The relevance of oral history as a methodology of research in church history : the case of the Zion Christian Church

Abstract

This article is intended to show how the use of oral history as a methodology can be helpful, yet may sometimes lead to distortions. Some of the information addressed in this article has already been documented, but much of it has not been given in full. The reason for this is simply that many of the African Independent Churches do not openly disclose everything about themselves. In some cases the names of the people interviewed for this article are not disclosed, for their own protection. Sometimes church leaders were present during the interview sessions to determine what should be disclosed and how. In other cases, church leaders chose who was to be interviewed and on what subject, as some information is deemed sensitive and may not be disclosed at all. It is in this context that conclusions have been drawn.