Marakwet : An Ethnographic Study of Religious and Cultural Identity in Africa.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Elolia, Samuel K.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Marakwet (African people)--Religion.

Marakwet (African people).

Christianity and other religions--African.

Christianity and other religions.

Christianity and culture--Africa.

Christianity and culture.

Missionaries--Africa.

Missionaries.

Africa, East--Religion.

Africa, East.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (310 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Eugene : Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2024.

Summary:

"This book attempts to provide an ethnography of the Marakwet and its encounter with colonizers and missionaries. The core of the book concerns the formation of the Marakwet person through the rites of passage. Indeed, cultural education is critical in establishing a socially mature identity. By virtue of repetition, humans connect to the past and create a continuum. Also, through rituals, the world is no longer an opaque mass of objects arbitrarily thrown together, but a living cosmos that can be intelligible and significant. It explains why things exist and to what ends. At the same time, through rituals, new ideas are given new interpretations. The missionary colonizing project unsuccessfully tried to dislodge such traditions. The African tradition is the context from which most Christians come, and to which many still practice to some degree. It is therefore necessary for both Marakwet and Christian tradition to interact. The book highlights the concept of inculturation as a viable resource in helping Christianity engage the culture with minimal disruptions."

Contents:

Introduction: The background and setting of the study

The Marakwet social life

The rites of passage

Religion: Myths, rituals, and symbols

Marakwet encounter with the British colonists and missionaries

AIM/AIC Christian communities

Theological reflections

Conclusion.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781498241090

1498241093

OCLC:

1477017620