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Methodist Burial Rites: an Inquiry Into the Inculturation of Christianity Among Barolong of Mahikeng, South Africa

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Methodist Burial Rites: an Inquiry Into the Inculturation of Christianity Among Barolong of Mahikeng, South Africa View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Boston University Institutional Repository (OpenBU) Boston University OpenBU http://open.bu.edu Theses & Dissertations STH Theses and Dissertations 2012-05-07 Methodist Burial Rites: An Inquiry into the Inculturation of Christianity among Barolong of Mahikeng, South Africa https://hdl.handle.net/2144/3738 Boston University BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY Dissertation METHODIST BURIAL RITES: AN INQUIRY INTO THE INCULTURATION OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG BAROLONG OF MAHIKENG, SOUTH AFRICA By Kenaleone F. Ketshabile (Dip. Theo. Federal Theological Seminary, 1985; M. Div., Emory University, 1992; M. TH, University of South Africa, 1997) Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Theology 2012 Copyright © 2012 by Kenaleone F. Ketshabile All Rights Reserved CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………………………………………… vi ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………………………….. vii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………………... 1 Statement of the Problem ………………………………………………………. 1 Significance of the Study ………………………………………………………. 1 Sources of the Study ………………………………………………………….... 9 Methodology ………………………………………………………………….. 13 Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………………17 Limitations ……………………………………………………………………. 20 Chapter Outline ……………………………………………………………….. 22 II. THE GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF METHODISM AMONG BAROLONG OF MAHIKENG, 1823-1896 ………………………………………………………… 25 Introduction …………………………………………………………………… 25 The Conception of “Bechuana Mission” ……………………………………... 29 The Search for Batswana ……………………………………………………... 31 Bechuana Mission or Barolong Mission? …………………………………….. 34 19th Century Social and Political contexts in the interiors of South Africa …... 36 The Difaqane ………………………………………………………………….. 37 The Emigrant Boers …………………………………………………………... 41 Climatic Conditions …………………………………………………………... 43 Effects of Hostile Political and Climate conditions on Batswana ways of life . 49 Conflicts, Droughts and Cannibalism ………………………………………… 50 Effects of Wesleyan Missions ………………………………………………... 52 Phases of Missions ……………………………………………………………. 56 The First Phase: 1823 to 1833 ………………………………………………... 56 The Second Phase: 1833 to 1841 ……………………………………………... 60 The Third Phase: 1848 to 1896 ……………………………………………….. 62 Molema Tawana: The First Evangelist of Baralong of Mahikeng …………… 66 Ludorf: The First Resident Missionary at Lotlhakane ………………………... 71 The Sand River Convention …………………………………………………... 75 Methodists at Moshaneng …………………………………………………….. 78 Settlement at Mahikeng ………………………………………………………. 81 Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 84 iii III. THE ORIGINS OF MCSA BURIAL RITES ………………………………………… 86 Introduction …………………………………………………………………... 86 Book of Common Prayer ……………………………………………………... 89 The Puritans’ “Holy Dying” ………………………………………………….. 98 The Wesleyan Theological Tradition ……………………………………….. 102 John Wesley’s Burial Liturgy and Subsequent Developments ……………… 111 Wesleyan Missionaries and Methodist Burial Rites in Southern Africa ……. 113 Methodist Church of Southern Africa and its Beliefs about Life and Death ... 124 The Apostles’ and the Nicene Creeds ……………………………………….. 125 MCSA and Funerals among Barolong: The Pastoral Challenges …………... 127 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………... 138 IV. BAROLONG TRADITIONAL BURIAL PRACTICES …………………………… 140 Introduction …………………………………………………………………. 140 Claims about Non Burial Practices among Batswana ………………………. 143 Missionary Encounters with Non Burial practices: The Socio-Political Contexts ……………………………………………………………………………….. 153 Accounts of Burial Practices and Rituals in Southern Africa ………………. 157 Early to Mid Twentieth Century Accounts …………………………………. 163 Mogoga ……………………………………………………………………… 175 The Hyena …………………………………………………………………… 177 Burial Rites, Ancestors and the African Worldview ………………………... 179 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………... 191 V. METHODIST BURIAL RITES AMONG BAROLONG …………………………... 193 Introduction …………………………………………………………………. 193 Burial Rites as Ritual Complex ………………………………………………193 Death and Burial: Terminology, Concepts and Themes …………………….. 199 The Position of the Body upon Exiting or Entering an Enclosure ………….. 200 Ritual Seasons and Time …………………………………………………….. 202 Sefifi …………………………………………………………………………. 203 Tatolo ………………………………………………………………………... 206 Second Stage of Tatolo ……………………………………………………… 209 Third Stage of Tatolo ………………………………………………………... 215 Death and the Commencement of Burial Rites ………………………………217 Separating the Body from Home ……………………………………………. 219 The Commencement of Mourning …………………………………………... 222 The Funeral Procession ……………………………………………………… 230 iv Church Participation ………………………………………………………… 231 Evening Prayers …………………………………………………………….. 237 Bringing the Corpse home for Burial ……………………………………….. 238 The Day of the Burial ……………………………………………………….. 239 The Preparation ……………………………………………………………… 240 Eulogies ………………………………………………………………………240 Sermon ………………………………………………………………………. 242 Reading of Messages ………………………………………………………... 245 Singing during the Funeral ………………………………………………….. 246 Unveiling of Tombstones …………………………………………………… 250 Dignity at Funerals ………………………………………………………….. 252 Easter Memorial Services …………………………………………………… 253 Cleansing Ceremonies ………………………………………………………. 254 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………... 255 VI. CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………………………... 257 APPENDIX A ………………………………………………………………………………. 266 APPENDIX B ………………………………………………………………………………. 269 APPENDIX C ……………………………………………………………………………….. 278 APPENDIX D ………………………………………………………………………………. 280 APPENDIX E ……………………………………………………………………………….. 284 BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………………………... 286 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Professor Dana L. Robert, Truman Collins Professor of World Christianity and History of Missions, my supervisor and first reader deserves special gratitude. She has not only been my teacher who increased my love for the discipline of missiology, but also has been a mentor and source of support along the journey towards completing this study. She supervised my work with diligence and patience. Her persistent motivation and ensuring the availability of financial support for the completion of this work have been phenomenal. I extend my sincere and unequivocal gratitude to her. Professor Inus Daneel, my second reader also deserves my sincere gratitude. Prior to embarking on this project I benefited greatly from his knowledge of the complex area of African religions and African Christianity. It was his interest and love for the study of African Christianity that inspired me to pursue an empirical study of the inculturation of the Methodist burial rites among Barolong Methodists. My wife Libuseng Lebaka-Ketshabile gave unrelenting support and encouragement along the research journey and my three children, Tsholofetso – who spent hours helping with the typing of handwritten scripts – and Tumelo and Tshegofatso, who gave support and motivation. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Bronwen Dawson for her undiminishing support. She gave her time and energy unselfishly to proof read most of the material and the formatting of this project. I also thank the leadership of the MCSA at the Methodist House, more especially Rev. Vuyani Nyobole and Rev Ivan Abrahams for their support and encouragement and also my colleagues at the Mission Unit for their support. Without the help of those who shared their knowledge and views about Barolong burial rites this dissertation would not have been complete. I am sincerely grateful to all of them. METHODIST BURIAL RITES: AN INQUIRY INTO THE INCULTURATION OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG BAROLONG OF MAHIKENG, SOUTH AFRICA (Order No. ) Kenaleone F. Ketshabile Doctor of Theology Boston University School of Theology, 2012 Major Professor: Dana Robert, Truman Collins Professor of World Christianity and History of Mission ABSTRACT This dissertation is an historical and missiological study of the burial rites of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa among Barolong Methodists of Mahikeng in South Africa. It examines how the burial rites of this Church reflect the informal adaptation of traditional cultural practices by Barolong Methodists of Mahikeng. The dissertation argues that the official rubrics of Barolong Methodism need to be aligned with informal contextualization already apparent in contemporary Barolong Methodist burial practices. First, the project analyzes the historical genesis of Methodism among Barolong chiefdoms of South Africa through the work of the nineteenth century Wesleyan missionaries. It explores the social, political and cultural dynamics among Barolong at the time Methodism was introduced in the early 1800s. The study argues that these dynamics partly account for how the Wesleyan missionaries formed opinions about Barolong burial practices. Second, the study traces the historical developments of the origins of the burial rites of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa from the time of the rise of Methodism. Theological convictions that underpin vii the burial rites of Methodism are described. The study argues that the aforementioned denomination does not uphold a theology of life and death different from that espoused by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. The records of non-conformist missionaries, who came to labor in Southern Africa are examined, to analyze their beliefs about life and death, and the methods and rituals they used for burials. Barolong of Mahikeng’s affinity to funerals and how this attraction interacts with the use of official Methodist burial liturgies also receives attention. Third,
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