CONCEPTS OF GOD IN THE TRADITIONAL FAITH OF THE MERU PEOPLE OF KENYA by MARETE DEDAN GITARI (STUDENT NO.3376 – 448 – 8) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF THEOLOGY (MTh 06920) in the subject SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF. JNK MUGAMBI Student number: 3376-348-8 DECLARATION I declare that * CONCEPTS OF GOD IN THE TRADITIONAL FAITH OF THE MERU PEOPLE OF KENYA is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. …………………………………… ………………………………… SIGNATURE DATE (Mr. D G Marete) The thesis has been submitted with our approval as university supervisors. -------------------------------------------- ---------------------- -------------------- Name Signature Date -------------------------------------------- ---------------------- -------------------- Name Signature Date ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the assistance of the following persons and institutions: So important was their assistance that this thesis would have never been written. I sincerely thank all of them as follows: I thank my family for bearing with me and for giving me time to think study and write. I thank Professor J N K Mugambi for accepting to be my supervisor in Kenya. I will always be very grateful for his invaluable wisdom and guidance. I thank the entire leadership of UNISA in the school of Religious studies and theology for their understanding and patience. I am also indebted to thank Dr. Isaiah Dau, the Principal of Nairobi Pentecostal Bible College, for his moral support and assistance. My special thanks also go to Hekima College and Pan Africa Christian College respectively for allowing me to use their libraries during my research. Iam sincerely grateful also to those who assisted the other or me in one way Finally yet importantly, I thank God Almighty, my gracious heavenly Father, for his loving care in protecting and strengthening me. ABSTRACT This thesis covers the concepts of God in the traditional faith of Meru people but the background goes back to African traditional religion in general. Meru is located at the eastern part of Mount Kenya. The work begins with a literature review and field based on oral tradition, which indicates that Meru people came from northern Africa, moved to Canaan, Meroe, (south of Egypt) Meru-Arusha, Mombasa, and finally through Tana River to their present land. The Meru people also claim that they came along with all Bantus speaking communities in Eastern, Southern, and Central Africa. The thesis has seven chapters. The first one covers introduction and background, followed by the research plan and methodology (chapter two) Literature review (chapter three). The fourth chapter outlines the geography, migration and the various stages of becoming a human being. That fifth chapter consists of Meru traditional government and specialists. The sixth one describes the concepts of the Supreme Being in Meru traditional religion. The seventh chapter discusses the interaction of Meru traditional religion with Christianity and its implications. THE TITLE: CONCEPTS OF GOD IN THETRADITIONAL FAITH OF THE MERU PEOPLE OF KENYA TEN KEY TERMS Concepts of God in Africa, Traditional African Religion, Moral Education in Africa, Traditional African Education, Christian Mission in Africa, The Meru people of Kenya, Applied Ethics, Applied Theology, Moral Theology, and Interfaith Relations. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................. 2 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ................................................................... 2 CHAPTER TWO .............................................................................................................. 19 RESEARCH PLAN AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................ 19 Design Of Study........................................................................................................ 19 Statement Of The Problem........................................................................................ 20 Justification............................................................................................................... 26 Objectives ................................................................................................................. 28 Hypotheses................................................................................................................ 29 Conceptual Framework............................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................... 38 LITERATURE REVIEW: ............................................................................................ 39 CHAPTER FOUR............................................................................................................. 58 GEOGRAPHY OF MERU ........................................................................................... 58 Background............................................................................................................... 58 Ancestral Descent Of The Meru People ................................................................... 59 Migration And Settlement......................................................................................... 62 To Be A Human Being In Meru Society .................................................................. 67 Concepts Of Linkage And Grouping ........................................................................ 75 Ways Of Solving Problems....................................................................................... 76 CHAPTER FIVE .............................................................................................................. 79 THE MERU AND THEIR TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT................................... 79 The Mugwe ............................................................................................................... 79 The Government Structure Of Meru......................................................................... 80 The Meru And Their Specialists............................................................................... 83 Meru People And Deviant Groups............................................................................ 90 CHAPTER SIX................................................................................................................. 93 CONCEPT OF SUPREME BEING IN MERU............................................................ 93 The Notion............................................................................................................... 93 Attributes................................................................................................................... 96 The Moral Attributes................................................................................................. 98 Separation With God: ............................................................................................. 101 CHAPTER SEVEN ........................................................................................................ 107 INTERACTION OF TRADITIONAL RELIGION WITH CHRISTIANITY ........... 107 Present Meru Traditional Response To Christianity............................................... 107 Meru Denominations And Meru Traditional Religion ........................................... 109 Present Meru Traditionalist Response To Christianity........................................... 114 Challenges Christianity Gets From Meru Traditionalists ....................................... 115 Recommendations ............................................................................................... 117 Research Findings................................................................................................... 119 CONCLUSION....................................................................................................... 120 Research notes ……………………………………...…………………………….122 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... 123 Appendix I .............................................................................................................. 132 Appendix II ............................................................................................................. 133 Page 1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND This thesis covers the concept of God in the traditional faith of Meru people. It has seven chapters. God whom they call Murungu is entrenched in all their cultural and traditional practices. The Meru elders claim that God has been part of them. Accordingly, they say that God is their creator [Muumbi] and so everyone including the children reflects Meru traditional religion. That is why the elders think that their knowledge of God is not through Christianity or any other foreign religion but it is inborn and intuitive Chapters one, two and three cover the introduction and background, research plan and methodology, and literature review respectively. The practices like worship, which involved sacrifices and offerings, only rekindled the knowledge of God that was already known subconsciously. In this study, I have begun with the background of the knowledge of God among Meru people. From this background, I develop my description in other chapters.