Journals Information
Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 3(9), pp. 464 - 485
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.030906
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The Socio-cultural and Historical Basis for the Double Rite of Passage in the Nomiya Church in Kenya
Samuel Otieno Sudhe 1, Sussy Gumo 1,*, Crispinous Iteyo 2
1 Department of Religion, Theology and Philosophy, Maseno University, Kenya
2 Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Masinde Muliro University of Science &Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the socio-cultural and historical background that gives rise to the unique practice of the double rite of passage in the Nomiya Church (NC) in Kenya. The NC as the first African Initiated Church (AIC) in Kenya started among the Luo people, a community that traditionally did not practice circumcision. Circumcision and baptism as religious rites of initiation are simultaneously performed on the male infant on the eighth day after birth. The double rite of passage is evidently a reversal of the decision of the first Church Council of AD 49 at Jerusalem (Acts 15) which settled for baptism rather than circumcision as the Christian initiation rite. The conceptual framework here called 'appropriation dialogue' is the biblical concept of covenant. Covenant entails mutual reciprocity whereby God seeks relationship with human beings, who respond in obedience as they appropriate the gifts from God. The NC theology is grounded on God's calling of Prophet Johana Owalo. The pillars of the NC are in her rejection of the doctrine of Trinity and in her denial of the divinity of Christ. The NC embraces African practices like polygamy and levirate marriage. In the NC worship are several aspects of Islamic worship. This study has endeavoured to answer the question on the continued relevance of circumcision to the theology of the NC if baptism in Christianity is the sign of the new covenant. The double rite of passage is at the core of the NC theology.
KEYWORDS
Covenant, Nomiya Church, Double Rite of Passage, Baptism, Circumcision, Prophet Owalo
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Samuel Otieno Sudhe , Sussy Gumo , Crispinous Iteyo , "The Socio-cultural and Historical Basis for the Double Rite of Passage in the Nomiya Church in Kenya," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 464 - 485, 2015. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.030906.
(b). APA Format:
Samuel Otieno Sudhe , Sussy Gumo , Crispinous Iteyo (2015). The Socio-cultural and Historical Basis for the Double Rite of Passage in the Nomiya Church in Kenya. Sociology and Anthropology, 3(9), 464 - 485. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2015.030906.