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African Spiritual Response to Western Christianity with Particular

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African Spiritual Response to Western Christianity with Particular AFRICAN SPIRITUAL RESPONSE TO WESTERN CHRISTIANITY WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO ABAGUSII AND THE SEVENTH-DAY-ADVENTIST CHURCH IN OGEMBO DIVISION, K I S H DISTRICT, KENYA ; BY KARIUKI ONYANC flNS ... ■ - * J : , U ■ THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS, RELIGIOUS STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, 1989 UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI LIBRARY dbclaration This Thesis is ay original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other University* i /r . i Signed Dates a 30AZ KABIUKI ONYANCHA This Thesis has been submitted for examination with our approval as University supervisors* * Ufa Signed /7? ^ Dates J Z r / r / f y DR. C.X. JWIKAXBA Page ABSTRACT (i) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Vi) INTRODUCTION (vii) MAPS (ix) CHAPTER one 1 . THE scope of the study j (a) THE PROBLEM 1 (b> STUDY JUSTIFICATION « 4 (c) RESEARCH HYPOTHESES 5 (d) THEORY 11 (e) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 16 (f) LITERATURE REVIEW 21 l (g) AREA COVERED BY THE STUDY 23 (h) STUDY LIMITATIONS 25 (i) DEFINITIONS 26 (j) PRESENTATION 29 j (k) CHAPTER ORGANIZATION / 34 FOOT--NOTES TO CHAPTER ONE 34 CHAPTER TWO. THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL AND RELIGIOUS FACTORS DETERMINING ABAGUSII RESPONSE TO S.D.A. CHRISTIANITY 34 (a) THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF GUSH COMMUNITY 34 (b) GUSII HISTORY AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS 43 (c) LIFE AND CEREMONY 52 (<i) MYSTICAL BELIEFS AND PRACTICES 73 FOOT-NOTES TO CHAPTER TWO 81 CHAPTER_THREE 84 THREE BASIC CONCEPTS TO UNDERSTANDING ABAGUSII WORLDVIEW AND RELIGIOUS 84 (a) MAN 84 (b) THE UNIVERSE 92 (c) GOD 105 FOOT - NOTES TO CHAPTER THREE 115 rHAPTER FOUR 117 THE HISTORICAL AND THEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE S.D.A. CHURCH 117 (a) THE S.D.A. MISSIONARY BACKGROUND IN THE U.S.A. 117 (b) S.D.A. CONTACT WITH THE GUSII AND RESPONSES 130 (c) THE S.D.A. MISSIONARY ASSUMPTIONS AND CONSEQUENCES 147 FOOT-NOTES TO CHAPTER FOUR 157 CHAPTER FIVE 162 SOME ASPECTS 0 7 ABAGUSII RESPONSE TO S • D • A • CHRISTIANITY 162 (a) ATTITUDE TO THE S.D.A. CHURCH 162 (b) ABAGUSII S.D.A. CHRISTIAN ATTACHMENT TO TRADTIONAL BELIEFS AND PRACTICES 179 (c) CHRISTIAN HOPE AND SALVATION 210 FOOT -NOTES TO CHAPTER FIVE 216 CHAPTER SIX 219 IME Y'OMWANA - ABREAK - AWAY MOVEMENT IN THE S.D.A.(CHURCH IN G U S H SEEN WITHIN GUSII CULTURAL CONTEXT 219 (a) THE FOUNDATION OF IME Y'OMWANA MOVEMENT 219 (b) THE THEOLOGY OF IME Y'OMWANA MOVEMENT 227 (c) THE CHARACTERISTICS OF IME Y'OMWANA 229 THE SOCIAL - PSYCHOLOGY OF IME-Y'OMWANA 239 (®» / n TME Y* OMWANA IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER 6 SCHISMATIC MOVEMENTS IN E. AFRICA 240 FOOT - NOTES TO CHAPTER SIX 242 249 CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS 253 BIBLIOGRAPH/ 261 APPENDICES 269 281 glosary i ABSTRACT When the Western S.D.A. Missionaries came to Gusii in early twentieth century, they ignored the previous Abagusii traditional cultural experiences, beliefs and practices. All Abagusii customs and values were treated with contempt as heathenish, anti-God and damnable. So the missionaries embarked on converting Abagusii from what they thought was an unworthy cultural-religious system to what was a sound cultural-religious system or a civilized religion. This unfavourable S.D.A. missionary attitude to Abagusii cultural experiences, beliefs and practices was based on three major wrongful and ethnocentric assumptions, namely cultural, theological and scientific. At the cultural level, the Western S.D.A. missionaries did not find it important to study and understand or respect the values and ideas cherished by Abagusii. Instead they simply looked down upon all and sought to impart Western values and ideas to Abagusii through organized Western education. At the theological level, the S.D.A. missionaries confused western civilization with Christianity. This was in contravention of the Biblical great commission in which the Lord had sent out Seventy- two-disciples to proclaim God's kingdom in all places. The Lord had instructed the disciples to survive on whatever small they were 9iven in the places they went (LK. 10:1-17). (R.E.V). Instead of proclaiming the Kingdom of God, the S.D.A. missionaries proclaimed western civilization. Instead of relying on material provided by Gusii cultural beliefs and practices, they relied on what they brought from the west. Xt was a major distortion of St. Paul's teaching that a Gentile did not necessarily have to become a Jew before becoming a Christian. (Gal. 2:11-17). (R.E.V.). The S.D.A. missionaries lacked these theological insights. In essence, they bestowed upon themselves two tasks, to proclaim western civilization at the same time with the Gospel of Jesus. Even worse still, the S.D.A. missionaries were determined to believe that they brought God to Gusii and that before their coming, Abagusii had been worshipping idols and not God as they (missionaries) conceived of him. Subsequently, they introduced a "new" God who they identified for Abagusii with the Luo name Nvasae and took him to the church where he remained confined. At the scientific level, western S.D.A. missionaries branded Abagusii beliefs and practices superstitious. Subsequently, they sought to liberate them (Abagusii) by means of western education. It was wrong on the part of the S.D.A. missionaries to think that matters to do with a people's religion or culture could be tested scientifically. They also failed to learn that each religion is sustained by a specific world-view. This S.D.A. missionary attitude has been retained till now. Conversion to Christianity is thought to be the same as becoming ,.civilized" and looking down upon traditional beliefs and practices in favour of western ones. This missionary trend of thought has over time, in the period between 1912 and 1980's, attracted varied responses from among Abagusii, which have often occurred concomitantly. The earliest, and, first response took a form of a cultural protest. In 1914, on the eve of the first world war, the Gusii attacked and demolished the first outpost mission erections at Nyanchva and Nyabururu. At the same time they organized themselves into the cult of Mumboism, which defied anything western. The second form of response is non-compliance with the teachings of S.D.A. Christianity. This response is typical of Mumboism except that it is not organized as such. It is 'a response of the general Gusii Community as distinguished from S.D.A. church members. The people who constitute it have over-time seen the S.D.A. church as an agent of western civilization with its alienating influences. They have deliberately chosen to do the °Pposite of S.D.A. church teachings. The third foru of response is double-standard behaviour. It IV characterizes a greater majority of Abagusii S.D.A. adherents. This group has found it difficult to either reject or accept decisively a Christianity that advocates the abandonment of traditional values and beliefs. Subsequently, they have remained consciously and unconsciously attached to traditional values and beliefs while professing S.D.A. Christianity. This is an estranged group with regard to the S.D.A. church and tradition, they are neither perfectly S.D.A. Christians nor traditionalists. The fourth, and, last form of response is acceptance. This response has been there, especially after 1920, and can be seen at various levels. First it is constituted by a group which tend to, implicitly and explicitly think that, it is possible to accept the values of S.D.A. Christianity, without necessarily relinguishing traditional ones as the church expects. The second level of this response is constituted by a separatist movement, Ime Y'Omwana, within the S.D.A. church. the movement neither recognizes western values nor African ones. Naturally, however, the movement finds expression within the Abagusii world­ view and it constitutes an acceptance of Christianity within the Gusii cultural context. This diversity of Gusii response to S.D.A. Christianity would have been averted had the S.D.A. missionaries approached them (Gusii) with understanding. This is in view of the fact that their V responses were, and, are unfavourable to S.D.A. missionaries' intentions of converting Abagusii. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My special gratitude goes to Dr. J.N.K. Mugambi, Chairman,Department of Religious Studies, University of Nairobi, who, apart from handling administrative matters in the department, spared time to supervise this study successfully. His scholarly concern and advise during this study was a source of inexhaustible encouragement without which it would have taken longer to finish. The same gratitude goes to Dr. Mwikamba', whose friendly nature provided a relieving atmosphere during moments of depression. I also appreciate the goodwill accorded me by the entire teaching staff of the Department of Religious Studies, and, in particular, Prof. S.G. Kibicho, Dr. (Mrs.) Anne Kinoti, Dr. G.E.M. Ogutu, Dr. D.W. Waruta, and Dr. (Miss) Ekeya. their perpetual concern for my work was a source of encouragement. Without forgetting, I also record my appreciation of the secretarial services offered by Joice. Her patience and understanding made it possible for the quick completion of this work. Last but not least, I wish to register special gratitude to my loving wife Jane, and, our two daughters, Mokeira and Nyambeki for fche intolerable patience they maintained during my absence from home. May the Lord continue blessing them abundantly. Vll INTRODUCTION This study is based on a research done in Kisii District in the period between 1987 and 1989. Its theme is how Abagusii have continued to respond to S.D.A. missionary Christianity. The study id divided into six chapters. Chapter one, is the description of the scope of the study.
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