Luo Beliefs In Ancestral Spirits’ Veneration And Their Implications On Christian Worship Practices: A Study Of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kenya Lake Conference

Abstract

This study examined Luo beliefs in ancestral spirits ‘veneration and their implications on Christian worship practices: A study of Seventh - day Adventist church, Kenya lake conference The study engaged four specific objectives such as: To establish the SDA church’s teachings on ancestral spirits’ veneration and the Luo response to them during calamities in the Kenya Lake Conference, determine the rituals pertaining to veneration of ancestral spirits, evaluate Seventh-day Adventist Church practices concerning Christian worship and to determine a criterion that can assist SDA Church members among the Luo to be consistent with the church's teachings in the Kenya Lake Conference. This study adopted a descriptive research design as a suitable way for collecting information about people’s attitudes, opinions, habits and views on social issues affecting a given population. This included interviews, observations, and open-ended questions in the questionnaires which was conducted through multi-method data collection approach. The findings were analyzed through MAXQDA 2020- which is a world-leading software package suitable for analyzing qualitative and mixed methods research data in diverse manners ranging from texts to images, discussions, survey responses, and much more (Radiker & Kuckartz, 2020). The study was informed by two major theories which are: functional and essentials of religion as presented by Durkheim (1912) and Otto (1917) respectively with a burden of explaining the benefits of various Christian worship practices and cultural veneration approaches. This theory points out that religion binds and provides people with social cohesion, promotes behavior consistency in terms of voluntary social control, and offers meaning, purpose and strength during life’s changeovers and tragedies such as illnesses, death and other associated catastrophic events affecting humanity. Essential view of Otto (1917) understands religion as binding feeling of reverence characterized with awe and fascination when worshippers are in the presence of mysterium tremendum--the compelling yet repelling mystery of religion. The study found out that humans are naturally religious and their religiosity is expressed either through the worship of God, veneration of spirits in diverse manners, or through dual allegiance. The study significantly established ways in which SDA Church can teach Christian principles through the usual Luo cultural beliefs in order to instill biblical truths through cultural lenses without either compromising the Christian faith or undermining Luo cultural practices. Since the study confirmed dual allegiance, the expected outcome was to set a model that would assist Seventh-day Adventist Church members to continue with their worship practices that are consistent with the teachings of the church, without appearing to be having dual allegiance. The study recommends emulation of Christ who appealed to the tradition of old in the tone of Prophets: Amos, Isaiah and Jeremiah in which exclusive worship and recognition of the One God, forms the basis for Christian worship of God. It therefore recommends further research on existential relevance that ancestors have in the network of social relationships with the survived family members until very recently since this social issue emerged but was not discussed exhaustively. The study further recommends a research on widow custody that does not conform to biblical levirate marriages since such violation offends the exclusivity of marital love and are pugnacious against one’s partner and God. Hence, this study will provide additional reference for the benefit of the SDA Church members and for further research work.