FREEDOM FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN ACCORDING TO ROMANS. 6:22-23: A Mutual Enrichment Between Paul and Iraqw People of Northern Tanzania
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Date
2005
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
The concept of sin and reconciliation is a reality in our African societies.
Being community minded people; different levels of understanding, quarrel and
then enmity among members of ethnic group mark the order of the day. This is
where the common rule for all finds its proper place. To go against it, means
being not in communion with the rest, a person cuts himself off from the rest of
the community. Such a person is referred to as "having sinned" against the
community.
Since sin is forgivable, once a person realizes histher wrongdoing, has to go
through a process which will restore himther back into the community. In this
vein, sin and reconciliation are two elements which an African has to bear in
mind to keep going communal spirit of African societies.
It is from this reality that Christianity sees in African societies some
elements similar to its reconciliation rituals. The Church through its Vatican II
document wants to inculturate Christianity by bringing into it all those elements
which are not contrary to her faith.' This approach of the Church interested me.
Iraqw people of the Northern Tanzania are my tribe in focus. I got a push to
write this paper due to a comment once passed by one of the elderly of this tribe
that Christianity eased their laws and regulation particularly those which are
concerned with punishment and reconciliation. Personally I find harmony than
separation in most of the things on the topic. It was with this spirit I sat down
and decided on writing something about it.
This paper is divided into three chapters. The first chapter deals with the
understanding of Iraqw people on sin and reconciliation. I will discuss this with
I Vatican Council II. SC 37.
2
the help of some Iraqw academicians who wrote their theses and other research works based on this people. Despite the fact that they were writing on something different from mine, they shed some light on what actually I wanted to find out. The rest of the chapter's material is from my own effort through interview with some elders and religious leaders. I am grateful to their openness to discussion and their zeal to spare some time for me. The content of chapter two is biblical. Most of the ideas in this chapter are from commentaries and dictionaries on the biblical concept of sin and reconciliation. The point of focus is St Paul's letter to the Romans. Apart from commentaries and dictionaries, there are some other authors who discussed one element or the other to make the ideas in chapter two be the way I wanted it come up. To this, I owe a lot to libraries of Tangaza, Marist International and Hekima; the constituent colleges of the Catholic University of the Eastern
Africa. The last chapter deals with mutual enrichment between Iraqw people and Christianity in dealing with the question of sin and reconciliation. The material for this chapter is a result of my own reflection on the first two chapters. This is where we find the similarities and differences between them and how can Christianity enrich Iraqw idea of reconciliation and sin, and the vice versa.
The combined idea, "Freedom from the Slavery of Sin According to Rom. 6:22-23; A Mutual Enrichment between Iraqw and Paul", finds its fulfillment in the three chapters of this work. It is my hope to those who will read this work that they benefit from it for their pastoral work among the Iraqw people, and help them for more research in this topic in the future.
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A Mutual Enrichment Between Paul and Iraqw People of Northern Tanzania