Traditional African Religion and Modern Christianity in Zaire: The Case of the Bira

Abstract

Abstract: The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. The suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. As for the belief in God, it appears that the Bira have utilized Christianity to make their traditional Mbali less remote and more caring, a change which has also made the Christian more compassionate and forgiving of sins. Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. Introduction The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire numbered about 100 000 in the mid-1980s (Krzywicki 1985). They are horticulturists who raise sweet potatoes, manioc, corn, beans and peanuts. Local communities are composed of segmentary lineages which form exogamous clans. Traditionally, each clan was believed to have occupied only one village. Now, however, a clan generally encompasses several villages. The social structure of the Bira is based on patrilineal descent and patrilocal residence. Men constitute a close-knit kin group in their own villages and import their wives from other villages. The Bira have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic (White Fathers) and Protestant (Plymouth Brethren) missions were established in this region of Zaire, which was known as the Belgian Congo. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. There is little difference apparent in the religious beliefs of Bira Catholics and Protestants, despite the fact that the missionaries who represent these two churches perceive their messages as being different.(f.1) The central objective of this paper is to provide a general comparison of the traditional African and modern Christian religious beliefs of the Bira. The perspective is that of the Bira themselves. Understanding--and appreciation--of this perspective was gained through intensive anthropological field research. It is not a neat and tidy picture, since the Bira embrace modern Christianity while at the same time they manifest ambiguity about the Christian message and sustain an undercurrent of their traditional religion. While the Christian missionaries were able to suppress traditional ancestor worship and tried to suppress witchcraft beliefs and practices, they were never able to instill the fear of God into their Bira congregation. The Bira respect as a remote creator of life and the sustainer of the life force. They view as lenient, compassionate and always ready to forgive their sins. Thus, they are relaxed and carefree Christians. Yet, ironically, the Bira implicate the Christian church in what they see as a decline in their morality in modern times. It must be noted that the economy of Zaire has been deteriorating since it became an independent nation in 1960, and real income had dropped sharply by 1979 (Huytrechts and van der Steen 1981:241). As for purchasing power, in 1979 an unskilled labourer in Kinshasa, the capital, had to work three days to buy a loaf of bread, seven for a kilo of dried beans and well over 100 for a sack of manioc (Mubake 1984:266-267). In this depressing economic environment, a more compassionate appeared to be a great comfort to the Bira. Several methods were used to gather data for this study. First of all, there was a substantial period of participant observation extending over a decade, 1974-86. My focus was on 40 Bira families. Numerous non-structured, open-ended conversations with Bira women, men and children were conducted with family members. …