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Conversion in Missionary Christianity, Northwest Tanzania: A Critical Assessment of Methods & Their Impact on Haya Christian Life

Dr. Josephat Rweyemamu focused his interdisciplinary missiological
dissertation on the post-conversion impact of pre-conversion methods
among the Hay peoples of Africa. It engages the sociological theory of structuration to critically explore the missionary Christianity
approach and methods of conversion in the Lutheran Church, Northwest
Tanzania, and their impact on the Haya Christian life. To this end, a theoretical scaffolding matrix of conversion is explored based on
biblical and theological understanding, social theories of conversion,
patterns and models of conversion. It is also pointed out that
conversion is not only a theological but also a social phenomenon. Consequently, the Haya religio-cultural spiritual life and worldview
are further investigated. The methods that were employed by missionary Christianity to missionize Northwest Tanzania are also explored based
on the missionaries? home socio-political cultural context that
informed these methods. Lastly, the Haya?s earlier and later responses
to the methods are highlighted and analyzed.

The dissertation argues that the missionary Christianity approach and
methods of conversion were important in that they accelerated social
change through modernization, new ways of dressing, accessibility to
western medicine and appropriation of western education that was
instrumental in the production of both church and national potential
leaders who later brought about political awareness, modern
development and socio-political transformation. Nonetheless, the
research has ascertained that the missionary Christianity approach and
methods of conversion produced mainly dual converts who remained
adherents of both Christianity and Haya traditional religion. This was
because from the outset most western missionaries aimed at almost
perverting Haya religion and culture in the placement of Christianity
that was intrinsically embedded in western culture. This suggests the
reasons for the inadequacy of the missionary Christianity conversion
strategic approach to seriously take cognizance of the Haya
religio-cultural spirituality and worldview which, as it was unpacked
in the study, inherently embraces both the physical and metaphysical existential realm.

Thus for the Haya, if this fact is not taken seriously, conversion
seems irrelevant. That is why Haya Christians tend to actualize “real” conversion within the Revival Movements and Pentecostal-Charismatic
churches? form of Christianity instead of maintaining loyalty to the
doctrine of their mother churches, for this spiritual form of
Christianity has to a greater extent demonstrated the ability to
attempt to indigenize Christianity among them as, without ignoring
modern ways of life, it addresses the Haya religio-cultural
spirituality and worldview.

Engaging structuration theory analysis, the study argues that the Haya realization of what seems “real” conversion within the revival
framework and other spiritual movements and Pentecostal-Charismatic
form of Christianity by most Haya Lutheran Christians in Northwest
Tanzania, is an attempt to indigenize Haya missionary Christianity
conversion. This is because for the Haya?s comprehension and praxis of conversion is not only determined by missionary Christianity activity,
but to some degree their traditional religio-cultural context plays a
role in shaping and structuring conversion that makes sense to them.
Since social structure comprises rules and resources (Giddens 1984;
Wuthnow 1987; Richard 1994) which human agents draw on and reproduce
as they act and yet remain open for transformation, the Haya
traditional social structure therefore provides an arena for them to
draw on religiosity and other spiritual resources and reproduce them
even as they convert to Christianity. The study further proposes that
the sociological theory of structuration in an interdisciplinary study
of conversion provides a useful tool in attempting to understand the
dynamics of conversion among the Haya within the Lutheran Church in
Northwest Tanzania, along with their tendency to actualize their
“real” conversion within the revivalist or Pentecostal-Charismatic
form of Christianity. Since “real” conversion cannot be limited or absolutized in these forms of Christianity, the research proposes an “integrative model of conversion” as the most relevant approach to our contemporary missionary preoccupation and engagement. This model
suggests the hermeneutics and ecclesial praxis of conversion that is
based on religio-cultural sensitivity that suggests harnessing
spirituality and religio-cultural rules and resources from within the
framework of Haya traditional religion, missionary Christianity, East
African Revival and the Pentecostal-Charismatic form of Christianity
through a mutual dialogue.



Dr. Josephat Rweyemamu serves as Professor of Missional Theology,
Biblical Theology Specialist in the Department of Missional Theology &
History at Missional University. His academic credentials include a
B.Div. and M.Th. in Missiology, Tumaini University (TZ); and a PhD in
Theology & Missiology, Stellenbosch University (ZA).

https://t.co/vpxXeHlSaw



--
Steve Hayes
http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
http://khanya.wordpress.com

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