This dissertation investigates the identity of Lady Wisdom, the enigmatic figure in Proverbs 8:22–31. The presupposition of this investigation is a widely shared expert interpretation, namely, that Lady Wisdom is a multifaceted female divine figure whose origin and characteristics are interwoven with those of a number of ancient Near Eastern goddesses. The main contribution of this project is to argue that the Ugaritic goddess Anat be considered a possible precursor of Lady Wisdom. According to the author, a fluid and complementary relationship exists between Lady Wisdom’s depiction in the Hebrew Bible and Anat’s depiction in ancient Near Eastern religions, especially since certain aspects of their origin, status, and function are similar. The project also sheds light on the pivotal role of Lady Wisdom as a co-creator and mediator of the heavens and the earth. She should be regarded as a co-creator who is an active and mobile participant in God’s creative work; she is found not only in Proverbs but also in other biblical and deuterocanonical traditions. Moreover, she is a perfect mediator not only between the creation traditions and wisdom literature but also between the divine and human realms. Her mysterious identity is manifested in her own words and in others’ descriptions of her. Humans can either accept or reject Lady Wisdom, but only those who recognize and appreciate her divine knowledge are able to embrace truth in their lives.

The record failure of development aid, massive corruption, escalating poverty rates, resource-related conflicts, systematic exclusion, and general disenfranchisement across the East African Community (EAC) puzzle many development experts, as they do concerned citizens. Instead of espousing inclusive citizen participation, cyclic rounds of national leaders have governed EAC countries using retrograde ideologies, depictive of restrictive leadership interests. Underlying these interests is usually a deep-seated desire for self-entrenchment that crafty leaders impose on hapless masses. In the process, the leaders methodically personify state institutions and systems, rendering them acquiescent to their desires. Over time, destitute citizens also submit to the status quo, yielding a cadre of “acquiesced citizens”. With respect to the above, the three objectives of this study were to analyse how personified leadership styles influence governance and development policies in East Africa; to assess the degree of citizen involvement in public governance, and how this influences development in East Africa; and to develop criteria for citizen-driven development policies that transcend personified governance in East Africa. The findings of this thesis will enable citizens, academia, development practitioners and other stakeholders to unconditionally determine or guide national governance and development agenda. Most importantly, this study has unravelled a new approach for analysing national leadership, in a manner that can potentially enable a country to identify leaders who can champion effective principles of good governance and simultaneously achieve sustainable development. / Development Studies / D. Phil. (Development Studies)

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