HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 11 Original Research Resistance to Lutheran missionary activities through antagonism, traditional beliefs, customs and practices: The case of the Bapedi tribe in Limpopo province, South Africa Author: Before the intervention of the missionaries in Bapedi society, the traditional beliefs, customs and 1 Morakeng E.K. Lebaka practices, such as traditional healing, circumcision, polygamy, indigenous music and rituals, had Affiliation: a vibrant existence. These practices had been prevalent for centuries before the arrival of 1Department of Art and Christianity. After the missionaries of all church denominations were welcomed in Bapedi Music, College of Human society to establish churches and schools as the main vehicles for the dissemination of European Sciences, University of culture, confusion started to build. In this article, I will highlight the reaction of Bapedi people of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa Sekhukhune district, Limpopo province, South Africa, to the missionary activities of Berlin Mission Society (BMS), Germany, from 19 July 1860 to 08 July 2018. The purpose of this study Corresponding author: was to explain the conflict or integration of different cultural norms and the missionary influence Morakeng Lebaka, on the Bapedi indigenous way of life. The questions that I attempt to answer in this article are:
[email protected] (1) how do people understand one another when they do not share a common cultural experience? Dates: and (2) who are to blame, the missionaries or the Bapedi people themselves? I address this Received: 13 June 2019 question by analysing the missionary influence on Bapedi traditional beliefs, customs and Accepted: 26 Nov.