Mwandayi, Towards a new reading of the Bible in Africa – spy exegesison various other occasions to outmatch his enemies (Mt.5:20-48; 13:10-
15; Mk.2:23-26; 7:1-7). While also the battle with the Devil and his allies
personified in those who continue to rob Africa of its riches has not
ceased, engaging such a method will enable modern day African follow-
ers of Jesus to uncover the Devil’s tactics and which in turn will help
them deal with the threat that the Devil and his agents ever pose.
The work of Intelligence
One common thing the world over is that world leaders and influential
people since time immemorial are faced with the task of making impor-
tant decisions every day, and information (known as intelligence) is the
key to making the right decision. Though there is no universally ac-
cepted definition of intelligence, a working definition I shall employ in
this paper is that intelligence is “Information and knowledge about an
adversary obtained through observation, investigation, analysis, or un-
derstanding.”^5 Such information, usually not available in the public
domain, is key in outmatching one’s perceived and imagined enemies,
thus safeguarding a group’s vital interests or the welfare of a nation. A
look at world history shows that the successes and failures in gathering
such secret information have helped shape the foreign policy of many
nations, altered the course of wars and often left a deep (though usually
hidden) impression on world history. This finds echo in the words of
Richard Dunlop, a former agent of OSS (Office of Strategic Services),
America’s first effective intelligence organization who says:
In all countries, winning diplomacy and national strategy must depend
upon how effectively intelligence concerning other nations’ capabilities and
intentions is collected. This means that today shadow armies of secret
agents are contending for the future of mankind.^6
To get the best of the desired information, governments or concerned
organisations operate with a structured board. At the head of the board
is usually the President himself/ herself or a Head Chef if it is an or-
ganisation. Working in close association with the Presidential Office is
(^5) Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated
Terms cited in M. Warner, Wanted: A Definition of “Intelligence”: Understanding our
Craft, https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/
csi-studies/studies/vol46no3/article02.html (accessed 15/07/11).
(^6) R. Dunlop, This Business of Spying in R. M. Grant (ed), Popular Mechanics, Vol. 114,
Chicago: Hearst Magazines, 1960, 95.