Christian Enculturation in Karamoja, Uganda'
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ABSTRACT B.P.KNIGHTON: 'CHRISTIAN ENCULTURATION IN KARAMOJA, UGANDA' The thesis aims to clear the ground for a Christian, local theology in Karamoja, the remote, north-eastern corner of Uganda. The cloud of reluctance to articulate the spiritual in local tradition to strangers has been penetrated by gathering the disclosures given to a wide variety of observers. These are considered within the whole history and culture of the Karamojong, so as to perceive the sacred in, as well as beyond, the profane. Thus, the belief system encountered by Christian mission is exposed. Part I introduces 'culture', as an organizing category, and defines 'enculturation', as both, the appropriation, and the variation, of a culture, by those in its compass. Part II outlines a history of Karamoja and the Karamojong, highlighting contacts with other peoples. Part III surveys ethnographic treatment of Karamoja, and sets out Karamojong culture with the emphasis on religion. Part IV relates cross-cultural attempts at communication in Karamoja, concentrating upon Anglican mission and seeking to explain its lack of obvious impact. Part V concludes, that Christian mission in Karamoja has tried to replace the traditional culture, and, in the attempt, has enculturated a few converts into a Western lifestyle, who are, in the eyes of ordinary people, no longer Karamojong. The analysis calls for a reappraisal of Christian mission and its relationship to a traditional African people. A full bibliography for Karamoja is attempted. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. ENICULTUIRPoTICIM I M k inORPI M Ua lno, 1_11 1Mink M IDPi by BENJAMIN PAUL KNIGHTON A thesis in two volumes submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Durham. Volume I Department of Theology, University of Durham 1990 2 25 APR 1991 TdrilEtLE CEP- 1=11 1%11 E 1q-r 4,01 11mi 1um I Page No. Abstract 1 List of Maps 15 List of Figures and Illustrations Bibliography Contents 17 Preface 19 Acknowledgments 22 I. INTRODUCTION 25 A. SCOPE 1. Aim 2. Limits 26 a. Historical Background 27 b. The Pattern of Culture c. Communication between Church and Culture 28 3. Trinitarian Scope B. METHOD 30 1. Sources 2. Knowledge Integrated in Wisdom 31 3. Disclosures 32 C. TERMINOLOGY 34 1. Enculturation a. Personal 35 i. Becoming ii. Leadership 36 b. Social c. Christian Enculturation 38 2. Culture a. Environment and Habitat b. Configuration 40 c. Continuity and Complexity 41 d. Culture and Society Distinguished 3. Acculturation 43 4. Transculturation 5. Inculturation 44 a. Etymology b. Definition c. The Absoluteness of Christianity 46 d. The Church and Cultural Absolutes 47 i. Peter and Paul 48 ii. Christendom 49 iii. Christianity Reigns? 50 e. The Church as the Centre of Mission f. Christianity and Inculture 52 g. Inculturation or Enculturation? 53 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 54 A. THE PREHISTORY AND SETTLEMENT OF KARAMOJA 1. East African Man 55 a. Proconsuls b. Homosapiens 56 i. Magosi ii. Rainfall Changes 57 iii. Southern Cushites 2. Negroid Civilization on the Nile 58 a. Nilo-Saharan b. Chari-Nile 59 c. Eastern Sudanic 60 i. Kuliak Settle Karamoja 61 ii. Kuliak and Cushitic Contacts 62 d. Nilotes 63 i. Language ii.. Cradleland iii. Kush 64 3. The Spread of the Nilotes 66 a. Migration South b. The First Nilotes in Karamoja 67 i. The Oropom ii.. Southern Nilotes 69 4. Eastern Nilotes 71 a. Cradleland b. Language 72 c. Division and Expansion 74 i. The Salvation History of the Tunga 75 ii.. The Forefathers of the Tunga 78 iii. Further Division 79 d. Eastern Nilotes Invade Karamoja 80 i. The Ngikatapa ii.. The Herdsmen 81 e. The Beginning of Generations 82 i. Karamojong Time ii.. Borrowed or Invented? iii. Cushitic Influence 83 5. Colonies of the Ngiro 85 a. Famine Reunites & Divides b. Traditional Ethnic Histories 86 i. The Bull is Found ii. The Herdsmen have Gone 87 c. Entry into the Land 88 i. The Turkana 89 ii.. The Toposa & the Nyangatom 90 iii. The Jiye 91 iv. The Karimojong (See Appendix Al). v. The Dodos 94 d. Karamoja Colonized by the Ngiro 96 i. Clan History ii. Tribal Formation 97 iii. Incorporating Enemies 98 6. Racial & Linguistic Origins 100 a. The Nilo-Hamitic Hypothesis i. Geistesgeschichte ii. The Classification of Ngakaramojong 101 iii. The Diffusion of Iron 104 b. The Impact of Ancient Egypt 108 i. Contacts 109 ii. The Divine Family Likeness 110 iii. Divine Quality 111 iv. The High God 114 v. Cattle on a Thousand Hills 116 vi. Personal Decorations 118 Footnotes to II.A. 119 B. EXPOSURE TO FOREIGN CULTURES 121 1. The Arabs 122 2. The Abyssinians a. The Arms Trade 123 i. The Arming of Abyssinia Consequences of Abyssinian Rifles 126 b. The Slave Trade 128 i. Abomination Abyssinian Faith iii. Suffering 129 iv. Markets 131 v. Slave Raiding 132 c. The Ivory Trade 134 i. Exploiting Elephants Outlets 136 2. The Swahilis 137 a. Influence on Uganda b. Traders and Their Activities South of Elgon North of Elgon 138 Shundi 139 iv. Manimani c. Effects of the Ivory Trade 141 i. Destabilization Homicide 143 iii. Bargaining Power iv. Fortunes of War 144 d. Effects of the Slave Trade 145 i. Traders Slaughtered Culture Clash 146 iii. Cultural Change iv. Foreign Morality 147 3. The Europeans 148 a. 1890-1899: Via Karamoja i. The Scramble for Uganda Racing to Fashoda 150 Karamoja: Invaded or Protected? 153 iv. Outcome of the Macdonald Expedition 155 v. Effects on Empire in East Africa 156 b. 1900-1909: Empire Fails to Rule 159 Harry Johnston and Expansion Scientific Categories 161 Bwana Bell 163 iv. Hunters Paradise 165 v. Paradise Lost 166 vi. Hesketh Bell and Concentration 168 vii. Mbale Hinterland 169 viii. Externalities of Enterprise 171 Footnotes to II.B. 174 C. BRITISH ADMINISTRATION 182 1. 1910-1921: Military Presence a. Encroachment b. Protection 183 i. Apetai Eron 184 Loriang c. The Balance of Power 185 i. Arms Struggle 186 ii. Police Impressions 187 d. Touring Karamoja 188 e. North Karamoja accepts the Pax Britannica 191 i. Rounding Up Cattle Recognizing Power 192 iii. Peace and Rain 193 5 f. Appointing Chiefs 194 i. Jie ii. Dodos iii. Karimojong 195 iv. Enforcing Peace v. Turnover of Chiefs 196 vi. Local Structure g. Commodities 197 i. Cotton ii. No Cash Earners '199 iii. Cattle Products 2. 1922-1961: Civil Administration 201 a. Chiefs Undone i. Chiefs of Government ii. Spokesmen of Empire 202 iii. The Fate of Aciya 204 b. Whither Karamoja? 205 i. His Excellency's Opinion ii. Preservation or Progress? 206 iii. The Human Zoo 208 iv. Christian Civilization 209 c. Peace v. Population 210 i. Growing Numbers ii. Raids iii. The Force of Law 211 iv. Turkana Raids 213 e. Law and Disorder in North-East Uganda 214 f. Interference Scorned, not Justice 215 D. INDEPENDENCE 216 1. Catching Up with Uganda a. Parliamentary Democracy b. The Karamoja Problem 217 2. Developing Karamoja 219 a. Building & Multiplying b. Assimilating to Modern Uganda 220 c. Preparing to do Battle 3. Famine and Fame 221 a. Dearth & Disaster b. Karamoja Aids the Relief Agencies 222 c. Collapse of a Culture? d. Fighting a Way Out 224 E. HISTORICAL CONCLUSIONS 225 1. Discontinuity 2. Continuity III. THE PATTERN OF CULTURE 227 A. THE STUDY OF GOD AND MAN IN CULTURE 1. In Some Foreign Field a. Misplaced Studies b. Enlightened Consciousness 229 2. New Certainties 230 a. Positivism b. Progress 231 c. Marxism i. Materialism ii. Neo-Marxism d. Reactions to Evolutionism 233 i. American Historicism ii. British Functionalism 234 iii. Structural-Functionalism e. History 235 f. Cultural Idealism i. Culture and Personality Structuralism 236 Ethnoscience 237 iv. Semiotics 3. Anthropological Unity 239 a. Multi-Disciplinary Approaches Ecosystems Development Studies 241 b. The Culture of the Western Mind 243 i. Homo Religiosus A Theological Approach 244 Footnote to II.A. 245 B. AKUJM 246 1. Creation 2. The Creator a. Deus Absconditus Theodicy 247 Impassibility 248 iii. Inscrutability iv. Transcendence b. Presence 249 i. Immanence Spirit 250 iii. Omnipresence 252 iv. Ancestral Spirits 254 v. Universality 256 c. Evil 257 i. No Dualism Devil 258 iii. Sorcery iv. Evil Eye 259 d. Sender 3. Worlds Beyond 261 a. The World Above i. Death Heaven iii. After-life 262 b. The World Below i. Water Sprites Water Babies 263 c. A Spiritual Universe 264 4. Revelation a. Dreamers 265 b. Prophets 266 i. Qualifications Ikwaibong iii. Prophecy 267 c. Diviners 268 i. Haruspication Sandals 5. Mediation 270 a. Medium i. Territoriality Sociality iii. Economy 271 iv. Polity 272 v. Legality vi. Morality 7 vii. Personality 273 viii. Mentality 274 ix. Musicality 275 x. Rituality 277 6. Church 279 a. Ecclesia b. Place and People 280 i. Atukot ii. Akero iii. Akiriket 281 c. Constitution i. Generation 282 ii. Age-set 283 d. Disequilibrium 285 i. Applying Ideals ii. Underaging 286 iii. Overaging 288 e. Dualism 290 i. Father and Son ii. Dynamics Resolve Contradiction 291 iii. Generation v. Age 292 f. Unity 293 7. Ministry 294 a. Corporate Office i. Priests ii. Deacons 296 b. Hereditary Office 297 i. Ngimurok ii. Firemakers 301 8. Sacraments 303 a. Initiation 304 i. Conditions ii. Preliminaries 305 iii. Spearing the Ox 306 iv. Eating the Tongue 310 v. Anointing with Clay vi. Feast of the Stomach 311 vii. Cold Dripping 312 viii. Significance b. Promotion 314 i. Place of Installation 315 ii. Severing the Hind Legs iii. Unlocking the Age-set 316 iv. Rock of the Country v.