Mission in Malawi: Essays in Honour of Klaus Fiedler

602 Pages·2021·5.35 MB·English

by  Jonathan S Nkhoma (editor), Rhodian G Munyenyembe (editor), Hany Longwe (editor)

The first four essays in Mission in Malawi reassess the meaning, nature and place of
mission in a postmodern world. Subsequent essays examine various issues that
missionaries and the Church in Malawi have and con�nue to struggle with. These
range from the problem of administering church discipline, the challenge of Bible Mission in
transla�on, the ques�on of how to deal with corrup�on in the corridors of power to
the challenges of dealing with ini�a�on rites, HIV/AIDS, patriarchy, gender inequality,
the exercise of the Church’s prophe�c role, lack of contextualized theology, and the
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difficult task of crea�ng an inclusive church and society. The last three essays are an
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a�empt to describe a contextual theology appropriate for the African church,
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construct a theology for Malawi and project a future for mission in Malawi in the a
context of a changing world. These essays offer a rare window into the life and y
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struggles of the Malawian Church even as it faces the postmodern future. The essays
Essays in Honour of
are not only informa�ve but also challenging and thought-provoking. Scholars, in i
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students and other readers who share an interest in mission and the life of the
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Church in Malawi will find this collec�on of essays indispensable in the many years to
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come. o Klaus Fiedler
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Jonathan S. Nkhoma is Professor of New Testament and Early Chris�anity in the o n
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Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Mzuzu University. He read theology
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at African Bible College, University of Malawi and Harvard University, and is the n
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author of The Use of Fulfilment Quotations in the Gospel according to Matthew
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(2005, 2006); Significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Essays (2013), and
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Mission Foundations and other Essays (2020). He has also published refereed ar�cles
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and book chapters, and edited and reviewed several scholarly books. a
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Rhodian G. Munyenyembe is Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of s
Theology and Religious Studies at Mzuzu University and author of Christianity and w
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Social-Cultural Issues: The Charismatic Movement and Contextualization in Malawi i i
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(2011) and Pursuing an Elusive Unity (2019). He was, for many years, assistant editor
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for the journal Religion in Malawi in the University of Malawi, and is founding editor
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for the journal Religion and Culture at Mzuzu University. He holds a PhD from the
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University of the Free State. edited by
Hany Longwe received his PhD from the University of Malawi and served as Principal
of the Bap�st Theological Seminary of Malawi for thirteen years. For many years he
lectured in the University of Livingstonia and served as visi�ng lecturer in the Jonathan Nkhoma,
Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Mzuzu University. He is author of H M
Chris�ans by Grace- Baptists by Choice: A History of the Baptist Convention of Malawi a u Rhodian Munyenyembe and
(2011) and Identity by Dissociation: A History of the Achewa Providence Industrial n n N
Mission (2013). y y k Hany Longwe
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This book is part of Mzuni Press w
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which offers a range of books e
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on religion, culture and society
from Malawi
Mission in Malawi
Copyright 2021 Authors
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any from or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission from
the publishers.
Published by
Mzuni Press
P/Bag 201 Luwinga
Mzuzu 2
ISBN 978-99960-60-84-7
eISBN 978-99960-60-85-4
The Mzuni Press is represented outside Malawi by:
African Books Collective Oxford ([email protected])
www.mzunipress.blogspot.com
www.africanbookscollective.com
Cover: Dorothee Marks
Editorial Assistance: Hope Kaombe
MISSION IN MALAWI
Essays in Honour of
Klaus Fiedler

Edited by
Jonathan S. Nkhoma
Rhodian Munyenyembe
Hany Longwe

Mzuni Books no. 44
Mzuzu

2021
Klaus Fiedler (2020
)
5
Contents
Contributors 10
Preface 20
Chapter 1 Mission in the Postmodern World: A Philosophical
Foundation 23
JONATHAN S. NKHOMA
Chapter 2 Mission in the Postmodern World: A Biblical Foundation 48
JONATHAN S. NKHOMA
Chapter 3 Mobile Telephony Shaping Present Day Development 77
JOHN A. RYAN
Chapter 4 Together Towards Life in the Context of Liquid
Modernity: Mission and Evangelism in the Age of
Secularization 89
KENNETH R. ROSS
Chapter 5 Chichewa Bible Versions and Divergent Translations of
the Tetragrammaton 110
WINSTON R. KAWALE
Chapter 6 Church Discipline in Early Livingstonia Mission 158
TIMOTHY K. NYASULU
Chapter 7 The Ngoni Response to Early Christian Missions: The
Case of Loudon 195
BOSTON SOKO 195
Chapter 8 Kenōsis and Incarnation: A Theological Response to the
Fight against Corruption 219
PETER QEKO JERE
Chapter 9 An African Contextualized Study Bible: A Case Study of
the Chichewa Study Bible 237
WINSTON R. KAWALE
Chapter 10 TEEM: Challenges and Opportunities of a Missional
Education in Malawi 268
JONATHAN S. NKHOMA
6
Chapter 11 Revival History as it Affects Malawian Church History,
with Special Reference to the CCAP 281
RHODIAN MUNYENYEMBE
Chapter 12 The Post-Classical Missions' Missionary Affair in Malawi 313
HANY LONGWE
Chapter 13 The Unfinished Agenda: Puberty Rites and the Response
of the Roman Catholic Church in Southern Malawi, 1901-1994 358
JOSEPH C. CHAKANZA
Chapter 14 The Attitude of Blantyre Synod of the CCAP towards
Initiation Rites: A Historical Account 373
FELIX L. CHINGOTA
Chapter 15 The Initiation of Chewa Women of Malawi: A
Presbyterian Woman’s Perspective 389
ISABEL APAWO PHIRI
Chapter 16 African Women’s Theologizing 412
PATRICK A. KALILOMBE
Chapter 17 The Church as a Healing Community: Voices and
Visions from Chilobwe Healing Centre 430
ISABEL APAWO PHIRI
Chapter 18 When the Telling Itself is a Taboo: The Phoebe Practice 449
FULATA L. MOYO
Chapter 19 The God who Appears to Hide His Face: HIV/AIDS
from a Biblical Perspective 464
FELIX L. CHINGOTA 464
Chapter 20 The Renewal of the State by the Church: The Case of
the Public Affairs Committee 483
KENNETH R. ROSS
Chapter 21 Divinity or Divinities? The Religious Role of Ancestors
in Nyakyusa Belief 509
JOSEPH C. CHAKANZA
Chapter 22 Evangelicalism and African Christian Theology 517
AUGUSTINE C. MUSOPOLE
7

Chapter 23 Towards a Theological Method for Malawi 531
AUGUSTINE C. MUSOPOLE
Chapter 24 The Future of Missions in Malawi: Expectations and
Projections 546
KLAUS FIEDLER
Bibliography 567
Index 589
8
Acknowledgements
Joseph C. Chakanza, “Divinity or divinities? The Religious role of
ancestors in Nyakyusa belief,“ was first published in Journal of
Humanities No. 18 (2004), pp. 12-18 and is reprinted with permission.
Copyright: Joseph C. Chakanza 2004.
Joseph C. Chakanza, “The Unfulfilled Agenda: Puberty Rites and the
Response of the Roman Catholic Church in Southern Malawi 1901-
1994,“ is reprinted from Religion in Malawi No. 5 (November 1995),
pp. 3-7, with permission. Copyright: Joseph C. Chakanza 1995.
Felix L. Chingota, “A Historical Account of the Attitude of the
Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian towards
Initiation Rites,“ reprinted with permission from Religion in Malawi
No. 5 (November 1995), pp. 8-13. Copyright: Felix L. Chingota 1995.
Felix L. Chingota, “The God who Appears to Hide His Face:
HIV/AIDS from a Biblical Perspective,“ first published in Religion in
Malawi No. 12 (November 2005), pp. 18-24, reprinted with permis-
sion. Copyright: Felix L. Chingota 2005.
Patrick A. Kalilombe, “African Women’s Theologizing,“ reprinted,
with permission, from Religion in Malawi No. 13 (November 2006),
pp. 3-9. Copyright: Patrick A. Kalilombe 2006.
Fulata L. Moyo, “’When the Telling Itself is a Taboo’: The Phoebe
Practice,“ initially published in Religion in Malawi No. 13 (November
2006), pp. 16-22, reprinted with permission. Copyright: Fulata L.
Moyo 2006.
Augustine C Musopole, “Evangelicalism and African Christian
Theology,“ is reprinted with permission from Africa Journal of
Evangelical Theology Vol. 14 No. 1 (1995), pp. 14-24. Copyright: Africa
Journal of Evangelical Theology 1995.
9
Augustine C. Musopole, “Towards a Theological Method for
Malawi,“ first published in Journal of Theology for Southern Africa No. 82
(March 1993), pp. 37-44, and reprinted as “A Theological Vision for
Malawi,“ in Religion in Malawi No. 6 (November 1996), pp. 3-6, is
reprinted with permission. Copyright: Journal of Theology for Southern
Africa 1993.
Isabel A. Phiri, “The Church as a Healing Community: Voices and
Visions from Chilobwe Healing Centre,“ reprinted, with permission,
from Religion in Malawi No. 13 (November 2006), pp. 9-16. Copyright:
Isabel A. Phiri 2006.
Isabel A. Phiri, “The Initiation of Chewa Women of Malawi: A
Presbyterian Woman’s Perspective, “first published in Religion in
Malawi No. 5 (November 1995), pp. 13-21, reprinted with
permission. Copyright: Isabel A. Phiri 1995.
Kenneth R. Ross, “The Renewal of the State by the Church: the Case
of the Public Affairs Committee in Malawi,“ reprinted, with
permission, from Religion in Malawi No. 5 (November 1995), pp. 29-
37. Copyright: Kenneth R. Ross 1995.
Kenneth R. Ross, “Together towards Life in the Context of Liquid
Modernity: Mission and Evangelism in the Age of Secularization,“
first published in International Review of Mission, vol. 103, no. 2,
(November 2014), pp. 240-255, reprinted with permission.
Copyright: World Council of Churches 2014.