"Same country but different levels of church" : a comparative study of Christian missions in Zambia

Abstract

The thesis' discussion is by comparing Roman Catholic local Evangelisation in Western and Northern Provinces of Zambia with the focus on the Capuchins and White Fathers. Thus the thesis asserts with pastoral and missiological evidences that missionary activities carried by the capuchins and White Fathers occurred in a certain geographical, religious and sociological context. Hence faith encountered the culture of the Lozi and Bemba peoples in their given contextual milieu. As such this contextual milieu influenced their way of accepting Catholic faith inculcated in them by the early missionaries. As a matter of fact the two peoples received their catholic faith differently with the pointer to the way they responded to the teachings and doctrine of the church. This is exemplified in their levels of faith with the local church of Kasama having more Catholics compared to the local church of Mongu. Conclusively, early missionaries who came to evangelise Lozi and Bemba peoples had their original missionary impulse influenced by the Theology of mission, and to implantation of the church and the Church's teaching on missions. This theology contributed to the way they approached their evangelisation. Suffice to mention is the missionaries' differences in mentalities and cultural upbringing, compared to local people whom they encountered. White Fathers and Capuchins in their early evangelisation planted the seed of faith which has been received differently with the purpose and goal of making Christ and his message of, and invitation to, total human liberation known in both local churches of Kasama and Mongu.