Browsing by Subject "Religion"

Now showing 1 - 19 of 19

Catholic Church Facing the Challenge of the African Traditional Religion and the Question of Salvation
(Tangaza University College, 2006-11) Nir Anselme Somda, Beter
We see that many people in our home village and many other places in Africa are very exited to become Catholic Christians. We even sometimes miss teachers to instruct them. For the first year of catechumenate their numbers can reach almost 800 people for the whole parish. After following the required instruction, they receive the sacraments of initiation and become members of the Catholic Church. They confess that Jesus is the Saviour and recite the creed: I believe in the holy, Catholic Church... But we noticed that the same Christians coming to the Church every Sunday, are the very ones going to see diviners, witchdoctors and make sacrifices in order to succeed in their work, or to help their children to pass exams, or to get good health... Facing these facts we ask ourselves for which reason do they go back to their traditional practices though on the day of their baptism they confessed that Jesus is their Saviour and he saved them. This situation led me to start thinking that maybe it is because they do not experience the savific presence of Jesus by belonging to the Church or the Church does not accommodate them, meaning that they do not see the Church as the instrument established by Jesus for the salvation of the world. It looks like people see the Church as a social association or the provider for the poor. If they were totally convinced that the Church is the instrument of salvation, during the time of crises they would have remained in the Church while praying more intensely instead of going back to their former practices. So at the end of my theological studies, I tried to reflect on the main factors which push those converted Christians to go back to their former practices. I • • discovered that though the Church is the instrument of salvation it does not respond filly to the aspirations of the newly convened Christians: for example the element of diviners who can read the future of people, the element of offering sacrifice to obtain favour or the sacredness of the religion. People were trained to believe in what they do not understand. When the traditional doctors speak in words they do not understand they see the mystery and are easily drawn to believe in them. As a first step towards this study I did first a general reading of many books around the topic. I also discussed with some people about the topic. The fruit of that research, study and reflection are expressed in three chapters in this essay. The first Chapter will be the presentation of the notion of salvation and its relationship with the Catholic Church. We shall also talk about the ways through which God offers salvation to people. The second Chapter will look at salvation and the mediation of salvation in the African Traditional Religion. Wc shall also look at the position of the Catholic Church towards the African Traditional Religion. The third Chapter will look at the reason why people do go back to the African Traditional religion, the elements the Church can get from the African Traditional Religion in order to help the newly converted Christians (which aspects of Jesus and of the Church to develop more) and finally I shall give my personal point of view about African Traditional Religion and the Catholic Church. I foresee some limitations for this work. Since I am not an expert in African Traditional Religion, I will not be using a particular African Traditional Religion. Traditional Religion, I will not be using a particular African Traditional Religion. I am using the books in general on African Traditional Religion. The notion of Salvation is not understood totally in the metaphysical sense meaning we are not going to be discussing on sins and the mystical interventions. This work is intended to create an awareness of what is happening. When I will be writing a doctorate dissertation in the future, it will be more expanded and will be more scientifically done.
Christian Witness as a Tool for Evangelisation amidst Religious Plurality
(2016) Kabuya Ntumba, Daniel
One of the successes of Vatican II was that of exciting awareness on the changes that occur in the modern world. The changes affect every area of human life. Realities such as technology, modernity, communication, and religious pluralism make people close to one another. The world has become a global village. People are no longer “isolated” from one another as they were some few years before. This marks a new epoch in the history of the world. Due to these changes, we observe an unbelieving tendency in the modern man. This unbelieving tendency engages man into circumstances where he forgets completely his primordial vocation that is love. On the one hand, we witness to realities of religious wars, violence, and religious hostility in which some Christians act contrary to the law of love: “You must love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself” (Mk 12:30-31; Lk 10:27). On the other hand, others misuse religions to justify their actions against others. What can we say about religious pluralism? Today, none dares to deny the phenomenon of globalisation. enhances the possibility of a community-world. We do not need to travel to China or to India to meet Hinduism, Buddhism, or Judaism. Rather, we live with them and share the neighbourhood together. In fact, we are the next-door neighbours to people of other faiths. Moreover, migration, technology, and even travel contribute largely to the knowledge of various cultures and beliefs. Due to neighbourhood, some people find it difficult to practice freely their faith. In countries such as Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and India, Christians feel “persecuted” and “denied” of their right of religious freedom. Again, some states do not give way to “religious tolerance”. This gives rise to tendency to embrace fundamentalism and secularization. To that, we add modernisation that offers new values and meanings to man. As noted in Gaudium et Spes, the modern change brings much worries and anxieties to man: “Torn by a welter of anxieties he is compelled to choose between them and repudiate some among them. Worse still, feeble and sinful as he is, he often does the very thing he hates and does not do what he wants” (GS, 10). This situation compels the researcher to assess the divine commission that says, “Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time” (Mt. 28:19-20). To assess the divine commission is to scrutinize Christian witness effectiveness within the modern world. Christians are invited to reflect upon the methods and ways used in the fulfilment of the command of the Lord. The fulfilment of the divine command is a matter of witness. Christian witness does not consist of proclamation through words only. It is beyond that. Christian witness is rather a combination of words and actions. This means that Christians are instruments through which God brings salvation to people: “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name to Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). We realise that Christian witness uses more the person of the preacher as God’s ways to reach out to people. Thus, to evangelize 3 3 2 and its today is to establish correspondence between words and actions. It is only in this way that Christians may identify themselves as Disciples of Christ: “It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognise you as my disciples” (Jn 13:35). In this sense, Christian witness becomes effective for evangelisation. The effectiveness of Christian witness lies in reflecting the person of Christ in one’s life. Paul states that, “I have been crucified with Christ, and yet I am alive; yet it is no longer I, but Christ living in me” (Gal. 2:20). Having explored some of the changes of the modern world, the researcher intends to propose Christian witness as a powerful tool for evangelisation. This entails that Christians must not engage themselves in a wrestling with the unbelieving world as far as evangelisation is concerned. Rather, they are called to witness to the person of Jesus through both words and actions and surrender the outcome to God. They are called to, as Barth says, “let God be God”.
Discipleship of the Canossian Religious Women in Africa
(Tangaza University College, 2001-05) Imelda, Simon
It has been a great pleasure for me to Nvri te this paper concerning women discipleship because the call of women to discipleship is one of the major concerns of today's society. This long essay is divided into four chapters. The first chapter explains to us the historical foundation of the discipleship of Canossian women in the 18th and 19th centuries. It gives the information of how our Mother foundress, St Magdalene of Canossa. started the Congregation of the Canossian Sisters Daughters of Charity. It tells us about her call to religious life, the struggles she went through for the service of the poor. It also deals with the political situation of her time in Italy and the spread of the congregation in other parts of the world and especially in Africa. The second chapter introduces the main issue of women discipleship in the Bible. The main insights of the vocation of women to discipleship are taken from the New Testament. It helps to understand the call of women to discipleship, the cost, mission and dedication to discipleship. The last part of the chapter includes the call of the Canossian women to discipleship in the world of today. Therefore it calls all the disciples of Jesus to make him known and loved, especially among those who don't know him. The third chapter gives us the picture of the troubled life situation of the African people. It underlines the social problems that have come up in Africa due to the rapid social change and technological development, which is growing faster in the African world today. It expands on the increase of evil in our African society like: political upheavals, poverty, and an increase of slum dwellers and sicknesses like Aids. In order to respond to the needs of the people, the last chapter focuses on the importance for the religious to have an integral human formation, whereby the whole person is involved. For the religious to become true disciples of Jesus Christ, they should be able to acquire profound human and spiritual formation. They should be well informed about the concrete issues taking place in their society. Therefore the Canossian Sisters are called to prepare the social ministers, counsellors, and the ecologists to read the sins of the time. To enable formation to take place in the hearts of those in formation, they should get in touch with the suffering of people around them. I have concluded that both human and spiritual development should be the prerequisite in our formation houses.
An Encounter with the Spirit of God in African Religion
(Tangaza University College, 2002-02) Mrosso, Bartholomew
On 1996, my superiors appointed me to Ghana for two years of pastoral training. From 1996 to 1998 I was doing my pastoral formation among the Sisaala people of the Upper West region of Ghana. The Sisaala people are mainly traditionalists. By this I mean the majority of them if not all are followers of African Traditional Religion. Any one who approaches any village easily notices the predominance of the African Religion among the Sisaala. As you enter in any village the first thing to see is a shrine. Each extended family has a shrine. Among the Sisaala each extended family forms a compound. Then a number of compounds form a village. So the number of compounds in the village determines the number of shrines in it. Coming from East Africa where the phenomenon of shrines is not very dominant, I was very much fascinated by it. I was curious to know what are those shrines for. I was told that those are places of prayer and sacrifice. I witnessed that, if the day of prayers in the shrine, happened to be on Sunday, very few people would attend mass on that Sunday. This experience made me think that prayers in the shrines seem to be more meaningful to the people than our Christian prayers. I thought it was my task as a young missionary to make our Christian prayers more meaningful and appealing to these people so as they could abandon their traditional beliefs and embrace Christian faith. My plan as a future missionary was to convert these traditional believers into Christianity. I never thought of a possibility of dialogue with the African Traditional believers. Another fascinating phenomenon was, the Sisaala firm belief in the presence of the Spirits. For them everything has its spiritual dimension. Every living and non-living creature has a spirit. My first attitude towards the phenomenon of spirits was very negative. To me these traditional believers were simply superstitious. But slowly I started changing my attitude from negative one to a positive approach. I started asking myself about the possibility of God communicating something to us Christians through the traditional believers. In 1998 I left Ghana with a positive view of the traditional believers. It was in that same year I started my theological studies. From the beginning of my theological formation, I thought it is necessary for modern theologians to search for a theological foundation that can sustain a positive approach towards African Traditional Religion. During the course of my theological studies, I had an opportunity to take an elective on Christian theology of other faiths. This course has helped me to re examine my attitude towards African Traditional Religion. It has also opened my theological mind to see the possibility of dialogue between African Religion and Christianity. So it is out of my past experiences with the traditional African believers in Ghana that I chose this topic for my long essay. I am aware that my essay is limited in several ways; first, African religion has not yet been recognized as one of the world religion. Nevertheless it is in the process of being recognized and a world religion. Second there is only now a fully recognized Christian theology of other faiths. Despite positive attitude of the church fathers towards non- Christian religions', it had taken some times to develop a Christian theology of other faiths. Third limitation of my essay is that it is very hypothetical. When I propose an encounter with the Spirit of God in African Religion what I have in mind is the possibility of meeting or experiencing the presence of God in the lives of the Traditional Africans. God is a mystery and so his Spirit is also a mysterious phenomenon. Even after the revelation brought by Christ God still remains a mystery. Having said that, an encounter with the Spirit of God in African Religion is just a theological hypothesis. This hypothesis is aimed at helping to change negative attitudes towards African Religion. I have divided this essay into four chapters. Chapter one is on the understanding of African Religion. The aim of this chapter is to help us conceive African Religion as one of the authentic religious traditions of humanity. In this chapter we will examine common fundamental beliefs in African Traditional Religion. These fundamental beliefs will help us to see African Religion as one religion expressed in different ways. My aim is to alter any negative attitude towards African Religion. That is why Chapter two will trace the origin of the negative attitude towards African Religion. This attitude can be traced back to the early encounter between Christianity and African Religion that will be examined in chapter two. Chapter three is on the Spirit in the Bible. Our aim in this chapter is build a biblical foundation for encountering the Spirit of God in African Religion. Once we are able to affirm the possibility of the presence of the Spirit of God in African Religion, then it would be easy for us to change our negative attitude towards it. Therefore in chapter three we will examine the understanding of the Spirit in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Chapter four is on the presence of the Holy Spirit in African Religion. In this chapter we will attempt to show that all the religious and social good values in African Religion could be attributed to the work of the Spirit of God. We will end with a general conclusion by proposing some required attitudes for dialogue between Christianity and African Religion.
Habitat for Humanity Kenya
(Tangaza University College, 1998-09) Gaiti, Athiru
When we look at the statistics about housing conditions in the world, and especially in Africa, we wonder how it comes that the issue of shelter is generally overlooked by the majority of the agents of development. Strange enough, despite its implications on all the aspects of human life, shelter in seldom considered a priority. And yet, shelter does not only mean a roof and walls, i.e. protection against rain, cold, heat, and dust. Rather, it also provides security, privacy and space for carrying out socio-economic activities which are necessary for survival, comfort and happiness of human beings.2 The project we are about to illustrate deals with housing for the needy in rural Kenya. Actually, rather than a project, it is more of a shelter ministry geared towards integral human development. A Christian organisation, Ilabitat for Humanity International, runs world-wide a self-help housing program in partnership with local communities of people in need. Such a partnership is actualised through the mediation of two other different levels of the organisation, i.e. regional (Africa and Middle East) and national. Vision, mission, and goal are the same at all the levels, and the partnership grants financial support; however, the program is community based, run at the grass roots and this means a process of adaptation. During our long holidays, we had the chance to work for two months and a half in one of these community in Kenya, namely Kirindine, which is one of the branches of Athiru Gaiti affiliate to Habitat for Humanity Kenya. This chain of partnerships which links the small local community to a world-wide organisation makes it difficult to report with linearity goal, objectives, strategies, activities at Kirindine. The question is that to understand the local project we need to present also the policies made at national and international level, because many aspects are in common and derived from there. Nevertheless, there is also a strong local component that gives a peculiarity to each community. Moreover, the same case applies to the level of Athirit Gaiti affiliate: whereas some aspects of the program are in common between all the branches, others are very typical of each one of them. This is why we cannot report only about what we have seen at Kirindine; it is necessary to give an overview of all the Habitat for Humanity program. /Thanks to the collaboration and the materials found at Habitat, our observation wa enriched with plenty of data, analyses, insights, and explanations. So much so, at it has been challenging to re-organise all the materials we got. The present report owes a lot to those documents and we are extremely grateful for the openness, transparency and sincere friendship found in the members of staff both at Kirindine and Nairobi.
"IMAGO DEI" and the Problem Of Dominion
(Tangaza College, 2009) Wangechi, Samson, Mbugu
The future of mankind and of the planet Earth is in peril and despite warnings on this, the environmental situation continues ever more to deteriorate. Humanity should, therefore, be aware that it is suffering from a malaise caused by man's impaired relationship with the environment and by deteriorating social bonds. There is a great need to understand that it is necessary to overcome resignation and fatalism and react by planning an alternative future which would be realizable and desirable. In order for this to be, there is an urgent need to change our present orientation regarding our dominion and exploitation of Mother Earth, (an orientation characterized by man's relationships with nature and that of men among themselves) and must be substituted by an attitude of sharing, respect and brotherhood among all creatures. It is sad to note that the Judeo-Christian doctrine on the creation of the universe has been accused of creating the numerous problems we have experienced, especially regarding our understanding of the role of man as a care-taker of God's creation. Man is undoubtedly a superior creature among God's creation. The same Judeo-Christian doctrine emphasizes the idea of Man created in the image of God. "imago dei", a fact which gives him the power of "dominion over other creatures.
Inculturation - Incarnation: The Challenge of Religious Life In The Third Millennium
(Tangaza University College, 2001-03-19) Angelica Aguilar Ochoa, Paula
Today, in our changing world, we Religious are experiencing a period of crisis and of witnessing. We are living in a time of rapid change where globalisation is taking place. Our world has been defined as a "Global village" where cultural change is greatly impacting the local culture.' Understanding culture as our way of being human in the world, as our identity, we can see the influence of a global cosmopolitan society coming to tell us how to live, to feel, to act and react... This global culture is passing through our hearts and minds and it is reflected in our behaviours. For example: we can see here in Kenya Christian youth knowing "something" about the cultural heritage of the clan/tribe they belong to, but rarely this knowledge has been integrated, reflected upon and challenged so as to have a clear stand in their behaviours and options as members of the society. Few people have been able to discern which are the cultural values2 the person has received, which are the ones that this global culture is presenting and which are the Gospel values one uses to make a choice in his/her way of living. As daughters and sons of their times they are experiencing a dualistic life standard that weakens their self-identity, sense of belonging and the all-embracing African worldview of the human person.3 Consequently, we can say that we are experiencing a state of total confusion in a society of frustration and addiction. Although in a false way, addictions supply what the real cultural values formerly provided in terms of self-identity. These changes that we are facing are taking place so fast that awareness of them seldom has room in our daily lives. They leave no space to reflect, integrate and make choices about questions like: Who am I? Who am I called to be? To whom do I belong? How to deal with so many different issues: anger, stress, 'freedom', war, hatred, the mass media, consumerism, new forms of Gnosticism, etc. This is happening not only in Africa but in other continents as well. This general situation, of course, also affects the life of the Church. The Church as a body is composed of different members who belong to different social, economic and cultural backgrounds. As in the society, we are experiencing a period of transition. self-awareness and self-emptying, such as the one of the Father who, moved by perfect love that is God's essence, was revealed in the Son, the Word. Thus, God humbled himself, taking the form of a humankind who collaborated and participated in freedom in the salvation of humankind (cf. Phil 2:6-8). It is through Mary who in total availability to God was overshadowed by the Spirit, that the Word, the Son of God, became one of us in response to the Father's love. The Incarnation, something no human being could ever have imagined, constitutes a dangerous memory6 for us, prompting us to be what we are called to be (Chapter 2). That is to know ourselves as well as the Gospel' and the charism' of our institutes, in such a way that Christ may be born once again in each one of us, in our communities and consequently in the Church and the society (Chapter 3). We are called to the integrity of a prophetic love that has as its core the Kingdom of God. As expressed in the Beatitudes which embody a spirituality of conflict so necessary and urgent in the current times (Chapter 4).
Jesus as Model of Leadership in Religious Formation
(Tangaza University College, 2001-03) Jilala, Veronica
I believe that each one of us has experienced leadership in one-way or another. For example, if you are an elder brother or sister among your brothers and sisters in your family, you may have had the experience that in the absence of your parents, you were told to look after them. Sometimes in school, you may have been among the student leaders, or maybe as a class representative. All these are ways of experiencing leadership. My own experience of leadership from my culture is so different to some extent from what I have observed and experienced in religious life. Leadership that directs faith to God takes the whole being of a person as flesh and spirit. This led to my desire to develop and see how someone could become a good leader especially in religious formation and on the leadership of Jesus Christ. I know the topic is very broad, and I would not claim to exhaust it. So I will be rather selective. The paper is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is briefly explained what is a religious formation, its stages, purpose, process and who is a formator with her/his formees. Then, I will sketch the challenges, problems in the process of formation and necessary skills for formator to exercise effectively. The second chapter deals in leadership of Jesus Christ as a model where Christian leadership is rooted. I will approach it by emphasizing the origin, and modality of Jesus' leadership in the image of shepherd and servant. I will conclude this chapter with these characteristics that are rooted in love. The third chapter will point out Christ-like leadership. It will speak of the purpose of leadership as the growth of a person and community. I will analyse requirements for leadership that include willingness to be contact with God and seek wisdom from him. Lastly, I will summarize by sketching the attitudes of effective leadership in form of love, service, living and sharing.
Liberating Africa: A Missionary Challenge
(Tangaza University College, 2000) Alegbemi, Martin Kehinde
Standing on the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, panning round, one sees a continent in distress. Looking north, south, cast and west, one sees and hears of hunger, war, famine, starvation, killings, domestic violence, unemployment and chains of other social evils. Although Africa is in pain, she is also a continent with hope, one blessed with lots of natural and human resources. Africa has survived very hard and difficult times and longs for a better tomorrow. With Christ's ever redeeming presence continually shining on her, she can hope for a brighter future. Seeing in Christ's mission the liberation of the human race, we can say that Christianity essentially seeks to liberate and bring about a day of salvation. The question is what role can Christianity play in the teligious, socio-political and economic distress facing this continent? This poses a challenge to the missionary nature of the Church. The challenge is that of relevance. Christianity has to wake up to the day to day life of the people in its mission as well as in its theology. It is the aim of this paper to present a response to this challenge. The overall objective is an arrival at a necessary theological foundation that empowers one to face the challenge of a preferential option for the poor within an African context. As such, we need a theology that is people-centred and one that will empower us to face this challenge. It should be a theology that calls God's people into 'being- for —freedom' in the world. We hope to arrive at an African liberating and missionary theology, which will be of great relevance to the people's situation, as well as being an essential tool for future missionaries. The tenets arrived at, should as much as possible be relevant to situations that need an option br the poor even outside Africa. One of the common approaches is to take Africa as a small entity with basically the same problem. This approach is both right and wrong. Basically, Africa is a suffering continent. We shall get as much as possible relevant inputs from any of the countries. It is hoped that whatever conclusions we arrive at might in one way or another be applicable to various African countries. As a launch of our response, chapter one of the work will be on 'Liberation Theology: A new way of doing theology'. Since the approach of this work is to see the Christian liberating rol- in the complex situation of Africa, such a role ought to be based on a theology. Our choice of Liberation theology is not because it is a recent theology in its systematic form, but as a theology that is down to earth in that, it focuses on the daily life of the people. We shall examine its content, development, and its methodology, its missionary dimension and how it can be a paradigm of African liberation. Accepting liberation theology from our first chapter, chapter two will examine the faces of Africa. I lere, we shall examine the situation of Africa by applying the 'see' as the first of the trilogy of liberating praxis. This will involve a search into the religious situation, sustainable development, and the political situation. We shall end this chapter by posing the need for 'judge' to unravel the root cause of African degradation. Chapter three as the application of 'judge', the second of the trilogy will begin with a social analysis and theological reflection. With those two considerations, we shall posit the structure of sin as the root cause of African degradation. Upon that will follow an attempt at identifying the various areas of the challenges so as to be able to act concretely. The identification will range from theology and inculturation to issues of gender and development. The areas identified will form the ground for our missionary response in the next chapter. Providing concrete solutions from a missionary perspective which, is also the application of 'act', the last of the trilogy of liberating praxis is what this last chapter hopes to arrive at. Our response will be a positing that. the solution to African problems is far beyond the numerous international conferences, political systems, economic policies, international organisation and numerous 1\1(i0s. An integral and full emancipation is possible with the uprooting of the structure of sin. The uprooting will be possible through recourse to Jesus as the master liberator and a positing of various ideas and channels. The conclusion will be an attempt at laying a foundation for an African liberating and missionary theology.
Memory, Prophecy and Commitment
(Tangaza University College, 2002) Tangaza University College
On this day in the most solemn manner around the Eucharistic Lord, united with our Lord and Master, we open the doors of this College that is "on the threshold of sweeping change" (Fr. Shorter, Principal'e Annual Report 2002, p. 1). The "Tangaza Extensions" will soon be complete. The Institutes (4 of them), except Theology, will shift to the new building at the end of this Semester. Two more new ones might soon be joining the College taking up their offices and classrooms in the new extensions. "It will then be necessary to go through a period of consolidation" (Principal 's Annual Report 2002, p. 1). It is a period of reinforcing, a time of strengthening the college of taking stock of things, of clarifying better the details of our functioning, of strengthening the bonds that exist between the various sectors, programmes, and institutes of the College, without however forgetting to look forward. It shall be a period in which we shall remember the past with gratitude, look forward to the future with great confidence, and live the present with enthusiasm and greater commitment. It is a time of memory, prophecy and commitment.
Mission among the Pastoralists of West-Pokot
(Tangaza University College, 2001-02-07) Armada, Rafael
I have been living for four years in this country, having come as a Comboni Missionary and student of theology. During this period of time I had the great opportunity of twice briefly visiting Pokot land. Since then I became interested in knowing a different culture, accepting the challenge of crossing boundaries and reflecting upon the missionary activity among the Pokot. Staying there I discovered a very interesting land and people. Their environment, although harsh, appeared to me as beautiful and containing a serene harmony. The vitality, endurance and strength of the Pokot, as well as their sense of their own dignity fascinated me. On the other hand, I encountered an extremely isolated and difficult area, very distant from the rest of the country in most of aspects of life. Their social and economic standards were very much below the levels of the rest of Kenya. The process of evangelization and establishment of the Church, although quite steady, is also at its beginnings. Therefore challenges lie ahead in many aspects. The experience of entering into a different culture and people becomes, thus, a very enriching one. It involves looking at the reality with others' eyes, bringing the novelty of Christ, with its religious and social implications, into a different understanding of life and accepting being enriched by it. The first chapter of this work is devoted to the understanding of the Pokot people, starting from the environment and history that shape their way of living and beliefs. The second chapter deals with the process of acculturation and the journey of incarnation made by the missionaries in their evangelization, including an evaluation of the main social and religious activities. In the last chapter, I will attempt to bring into concrete reality a methodology of mission based on the principle of incarnation, when faced with a situation of change, both in general in Africa and in Pokot, in particular. Lastly, I will hint at some possible suggestions for new missionary activities or confirmation of the work done so far.
The Place of Popular Religion in the System of Worship among the Creoles of Mauritius
(Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Manique, Daniel David
It is quite evident that popular religion or belief holds an important place in the life of any Mauritian or in the texture of the Mauritian society. Why do Mauritians think that popular religion is an answer to the ultimate problem of life? Religion plays an important role in shaping the character of a person within the milieu of the multi-racial and pluri-cultural set up of the Mauritian society. As regards the religious worldview, Mauritius offers a diversity of belief systems which is a mosaic made up of Muslim, Christian and Hindu faiths. Harmony and crossbreeding are two characteristics of religion in Mauritius. Indeed, we have to talk about popular religion, for it is an ubiquitous reality among the Mauritians. No one can bypass this reality, neither the Catholic Church, nor the other churches. The main questions in this essay are: should the Church support popular religious beliefs and superstitions and make tolerate what represents the display of popular sentiment? Or should she refuse to recognise the basic inadequacy of such beliefs and offerings? How can the church inculturate the good news of Jesus Christ who alone can provide genuine comfort, assurance and hope in such a context? The other questions that form the main focus of to this paper are as follows: Why do baptised Catholics, particularly the Creoles, who have received proper catechesis, take recourse to popular religion when faced with a problem that goes beyond their control? What makes the Creoles unsatisfied with the established institutional religion, namely, the Christian faith? Nothing has been said or written in an official way before about this, but for a very good reason, the Diocese of Port-Louis in Mauritius in 1993 conducted an anthropological study of the religious attitudes of Catholics among the Creole community.' The fundamental intention of this anthropological research by the diocese is expressed by the Bishop of Port-Louis, "...first to have a deep and better understanding of popular religion as it presents itself among the Creoles in Mauritius so as to give a basic meaning of pastoral initiation of adults into their Christian faith. It is also to understand better the popular milieu in order to love them, and to be able to communicate to them. -2 For those born in a `Creole' family, daily life is coloured by all kinds of beliefs, superstitions, rituals and practices. Features of popular religion include a pattern of the belief in and practice of magic and superstitions. These things are very often mixed with the Catholic faith. This paper strives to provide a reflection on religion among the popular Creole masses through an analysis of what has already been done by some researchers. To situate popular religion in its real cultural context, the perspective taken here is mainly from the author's own experience as member of the Creole community. In this paper, we will give a brief overview of the formation of the population of Mauritius with regard to its genesis as well as the existing religious environment, which has shaped the beliefs and practices of the Creoles. Then, we shall attempt to define popular religion and to show how it presents itself in the Creole socio-cultural context, and how people of this community consider it to be a response to their quest for happiness, as well as for a successful life. We shall give a brief introduction to religion, including rites or rituals, and finally give an account of the different practices that prevail in this community. After that, we will conclude by presenting the pastoral approach to this phenomenon, examine what ought to be the response of the Church and finally we shall provide a concluding reflection.
Religion and Spirituality in Healing and Psychotherapy An African Perspective
(Tangaza University College, 2016-07) Mwania, Patrick
In the African traditional worldview, everything that happened was seen in the light of vital force, the principle of life, either in the physical existence or in the spiritual form of it. Life is an institution that was so important in the Africa and anything that did not support life, anything that was opposed to the principle of life was therefore dreaded, unwished and indeed punishable. Whatever was against the principle of life was considered evil against which serious measures were taken to fight it. Obviously in the Kamba traditional society illness, sickness and any form of misfortune – indeed anything that appeared to threaten human life and human existence was considered evil to be eliminated. Anything that violated the principle of peace and harmony in the community was considered evil; everything that promotes harmony, community peace, the well being and the life-force of the community was considered as something good and a social value for that matter. This study is an attempt to understand the concept of illness and sickness according to the African traditional world view of the Kamba community in Kenya as a case study.
Single Mothers In Nairobi a Church Response
(Tangaza University College, 2000) Olomi, Gregory Raphael
Single motherhood was not a common phenomenon in Kenya and Africa at large. However, this does not mean that the problems never existed in African traditional societies at all. Single mothers mostly widows were there but they were taken care of by the extended family. In African traditional set up, each community had ways and means of dealing with this problem within its own community structures. Today, single mothers are no longer taken care of by our society. Nowadays they have to take care of themselves and their children. This is a real challenge that the Church has to face and address as we move towards the new millennium. In our research, we are going to divide our work into four chapters and each chapter will deal with some specific aspects of single motherhood. Each chapter will also have its introduction and summary. In chapter one, we will discuss about who are single mothers. It is in this chapter that we will try to identify different types of single mothers in our modem society. However, in the same chapter, we will concentrate more on analyzing different categories of single mothers and their causes. After identifying as well as analyzing who are single mothers, the next step will lead us to the second chapter. In this chapter, we will point out some facts and realities of single mothers. In addition to this, we will also try to highlight some factors that seem to be the causes of single mothers in our society today. In chapter three, our study will deal more with the Church and single mothers. In connection to this, the following aspects will be highlighted more in this presentation: the Church's understanding of family, the Church's response to single mothers and the current pastoral response to single mothers. However, in our case study, we will present a concrete survey that will be conducted in one of the parish in Nairobi in order to establish how far the Church has reached out to support single mothers' group. In fourth chapter, we will examine and evaluate what has been done by the Church at the pastoral level in order to empower single mothers to become efficient agents of family values. Then we will give our recommendations that we think may help our priests, religious men and women and those who are in pastoral fields so that they may have more understanding and positive attitudes towards single mothers.
Tangaza Vision (Religious Life in Africa Today)
(Tangaza University College, 1999-05) Tangaza University College
Socrates, a philosopher, said that a life that is not examined is not worthy living. For a number of reasons, religious life needs to be examined and re-examined in order to hold its value in society. lt is from this premise that this issue of the Tangaza Vision found its theme "Religious life in Africa today". Pastoral ministries have widened their horizons due to the dynamic nature of society. Fr. Taratara who is involved in refugee ministry in North Western Tanzania, reflects on the situation in the camps. The reflection could be stressing but it puts us into the context in which we' as religious are operating, Sr. Kerber challenges us to live the here and now. With papers to submit. sometimes at the last minute, lectures to attend, apostolate in mind, exams approaching or, for others. papers lo mark, students to tutor/supervise, schemes of work and lesson plans to make it is "understandable" that you could forget to be here and now. To learn to be here and now calls for your metaphysical identity - Who are you? Our identity as religious is fundamentally marked by the evangelical vows we pronounce namely chastity /celibacy, obedience and poverty. A number of articles in this issue are based in these three vows. You will notice that there are more articles on chastity/celibacy. We have purposely published all of them. Perhaps you will discover the reason for so doing after going through them.
Tangaza Vision(Receive Without Charge Give Without Charge)
(Tangaza University College, 1998-01) Tangaza University College
One day a poor young man serving in a big hotel near the town was on the roadside looking for a taxi to go and visit his sick relative in the hospital. As he looked up, he saw a politician approaching in a Volvo car and he waved him down. When he drew near the car he asked," Please sir, could you give me a lift to the hospital?" The politician answered, "Yes, of course." Upon reaching his destination, he asked, ''How much do I have to pay?" "No charge," the politician answered. I considered it a service to my community." A few days later, a young missionary priest was on his way to a remote village outside the town. On reaching a point where there was a cafeteria, he felt like eating something. He entered and had a meal. When he had finished he got up and went over to the counter and asked the waiter how much he owed. ''No charge father," he said. "I consider it a service to the Lord." Now, there comes a day when a poor man who was displaced and beaten up by a band of hooligans was searching for a place to take refuge. For safety he ran into the priest's house. The priest in charge came and asked the man, ''What is it? How much are you going to pay for staying here?" And the poor man responded gently, "Receive without charge and give with- out charge." Dear readers, the relationships that link us together in human society are based on con- tracts: I give you this and you give me that or you do this for me and I will do that for you. So, inevitably life is about duties, pay-offs, and getting the quid pro quo. The life of human society with God is radically different. God deals with us in gifts without strings. Our response then is not one of "paying back" but one of spontaneous praises and thanks for His goodness. God has given us many gifts in life; wealth, intellect, wisdom, creativity and so on. God did not ask us for anything in return. The only way we can show our joy and gratitude is by giving Him thanks and praise. Yet, we have never seen God to express our feelings. Hence, the only possible and efficient way of achieving this purpose is in our neighbour whom we meet on our journey through life. There are many people around us who might There are many people around us who might need our help and support because nothing today is given or done freely. Everyone wants to compensated in one way or another. No one cares. God has shown us what an authentic life means. It means sacrifice imbued in love. That is, love of neighbour, friends, as well as God's creation. And how do we get to express this love for others? It is only through the little ways of sharing what God has given us with our brothers and sisters who might be in need of our sensitivity. In view of this, and the present socio-economic and religious situation of life that effects our African countries, Tangaza Vision has as a response and a reaction focused this present edition on spiritual and socio-religious matters. Our challenge is to give from what we have received without regard for payment or with any kind of reservations. How many times in our lives have we received a gift or help without charge? How many times have we given and requested payment? As we have just celebrated the feast of Christmas, the Tangaza Vision encourages us to remember the Lord's forgotten peo pie. We are called to bring them happiness, joy, peace of mind and hope. Our proclamation of the feast we have just celebrated should be holistic in nature. Moreover we should always be faced with the challenge "To receive without charge and to give without charge." We hope that your celebration of Christmas was a joyful one and that 1998 may be a happy a blessed year for you. •
Toward Religious Spirituality
(Tangaza University College, 2013) Sahaya, Selvam
In the contemporary study of religion there seems to be an exaggeration of the distinction between religion and spirituality, not only to the point of separation, but worse still, in terms of a superiority-inferiority hierarchy that gives rise to a value judgement between spirituality and religion. Could this be a sign of the persisting Western hegemony in the study of religion? This article suggests that the consideration of religion and spirituality as disparate entities may be necessary in some societies but not sufficient for a global perspective. Could there be an integrative model that would lend itself for an inclusive exchange in the study of religion and spirituality? Basing itself particularly within the literature of the psychological study of religion, this essay develops a multidimensional matrix of religion and/or spirituality that attempts to be, at the same time, parsimonious and comprehensive, which includes constructs like ‘religious-spirituality’. Religious-spirituality is suggested to be similar to Allport’s concept of ‘intrinsic religiosity’, having a three dimensional movement marked by an upwardly-directed vertical spirituality, inwardly-directed interior spirituality, and outwardly-directed horizontal spirituality.
Towards An African Language of Grace A Christian Anthropological Approach to Inculturation
(Tangaza University College, 2000-02-10) Ipasu, Mukuyambel Gabriel
Beyond this ordinary and technical understanding, language constitutes the great expression and patrimony which is at the same time impregnated with the religious, philosophical, traditional and cultural meanings and identity of people who use it. It is only through language that one can enter other people's universe of meanings and actions, because language is the key tool par excellence for any kind of communication and its dynamics. Today, the meaning of inculturation and its urgency in the Church, particularly the Church in Africa, should consider language right at the heart of all its efforts for the new evangelisation. This work would like to be a contribution on these lines. Inculturation, as an African language for a proper evangelisation and communication of God's grace to Africans, is the particular option we have taken up in this small dissertation. To find a relevant language, in which God's grace -ilk in Christ- can be redly revealed to Africans, is the core and global preoccupation of today's evangelization portrayed as inculturation. In this general introduction, we would like to look briefly at the definitions and meanings of terms like Grace, Tradition, culture and inculturation. The first chapter, from the developed historical and traditional perspective, will look at some models of encounter and evangelisation of cultures and the implications of languages. The second chapter, which is the focal point, will take us to some proposed meanings and paths judged very fundamental for the inculturation of the Gospel in Africa. The third chapter, emphasising some practical and current realities, looks at the implications and applications with respect to the first two chapters. The conclusion, on the same lines, will sum up our work and lay down challenges for the future.
Voodoo Religion and Evangelism in Southern Benin
(Tangaza University College, 2000-02) Goumadje, Eustache Codjo
The mission of the Church has remained for many centuries the "Mission to the Nations" bearing as her main objectives the expansion of the Church and the proclamation of the gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom of God. In the contemporary society, the mission of the Church in the world and in Africa and especially after the African Synod, has been "Ad Cultures", that is, the 'Mission to the Cultures". It is in this regard that much research has been done on the African religions and many universities have come to include courses on African Traditional Religion (AIR) in their religious study Programmes. Furthermore, both native African scholars' and non-Africans2 have conducted studies on the topic of Voodoo Religion. However, lithe has been done to date to consider Voodoo Religion as a great challenge to the Christian Missions in many West African countries, particularly in Benin. It is important to study Voodoo religion because although it is an "Indigenous African Religion which is also widely spread in Latin American countriesta, it is still considered by Western scholars as a mere system of beliefs and superstitions and not as a religion as such. The religious beliefs in voodoo have also been felt within the social as well as political spheres in Latin America. In Benin, 'Voodoo Religion has almost 58% adepts, while the Christians (all denominations included) am about 24% of the populationcl. Voodoo religion is, therefore, a great challenge for the Church. This challenge is facilitated by the strong organisation within Voodoo Religion, the attitude of the Christians towards Voodoo practitioners and most probably the favour received by the religion during the seventeen years of 'Marxist Leninism' regime of 1972-1989. In the independent Benin (formerly Dahomey), the president was required to take his oath 'before God and the ancestors and official ceremonies were accompanied by libations and offerings to ancestors and the Voodoo gods. All politicians tried to get support of the Voodoo priests who had considerable political influence. In the Revolutionary National Assembly, the religious bodies were to be represented by three Traditionalists, one Muslim, one Catholic and one Protestant. The new government became more and more repressive against the Catholic Church."5 This favour from the politicians to the Voodoo religion is still growing. in 1996 President Nicephore So& of Benin instituted a 'National Voodoo day', on the tenth of January. The Benin National assembly supported this. It has given Voodoo Religion an official recognition like other faiths, while maintaining its independence from political regimes. That is why Voodoo Religion remains a great challenge for the Church missions in Benin. The main focus of this essay is to answer the following question: Shall we continue keeping the attitude of rejection towards Voodoo Religion or shall we look into the matter as a new challenge to the Church's mission and see how to face it? We strongly believe that the more we continue to keep a distance or an attitude of rejection against Voodoo Religion and its adherents, the wider the gap between Christianity and Voodoo Religion, a situation, which will open more way for syncretism within Voodoo worship in Benin. We are aware that one of the challenges of the African Synod is the 'urgent need for inculturation". As stated in the final exhortation of Pope John Paul II, on the synod, "Inculturation includes two dimensions; on the one hand, it is the ultimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their integration in Christianity, and on the other hand, the insertion of Christianity in the various human cultures"7. To achieve this objective, we need to have some basic knowledge of the authentic religious values hidden in most African Cultures. This essay thus, presents an anthropological and theological evaluation of Voodoo Religion, in order to suggest a new missionary methodology of evangelisation in the Voodoo areas of southern Benin. This essay is based on personal observations of Voodoo practices as practised and lived by some members of the author's family and friends. Although, the author has never been initiated into Voodoo Religion, this work is based on the evidence of direct non-participant observation. Other data for this essay was collected through in-depth interviews, which were done with some contemporary Voodoo practitioners and some converts to Christianity,(See Appendix no.4). This method was used to provide reliable data to support the discussions in this essay. Secondary data was obtained from library research. This work is divided into four chapters. The first chapter gives some background information on the social, political, and religious context of southern Benin. The last section of this chapter is dedicated to the scope of the influence of Voodoo Religion in West Africa particularly in Benin in comparison to the case of Haiti. The second chapter presents the nature of Voodoo Religion. Here we give an operational definition of the term "religion", before defining and examining the evolution of Voodoo religion. In the same section some conventional descriptions of ATR will be examined. The main emphasis of the chapter two is on the organisation, the rituals, and the system of beliefs in Voodoo religion. The third chapter is about the interaction between Voodoo religion and Christianity. The emphasis is put on the attitude of Christians towards Voodoo and its adherents. The problem of syncretism within Voodoo religion and its influence on the Christian Missions are also evaluated. The last chapter presents the summary, conclusion and some recommendations. Here some analysis is made on whether Voodoo Religion is a myth or a reality. We also present some problems, which the new Christian converts from Voodoo face with regard to the conflicts between their beliefs in Voodoo and the newly embraced Christian faith. In the last section of Chapter four, we examine some values implicit in Voodoo religion and show how these values can be used for successful inculturation in Benin. In this sense, we attempt to provide a model for a shift from the Voodoo concept of God and gods to the revealed God as manifested in Jesus Christ. In the conclusion, we suggest a new methodology of evangelisation in Southern Benin. We acknowledge the fact that this essay is not exhaustive. This is an explorative presentation to provide some basic information on the relevance of Voodoo to the inculturation process in Southern Benin. This essay is highly relevant to anthropologists, missiologists, missionaries and pastoral agents, who are interested in the social and spiritual development in Benin and other parts of the world, such as Haiti, Cuba, Brazil and Trinidad, where African Traditional Religion still has an influence.