African therapy for a fractured world(view): The life of founder bishop Johannes Richmond and the invention of tradition and group cohesion in an African Initiated Church

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title African therapy for a fractured world(view): The life of founder bishop Johannes Richmond and the invention of tradition and group cohesion in an African Initiated Church
 
Creator Wepener, Cas
 
Subject Liturgical Studies; Liturgics; Practical Theology; History Liturgy; Ritual; Tradition; Invention of Tradition; African Initiated Churches; Leadership; Group cohesion; Healing
Description In the book The invention of tradition historian Eric Hobsbawm claims that the process of the invention of tradition serves the formation of group cohesion. The different versions of the life story of the founder bishop of the Corinthian Church of South Africa (AIC), as documented during many years of conducting qualitative field work in this church, are used in this article as a case study in this regard. The article unpacks the way in which the invention of tradition as a process is in this particular AIC currently a work in progress contributing to the formation of a particular type of group cohesion that stretches over racial, religious and denominational boundaries especially by means of the unique liturgical rituals that were influenced by the life story of the founder. The group cohesion that this process fosters is in essence aimed at healing in all its multifaceted dimensions, which includes healing from physical ailments, ‘healing’ from barrenness, healing from spirit possession to healing as (re-)incorporation of an individual into the larger group, the healing of a nation as well as healing from a dualistic spirit-matter worldview.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor NRF
Date 2015-06-26
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Participatory Observation; Semi-Structured Interviews; Focus Groups
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v71i1.2900
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 71, No 1 (2015); 9 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/2900/6247 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/2900/6248 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/2900/6249 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/2900/5682
 
Coverage South Africa; KwaZulu-Natal; Mlazi Twentieth Century Various ages; both genders; African and Indian
Rights Copyright (c) 2015 Cas Wepener https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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