James Bowles

As an African man, I understand exactly what naming retual is all about. In our tradition, a child’s name is not merely something that sounds beautiful. A name carries lineage, ancestry, identity and destiny. It tells the child where he comes from and the house to which he belongs. The father is not supposed to sit back while his wife or her family makes such a fundamental decision. Your wife can suggest. Her family can advise. But the final responsibility belongs to the father. We have allowed too much of our traditional understanding of fatherhood to disappear in the name of modernity. A man who refuses responsibility cannot demand authority. But if you are the father, stand in your place, carry your responsibility and give your child a name that will honour the bloodline. Fatherhood is not a title. It is an institution.i