Abstract
Language is never simply a neutral instrument to convey meaning, but rather a culturally subjective system reflecting peoples’ worldview. The importance of speaking to a people in their own language cannot therefore be over-stressed, because language as a system of communicative symbol only receives meaning from its culture and society (Kinge’I 1999, 1). Twentieth-century Africa has produced diverse forms of Christian expression, the core of which is the emphasis on the Africanness of Christianity. Africans have rightly observed that their traditional languages, thought patterns, and worldviews can be adapted to make Christianity relevant to the African situation. How did this come about? Why did Africans turn to indigenous language in the expression of their Christian conviction? What were the main developments in this process?
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adekunle, Mobolaji. 1972. “Multilingualism and Language Function in Nigeria” in African Studies Review. Vol. 15(2) pp. 185–207.
Adogame, Afeosemime U. 2011. Who is Afraid of the Holy Ghost?: Pentecostalism and Globalization in Africa and Beyond. Religion in Contemporary Africa Series. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
Anderson, Allan. 2001. Types and Butterflies: An African Initiated Churches and European Typologies. International Bulletin of Mission Research. http://www.amazon.com/Types-Butterflies-Typologies-International-Missionary/dp/B0008I5NZ6.
Aronoff, Mark, and Kirsten Fudeman. 2005. What is Morphology? Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Ayegboyin, Deji. 1978. Religion, Medicine and Healing. Lagos, Free Enterprise Publishers. Religious Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1.
Ayegboyin, Deji and Ishola, Ademola. 1997. African Indigenous Churches: Lagos, Nigeria: Greater Heights Publications.
Ayo, Bamgbose, Banjo Ayo, and Andrew Thomas. 1997. New Englishes: A West African Perspective. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press.
Babalola, Emmanuel Taiwo. 2007. “Communicative Language Teaching and English Language Teaching in Nigeria”. In Singh, A. k. Teaching English as a Second Language. New Delhi: Asoke K. Ghosh.
Baeta, C. G. 1962. Prophetism in Ghana, a Study of Some “Spiritual” Churches. World Mission Studies. London: SCM Press.
Barrett, David B. 1968. Schism and Renewal in Africa; An Analysis of Six Thousand Contemporary Religious Movements. Nairobi, Kenya: Oxford University Press.
Baur, John. 1998. 2000 Years of Christianity in Africa: An African History, 62–1992. Nairobi, Kenya: Paulines
Bloomfield, Leonard. 1966. Language. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Burke, Lucy, Tony Crowley, and Alan Girvin. 2000. The Routledge Language and Cultural Theory Reader. Politics of Language. London, New York: Routledge.
Catford, J. C. 1965. A Linguistic Theory of Translation; an Essay in Applied Linguistics Language and Language Learning. London: Oxford University Press.
Christopher, I. Ejizu. The Influence of African Indigenous Religions on Roman Catholicism, the Igbo Example. http//www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/ejizu-atrcath.htm (accessed on September 22, 2013).
Crystal, David. 2004. The Language Revolution. Themes for the 21st Century. Cambridge; Malden, MA: Polity.
Dollerup, Cay, and Annette Lindegaard. 1994. Teaching Translation and Interpreting 2: Insights, Aims, Visions: Papers from the Second Language International Conference, Elsinore, Denmark, 4–6 June 1993. Benjamins Translation Library; V. 5; Variation: Amsterdam; Philadelphia: J. Benjamins.
Ebegbulem, Simon. 2013. “Rebellion in the Church: Binis at Daggars Drawn with Catholic Archbishops”. In Vanguard Newspaper http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/rebellion-in-the-church-binis-at-daggers-drawn-with-catholic-archbishop/posted on July 27, 2013 (accessed on November 31, 2013).
Fatokun, Samson. 2006. “Women and Leadership in Pentecostal Churches”. Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae 32(3): 193–205.
Graham, Linda J. and David R. Cole. 2012. The Power in/of Language. Educational Philosophy and Theory Special Issues. Chichester, West Sussex; Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
Hackett, Rosalind I. J. 1987. New Religious Movements in Nigeria. African Studies; V. 5; Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen Press.
Halliday, M. A. K. 1964. “The Users and Uses of Languages”. In J. Fishman (Ed.). Readings in the Sociology of Language. Mouton: The Hagu, pp. 139–169.
Isichei, Elizabeth Allo. 2004. The Religious Traditions of Africa: A History. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Kinge’I, Kitula. 1999. Language Development Research in 21st Century Africa. African Studies Quarterly, 3(3): 3. http://web.africa.ufl.edu/asq/v3/v3i3a3.htm.
Langacker, Ronald W. 1972. Fundamentals of Linguistic Analysis. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Robert Cameron, Mitchell and Turner, Harold W. 1966. A Comprehensive Bibliography of Modern African Religious Movements. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.
Oduro, Thomas. 2004. “Christ Holy Church International (1947–2002): The Challenges of Christian Proclamation in a Nigerian Context”. (Unpublished PhD dissertation, St. Paul: Luther Seminary Library).
Oduro, Asante Thomas. 2006. “Theological Education and Training: Challenges of African Independent Churches in Ghana.” In Journal of African Institued Churches Theology. Vol. II(I) (September); 1–15.
Ogungbile, O. David. 2001. “The Dynamics of Language in Cultural Revolution and African Spirituality”. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 10(1): 66–79.
Omoyajowo, J. Akinyele. 1982. Cherubim and Seraphim: The History of an African Independent Church. New York: NOK Publishers International.
Payne, Thomas Edward. 2006. Exploring Language Structure: A Student’s Guide. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press.
Quirk, Randolph. 1962. The Use of English. New York: St Martin’s Press.
Sanneh, Lamin O. 2009. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. 2nd ed., rev. and expanded. American Society of Missiology Series; No. 42. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
Shopen, Timothy. 2007. Language Typology and Syntactic Description. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press.
Simon, Ebegbulem 2013. “Rebellion in the Church: Binis at Daggers Drawn with Catholic Archbishop”. In Vanguard Online, July 27, 2013. http://www.allafrica.com/stories/201307291478.htm (accessed on September 22, 2013).
Simpson, Paul. 1993. Language, Ideology, and Point of View. Interface Series; London; New York: Routledge.
Turner, H. W. 1963. “Chart of Modern African Religious Groups”. In V. E. Hayward (Ed.). African Independent Church Movements. London: Edinburgh House Press.
Verburg, Pieter A. 1998. Language and its Functions: A Historico-critical Study of Views Concerning the Functions of Language from the Pre-humanistic Philology of Orleans to the Rationalistic Philology of Bopp. Amsterdam Studies in the Theory and History of Linguistic Science. Series III, Studies in the History of the Language Sciences; V. 84. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
Vyas, Manish A, and Yogesh L Patesh. 2009. Teaching English as a Second Language: A New Pedagogy for a New Century. New Delhi: Asoke K. Ghosh.
Gerald J. Pilay 2002. “World Christianity and the New Historiography: History and Global Interconnections”. In Wilbert, R. Shenk Enlarging the Story: Perspectives on Writing World Christian History. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 Itohan Mercy Idumwonyi and Ijeweimen Solomon Ikhidero
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Idumwonyi, I.M., Ikhidero, I.S. (2016). The Dynamics of Language Politics in Religious Expression in African Indigenous Churches. In: Salawu, A., Chibita, M.B. (eds) Indigenous Language Media, Language Politics and Democracy in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137547309_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137547309_10
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56340-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-54730-9
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)