Witchcraft Accusations and Hybrid Formulations in Papua New Guinea 65 Philip Gibbs
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
On Knowing Humanity Journal VOLUME 4, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2020 Creating a Christian faith-based approach to anthropology, incorporating insights from theology into ethnography and analysis, and allowing religiously committed anthropologists to speak freely of the ways in which their commitments inform their theory and practice. Raising new questions and lines of research on subjects such as: the significance of humanity’s unique calling in nature for personhood and the construction of culture; the underlying reasons for humanity’s destructive behavior toward self, others, and the environment; and the role that divine redemption and hope play in human lived experience and practice. Reincorporating teleology, in the sense of purpose, into scientific understanding, inviting dialogue between anthropologists and theologians of all persuasions into a deeper understanding of the human condition, and encouraging the doing of anthropological research and writing through the eyes of faith. On Knowing Humanity Journal Volume 4(1), January 2020 Table of Contents Articles Christian Pastors and Alleged Child Witches in Kinshasa, DRC 1 Robert J. Priest, Abel Ngolo, and Timothy Stabell News and Opinions 1. What is Natural About Witchcraft? 52 Miriam Adeney 2. Conversation Time has Come 55 Andy Anguandia-Alo 3. A Soteriological Response to the Congolese Pastors’ Engagement with Children 57 Accused of Being Witches Collium Banda 4. A Biblical Scholar’s Response to Issues in ‘Christian Pastors and (Alleged) Child 61 Witches in Kinshasa, DRC’ Paul Cookey Ekpo 5. Witchcraft Accusations and Hybrid Formulations in Papua New Guinea 65 Philip Gibbs 6. A Dysfunctional Worldview 69 Paul Gifford 7. Christian Pastors and Alleged Witches in Kinshasa, DRC. A Response. 72 Wanjiru M. Gitau 8. Reframing Thinking and Action: A Way Forward in Responding to Child Witch 74 Accusations Through Contextualised Participatory Engagement Susie Howe and Paul Stockley 9. Social Instability, Churches, and Child Witchcraft 79 Michael Jindra 10. Christian Pastors and Child Witches in Kinshasa, DRC 81 Nzash U. Lumeya 11. A Theological Critique of Witchcraft: Ruminations from a Fellow African 83 Hans Madueme 12. The Bible’s Cultural Mandate, Child Witches, Cognitive Authority, and 87 Christian Pastors Robert Guy McKee 13. Comments on Christian Pastors and Child Witches in Kinshasa, DRC 92 Carol V. McKinney 14. Witchcraft Accusations in Comparative Contexts: The Early Modern European 95 Witch-hunts and Alleged Child Witches in the Democratic Republic of Congo Kenneth P. Minkema & Phillip D. Davis 15. Witchcraft Accusations and the Christian Church’s Response 99 Joyce Dainess Mlenga 16. Do Witches Exhume Dead Bodies? 103 Esther Mombo 17. Child Witches in Kinshasa, DRC: A Response 105 Paul M. Mpindi 18. A Contribution to the Conversation 108 Mike Mtika 19. Overview of the Work of the Pastoral Team for Children in Need (EPED) in its 111 Struggle Against the Problem of So-Called Child-Witches in the DR Congo Abel Ngolo 20. What is the Disease? Engaging the Problem of Witchcraft in Africa 115 David Tonghou Ngong 21. Straddling Two Worlds: Christian Leaders’ Responses to Witchcraft Accusations 118 in DRC Mwenda Ntarangwi 22. Witchcraft Accusation and Church Discipline in Malawi 122 Timothy Kabulunga Nyasulu 23. To End Child Witchcraft Accusations, A Task for the Whole Church 129 Maїmouna Jessica Obot 24. “The Person I Hate Most in Life is My Mother” 132 Opoku Onyinah 25. Witchcraft Labeling: Effects on Child Behavior and Self-Concept 135 Chinyere Felicia Priest 26. Significance of this Research and a Tanzanian Case Study 137 Steven D. H. Rasmussen 27. Response to Priest, Ngolo and Stabell 142 Michael Allen Rynkiewich 28. Witchcraft Accusations: A Challenge for Families, Communities, and Churches 145 in Africa Boubakar Sanou 29. Comment on the Article “Christian Pastors and Child Witches in Kinshasa, DRC,” 149 by Robert J. Priest, Abel Ngolo and Timothy Stabell Edwin Zehner 30. Summary of, and Response to, Critiques and Commentaries of Other Scholars 153 on the Subject of Witch Accusations and the Church Robert J. Priest Book Reviews Sensational Movies, Video, Vision, and Christianity in Ghana 171 By Birgit Meyer Christine Albertini I See Satan Fall Like Lightning 174 By René Girard Sara Cook Witchcraft, Intimacy and Trust: Africa in Comparison 177 By Peter Geschiere Adriana Myland Pentecostal Exorcism: Witchcraft and Demonology in Ghana 179 By Opoku Onyinah Robin Scott The Devil’s Children: From Spirit Possession to Witchcraft: New Allegations 182 That Affect Children Edited by Jean La Fontaine Harold Wanton Ethnographic Sorcery 184 By Harry West Ned Wilson On Knowing Humanity Journal 4(1), January 2020 Christian Pastors and Alleged Child Witches in Kinshasa, DRC Robert J. Priest1, Abel Ngolo2 and Timothy Stabell3 Against earlier predictions, witch accusations are proliferating and flourishing in many modern, urban, and Christian environments. And they are taking new forms. One dramatic change involves who is accused, with children now often the prime suspects when misfortunes occur. Another dramatic change relates to who is consulted when witch suspicions are present. Rather than non-Christian diviners or traditional healers, many now consult Christian pastors and prophets for help in identifying witches and dealing with them. Based on a survey of 713 pastoral leaders in Kinshasa from all major church traditions, and on supplemental qualitative research, this report 1) explores the profile of accused children, 2) identifies what these children are accused of, 3) identifies what sorts of evidence are used to establish the guilt of the accused child, and 4) considers the consequences to the child of being labeled a witch. Furthermore, this report explores what it is that church leaders believe, teach, and practice in relationship to child-witch allegations—considering the role of church tradition and theological education on their patterns of understanding and engagement. Specifically, we identify and examine two broad paradigms widely present in Kinshasa churches—a “witch diagnosis and deliverance paradigm” and a “child protection paradigm.” We consider some grassroots strategies of transformative engagement engaged in by l’Équipe Pastorale auprès des Enfants en Détresse [EPED] leaders, and end by inviting African theological and pastoral leaders into a conversation about the impact of theological understandings, congregational discourses, spiritual disciplines, and pastoral practices on the well-being and flourishing of vulnerable children. Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study4 in various regions of the world are accused of being 1.1 Introduction dangerous witches and treated as such. In prior eras witch accusations customarily targeted older adults. In recent decades, human rights activists and organiza- Children sometimes appeared in these earlier accounts, tions have expressed alarm at how frequently children but usually only as victims of witchcraft or as witnesses 1 At the time of research Dr. Robert Priest was G. W. Aldeen Prof. of International Studies and Professor of Anthropology and Mission at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. At the time of publication he is Professor of Anthropology at Taylor University. 2 Révérend Abel Ngolo is the Secrétaire général-représentant legal of l’Équipe Pastorale auprès des Enfants en Détresse (EPED). 3 Rev. Dr. Timothy Stabell is a former missionary in the DRC (where he also grew up as the child of missionaries). He currently serves as a pastor and as an adjunct professor both at Shalom University of Bunia, DRC and also at Briercrest College and Seminary. 4 We wish to express deep appreciation to the twenty individuals who carried out this survey research: Jean Alengo, Jacques Manzita, Néhémie Mukandama, John Kabunda, Abraham Fundasili, Médard Limboto, André Nshole, Sylvie Nkolomoni, Angèle Kimfuta, Rodin Mukwama, Simsas Siwakio, George Matungulu, Beya Bantu, Marcellin Omango, Kalubi Muneme, Roger Lambi, Jean Kimbeni, Valetin Ngiama, Faustin Tshiebue, Bienvenu Banani. Without their commitment, dedication and hard work on behalf of the street children of Kinshasa and on behalf of this research, this research would never have been completed. They are truly heroes in the fight to protect Kinshasa’s children. We also wish to thank the 713 pastoral leaders who took time to answer each question of the survey. Funding for the research was received from the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and from Stop Child Witch Accusations. Dr. Robert Priest and Rev. Abel Ngolo served as the primary research directors. Priest, Ngolo, and Stabell, Christian Pastors and Alleged Child Witches 1 On Knowing Humanity Journal 4(1), January 2020 testifying against older adults. Children were infre- study recent developments related to child witchcraft quently the ones accused. 5 highlight rather the current trusted role of Christian Against all expectations, modernity has not led to pastors, prophets, apostles, intercessors, and other the demise of witch accusations and retaliatory church leaders in authoritatively addressing witchcraft practices, but to their resurgence and reformulation. suspicions and accusations. 8 Revised understandings of witchcraft that have recently And yet most scholars who have researched child emerged increasingly focus suspicions on children. 6 witch accusations, at best focus only a small part of their This development has been observed in the research on the church leaders