The impact of christianity on the traditional religion of the Leya of Mukuni village in Livinsgtone

Abstract

Africa traditional Religion is a world religion like any other religion such as Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. It appears in different forms according to context and content. It forms part of the life of people and their cosmology. Some early missionaries discredited the African traditional religion and labeled it as barbarian and primitive, but some African Scholars of religion such as Mbiti (1990) and Magesa (1997) have tried to defend the ART‘s status as a world religion. The research is about Zambian Traditional Religion in Mukuni village, and the coming of Christianity in the chiefdom. The research looked at whether or not the religion of the Leya people in Mukuni village was influenced by the coming of Christianity. Before the coming of Christianity to Mukuni village the Leya people were followers of the traditional religion, and they were committed to the norms and requirements of their religion. Christianity brought different teachings, some of which may not have been in agreement with the traditional religion. The research examined the extent to which the coming of Christianity affected the traditional religion of the Leya people. The study employed a qualitative approach in collecting data about people‘s views and attitudes towards the coming of Christianity. The methods of collecting data were mainly the face to face interviews, using the semi-structured and unstructured interview guides, focus group discussions, and observation. The sample consisted of 34 respondents, drawn from the Royal Residence, Namwianga Mission, the four selected churches and the households. It was established in the study that the coming of Christianity in Mukuni Village had some impact or consequences on the traditional religion in Mukuni Villlage. The concept of Leza that the Leya had before the coming of Christianity was no longer the same. Some traditional practices such as ancestor veneration, offertory prayers, rites of passage and the like are no longer done the way they used to be before the coming of Christianity. Some sacred sites (shrines) around the Victoria Falls were disturbed due to the developmental work around the Victoria Falls. The Christian missionaries interacted positively with the Leya people whose response towards Christianity was positive. There were however some incentives that led to the said response.