DOCSLIB.ORG

A Comparative Study of the Responses of Tiyo Soga and Mpambani Mzimba to the Scottish Missionary Enterprise

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Comparative Study of the Responses of Tiyo Soga and Mpambani Mzimba to the Scottish Missionary Enterprise "SUBVERSIVE SUBSERVIENCE": A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RESPONSES OF TIYO SOGA AND MPAMBANI MZIMBA TO THE SCOTTISH MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE. A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN BY MALINGE McLAREN NJEZA AUGUST 2000 RONDEBOSCH, CAPE TOWN The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. TABLE OF CONTENTS AlC~OVVLEIMJE~S.................... .................... lii .ABSTRACT. vi INTRODUCflON . 1 CHAPTER 1 . 12 EVANGEUZING 7HE NAlTIVE' - SCOmSH MISSIONS ON THE EAlS~FllONTIEFt... ......................... ... ............. 12 The Scottish Mission and the R.harhabe Factor. .. 19 Van der Kemp, Williams and the A.maR.harhabe-Xhosa. .. 24 The 1820 British Settlement.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31 Brownlee and Beginnings of the Scottish Mission. 36 Mission Stations as sacred spaces of Disruption . .. .. .. 40 CH.AP1'EFt 2 . 46 'COLONIZING THE MIND' - THE LOVEDALE EXPERIMENT. 46 The Establishment ofLovedale. 55 William Govan: Teacher ofSoga. 60 James Stewart: Teacher ofMzimba . 65 The 'classics debate': Education for Equality or 'Colonizing the Mind'? . 70 CH.APTER. 3 . 86 TIYO SOGA STRADDLING TWO CULTURES. 86 Early Formation and the Lovedale Experience. 86 The Scottish Experience. 93 Aln Alwakening of Afucan Consciousness. 100 The Final Return . 104 11 CHAPTER 4 .................................................... 117 SOOA: LITERARY RESPONSE TO EUROPEAN CHRISTIANITY. 117 Expressions of African Identity . 117 Literary Critic. 132 Literary Contribution. .. 139 Songs ofProtest . 146 CHAPTER 5 . 150 MP AMBANl MZIMBA: CHRISTIAN AND AFRICAN NATIONALIST. 150 Early Fonnation. 150 The Lovedale Experience. 156 The Scottish Visit. 168 Social Leadership. 170 The Education Debate Revisited. 175 CHAPTER 6 . 180 MZIMBA: STRUCTURAL RESPONSE TO MISSIONARY DOMINATION 180 Bumshill, Johannesburg and the Tsewu Factors. 184 The Formation ofthe Presbyterian Church of Africa . 193 Colonial and Missionary Reaction. 204 African Reaction. 209 Whither the Presbyterian Church of Africa? . 211 OIAPTER 7.................................................... 216 A COMPARISON OF SOOA & MZIMBA'S RESPONSES TO THE SCOTTISH MISSION .............. ............................... 216 Conte~nuyChallenges..................... ...... ................ 229 Conclusion. 238 BmIJOORAPHY . 242 The Financial Assistance ofthe Centre for Science Development and the Mellon Foundation Scholarship towards this research is gratefully acknowledged. Opinions expressed in this work are. however. those ofthe author and are not to be attributed to the Funders. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study represents the culmination of many years of my spiritual journey and reflection upon the meaning thereof It does not represent the end, nonetheless, but one significant station on that journey. Otherwise, the journey continues. The study reflects my thoughts and direction at this stage. Others are welcomed to take these and build upon them, or otherwise. A marathon is a team effort and cannot be run alone. I am thus deeply indebted to a few people; for their inspiration, support and encouragement, without whom this journey would have been impossible. FEDSEM: My learning experience and intellectual journey in academic theology began with Fedsem in February 1981. Fedsem laid the foundation upon which I stand in my theological endeavours. It was there that my life was fundamentally transformed, and the roots of my African consciousness were planted. Fedsem marked the beginnings of my earliest multiracial and multicultural encounters. This was a crisis as much as it was a challenge. I began to learn to think in multi terms, not only this, but also the experience to compete on equal terms regardless of race. Enabling this thought process were fellow students and academic staff alike. Amongst the latter, I would like to mention particularly Mazwi Tisani, Ian Thomson, Drs. Lizo Jafta and Khoza Mgojo. They wetted my academic appetite, for which I am grateful. ABERDEEN: My journey into further multicultural, multiracial, and academic encounters continued into the land of the Scots in 1990. The Church of Scotland sponsored my studies at Aberdeen University, and I thank them for this kindness. In Aberdeen I discovered the other side from my previous South African experiences. I am grateful to the Faculty of Theology with Religion for contributing to my academic learning process. Professor David Ferguson and Dr. Gary Badcock encouraged me towards doctoral studies. This is the fruit of their trust. UCT: The Christian Studies community at the Department of Religious Studies provided a good environment for creative work.. The post-graduate seminar group was invaluable in shaping and expanding my ideas. It afforded me a rare experience of discourse with some of the worthy alumni of the Department like lV Barney Pityana, Rueben Arendse, Steve Martin and others. RICSA provided valuable skills and resources in many ways. My special gratitude goes to my supervisor, Prof. John W. de Gruchy, from whom I learned so much. The first imbizo we had about this thesis was in Edinburgh, Scotland, back in 1993. I was still at Aberdeen University, and Prof. de Gruchy was a visiting professor at Edinburgh University. There have been countless other iimbizo since then which resulted in this study. Prof. de Gruchy took a holistic interest in me and understood all my struggles. It is through his support and confidence in me that this thesis has seen the light of day. He helped me in terms of improving my writing skills, sharpening my focus and directing my research. It was a rare honour to work with him. I could not have worked with a better supervisor, nangamso Prof.! To the former RPCSA family I would like to record my indebtedness, particularly to the late general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Bekumusa Ngcobo. He made the Aberdeen sojourn possible, and stood by me always. Also to the late Rev. Wilson Vuyisile Masinda, thank you Rhadebe for believing in me. Last but certainly not least, to a dear friend friend and colleague, Vuyani Vellem, who shared valuable insights with me on certain aspects of this thesis, ndibamba ngazibini Msimango. Finally to that woman who sacrificed much during the writing of this thesis, Zuki, my dear wife, lowe this to you Mancuthu. And to my lovely kids who had to endure long periods of my absence~ this one is for you. v ABSTRACT My thesis is that early Afiican Christians engaged in critical dialogue with their missionary counterparts in a variety of ways and fonns which served to challenge and enrich the Christianization process in South Africa, eventually giving rise to the emergence of African Christianity and theologies. My aim is to show that African Christians talked back in the long conversation with the European missionaries, "a conversation full of arguments of words and images." 1 Early Afiican Christians used various strategies and ways of responding to the missionary encounter ranging from overt to covert forms of resistance and negotiation. These were related to conditions on the ground. Afiican Christian responses thus contradict any assertion of total conformity to the colonial missionary praxis. The classics debate at Lovedale, for instance, reveals that despite the apparent conformity and obedience to orthodoxy at the official level there was an awareness of ambivalence at a secondary (hidden) level. It is this awareness rather than the obvious ambivalence that is crucial to us. My study explores the manner and extent of the role of African agency in the process of "translation" and "vernacularisation" of the missionary message.2 However, it aims to do this from beyond the 'normal' constructions cast in Western perspective by adopting an Afrocentrist bias. Tinyiko Maluleke has argued for the need to formulate the African Christian commentary on missionary Christianity "not from the point of view of the 'senders' but from the point of view of the 'recipients.",3 It is the aim of this study to highlight the 'recipients' commentary and assess the manner of their reaction to their Christianization. This will be done through particular case studies focused on Tiyo Soga and Mpambani Mzimba. We shall interrogate the nature of their appropriation of the Scottish Christianity and the manner and extent of their critical distance thereto in the 1 Comaroff Jean and John Comaroff, Of Revelation and Revolution: Christianity, Colonialism and Consciousness in South Africa, Vol. 1 (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), p. 17. 2 Cf. L. Sanneh, Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1989); K. Bediako, Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Non-Western Religion (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1995); T. S. Maluleke, 'Black and African Theologies in the New World Order: A Time to Drink from our Own Wells', Journal of Theology for Southern Africa, No. 96, November 1996 (pp. 3 - 18). 3 S. T. Maluleke, '''A Morula Tree Between Two Fields": The Commentary of Selected Tsonga Writers on Missionary Christianity', unpublished D.Th. thesis, University of South Africa, 1995, p. 36. vi maintenance of their African rultural identity. In their interaction
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Faith in the Real World Pastoral Letter from the Synod of Bishops 25Th February 2017 Dear People of God, We Greet You in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
    1 Pastoral Letter from Synod of Bishops – February 2017 Faith in the Real World Pastoral Letter from the Synod of Bishops 25th February 2017 Dear People of God, We greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. As Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA), we met in Synod in Benoni from Monday 20th until Saturday 25th February 2017. The full bench of Bishops was present, including: Those from all the countries that make up our Province of the Anglican Communion – St Helena, Angola, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa; Those who were Consecrated Bishop on Saturday 25th February – Rt Revd William Mostert, Bishop of Christ the King (southern Gauteng) and Rt Revd Vicente Msosa, Bishop of Niassa (northern Mozambique). As always our meeting took place in a framework of worship and warm fellowship as we shared our lives and worked on issues facing the church and our communities. At our opening Eucharist we heard the words of Jesus, “All things can be done for the one who believes!” (Mark 9:23) and the response, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). We met as church leaders and people of faith who are deeply aware of the challenges facing our churches and communities and the desperate need for leadership of the highest quality. Most of our time this week was devoted to receiving training in the basics of Economics and Management, and reflecting on how God is calling us to exercise leadership in today’s economic climate. We were ably led by Prof Martin Büscher (Institute for Diaconic Science and Diaconic Management (IDM), Protestant University of Wuppertal/Bethel, Germany) and Dr Bright Mawudor (Deputy General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches).
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Apollo Revisiting ‘Translatability’ and African Christianity: The Case of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion The example of Christian Zionism in South Africa seems to perfectly illustrate the scholarly vogue for portraying Christianity in Africa as an eminently ‘translatable’ religion. Zionism – not to be confused with the Jewish movement focused on the state of Israel – is the largest popular Christian movement in modern Southern Africa, to which millions in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe belong; by the 1960s, 21% of Southern Africans were Zionist.1 However, with now over three thousand active Zionist churches in the Southern African region, there is no single Zionist organization. The biggest is the Zion Christian Church in northern South Africa, with six million members, while the vast majority of Zionist churches have between fifty and two hundred members.2 Adherents of this diffuse, decentralized movement have historically been drawn from South Africa’s working-classes; today, Zionists are still perceived as representative of the rank of minimally educated, economically marginalized black South Africans. And although thus vastly diverse, a unifying feature of Zionists across this region is their emphasis on health and healing. Almost uniformly, a Zionist service centers on a healing event during which congregation members receive prayer from a ‘prophet’ for a physical, emotional or psychological ailment. Some churches still eschew both Western and African medicine in favor of exclusive reliance upon prayer.3 Both scholarship and popular perception have largely understood Zionism as a uniquely Southern African phenomenon, entirely indigenous to the region.
    [Show full text]
  • The Standing Commission on Peace
    THE BLUE BOOK The Standing Commission on Peace CONTENTS Membership ............. ........................................ 394 Financial Report ................... .................................. 395 Summary of the Commission's Work and a List of Persons and Groups Consulted .................... ........ ............... 395 Report and Resolutions .................. ................. .............. 399 Introduction ................. ...................... ............. 399 Economic Conversion .............. ......................... 400 Report of the Middle East Task Force ................ ........... .... 405 Report of the South Africa Task Force ............................. 415 Continuing Issues in Central America ............... ............... 425 A Summing Up ............. ................................. 427 Additional Resolutions ................. ...................... 428 Actions Taken on 1988 Convention Resolutions Referred to the Standing Commission on Peace .......................... 430 Goals and Objectives ................................................ 431 Proposed Budget for the Coming Triennium ............................ 431 Proposed Resolution for Budget Appropriation..............................431 MEMBERSHIP The Rt. Rev. William Davidson (1991), Retired The Rt. Rev. Donald P. Hart (1994), Hawaii The Rt. Rev. James H. Ottley (1994), Panama The Rev. Jane Garrett, Chair (1991), Vermont The Rev. Suzanne Peterson (1994), Iowa The Rev. William W. Rankin, II, Vice Chair (1994), California Dr. William H. Anderson (1994),
    [Show full text]
  • 11 a MORULA TREE BETWEEN TWO FIELDS. 11 the Commentary of Selected Tsonga Writers on Missionary Christianity
    11 A MORULA TREE BETWEEN TWO FIELDS. 11 The Commentary of Selected Tsonga Writers On Missionary Christianity By SAMUEL TINYIKO MALULEKE Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY in the subject MISSIOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA PROMOTER: PROF J.N.J. KRITZINGER June 1995 Student Number: 567-423-9 I declare that "A Morula Tree Between Two Fields." The Commentary of Selected Tsonga Writers On Missionary Christianity is my own work and all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. SIGNATURE (S.T. Maluleke) DATE Centre for Science and Development: Acknowledgement The financial assistance of the Centre for Science Development towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed in this thesis and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the Centre for Science and Developemt. TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY .......... vii PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii CHAPTER 1 . I MISSIONARY INTERVENTION AMONGST THE VATSONGA - AN INTRODUCTION I I.I Statement and Outline ........... I 1.2 Black Theology of Liberation as a Framework . 4 1.3 The beginnings of the SMSA - A brief history 6 1.3 .1 Swiss Background . 6 1.3.2 The Lesotho Connection . 8 1.3.3 Pedi, Venda Chiefdoms and other Missionary Societies I2 1.3 .4 Joao Albasini . 16 1.3. 5 The Basotho Evangelists Initiate work at Spelonken 19 1.4 The ideological and historiographical problematic ..... 20 1.4.1 An Indigenous Commentary ......... 26 I.4.2 The abiding impact of missionary intervention 29 I.4.3 Can an Indigenous Commentary be Constructed? 34 1.5 Sources 38 I.5.1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Politics of Cultural Conservatism in Colonial Botswana: Queen Seingwaeng's Zionist Campaign in the Bakgatla Reserve, 1937-1947
    The African e-Journals Project has digitized full text of articles of eleven social science and humanities journals. This item is from the digital archive maintained by Michigan State University Library. Find more at: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/ Available through a partnership with Scroll down to read the article. Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies, vo1.12, nos.1 & 2 (1998) The politics of cultural conservatism in colonial Botswana: Queen Seingwaeng's Zionist campaign in the Bakgatla Reserve, 1937-1947 Fred Morton Loras College, Iowa, & University of Pretoria Abstract Studies of Christian Zionist churches in southern Africa have suggested that they were non-political. This paper puts the growth of Zionism among the BaKgatla in the context of local political struggles and the life of Queen Seingwaeng, mother of Chief Molefi. She was politically important from the 1910s until the 1960s, articulating the views of ordinary people otherwise considered politically helpless. She led popular opposition to the ''progressive'' authoritarianism of Regent 1sang, promoting the restoration of her son Molefi to chieftainship through religious movements in the 1930s-andjoining the Zion Christian Church in 1938. However, by 1947, Seingwaeng and the Zionists were seen as a political threat by Molefi and the ruling elite, who expelled them from BaKgatla territory. Molefi was reconciled with his mother in 1955, but she did not return home to Mochudi until 1967, nine years after his death. In 1947, Queen Mother Seingwaeng was beaten in public by her son Molefi, kgosi (king) of the BaKgatla, for refusing to abandon the Zion Christian Church (ZCC).
    [Show full text]
  • Alternation Article Template
    Women’s Leadership and Participation in Recent Christian Formations in Swaziland: Reshaping the Patriarchal Agenda? Sonene Nyawo ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3542-8034 Abstract Swaziland1 is experiencing a proliferation of new religious bodies, as elsewhere in Africa, including emerging expressions of Christianity established by women. In this strongly patriarchal context, women, through recent Christian formations, go against the grain, and become pastors, evangelists, prophets and healers. The questions are, how do women appear to blend in when they take the lead in creating ecumenical associations? How do they constitute their own spaces within patriarchy, whilst accomplishing ecumenically inclusive Christian fellowship among themselves? The answers are provided through a case study of Mhlabuhlangene Prayer Group (MPG). It is argued that Christian women engage, not in resistance, but in negotiation, which keeps a model of their relationships and their spirituality in conformity with the patriarchal agenda. The case demonstrates in detail the occasions and activities through which women create their own spaces of Christian devotion whilst they simultaneously affirm patriarchal values. My data was generated from a particularly significant sample and through participant observation, which provide evidence that MPG is an ecumenical movement that ‘builds on the indigenous’. However, the paper argues that the women’s compliant approach to expressing their spirituality requires certain modifications, which are meant to lead to full inward empowerment. Keywords: feminism, leadership, participation, Christian formations, patri- archy 1 In April 2018, King Mswati III changed the name of the country from Swaziland to Kingdom of Eswatini. The initial rendition is retained in this article.
    [Show full text]
  • Carlisle Diocese Prayer Diary November 2017
    Carlisle Diocese Prayer Diary November 2017 ‘Four churches journeying together’ Praying with our fellow Christians in Cumbria, together with our link dioceses of Northern Argentina, Stavanger and Zululand This month we focus on the Barrow Deanery ________________________ God for All: By 2020 every person in Cumbria of all ages and backgrounds will have had an opportunity to discover more of God and God’s purpose for their life http://www.godforall.org.uk/making-it-happen/prayer-resources/ Editor: The Revd Canon Cameron Butland Tel: 015394 35326 and Email: [email protected] Assisted by Joy Barrie Email: [email protected] Wednesday 1 November All Saints Diocese of Tokyo, the province of Japan, The Rt Revd The Rt Anglican Revd Andrew Yoshimichi Ohata, clergy and people. Communion In 1859, the American Episcopal Church sent two missionaries to Japan, followed some years later by representatives of the Church of England and the Church of Canada. The first Anglican Synod occurred in 1887 and the first Japanese Bishops were consecrated in 1923. The Church remained underground during World War II and assumed all Church leadership after the war. The Church issues a monthly publication in English. The total population is in excess of 127m, of whom only 1 million are Christians. There are 11 Dioceses. Barrow Rural Dean: Gary Cregeen; Lay Chair: Clare Knill-Jones; Deanery Secretary: Alison Otto; Treasurer: Malcolm Smith. Our Bishops Bishop James, meetings, Church House. Bishop Robert, meetings, Church House. Thursday 2 November All Souls Day Anglican Diocese of Toliara, the Province of Indian Ocean, The Rt Revd Communion Todd McGregor, clergy and people.
    [Show full text]
  • 150 Years of Mission-Churches in Swaziland, 1844 -1994 Eutism: a Factor in Tiie Growtii and Decune
    150 YEARS OF MISSION-CHURCHES IN SWAZILAND, 1844 -1994 EUTISM: A FACTOR IN TIIE GROWTII AND DECUNE by MARJORIE FROISE submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF THEOLOGY in the subject MISSIOLOGY • at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: DR N J SMITH NOVEMBER 1996 SUMMARY In 1994, Swaziland celebrated 150 years of Christianity. Three distinct eras are identified in the history of mission-church growth, each of which is related to elitism. 1884 saw the start of missions is Swaziland, but this effort was short-lived. The mission became caught up in internecine warfare, the resident missionary and the Swazi Christian community fled to Natal where the church grew and matured in exile during a period of missionary lacuna in Swaziland itself. After thirty-six years, the missionaries were once again allowed to settle in Swaziland and the church grew rapidly, mainly as a result of the widespread institutional work undertaken. Soon an elite Christian community developed as people came to identify with a mission or church, many of whom had little Christian commitment. In 1%8, Swaziland was granted independence. A return to culture accompanied a strong wave of nationalism. Mission-church growth in this period declined as those, whose commitment to the Christian faith was shallow, returned to culture or joined one of the Independent churches which catered for varying degrees of syncretism The third era outlined in this study is one of secularisation. Family structures were eroded, materialism took hold and the church was in danger of becoming irrelevant. The older churches continue their decline, but new churches, appealing particularly to the new elite, are growing.
    [Show full text]
  • An Anthropological Study of Healing Practices in African Initiated Churches with Specific Reference to a Zionist Christian Church in Marabastad
    AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF HEALING PRACTICES IN AFRICAN INITIATED CHURCHES WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO A ZIONIST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MARABASTAD by JACQUELINE MARTHA FRANCISCA (JACKEY) WOUTERS submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the subject ANTHROPOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA Supervisor: Professor CJ Van Vuuren September 2014 Student number: 0900-207-3 I declare that AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY OF HEALING PRACTICES IN AFRICAN INITIATED CHURCHES WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO A ZIONIST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN MARABASTAD is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. I further declare that I have not previously submitted this work, or part of it, for examination at Unisa for another qualification or at any other higher education institution. …………….. …………….. SIGNATURE DATE i I dedicate this study to my parents and sister, Jack, Martha and Irma Wouters, who have always been there for me. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to respectfully and deeply thank the members of the Zion Christian Church for allowing me into their sacred environment and for opening up a whole new world to me. This exhilarating experience enabled remarkable personal growth. They helped me understand how the Zion Christian Church contributed towards people’s quest for absolute health, which in an African context encompasses physical, social, spiritual and secular levels. Their assistance and that of my interpreters was pivotal in compiling this study that aims to enlighten readers on the workings of the church’s successful healing ministry from an anthropological perspective.
    [Show full text]
  • (I) the ORGANISATION and MANAGEMENT of the ZION CHRISTIAN CHURCH. NAME: MORIPE SIMON SUBMITTED in FULFILLMENT of the REQUIREMENT
    (i) TITLE: THE ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ZION CHRISTIAN CHURCH. NAME: MORIPE SIMON SUBMITTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY (DTH) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHURCH HISTORY AND MISSIOLOGY, IN THE FACULTY OF THEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF DURBAN-WESTVILLE, PRIVATE BAG X54001, DURBAN 4000. DATE: APRIL 1996 SUPERVISOR: PROF. A B MAZIBUKO (ii) DECLARATION I DECLARE THAT THE THESIS HEREBY SUBMITTED BY ME FOR A DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN SUBMITTED BY ME FOR A DEGREE AT THIS OR ANY OTHER UNIVERSITY, AND THAT THIS IS MY OWN WORK IN DESIGN AND IN EXECUTION, AND THAT ALL MATERIAL CONTAINED THEREIN HAS BEEN DULY ACKNOWLEDGED. (iii) DEDICATION THIS THESIS IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED TO MY LATE FATHER, LEDIMANE AND MY MOTHER NKOLA. (iv) CONTENTS RESEARCH METHODOLOGy ' viii SUMMARY •••••••••••••••.••••.•••.••••.••••••••.. lX -X ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi - xii INTRODUCTION • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••xiii - xv CHAPTER 1 1 1. Background of the Zion Christian Church..... 1 - 8 1.1. The rise of the Zionist Movernent 8 - 16 1.2. The call of Engenas Lekganyane ~ 16 - 22 1.3. The successors of Engenas Lekganyane 22 - 29 1.4. Taboos and holiness in the Zion Christian Church 30 - 47 1.5. The headquarters of the Zion Christian Church. ..........................................48 - 49 CHAPTER 2 ..•........•............................50 2. Organisation 50 - 58 2.1. The holy week conference 59 . (v) 2.1.1. Powers and duties of the conference.... 60 - 65 2.2. September conference 65 - 68 2.3. Christmas conference 68 - 69 2.4. The role of women 69 - 76 2.5. The main characteristics of the Zion Christian Church 76 2.5.1.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter Twelve Zionists, Aladura and Roho: African Instituted Churches
    Chapter Twelve Zionists, Aladura and Roho: African Instituted Churches Afe Ado game & Lizo Jafta INTRODUCTION The indigenous religious creativity crystallizing in the acronym, African Instituted Churches (AICs) represents one of the most profound developments in the transmission and transformation of both African Christianity and Christianity in Africa. Coming on the heels of mission Christianity and the earliest traces of indigenous appropriations in the form of Ethiopian churches and revival movements, AICs started to emerge in the African religious centre-stage from the 1920s and 1930s. The AICs now constitute a significant filament of African Christian demography. In an evidently contemporaneous feat, this religious manifestation came to limelight ostensibly under similar but also remarkably distinct historical, religious, cultural, socio-economic and political circumstances particularly in the western, southern and eastern fringes of the continent. Their unprecedented upsurge particularly in a colonial, pre-independent milieu era evoked wide-ranging reactions and pretensions of a political and socio­ religious nature, circumstances that undercut their bumpy rides into prominence both in public and private spheres. The AIC phenomenon in Africa has received considerable scholarly attention since the fourth decade of the last century. Available literature reveals the conspicuous dominance of theological, missiological, sociological perspectives and provides ample information regarding this complex but dynamic religious development.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Schooling and Religious Mobility: Joining, Switching, And
    HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript Author Sociol Relig Manuscript Author . Author manuscript; Manuscript Author available in PMC 2019 August 26. Published in final edited form as: Sociol Relig. 2017 ; 78(4): 411–436. doi:10.1093/socrel/srx027. Women’s Schooling and Religious Mobility: Joining, Switching, and Quitting Church in a Christian Sub-Saharan Setting Victor Agadjanian University of Kansas Abstract In dialogue with mainly western literature on determinants of religious mobility and the evidence on the transformative role of mass education in developing settings, we examine the relationship of educational attainment with religious reaffiliation and disaffiliation in the context of rural and small-town sub-Saharan Africa. Adapting western scholarship to the realities of that context, where most people do not complete primary school, we conceptualize both basic education and religious belonging as parts and expressions of profound societal transformations in the sub- continent. We use data from a survey of women aged 18–50 conducted in a predominantly Christian area in Mozambique to test this relationship from both the lifetime and dynamic perspectives. We find a strong positive association between educational level and the probability of church switching, with modest variations by denominational destination of and main reasons for reaffiliation. Disaffiliation is negatively related to schooling level. These findings are situated within a broader discourse on religion, development, and social change in the sub-Sahara. INTRODUCTION Contemporary global Christianity is characterized by growing doctrinal and denominational diversity (Jenkins 2011). The rise and decline of different currents and forms of Christian faith is largely shaped by changing dynamics of religious joining, switching (reaffiliation), and quitting (disaffiliation).1 At the same time, these dynamics reflect broader societal transformations in many parts of the globe.
    [Show full text]