The Christian Prohibition of the African Leviratic Custom: An Empirical Study of the Problem of Adapting Western Christian Teachings on Marriage to the Leviratic Care of Widows in Four African Societies

Kirwen, Michael C. (1974) The Christian Prohibition of the African Leviratic Custom: An Empirical Study of the Problem of Adapting Western Christian Teachings on Marriage to the Leviratic Care of Widows in Four African Societies. PhD thesis, St. Michael's College University of Toronto.

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Abstract

This dissertation addresses itself to the general issue of the adaptation of Christianity to African marriage institutions. It asks the question whether or not adaptation to African marriage institutions has been taken seriously in the pastoral,.order by the Catholic Church, and whether or not the principle of "incarnational" adaptation has been applied in concrete circumstances. It approaches the problem in an empirical manner through a sociological survey of present day African marriage institutions and practices. This survey involved 1,216 hour long interviews of adults drawn at random from four distinct.African societies (a questionnaire containing 350 items was used as the instrument), plus 120 in-depth interviews of adults from these same societies as well as 120 interviews of Catholic Church leaders, both missionary and indigenous, working among the sampled populations. These interviews were computerized for easy reference and analysis, and the conclusion regarding each society were related to the concepts of anthropology for comparison and clarification.This empirical approach: concertized the issue in a way impossible to an approach based entirely on bibliographical material, and furnished an entirely new and unique basis for a comprehensive evaluation of the theological problems arid issues involved.For the sake of focusing the argument, the dissertation discusses only one marriage institution, the levirate-- the care of widows by brothers-in-law who function as substitutes for the detested husbands. This institution has been forbidden by the Catholic Church as unchristian. Moreover the Church enforces its position by refusing membership to those who enter into leviratic relationships and by refusing the Sacraments of the Church to those already baptized.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CB History of civilization
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GT Manners and customs
H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
H Social Sciences > HS Societies secret benevolent etc
H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races
Divisions: Africana
Depositing User: Geoffrey Obatsa
Date Deposited: 06 Oct 2017 10:30
Last Modified: 06 Oct 2017 10:30
URI: http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/2458

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