Genesis of a New Religion

Kimbanguism and its Departure from Ecumenism

Benjamin Simon (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

316 Seiten

2024
Brill (Verlag)
978-90-04-71401-4 (ISBN)

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In recent years, Kimbanguism has developed from an ecumenically oriented African-instituted church into a new religion. Accordingly, their membership with the World Council of Churches was discontinued in 2021. This process of theological change and reorientation is clearly traced and illustrated on the basis of previously unseen WCC archive materials. The six chapters also show the six phases how the process of disengagement from a religious belief is progressing to start a new religion.

Benjamin Simon, Dr. theol. habil., Professor and Academic Dean at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and Director for the World Council of Churches´ program on Ecumenical Formation. He has published monographs and many articles, and edited several books.

Preface

Narrative-Theological Preliminary Remarks

1 Formation of a Religion – The Era of Simon Kimbangu

Phase 1: Charismatic Leader

1 The Spiritual Sources of Simon Kimbangu

2 Christianity among the Bakongo – Social and Political Situation

2.1 Religious Vocation of Simon Kimbangu

2.2 Assessment of the Religious Vocation by Léon Morel

3 Kimbanguist Songs

4 Intercultural Realities

5 Religious Change Processes through Non-violence

2 Hidden and Official Kimbanguism – The Era of Diangienda

Phase 2: The Replacement Process

1 Diangienda’s Vocation

2 Kimbanguist Worship and Its Theology

3 Community and Identity

4 Socio-Cultural Diversity in the African Context

4.1 Taking Off the Shoes

4.2 The Kneeling

4.3 Green and White – Two Colours of Symbolic Meaning

4.4 The Flag

4.5 The Star

4.6 The Dove

4.7 The Sacred Rod “mvuala”

4.8 The Steps in Nkamba

5 The Importance of the Catechisms

6 Suppressed Popular Faith and Its Stages of Revelation

3 The Hidden Belief Becomes Official Doctrine – The Era of Dialungana

Phase 3: Securing Future Capability

1 Political Turmoil of the 1990s

2 Religious Education Strategies

2.1 The Kimbanguist School System

2.2 The Nkamba Bible School

4 The Social Order Acquires a Cosmic Dimension – The Era of Simon Kimbangu Kiangani

Phase 4: Stabilisation of the New Teaching

1 Ritual Factors

1.1 The Sprinkling of Water

1.2 Blessing of the Children

1.3 The Rite of Baptism

1.4 The Holy Communion

1.5 Bathing in the Holy Springs of Nkamba

1.6 Funeral Rite

1.7 The Mausoleum

1.8 The Temple of Nkamba

2 Theological Factors

2.1 Holy Family

2.2 Tata Elimu Santu

2.3 Ba Nzambe

3 Social and Political Factors

3.1 The Attitude towards Politics

3.2 Political Changes under Mobutu

3.3 La Conférence Souveraine Nationale (CSN)

3.4 Attitude of the Kimbanguists

3.5 Pan-Africanism

5 Kimbanguism and its Ecumenical Relations
Phase 5: Termination of Previous Contacts and Networks

1 The Application for Membership

1.1 Report

1.2 Decision-Making

1.3 The Report by William H. Crane

2 The 1970s and 1980s

3 The Demise of Papa Diangienda

4 Papa Dialungana and His Ecumenical Contacts

4.1 An Attempt to Re-establish Relations

4.2 Collège International

4.3 WCC-Assembly in Harare

4.4 The Rescheduling of Christmas

4.5 Critical Questions to the WCC

5 Relationships in the New Millennium

5.1 Power Claims of the Grandchildren

5.2 Requests through the WCC

5.3 Journées Scientifiques

5.4 Dialogue Meeting between Kimbanguists and WCC

5.5 The Position of the Kimbanguists

5.6 Catholic Dissociation

6 Rollercoaster Ride of Ecumenical Relations

6.1 Another Delegation Trip to the Congo

6.2 Dissolution of the Commission de Théologie Kimbanguiste (COTHEKI)

6.3 “One more step … ”

6.4 Meeting in Busan

6.5 Joint Consultation in 2014

7 Critical Review

6 Theological Tightrope Walks

Phase 6: Consolidation of the New Faith

1 Complexity of Faiths

1.1 Primary and Secondary Religious Experience – The Traditional Culture and Religion of the Bakongo (TRB) and Simon Kimbangu

2 Inculturation and Its “limits” or Criteria

2.1 “Limits” of Inculturation?

2.2 Convergence Method and the Development of Criteria

3 Modalist-Kimbanguist Monarchianism

3.1 Modes of Trinitarian Faith in Kimbanguism

3.2 Inconsistencies in Kimbanguism: the Apostles’ Creed

3.3 Modalist-Kimbanguist Monarchianism and Its Incompatibility with the Ecumenical Formula of the WCC

4 Genesis of a New Religion

4.1 Charismatic Leader

4.2 Detachment Process

4.3 Securing the Future Viability

4.4 Stabilisation of the New Teaching

4.5 Termination of Previous Contacts and Networks

4.6 Consolidation of the New Faith

Bibliography

Index

Erscheinungsdatum	10.04.2025
Reihe/Serie	Theology and Mission in World Christianity ; 35
Verlagsort	Leiden
Sprache	englisch
Maße	155 x 235 mm
Gewicht	535 g
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Christentum
ISBN-10	90-04-71401-4 / 9004714014
ISBN-13	978-90-04-71401-4 / 9789004714014
Zustand	Neuware