Introducing Ubuntu Stoicism: Gain Joy, Resilience, Productivity, and Defuse Anxiety.’ It’s on Amazon. Order here if in South Africa – or visit your nearest bookstore.
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One of the popular things about Nelson Mandela on the internet is the question on his faith. Was he Christian or not?
One of the other popular things is his favourite line: “I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” It is a line from the Victorian Poem Invictus by 19th-Century poet and writer William Ernest Henley (1870 –1903).
Invictus was even named in a movie in which Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela. It is a biographical sports film about events leading to the 1995 Rugby World Cup, after South Africa returned to competing internationally due to apartheid being ended and Nelson Mandela elected the first democratic President of the country.
South Africa won that World Cup (Yay!!).
Although Mandela was brought up in a Christian home—he was a card-carrying member of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) in his youth—it is not clear whether he identified as Christian or not in his later life.
Nonetheless Read more