Cultural Memory in Animistic Cultures

Cultural Memory in Animistic Cultures

Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen served as a missionary to the Kipsigis people of Kenya for thirteen years. He writes on the application of a theology of power within the context of animistic cultures. He provides an outline for addressing the appropriate use of power illustrations within the context of teaching the scriptures and the demonstration of power within a context of prayer among animistic people groups. In his communication to the Kipsigis people his primary concerns were teaching the nature of divine power and ensuring that Animistic power was not equated with divine power. He would argue that spiritual warfare is; “standing in prayer with God against the principalities and powers to defeat Satan through truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God.”

The body of Dr. Van Rheenen work in Africa becomes illustrative of the point I am trying to make about redemptive gifts and their incorporation into the body of Christ. His writing on Spiritual Warfare corresponds directly to his missionary work among an animistic people group. This is because they have measure of insight into spiritual realm that has been lost in the west but is in fact a reality taught in scripture. Now their insight was not perfected in Christ, but the insight was present. It is related to magical names and rituals and could be wrongly incorporated into the life to the church if not run through the context of the scriptures. An example of this is Dr. Van Rheenen comments of prayer.
“Prayer should not be viewed as a power tool but as a means of relating to God, the source of all power. The difference is significant. When prayer is viewed as power, certain words or rituals are deemed necessary to access the power; however, prayer, like conversion, is a turning to God, a trusting in him to act”
The potential error in this case would be viewing the ‘Name of Jesus’ as the source of ones power and not a relationship with Jesus as the source of power. The distinction is subtle but important. That error is not corrected without the Christian teacher. However, the topic is not researched thoroughly unless the remnant of this knowledge is retained by the Kipsigis people. Dr. Rheennen wisdom in the area of Spiritual Warfare is never actualized unless the realty of spiritual warfare is retained within the Kipsigis people. Their evangelization means that the entire body of Christ is blessed with new wisdom about Biblical spiritual warfare. I further project that the Biblically educated native Kipsigsi evangelist and church leaders would excel western missionaries in these insights within the first of second generation of training because of their native familiarity with the subject.

Insights from animistic cultures about demonology and sacred places should be incorporated into the Body of Christ. The importance of this knowledge is its redemptive purpose. The western equivalent for this incorporation may be seen in former drug addicts using their insights into addiction to deliver individuals from the bondage of substance dependence.

When research was being completed on idolatry for the 1911 version of the Encyclopedia Britannica it makes this statement, “It is not found, for instance, among Bushmen, Fuegians, Eskimos,” The Bushman referred to are the people groups of South Africa. The preferred academic term for them is San. We will therefore use that term. The Fuegians are tribes from the tip of South America and the Eskimos are from the extreme northern sections of the Americas. The preferred term is Inuit, we will therefore use it. Idolatry is not part of the cultural memory of mankind handed down from Eden and Noah as sacrifice is. It is interpolated. Therefore it could be said of Animistic cultures that they avoided a spiritual error that so called advanced cultures embraced. It will be argued here that not only did Animistic cultures avoid error but they also retained knowledge of the supernatural that is beneficial the churches understanding of spiritual warfare and nature. The San of Africa, The Inuit of the Americas and the Fuegians of South America will be looked at in these series of articles from the perspectives of the missionaries that have worked among them. They will be covered in the order in which they were referenced. Shorter blogs that are unrelated to these series of topics will be seen as well but for the followers of the blog the connections will not be hard to make.

Abilene Christian University, Bio. Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen http://www.acu.edu/campusoffices/acupress/books/authors/gailyn_vanrheenen.html
Van Rheenen, Gailyn “A Theology of Power”. June 2005” EMQ, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 32-38. Copyright © 2005 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). http://www.emisdirect.com/emq/issue-118/339?searched=animism&advsearch=oneword&highlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1
Van Rheenen, Gailyn“A Theology of Power” June 2005” EMQ, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 32-38. Copyright © 2005 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). http://www.emisdirect.com/emq/issue-118/339?searched=animism&advsearch=oneword&highlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1
“Idolatry” Classic Encyclopedia, based on the 11th Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica published in 1911 http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Idolatry
“Bushmen” Classic Encyclopedia, based on the 11th Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica published in 1911 http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Bushmen
“Bushmen” Nativewiki http://www.nativewiki.org/Bushmen
Grigg, Russell “Dawrwin and the Fuegians” Creation Ministries International, published 19 May, 2009 http://creation.com/darwin-and-the-fuegians
“Eskimo –Aleut Religion” Published by the Division of Religion and Philosophy University of Cumbria http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/nam/inuit.html