Inculturating The Eucharist in Africa: A Case Study of The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (Eotc), Nairobi
| dc.contributor.author | Musya, Justus Katoo | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-03-20T11:25:07Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-03-20T11:25:07Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2008 | |
| dc.description | Master of Theology degree. | |
| dc.description.abstract | The case for inculturating the gospel rests on convincing grounds. Can African Christians, for example, claim to own a faith that has been largely defined in the context of a cultural history that is Euro-centric? There is need to anchor Christianity in traditional African culture. Studies that demonstrate how inculturation has been applied effectively, for instance, in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church EOTC are thus needed. As it is, the bulk Of the literature on how model of inculturation is theoretical. The goal of this study, therefore, was to generate empirical data on Eucharistic inculturation in the EOTC in Nairobi, knowledge that vsill provide lessons for inculturation elsewhere in Africa Three research questions were formulated: (l) what are the theoretical and practical attributes of Eucharistic inculturation in the EOTC? (2) how do lay church members conceive, interpret, and react to the elements of the Eucharist apropos their traditional cultural and religious symbols? (3) how much do church leaders know about how and why the EOTC celebrates the Eucharist in the way in which it does? A qualitative case study strategy of research was conducted involving: (1) focus group discussions, (2) unstructured observations, and (3) semi-structured interviews. The purposeful sample included lay church members and church leaders. This study has shoml that the EOTC has thoroughly and systematically inculturated its Eucharistic celebration, an eclectic mix that incorporates Judaic, Coptic, and traditional Amharic religious traditions. For example, the layout of its sanctuary resembles the layout of the sanctuary in Jewish temples. The icons on the church walls; especially those of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, are influenced by pagan Amharic religious beliefs and customs. These icons are also drawn using a style of art that is common in other areas of Ethiopian social life. The attire of lay members and the clergy is similar, if not identical, to the attire of priests and lay people during pagan ritual sacrifices. Indeed, even the Eucharistic service, based as it is on an affirmation of Christ's atonement, finds a conceptual companion in the sacrificial system of pagan Ethiopian religion. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Daystar University | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Musya, J. K. (2008). Inculturating The Eucharist in Africa: A Case Study of The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (Eotc), Nairobi. Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.daystar.ac.ke/handle/123456789/6537 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Daystar University, School of Arts and Social Sciences | |
| dc.title | Inculturating The Eucharist in Africa: A Case Study of The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church (Eotc), Nairobi | |
| dc.type | Thesis |