Table Of Content6
BiAS - Bible in Africa Studies
DEATH AND AFTER-LIFE RITUALS
IN THE EYES OF THE SHONA
Dialogue with Shona Customs in the Quest for Authentic Inculturation
Canisius Mwandayi
UNIVERSITY OF
BAMBERG
PRESS
Bible in Africa Studies
Études sur la Bible en Afrique
Bibel-in-Afrika-Studien
6
Bible in Africa Studies
Études sur la Bible en Afrique
Bibel-in-Afrika-Studien
edited
by
Joachim Kügler, Lovemore Togarasei, Masiiwa R. Gunda
& Eric Souga Onomo
in
cooperation
with
Ezra Chitando
and
Nisbert Taringa
Volume 6
University of Bamberg Press 2011
Death and After-life Rituals in the eyes of the Shona
Dialogue with Shona Customs in the Quest for
Authentic Inculturation
b y
Canisius M wandayi
University of Bamberg Press 2011
Bibliographische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der
Deutschen Nationalbibliographie; detaillierte bibliographische Informationen
sind im Internet über http://dnb.ddb.de/ abrufbar
Diese Arbeit wurde von der Fakultät Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft der Universität Bayreuth als
Doktorarbeit unter dem Titel “Death and After-life Rituals in the eyes of the Shona: Dialogue with Shona
Customs with the Quest for Authentic Inculturation” angenommen.
1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Joachim Kügler
2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Thomas Bargatzky
Tag der mündlichen Promotionsprüfung: 1. Juli 2011
Dieses Werk ist als freie Onlineversion über den Hochschulschriften-Server
(OPUS; http://www.opus-bayern.de/uni-bamberg/) der Universitätsbiblio-
thek Bamberg erreichbar. Kopien und Ausdrucke dürfen nur zum privaten
und sonstigen eigenen Gebrauch angefertigt werden.
Herstellung und Druck: docupoint, Magdeburg
Umschlagfoto: © C. Mwandayi (Grabstein in Deutschland)
Umschlaggestaltung: Joachim Kügler/Dezernat Kommunikation und Alumni
Text-Formatierung: C. Mwandayi/I. Loch/J. Kügler
© University of Bamberg Press Bamberg 2011
http://www.uni-bamberg.de/ubp/
ISSN: 2190-4944
ISBN: 978-3-86309-029-6 (Druckausgabe)
eISBN: 978-3-86309-030-2 (Online-Ausgabe)
URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:473-opus-3336
CONTENTS
Abbreviations................................................................................................10
Acknowledgements......................................................................................11
Summary in German/ Deutsche Zusammenfassung.................................12
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................23
Justification of Study....................................................................................25
Scope of the Study and link with previous works........................................27
Structure and Methodology..........................................................................31
Limitations of the Study...............................................................................35
CHAPTER ONE
DEFINITIONS AND SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION..37
Introduction..................................................................................................37
Shona people................................................................................................37
Karanga...........................................................................................................44
Manyika...........................................................................................................45
Korekore..........................................................................................................47
Zezuru.............................................................................................................48
Ndau...............................................................................................................49
The contemporary Shona people...................................................................51
Funeral rituals...............................................................................................54
Ritual...............................................................................................................54
Death rituals among the Shona.....................................................................56
Therapeutic role of Shona funeral rituals.......................................................57
African Traditional Religion..........................................................................57
‘African’...........................................................................................................58
‘Religion’.........................................................................................................59
‘Traditional’.....................................................................................................61
Shona Traditional Religion.............................................................................63
Dialogue........................................................................................................63
Who Should Participate?................................................................................65
What should Participants expect from the Dialogue?...................................66
How Inter-religious Dialogue should be conducted......................................67
Dialogue with African Traditional religion.....................................................68
Obstacles to dialogue with ATR.....................................................................69
Types of dialogue in view of ATR...................................................................72
Inculturation.................................................................................................75
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Challenges of liturgical inculturation.............................................................79
Methods of inculturation................................................................................81
Creative Assimilation......................................................................................81
Dynamic Equivalence.....................................................................................83
Conclusion....................................................................................................84
CHAPTER TWO
INITIAL ATTEMPTS AT INCULTURATION OF SHONA
TRADITIONAL CUSTOMS: SUCCESSES AND FAILURES .......85
Introduction..................................................................................................85
Overview of the missionary enterprise among the Shona..........................86
Colonial influence on missionaries................................................................88
Missionaries as conscientious objectors.......................................................95
The emergence of African Christian consciousness.................................103
Chitenderano chitsva (New Testament)......................................................111
Music............................................................................................................112
Kurova guva..................................................................................................114
The Christianised Kuchenura Munhu rite.................................................121
Catechesis.....................................................................................................121
To offer to the vadzimu:
What do the Shona mean when they say ‘offer’?.........................................122
The thinking of Christians concerning the dead..........................................123
Inheritance...................................................................................................123
Goat of anger and provision........................................................................124
Reception of the rite
and subsequent discussions leading to a stalemate.................................125
Conclusion..................................................................................................132
CHAPTER THREE
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SCRIPTURAL TEXTS USED IN
THE DISMISSAL OF NON-CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS............134
Introduction................................................................................................134
Savoury Texts to Missionaries...................................................................135
The Social and Historical Context of Monotheism...................................137
Critique on the Missionary Approach........................................................146
Special Focus on the Mavhudzi-Muchabaiwa school...............................151
Divination and Sorcery in Israel...................................................................154
Divination in Shona religion.........................................................................157
Necromancy..................................................................................................159
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Conclusion..................................................................................................168
CHAPTER FOUR
CHURCH’S TEACHING ON SALVATION.............................169
Introduction................................................................................................169
The Church’s understanding of salvation prior to Vatican II....................170
Salvation from the perspective of Vatican II (1963-1965)..........................175
Church’s relation to non-Catholic Christians...............................................176
The Church’s relation to non-Christian religions.........................................178
Theological Input..........................................................................................180
African Synod................................................................................................187
The Church’s unique role in the face of other religions............................188
Conclusion..................................................................................................192
CHAPTER FIVE
THE SALVIFIC VALUES IN SHONA FUNERAL RITES...........194
Introduction................................................................................................194
General notions on culture dynamics........................................................194
Substitution..................................................................................................196
Loss...............................................................................................................196
Incrementation.............................................................................................197
Fusion...........................................................................................................197
Persistence....................................................................................................197
Pre-burial rites............................................................................................199
Kupeta Ritual................................................................................................200
Mourning Ritual............................................................................................201
Salvific values in pre-burial rites................................................................203
Respect for life..............................................................................................204
Sacredness of the verbal last testament......................................................205
No dualism...................................................................................................206
Sense of community.....................................................................................207
Richness of symbolism.................................................................................208
Burial rites...................................................................................................210
Times for burial............................................................................................210
Procession to the graveyard.........................................................................210
The burial itself.............................................................................................211
Rumuko.........................................................................................................212
Gata ceremony..............................................................................................212
Rite of purification........................................................................................213
Rite of a person who dies away from home.................................................214
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Salvific values in burial rites......................................................................215
Spiritual view of life......................................................................................215
Admission that no one is perfect.................................................................216
Belief in the existence of an evil force..........................................................216
Responsibility of the living for the success of the deceased’s journey.......217
Respect for the place of the dead.................................................................217
Post-burial rites..........................................................................................218
Kurova guva ritual.........................................................................................218
Inheritance ceremony...................................................................................219
Rituals of honour..........................................................................................220
Rituals of Appeasement...............................................................................221
Salvific values in post-burial rites..............................................................222
Immortality of the spirit...............................................................................222
Communion of the living and the dead.......................................................223
Sense of family bondedness.........................................................................224
Respect for the role played by the father......................................................225
Progeny should be looked after....................................................................225
Our interaction with the dead should not be a one time event...................226
Faithfulness to one’s obligations.................................................................226
Conclusion..................................................................................................227
CHAPTER SIX
THE TRADITIONAL MEDICAL PRACTITIONER
AND HIS/HER PROFESSION..............................................229
Introduction................................................................................................229
Traditional medical practitioner as the victim of scathing attacks...........229
Factors favouring a rebounce of traditional healers..................................234
The fight for legal recognition....................................................................236
Becoming a traditional healer....................................................................240
Spirit possession..........................................................................................240
Apprenticeship..............................................................................................243
Njuzu (river) spirits......................................................................................244
Dreams.........................................................................................................245
The code of conduct...................................................................................245
Social functions of a traditional healer......................................................248
A doctor in sickness.....................................................................................249
A priest in religious matters.........................................................................249
A lawyer in legal issues.................................................................................250
A policeman/woman in the detection and prevention of crime..................250
A possessor of magical charms for the good of others...............................252
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A psycho-therapist and exorcist...................................................................252
General remarks on the profession of traditional healers.........................254
Areas of possible collaboration between priests and traditional healers..256
Healing and deliverance...............................................................................256
Ministry to the dying and the dead..............................................................259
Conclusion..................................................................................................262
CHAPTER SEVEN
APPLYING THE INCARNATIONAL PRINCIPLE TO SHONA
FUNERARY CUSTOMS........................................................263
Introduction................................................................................................263
Integration Approach..................................................................................264
Dynamic Equivalence...................................................................................265
Creative Assimilation....................................................................................269
Independent/Compartmentalisation Approach.........................................278
Substitution Approach................................................................................285
Mourning and burial of priests and nuns....................................................286
Nyaradzo.......................................................................................................288
Unveiling of the Tombstone.........................................................................289
Conclusion..................................................................................................291
CHAPTER EIGHT
SUMMARY AND CONCLUDING REMARKS.........................293
BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................305
APPENDIX A............................................................................315
APPENDIX B............................................................................327
APPENDIX C............................................................................329
APPENDIX D............................................................................343
APPENDIX E............................................................................349
APPENDIX F............................................................................352
INDEX OF SUBJECTS...............................................................372
INDEX OF AUTHORITIES........................................................375
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