Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Negotiating Religious Traditions : Babu wa Loliondo’s Theology of Healing

Vähäkangas, Mika LU (2016) In Exchange 45(3). p.269-297
Abstract
Retired Lutheran pastor Ambilikile Mwasapila became the most celebrated healer in Eastern Africa for half a year in 2011. His healing consists of an herbal potion, brewed according to the recipe he got from God in dreams. According to Rev. Mwasapila, the potency of the medicine stems from the presence of the Word of God in it. It is efficient only when administered by him. He perceives himself as a prophet called by God to alleviate sufferings of humankind in a world pestered by illnesses sent by Satan. His theology of healing has clear Lutheran sacramental theological elements combined with views from African traditional medicine and Christian charismatic faith healing. His cosmology is deeply rooted in African views of the spirit world... (More)
Retired Lutheran pastor Ambilikile Mwasapila became the most celebrated healer in Eastern Africa for half a year in 2011. His healing consists of an herbal potion, brewed according to the recipe he got from God in dreams. According to Rev. Mwasapila, the potency of the medicine stems from the presence of the Word of God in it. It is efficient only when administered by him. He perceives himself as a prophet called by God to alleviate sufferings of humankind in a world pestered by illnesses sent by Satan. His theology of healing has clear Lutheran sacramental theological elements combined with views from African traditional medicine and Christian charismatic faith healing. His cosmology is deeply rooted in African views of the spirit world interpreted through Pentecostal-charismatic demonology. The ideas underlying his ministry can be seen as an oral charismatic Lutheran contextual theology lived out in practice. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
pluralistic medicine, Contextual theology, charismatic Christianity
in
Exchange
volume
45
issue
3
pages
29 pages
publisher
Brill
external identifiers
  • scopus:84984920751
  • wos:000386722900004
ISSN
0166-2740
DOI
10.1163/1572543X-12341404
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fee75cf7-6231-456d-8fc7-6ff89f926b74
date added to LUP
2016-09-30 14:41:09
date last changed
2022-03-01 07:57:19
@article{fee75cf7-6231-456d-8fc7-6ff89f926b74,
  abstract     = {{Retired Lutheran pastor Ambilikile Mwasapila became the most celebrated healer in Eastern Africa for half a year in 2011. His healing consists of an herbal potion, brewed according to the recipe he got from God in dreams. According to Rev. Mwasapila, the potency of the medicine stems from the presence of the Word of God in it. It is efficient only when administered by him. He perceives himself as a prophet called by God to alleviate sufferings of humankind in a world pestered by illnesses sent by Satan. His theology of healing has clear Lutheran sacramental theological elements combined with views from African traditional medicine and Christian charismatic faith healing. His cosmology is deeply rooted in African views of the spirit world interpreted through Pentecostal-charismatic demonology. The ideas underlying his ministry can be seen as an oral charismatic Lutheran contextual theology lived out in practice.}},
  author       = {{Vähäkangas, Mika}},
  issn         = {{0166-2740}},
  keywords     = {{pluralistic medicine; Contextual theology; charismatic Christianity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{269--297}},
  publisher    = {{Brill}},
  series       = {{Exchange}},
  title        = {{Negotiating Religious Traditions : Babu wa Loliondo’s Theology of Healing}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1572543X-12341404}},
  doi          = {{10.1163/1572543X-12341404}},
  volume       = {{45}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}