RELIGIOUS INTERSECTIONS IN AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY: THE CONVERSION DILEMMA AMONG INDIGENOUS CONVERTS

• Joel Mokhoathi University of the Free State https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4786-5488

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7833/119-1-1686

Keywords: African Christianity, African Traditional Religion, Conversion, Indigenous converts, Hybridity

Abstract

The conversion of indigenous converts to Christianity is often perceived as a linear process, which marks individuals’ rebirth and assumption of a new identity as they are assimilated into the Christian fold. This simplistic view, however, seems to undermine the intrinsic technicalities that are involved in the process of conversion, particularly for indigenous converts who already embrace a unique worldview, which is different from and sometimes contradictory to the conservative Christian outlook. This paper uses a qualitative research approach in the form of document analysis to critically explore the religious intersectionalities between Christianity and African Traditional Religion (ATR), and discusses some dilemmas that are inherent in the conversion of indigenous converts. It concludes by suggesting a paradigmatic model for re-viewing and re-interpreting the coming together of Christianity and African Traditional Religion in Africa south of the Sahara, particularly in South Africa.