The Significance of Inculturation for Evangelism: A case study of The Anglican Church in the Diocese of Masasi, Tanzania.

Title

The Significance of Inculturation for Evangelism: A case study of The Anglican Church in the Diocese of Masasi, Tanzania.

Subject

Church of the Province of Tanzania. Diocese of Masasi.
Intercultural communication -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
Evangelistic work -- Tanzania.
Christianity and culture -- Tanzania.
Missions -- Tanzania.

Description

This thesis presents the process of inculturation as an effective means to render the Christian faith more meaningful and practical to people in their local cultures. The historical survey of the evangelization process among the Makua people and many Tanzanian cultures indicates that their religious and cultural worldviews are not given due recognition during the evangelization process. Christian converts are obliged to forsake their cultural identity. However, since the first Anglican missionaries in Masasi could not dissociate themselves completely from their religious and cultural beliefs, they tended to blend the Christian faith with Makua traditional religious beliefs, even if in some areas like witchcraft contradicts the Christian faith. This thesis argues that, it is the demand of inculturation to root the Christian faith into cultures so that Christ becomes the principle that guides decisions and transforms the lives of people. When the Christian faith is integrated into Makua cultures it purifies them, and the wholesome elements found in them are incorporated into the life of the Church. This gives uniqueness to the Church of Masasi and also enrichment to the church in Tanzaniaat large.As such, effective inculturation would create a church in Masasi that is truly Christian and truly African. However, this thesis does not intend to equate the Makua religious and cultural beliefs to Christian faith. While inculturation is only effective through the collaboration of all agents of the local Church, the theologians and Christian anthropologists have an urgent task to carefully study and recommend those cultural elements which could possibly be incorporated into the Christian faith but without obliterating the essential elements of the Christian faith.

Creator

Mhema, Oraph Joseph

Source

See record for print version in VTS Library Catalog

Publisher

Virginia Theological Seminary

Date

May 5, 2021

Rights

Copyright © 2021 by Oraph Joseph Mhema

Type

Thesis
Date Added
April 28, 2021
Collection
VTS Masters Theses
Item Type
Text
Citation
Mhema, Oraph Joseph, “The Significance of Inculturation for Evangelism: A case study of The Anglican Church in the Diocese of Masasi, Tanzania.,” Bishop Payne Library at Virginia Theological Seminary, accessed March 29, 2024, https://vtsbpl.omeka.net/items/show/98.