Assenga, Sabbas (2006) Inculturating Christian Eschatology in Local Churches with Special Reference to the Chagga People of Moshi Diocese Tanzania. Licentiate thesis, The Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
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Abstract
The Chagga are an ethnic group of Bantu origin living around the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in North Eastern Tanzania. Tradition asserts that the Chagga are a mixture of different ethnic groups who came to settle around Mount Kilimanjaro. It is believed that they come from among the Taita, Kamba, Pare and Waarusha. It is believed that inter clan wars and struggle for grasslands motivated them to look for new settlements. As they arrived around Kilimanjaro, they adopted the language of indigenous called Wakoningo. Due to several wars and struggle for properties, each group of the immigrants adopted its own way of speaking. Sometime by reversing the word order forming different dialects. The Chagga tradition was formed with different rituals beginning from birth to burial rites. The traditions and customs influenced the Chagga in every aspect of life. Belief in spirits and life after death was at the centre of every Chagga ritual. All rituals done to the living were connected with the ancestors. It is difficult to find a Mchagga who is not connected with his/her clan members. The reason is that in their families there were relics of the ancestors. The presence of ancestors in each clan was symbolized by the skulls preserved around the dracaenas trees. These shrines were respected and venerated by all the clan members from youth to the aged. As a result, the Chagga had a very strong sense-of life after death and respect to the ancestors. Among the Chagga before Christianity, the centre of religious activities was around the living dead and God whom they called Ruwa. Due to their traditional belief in life after death, after the advent of Christianity many clans continued with their traditional respect and value to the living dead. As a result, they continued with their traditional burial rites. Sacrifices and respect to the ancestors went on side by side with the Christian faith. This practice has caused some difficulties in explaining the Doctrine of Eschatology among the Chagga. We have observed that the Chagga have some difficulties in understanding the Christian teaching of Eschatology. This is a challenge facing the pastor in Moshi Diocese. Many people are convinced that they would join their ancestors in the next life when they receive a respectable traditional burial ceremony. Even the Christians observe the traditional burial ceremony. The Christians observe the traditions after the Christian burial rites. Evidence indicates many incidences whereby traditional burial rites are observed before a Christian burial, sacrifices to settle the spirits of the deceased relatives, beseeching peace and blessing from the ancestors annually. This is manifested by pilgrimages of the Chagga from all over the country to their home land in December. This research is an attempt to find solution for this difficulty which pause a pastoral problem in Moshi Diocese. Like the Christian teaching of Eschatology, the Chagga traditional understanding of life after death was well known and explained to the youth. In this paper we would like to use the Christian teaching of Eschatology and the Chagga traditional belief in life after death to find a concrete solution to the current pastoral challenge in Moshi Diocese.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Licentiate) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | inculturation, eschatology, Chagga people, Local Churchies, Moshi diocese |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BT Doctrinal Theology |
| Divisions: | Afro-Christiana |
| Depositing User: | Mr Christopher Mapunda |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jun 2015 11:07 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Jul 2015 07:54 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/221 |
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