15BHU1104 ATR Beda202067026

BHU1104: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN CULTURE AND RELIGION
Name: Mugo Duncan Waweru Reg no: Beda/2020/67026
Instruction
Answer all the questions
1. Evaluate the impact of Christianity on African traditional religion (15 mks)
 Female freedom-missionaries considered women to be important to the success of spreading
Christianity to all Africans in a community. They fought practices such as bridal price, female
circumcision and polygamy.it would create a conducive family environment.
 Introduction of missionary schools-missionaries started schools inorder to train Africans how to
read and write. These skills would be effective in reading and interpreting the bible. Some of this
educated Africans would be trained as catechists, they would help in spreading Christianity.
 Modern medicine-African religion was conservative. They would consider certain ailment as an
act of punishment by God or evil spirits. Sometimes they would use herbs.i.e. bitter herbs were
thought to fight diseases because of their bitterness where at times they failed. Missionaries
introduced modern medicine and as a result many lives were saved but also the role of
traditional medicine men was suppressed. The sick would be prayed for and also, they could
visit hospitals and consult professional doctors.
 Family break ups-Christianity advocates for monogamy. New converts irrespective of being
husband or wife had to conform to the practices of Christianity. This would lead to separation.
Husbands would separate from their many wives and be left with one. Wives would be chased
away by husbands who were against Christianity.
 New names-having an African name was considered primitive and a non-believer. Converts
were not allowed to use the African names. They were given Jewish names or famous cities
 Monotheism-it is belief in one God. Africans indigenous religion practiced afro-theism, a
compilation of beliefs of God among several African communities (each community give Him a
native name i.e. Nandi-asis, Maasai-enkai). The African communities had their own views on
certain issues e.g. the agikuyu that Ngai created gikuyu and mumbi, and placed them at
mukurwe wa nyangathanga. among the Kamba, Mulungu placed Kamba (first Kamba man) and
kiveti (first Kamba woman) on the hills of mbooni. They became the parents of the entire Kamba
community. Christianity, introduced a global view i.e. the first man and woman were Adam and
eve and were placed in the garden of Eden.
 Improved mode of dressing-Africans covered their body with goat skins. Some body parts were
exposed. From a personal point of view, I think this would arouse feeling.in Christianity, the
thought of something evil is considered a sin. Christianity introduced decent clothes, Women
wore dresses and men were expected to wear trousers and clean shirts.
2. Citing relevant examples, describe five challenges of inculturation (15mks)
 Lack of enough funds
 Third world countries like Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania don’t have enough funds to support
church projects e.g. education, church expansion. the church is forced to seek foreign aid. They
receive the foreign aid from western countries.in return the western countries get the power
and authority to dictate on how the church should run the religious cultures to be tagged on
 The aspect of aid acquiring with dictated way of the church created culture challenges
inculturation.
 Western mannerism
 Language used, songs done, clothes worn by ministers, the sacraments and liturgy are imitation
of western world.
 African preachers want to sound westernized as if they do not know their indigenous language.
They ignore their local attires and wear the roman imperial attire e.g. Catholic church.
 Local songs in the local language are perceived as boring and unspiritual. Imitation make the
people forget their own culture and values which are avenues to the success of inculturation
process
 Patriarchal systems
 It is a system run by males rather than females
 Most Kenyan communities comprise of systems and structures in which man dominate
 Men are regarded as authority within the family and society
 The patriarchal societies considered women as part of their property
 Wife battering is seen as a way of being submissive to the husband
 Patriarchal societies consider women as the cause of being battered, verbally abused and raped
and shouldn’t receive sympathy
 Convincing the patriarchal societies and giving them examples in the bible about significant
women like Mary (mother of Jesus), Dorcas, Esther and ruth is seen as challenging the male
dominance hence being a challenge to inculturation.
 Ethnocentrism
 It is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one’s own culture and
downgrade all the groups outside one’s culture

 It is cancerous and can kill a nation gradually e.g. During the election of 2007 in Kenya, ethnic
animosity climaxed and there were mass killing and evictions of innocent Kenyans from various
parts of the country
 It is a challenge because some Africans identify themselves with the church on ethnicity basis
rather than a worldly view of being one people as characterized by Christianity
 Church competition
 There are several churches and they focus on gaining followers rather than identifying ways of
making inculturation effective
 The many churches may spread one message of Christ but they are divided based on doctrinal
variances e.g. catholic have extra books in their bible. Church leaders such as pope, fathers and
nuns live a celibacy life. Protestants have 66 books in their bible. Church leaders have their own
families
 Denomination contention and discord are not Christian attributes and intentions. The
competition may hinder the process of inculturation

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BHU1104: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN CULTURE AND RELIGION

Name: Mugo Duncan Waweru Reg no: Beda/2020/67026

Answer all the questions

1. Evaluate the impact of Christianity on African traditional religion (15 mks)

 Female freedom-missionaries considered women to be important to the success of spreading

circumcision and polygamy.it would create a conducive family environment.

 Introduction of missionary schools-missionaries started schools inorder to train Africans how to

visit hospitals and consult professional doctors.

away by husbands who were against Christianity.

2. Citing relevant examples, describe five challenges of inculturation (15mks)

 Lack of enough funds

 It is a system run by males rather than females

 Men are regarded as authority within the family and society

 The patriarchal societies considered women as part of their property

 Wife battering is seen as a way of being submissive to the husband

and shouldn’t receive sympathy

dominance hence being a challenge to inculturation.

downgrade all the groups outside one’s culture

parts of the country

rather than a worldly view of being one people as characterized by Christianity

making inculturation effective

competition may hinder the process of inculturation

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