EASTER CELEBRATIONS WITH A DIFFERENCE: A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE JOHANE MASOWE CHISHANU YENYENYEDZI APPROACH TO THE EVENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2412-4265/422Keywords:
Africans, Easter, Masowe yeNyenyedzi Religious Movement, messianic leaders, Mhiri yegungwa (overseas), Holy CommunionAbstract
The celebration of Easter has become a universal event within the Christian liturgical calendar and aims to commemorate the passion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Messages on the passion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ are vigorously proclaimed throughout the holy week, which usually begins on a holy Thursday ending on a resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday). Some Churches will even dramatise the events that led to the death of Jesus Christ and how He was crucified on the cross. Apparently, the purpose of these ritual re-enactments is to capture the minds of the congregants on how their Saviour suffered and eventually died on the cross to bring salvation to humanity. Invariably, on resurrection Sunday, the services will end with a ritual of Holy Communion. However, while other Christian denominations commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter, we have noted that the Johane Masowe Chishanu yeNyenyedzi Church celebrates ‘Easter’ with a difference. For them ‘Easter’ is the time to remember the ‘Fathers of the Faith’, i.e. the messianic leaders whom God raised to give leadership and guidance to the church. Every Easter, the Johane Masowe Chishanu yeNyenyedzi Religious
Movement commemorates deliverance from evil spirits, which was made possible through the charismatic leadership of Shonhiwa Masedza (Johane), founder of the original ‘Church’; Mudyiwa Dzangara (Emanuere), second from Johane; and Sanders Nhamoyebonde (Sanders/Nyenyedzi), third from Johane.
In the view of the Church adherents, Jesus Christ was sent by God to deliver people of mhiri yegungwa (overseas), i.e., the whites and the Jews, whilst
Masedza, Mudyiwa and Nhamoyebonde were sent by God to deliver Africans.
It is against this background that this study seeks to delve deeper into this religious movement’s unique ways of celebrating the memory of their spiritual leaders during Easter commemorations. Interviews and participant observation are the key tools used for data collection, since this movement under study has no written documents.
Metrics
References
Amanze, J. 1998. African Christianity in Botswana. Gweru: Mambo Press.
Banana, C. 1991. Come and share: An introduction to Christian theology. Gweru: Mambo Press.
Biri, K. 2014. ‘Sacred Sites in an African indigenous church in Zimbabwe: A critique of Zaoga Fif.’ In Multiplying in the Spirit: Africa initiated churches in Zimbabwe, E. Chitando, M.R. Gunda and J. Kügler (eds), 63-78. Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press.
Chimininge, V. 2014. ‘Zion Christian Church.’ In Multiplying in the Spirit: Africa initiated churches in Zimbabwe, E. Chitando, M.R. Gunda and J. Kügler (eds), 33-48. Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press.
Comby, J. 1985. How to read church history: From the beginning to the fifteenth century, 1st edition. London: SCM Press.
Engelke, M. 2007. A problem of presence: Beyond Scripture in an African church. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Gifford, P. 2009. Christianity, politics and public life in Kenya. London: C. Hurst. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230100510_8
Guti, E. 1999. History of ZOAGA Forward in Faith: The book of Remembrance, how it began and where it is going. Harare: EGEA Publication.
Kurewa, J. 1975. ‘The meaning of African Theology.’ Journal of African Theology for Southern Africa 11(2): 32-42.
Mukonyora, I.M. 2007. Wondering a gendered wilderness: Suffering and healing in an African initiated church. New York: Peter Lang.
Ndlovu, L. 2014. ‘The African Apostolic Church led by Paul Mwazha as a response to secularization.’ In Multiplying in the Spirit: Africa initiated churches in Zimbabwe, E.
Chitando, M.R. Gunda and J. Kügler (eds), 49-62. Bamberg: University of Bamberg Press.
Reese, R. 1995. Lessions in mission from an African initiated church: A case study of the
Zimbabwean VaPostori of Johane Masowe. Online, pp.1-12. Available at: (accessed 20 March 2015).
Reese, R. 2008. Dictionary of African Christian biography: Johane Masowe Gospel of God Church (1914-1973). Online. Available at:
Shorter, A. 1977. African Christian theology: Adaptation or incarnation? New York: Orbis.
Sundkler, B.C.S. 2000. The history of the church in Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511497377
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Accepted 2015-12-03
Published 2016-09-05
