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INCULTURATION IN AFRICAN CHURCHES WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO ZIMBABWE by ANTHONY AMADI submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF THEOLOGY in the subject SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF. MB G. MOTLHABI JUNE2002 ************ I DECLARATION "I declare that Incultmation in African Churches with particular Reference to Zimbabwe 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." 261.096891 AMAD 111/ll~l~f~llll~ 0001807758 II SUMMARY This study tries to investigate the extent of inculturation in African Churches in general and in Zimbabwe in particular. Some mission churches, like the Catholic, the Anglican and the Methodist Churches were selected for the study. The main areas of investigation are baptism, the Eucharist:, marriage, burial and healing. The study discovered that there is some inculturation going on in all the churches under discussion, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist. On the other hand, it was also discovered that the African Independent Churches, such as Vapostori and the Aladura, churches are much more at home with the implementation of inculturation especially in the area of healing. We concluded that Christianity is not yet deeply rooted in African soil, in particular in Zimbabwe. This is because not much inculturation has taken place in the mission churches. Some recommendations are made to help facilitate the implementation of inculturation and to enable Christianity to take flesh in Africa so as to become an auth.entic African Christianity. Key Terms: African Independent Churches; Culture; Evangelisation; Healing; Incarnation; Inculturation; Mission Churches; Old and New Testaments; Religion; Sacraments. 111 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS_ My early eye operation in 1995 as a resuh ofa childhood accident led me to conclude that I would never use my eyes again for any serious studies. I thank God for my vocation to the priesthood, for restoring my sight, for sustaining me throughout the course of this study and for giving me patience, which has helped me to persevere to the end. I would like to thank my congregation for sending me on a mission in Zimbabwe, where I found the inspiration to work on inculturation, and for supporting me morally and financially. My many thanks go to my confreres in Zimbabwe for their friendship and prayers, especially my present district superior, the Very Rev. Fr. Leo Eke. He not only created a good environment for me to study, but also helped me with some materials that were useful to my study_ ln a very special way, I give my sincere thanks to my supervisor Prof Mokgethi B G Motlhabi, who not only supervised my work but also taught me. He was patient with me, especially when I was finding some part of the study very difficult at the early stages. Because of my work as a missionary, I was out of touch with most of the research that has been done in the area of mission. Thanks to my family members for their prayers and encouragement. Both Fathers JC Okoye, ofthe Catholic Theological Union in America and S Igboanyika, of Gregorian University in Rome were very inspirational and supportive. I thank them very much. I would also like to thank Sr. E Kadzere and Mr R Mapanzure, both of the English department at St. Joseph's Catholic High School, Mutare, for proof-reading the manuscript My thanks go to Miss Edna Chikuvire of the Catholic University in Harare for typing the manuscript, and my subject' librarian, Natalie Thirion, at Unisa for her prompt services. Some Catholic donor organisations helped to fund part of this study and to them, I say thank you for your kindness. Mrs Munodawafa ofthe provincial hospital, Mutare, was very helpful in providing e-mail services. In general, I would like to remember and also thank many others who contributed in a special way for the success of this study but whose names are too many to mention here. They include those whose books and articles were made use of, those who gave me audience during the interview sessions and those who permitted me to use their pictures as illustrations. To all these people I say, may God bless you. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION I. 1 Statement of the Problem................................................................................................ .. 1 1.2 Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................ 4 1.3 Importance of the Study ................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Method ............................................................................................................................ 6 1.5 Scope and Limitation ........................................................................................................ 7 1.6 Procedure ......................................................................................................................... 8 CBAPTER2 WHAT IS INCULTURATION 2.1 lntroduction ................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Origin and Meaning oflnculturation ............................................................................... 10 2.3 Inculturation and Related Concepts ................................................................................. 12 2.4 Definitions and Further Elaboration of the Concept oflnculturation ................................ 16 2.5 Process of Inculturation .................................................................................................. 20 2.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER3 ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF INCULTURATION 3 .1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 24 3.2 lncultnration in the Old Testament .................................................................................. 25 3.3 Inculturation in the New Testament ................................................................................ 28 3 .4 Inculturation in Missionary Activity and Some Official Church Pronouncements .............. 3 3 3 .5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 44 v CHAPTER4 CULTURE, RELIGION AND AFRICAN VALUES: THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR IN CULTURA TION 4_ l Introduction ----------------------- ___ ............ ___ ....... -··-··--· ................................. ·-··-··-··-··------------46 4.2 Concept and Definition of Culture _____________________ ............................................................ 46 4.3 Religion and Culture ...................................... ___ ..................................... -----------------------51 4.3.l Meaning ofReligion --------------·-··-··-··-·------·--·-··-··-------------------------------------------------------·-·52 4.3.2 Relationship Between Religion and Culture ----------------------------------------------------------------.53 4-4 Christianity and Culture ................................................................. _______________________________ .55 4.5 Evangelisation of Cultures .... ____ ........... _.................. ________________________________________________________ 62 4.6 Values in Aftican Culture -·-----------·---------------------------------------------------------------------------------63 4 _6 .1 Extended Family System/FamiliaI Solidarity ......... _.. _.. _.. _.. _..... _.. _................................. 64 4_6.2 Sense of Community ........................................... ___ -----··-··------------------ _________________________ 66 4.6.3 Sense of Sacredness of Life ............................... __________________________________________________________ 67 4.6.4 Sense ofHospitality ·--·--··-·--·--··-·---------------·--··-·--·--·--·······-··--····--·-·····-········-··-··-··------··68 4.6.5 SenseofRespect for Elders _______________________________ ........................................................... 71 4_6_6 Sense of the Sacred and Religion ................................................. --------------------------------72 4.6.7 Sense of the Use of Proverbs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------73 4_7 Conclusion ................. ______ ......... ______ .......................................................................... _____ 73 CHAPTERS INCULTURATION IN AFRICAN CHURCHES 5.1 Introduction ______________________________________________________________ . _________ ............................... _.. _.. _.. _.. 76 5.2 Inculturation in the Catholic Church ..................... ----------------------------------------------------------77 5_2_ l Sacraments ________________________ --··-··-·· ______ -··-·· ____________ ------------------------- ___ ............................ 79 5.2.1.1 Baptism ..................................................................................... _______________________________ 82 5.2.1-2 The Eucharist .............................................. --------------------------------------------------------------90 5.2. 1.3 Marriage ....................................... ________ ................................................................. 103 5.2.1.4 Burial-Not a Sacrament
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