AN ANALYSIS OF THE BURIAL RITES CONFLICTS BETWEEN AGIRIAMA CHRISTIANS AND AFRICAN RELIGIOUS ADHERENTS, KILIFI COUNTY KENYA
Keywords:
Burial Rites, Religion, Practices, ContemporaryAbstract
Purpose: This work is an analysis of the burial rites conflicts between Agiriama Christians and adherents of African traditional religion in Kilifi County with specific reference to PEFA church in Mariakani; Kilifi County in Kenya. Burial rituals and practices vary across cultures and are often heavily influenced by religion. The objectives of the study was to establish an analysis of the burial rites conflicts between Agiriama christians and African religious adherents, Kilifi County Kenya
Methodology: The study was guided by inter-faith dialogue theory and Native/non-Native relations by Jonathan Napier. The study utilized both primary and secondary sources. Secondary materials such as books, journals and articles were used to gather the necessary information. The study equally utilized some primary sources such as oral interviews, focus group discussion and participant observations. Through snow ball sampling technique seventy respondents of Agiriama community took part in the study. The study sample comprised of pastors, church elders, kaya elders and bereaved family members, based on criteria such as gender, age, social status and length of period in the church. The data was then coded and analyzed in the themes following the objectives, thus forming the chapters which make the work complete.
Findings: The research findings include: the similar burial practices between the Christians and the adherents of African traditional religion, are treatment and care for the sick, prayers, unity preparing the body upon death, breaking the news of a death and burring the body. The differences include many restrictions to the close family member, categorizing death, and the funeral songs, talking to the dead, the belief that death is a rite of passage, the burial of young babies and the way the body is laid in the tomb. The Christian burial rituals lack post burial rituals unlike that for the adherents of African traditional religion.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The researcher recommends further research on the post burial rituals like throwing of the death if there are any alternatives to such indigenous burial rituals which are even violating human rights. It would also be of great interest to explore further the challenges faced by those who throw the death in contrast to those who do not cleanse their homes nor throw the death.
Downloads
References
Amanze, J., (2002). African Indigenous Religions and Culture, in Botswana Pula Press.
Ariaraja, S.W. (1977). Towards a Theology of Dialogue in Chidongo, T. (2012), ExploringDialogue Among the Amidzi-Chenda, See also Raja, I. (2007). Communication and Intra-Religious Dialogue.
Atinga, S. A., (2006). Death and Dying A study of the Mortuary rites of the Frafra of Northern Ghana in the Light of the Christian Funeral Liturgy an Attempt at Enculturation,Unpublished PhD Dissertation, Catholic University Leuven.
Awolalo, J., (1976).what is African Traditional Religion? Source; Studies in comparative Religion, vol. 10, No. 2 © World wisdom, Inc www.studiescomparative-religion.com
Barntley, C., (1978). Gerontocratic Government: Age-sets in Pre-colonial Giriama. Africa Journal of the International African Institute.
Baya, C. (2016). Preliminary interview with the author on at Mariakani on 2nd February 2016
Bediako, K., (1992). Theology and Identity: The impact of culture on Christianity Thought in the second century and modern Africa. Oxford: Regnum Books
Beja, K. (2000). Giriama Funeral Songs, A Functional Aesthetic Study. Un published PhD desertion.
Bridge, R. C,, (1968).Introduction to J. L. Krapf, Travels, Researches and Missionary Labors inEast Africa (London: Frank Cass, Org. ed), London Trubner.
Chapman, R. I., Klaus R. (1981). The Archeology of Death, Cambridge University Press UK.
Chidongo, T. M. (2012). Exploring Dialogue, Reflection on Christianity's Mission and African Indigenous Religion, Lambert Publishers.
Creswell, J. W., Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design, Choosing among Five traditions, Thousands oaks, CA; Sage.
Creswell, J. W.(2002). Education Research Planning; Conducting and evaluating qualititative and qualitative research Upper Saddle River NJ, Pearson Education.
Geertz C., (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures, Selected Essays, SBN, New York.
Hastings, A., (1994). The church in Africa, 1450-1950(Oxford, Clarendon press).
Herbert S., (2000).Critical Assessment of Leading Sociologist, Volume 2 John offer Amazon.
Huntington, P., (1979).Celebration of death the anthropology of mortuary ritual Cambridge University Press.
Idowu, E. B.,(1973).African TraditionalReligion .S.C.M.
Karisa, M. K. (2016). Preliminary Interview with the author at Mariakani on 8th February 2016.
Kelly R. (2007). Death, Society and human experiences, (5th edn) Boston: Allyn &Bacon.
Kenyatta, J. (1938).Facing Mount Kenya: The Tribal Life of the Gikuyu. Revised by Gail
Kilonzo, C. P & Hogan, N. M. (1999), Traditional African mourning rituals are a bridge inresponse to the AIDS epidemic, Implications mental health. Trans-cultural psychology.
Kiponda, D. (2016). Preliminary Interview with the author at Mariakani on 2nd Feb. 2016.
Kwesi A. Dickson (1985), African Theology in the 21st century. The contribution of pioneer volume 2.
Mclntosh, J. (2005). Lininal Meanings; Sexuality, Changed Giriama funerary rituals and unsettled participant frameworks, Language and communication 23(2)39-60 Available at www.sciencedirect.com Accessed on 16th March 2016.
Marshal C, & Gretchen B., (2011).Designing qualitativeresearch Fifth edition, SAGE Los Angles/London New Delhi.
Mayer P., (1949).The Lineage principles in Gusii society international Africa Institute memorandum no. xv.
Mbiti, J. S (1976), Christianity and culture, in Africa, in Michael Cassidy and Luc Verlinden (1978) facing the new challenges: the massage of PACLA, December 9th 1979, Nairobi: Evangel Publishing House.
Mbiti, J., (1969).African religions and philosophy. London, Heinemann.
Ngumbane S. (1977). Body and mind in Zulu Medicine, London: Academic press.
Panikkar, R. (1999). The Intra-Religious Dialogue, Paulist press, (Revised edition). Macarthur Boulevard Mahwah, New Jesey.
Parkkin, D. (1991). The Sacred Void; Spatial Images of work and Rituals among the Giriama of Kenya, Cambridge University Press, New York Port Chester.
Perez, A. (1996). Funerary Rituals and Inculturation,Cultural Practices for the Dead Can Enhance our Funeral Celebrations? In questions Liturgy/ studies in Liturgy.
Punch,K.F., (2011), Introduction to Social Research qualitative and quantitative approaches SAGE publication Asia Pacific Singapore (2nd edn).
Richard, A. (2016). Towards the Inculturation of "˜Nyere za Mwezi' An Agiriama Funeral Rites with Reference to Catholic Church.(unpublished master's thesis).
Robert A. L., (1982).Gusii Funerals: Meaning of life and death in an African Community. Ethos, Volume 10 no. 1, (Spring 1982) pp 26-65, Wiley for America anthropological Association, VRL: http://www. Jstor. Org/ stable /369693.
Rowell, G., (1977). The Liturgy of Christian Burial; An Introductory Survey of the Historical Development of Christian Burial Rites (Alvin Club collections, 59), London Page.9.
Rutherford, R., (1980). The Death of a Christian, The order of a Christian Funeral, (old Edition), Collegeville, Minnesota p. 37.
Shiino, W, (1997). Death and Rituals Among the Luo in South Nyanza. Tokyo Metropolitan University (unpublished thesis) accessed on 20th June 2015.
Spear, T. T., (1978) The Kaya Complex, A History of the Mijikenda people of the Kenya Coast to the 1900, KLB, Nairobi.
Terre Blanche,K. Durrheim, & D. Painter (Eds.), (2006) Research in Practice: Applied Methods for the Social Sciences (2nd Edn). Cape Town: UCT Press.
Tsesiba, H. S. T (2012). Mourning Ryansituals and Practices in South Africa Townships: A phenomenological study.
Upton, J., (1990). Burial Christianized; Peter Dictionary of Sacrament al worship College vile, Minnesota,( 140-194, p. 140).
Wassenaar, D.R. (2007), Ethical Issues in Social Science Research. In M. Terre Blache, K. Durrheim &D. Painter (Eds), Research in Practice: applied Methods for the Social Sciences (2nd edn) Cape Town UCT Press.
Wiredu, K. (1995).African Philosophy: Selected Readings. New Jersy: pritence Hall.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
