Abstract
Avenging spirits, commonly known as “ngozi”, are one of the most feared and mysterious spiritual manifestations among African people – particularly the Shona people of Zimbabwe. To address the fears of Christians in such contexts, a contextually relevant pastoral ministry should first of all be designed. Such a ministerial design should proceed from a thorough understanding of the contextual reality of the spiritual world (of “ngozi”). Secondly, it should formulate a biblical response to the phenomenon in order to be informed by a sound biblical premise. Thirdly, its design should utilise the natural potential of community church people. Cognisant of these realities and challenges in African churches, this article grapples with the subject of the fear of avenging spirits in congregations, using the case study of the Shona people of Zimbabwe, and how a pastoral ministry could be designed to address the situation. In doing so, the article discusses the phenomenon of avenging spirits, it provides a systematic biblical response and evaluation of “ngozi” and it proposes a contextually relevant and biblicallyinformed pastoral ministry to people under consideration.
Highlights
Introduction and problem identificationNgozi is a spirit of a dead person who was mistreated during his/her lifetime
In many instances among the Shona people, misfortune is attributed to the ngozi spirit (Gelfand, 1973:61)
There exists an immense fear whenever ngozi is perceived to be operating in a family
Summary
Ngozi is a spirit of a dead person who was mistreated during his/her lifetime. This spirit seeks revenge on individuals or on it’s family, until compensation for the mistreatment is made (Gelfand, 1962:69). The Shona people believe that the dead still have influence in the lives of the living (Gelfand, 1964:32; Idowu, 1973:173) This belief is argued by many African scholars such as Mbiti (1969), Mwaura (2000) and Magezi (2007). The subject of ngozi among the Shona people has been widely researched, and Gelfand stands out as a key contributor to the discussion In his works, he scientifically describes the different types and causes of ngozi and the Shona method of addressing the crisis. If ngozi is viewed as spirits of offended dead people that seek revenge on the living and this belief affects Christians, it is imperative to evaluate such beliefs based on the Scriptures in order for pastors to respond appropriately in a biblically informed manner. Ngozi is addressed through necromantic practices among the Shona people
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
