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Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: a Response to the Rise of Neo- Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity Faith Lugazia Luther Seminary

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Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: a Response to the Rise of Neo- Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity Faith Lugazia Luther Seminary Luther Seminary Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Theses Student Theses 2010 Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise of Neo- Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity Faith Lugazia Luther Seminary Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/phd_theses Part of the Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, and the New Religious Movements Commons Recommended Citation Lugazia, Faith, "Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise of Neo-Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity" (2010). Doctor of Philosophy Theses. Paper 15. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses at Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Luther Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TOWARDS AN AFRICAN INCULTURATION BIBLICAL PNEUMATOLOGY: A RESPONSE TO THE RISE OF NEO-PENTECOSTALISM IN TANZANIAN CHRISTIANITY by FAITH LUGAZIA A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Luther Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 2010 LUTHER SEMINARY LIBRARY 2375 Como Avenue 8 t P*ul, MN 65108-144? © 2010 by Faith Lugazia All rights reserved LUTHER SEMINARY ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA PH.D. THESIS Title of Thesis: Towards An African Inculturation of Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise of Neo-Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity. Author: Faith Kokubelwa Lugazia Thesis committee: L . jA JL a- ABSTRACT Towards an African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response to the Rise ofNeo- Pentecostalism in Tanzanian Christianity By Faith Lugazia In this dissertation, 1 seek to lay the groundwork for developing an African inculturation of biblical pneumatology relevant to the Tanzanian context. The Neo- Pentecostal phenomenon is a strong reality in Tanzania today. Neo-Pentecostal churches and groups are mushrooming, emphasizing the work of the Holy Spirit and drawing on the heritage of African spirituality and worldview. Many mainline Protestants, including Lutherans, participate and worship in these churches and groups, yet they maintain their formal membership in their mother churches. This could be due, in part, to the fact that Lutheran theology and teaching in Tanzania has tended to pay little attention to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, much of what Neo-Pentecostals offer with regard to pneumatology is a mere fraction of what could be included in a comprehensive biblical understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, I intend in this dissertation to lay the groundwork for developing an African inculturation of biblical pneumatology. In doing so, I will draw not only on contemporary biblical scholarship and theological reflection on the Holy Spirit, but also on an understanding of African spirituality and the cultural contexts in which it emerges. My primary sources for developing this argument include the work of Ogbu Kalu, Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, and other scholars who have studied the African history of Christianity; Jurgen Moltmann and his biblically rooted eschatological pneumatology; and recent biblical scholarship on the Holy Spirit. Like John Mbiti, I am convinced that “the Bible should be primary source of African Christian Theology.”1 *IV 1 John Mbiti, New Testament Eschatology in an African Background: A Study o f the Encounter Between New Testament Theology and African Traditional Concepts (London: Oxford University Press, 1971), 179. IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS That I’m having this dissertation in my hand is a great Joy. I thank God who looked up on me with favor and let this work be done. I feel honored and loved by God’s Spirit who was always empowering me and encouraging me to forge ahead despite of all my weaknesses. When I look back and see where I am, I always join my sister in faith, Mary, who was courageous enough to answer an angel: “With God nothing is impossible.” 1 thank God for accepting my wish. There are many people who contributed towards this success. My special thanks go to the North western Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania for giving me an opportunity to pursue Doctoral Studies at Luther Seminary. Thank you also to the Lutheran World Federation Department of Human Resource in collaboration with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Division of Global Mission, and Luther Seminary for supporting me financially. For all concerned in this category, I want to say that your support made my studies and stay possible. May the God of mission continue to use you. Having permission to come for further studies and getting financial support could be in vain if people who molded me academically could not get ready to tolerate my weaknesses. I wholeheartedly thank Dr. Lois Malcolm for not being only adviser but a role model for how one must be responsible in any given task. Her words of “massage your work” and “internalize your points” have since been challenging me. And her v criticism on this dissertation and support has resulted in valuable material for the church not only in Tanzania but the Church universal. Dr. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, my reader, made my brain to think beyond what I could swallow. Before he came to Luther in 2007, 1 was not confident in writing about Pentecostal theology, which has connection to African roots. His support, encouragement, and Africa-relevant material have all positioned me to be true to an African Christian Theology. The gift of knowledge Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu implanted in me is a treasure and will follow me in the field. Thanks also to Dr. Alan Padgett for his criticism and direction as my reader. English being my third language, I was not confident enough to present my Dissertation before professors, even if I made five drafts. On this category, my special thanks go to Mr. Heslon Kagaruki and Ms. Katharine Dahl. Mr. Kagaruki took this work as his, for he did not ‘just read’ and correct my clumsy sentences but questioned me what and why. As what and why are key words for letting any document be understood, I envy him for that. Katharine’s valuable criticism and insistences that she wanted a paragraph which make sense helped me to be keener in constructing a sentence. I thank all from writing center for letting my dissertation have direction. It is not possible to thank everyone but let me generally say thanks to all who supported me in one way or another. I wholeheartedly thank my loving husband Joeivan Mwesigwa Kataraia. His love and sacrifice both at home and at work have confirmed to me that he is indeed part of me. His encouraging words during disappointing times, “Faith you have come here to learn,” will always eco in my ears for the rest of my life. My struggle to reach this achievement has been possible because he supported me abundantly. I once more thank Joeivan. My sons, Alpha Mwesige and Omega Baraka, deserve my thanks as well. Alpha’s facial expression when leaving our apartment for the Library showed that he was indeed missing me. His question, “Mama are you going to school again,” pushed me towards this success. The Lord God of Trinity continues to encourage me in the field. Amen. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................................. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................. x Chapters 1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1 A Review of the Literature................................................................................... 2 Neo-Pentecostalism in Africa........................................................................ 2 Neo-Pentecostalism in Tanzania................................................................... 7 A Case for an African Inculturation of Biblical Pneumatology..........................12 Examining the African Context....................................................................14 Engaging Neo-Pentecostalism and Lutheranism..........................................17 Identifying Elements in an African Inculturation of Biblical Pneumatology ..................................................................................................................... 19 An Overview of the Chapters............................................................................. 25 2. AFRICAN SPIRITUALITY AND WORLDVIEW: A CONTEXT FOR UNDERSTANDING NEO-PENTECOSTALISM............................................... 27 African Traditional Religion as Praeparatio Evangelica............................ 28 African Worldviews and Spirituality.................................................................. 32 John Mbiti on African Spirituality.............................................................. 34 Ogbu Kalu on African Spirituality.............................................................. 40 Kalu's Argument on the Rise of Neo-Pentecostalism in Africa.........................44 Ways Neo-Pentecostals Appropriate Traditional African Spirituality........47 A World of the Spirit and Spirits.........................................................47 Affliction and Crises...........................................................................
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