Healing in Ovimbundu Culture Case Study in Hanha Area
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Date
2004
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
There are two things which motivated rue to write on this theme. One, I observed
my people for so long. They are both Christian and they also practice African Traditional
religion. Although I have seen it in general in my community, the examples I will give
will be more of my family. I will talk of my grandparents most of the time because that is
something I really experienced.
Arid the other motivation came as encouragement for me to really come up with
this theme for my long essay. This encouragement came first during my classes of
Mission Theology with Fr Domingues and then during discussions we had in the classes
of Mission Between Globalization with Professor Frans Wijsen. In both subjects I was
being instructed on the paradigm shift in mission. Where the emphasis was put on the
help of new missionaries to recognize that Christ is already present in the non-Christian
cultures. The missionary's task defined with helping the non-Christians to discover the
active presence of Christ in their lives.
Looking at my people, a question came into my mind. How can my people be
able to belong to one particular socio-religious group and to feel at home and participate
in another, Christianity which seems totally against these socio-religious practices?
Thinking deeply about this question, the answer could probably be it is not possible. For
someone to practice a certain religion one must be convinced that that doctrine or
worldview is absolutely true. How was it possible then that my people were able to
profess both of them? I will try to show that my people although believing in Christ as the
savior; the fact is that, the way he was presented may be, He (Christ) did not touch deeply
their lives. In other words Christianity did not become a way of life for my people,
specially, when it comes to sickness. People would prefer to call upon their ancestor or go
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Keywords
Healing, Ovimbundu, Hanha Area