A Missiological study of the Phenomenon of Spirit Possession among the Munyoyaya women in the Madogo location, Tana River district in Kenya :a Response to I.M. Lewis' theory of Deprivation

Abstract

The Munyoyaya women are part ofthe larger Munyoyaya people group who inhabit the Tana River district in Kenya. They are a minority tribal group considered to be part of the Oromo language group. They are predominantly Muslims yet steeped in folk tendencies that are prohibited by orthodox Islam. This study attempts to examine one aspect of these folk tendencies as practiced by the Munyoyaya women. It seeks to understand their participation in the spirit possession cults in the Madogo location. It also evaluates 1. M. Lewis' theory of deprivation in relation to the context of the Munyoyaya women's participation. The study also aims at examining some missiological ways of cross-cultural Christian witness among the Munyoyaya women. This study is based on the cognitive anthropological perspective that is focused on the implicit aspects of a culture. Thus to describe the implicit aspects of the Munyoyaya women's cultural practice in the possession phenomenon, ethnographic research design is employed as a tradition of qualitative research. Data is collected using participant observation and ethnographic interviews with those involved in the possession sessions. The findings of this study reveal that the Munyoyaya women are majority of the participants of the possession cults. They participate for various reasons that include: economical, therapeutical, social, their pragmatic nature, spiritual and psychological factors. These factors, especially the spiritual and psychological factors, stem from the worldview of the Munyoyaya people that is basically supernaturalistically oriented. This provides a comprehensive outlook to possession cults that disprove Lewis' deprivation theory. He generally bases his theory on socioeconomical factors that attempt to explain participation in possession cults. In view of the findings recommendations are made that aim at effective cross-cultural Christian witness among the Munyoyaya women and Muslims in general. There is need for worldview studies that will aim at understanding the outward behaviors and implicit assumptions of people to be reached with the Gospel. It is also recommended that Muslims as people be distinguished from the ideological aspect of Islam. Lack of such a distinction has accounted for the much of the frustration experienced in Islamic mission fields.