Religious diversification: a study of Enukweni area in Northern Malawi, 1980—2018

Abstract

Religious Diversification is the changing from one religion to another one or from one denomination to another one within the same religion. This has been a challenge to religions and denominations for a long time. In this thesis, I would like to find out the reasons for changing religion or denomination and its impacts to the religion or denomination as well as to the individual. The area under study is the Northern Mzimba in the in the Northern Malawi. There are many tribes living in the area under study. The following are some of the tribes living in the area: Ngoni, Tumbuka, Ngonde and Chewa just to mention a few. The people in the area under study worship different religions and different denominations. There are many religious worship centres in the area under study. During this research I have used different methods to find the information. I used published books, unpublished books, dissertations, minute books, websites and personal interviews of different people in the area under study. Before the1900s many people were practicing ATR. According to my research, when Christianity and Islam came into the area, many people started changing from one religion to another and from one denomination to another in the same religion. This shows that the first religious to settle in the area under study was African Traditional Religion. It was followed by Christianity. Islam was the last religion to arrive in the area. I found out many reasons why some people change their religions or from one denomination to another one in the same religion. The major findings for change are: marriage, environment, too much giving, convenience, polygamy, soul seekers, disappointments, distance, doctrines, influence of children, church hoppers. Congregational study has also shown that many members move from one religion to another and many members change from one denomination to another. This change has many effects. According to the research, there are many effects of changing from one religion to another or from one denomination to another in the same religion. The major effects are as follows: it destroys relationships among religions or denominations and even individuals, there is reduction of membership, development is reduced, loss of trust amongst people, stunned growth of spirituality. Indeed, religions, denominations and individuals have been negatively affected in one way or another because of religious diversification. There are also positive effects in religious diversification. Some of them are as follows: given leadership, worship with peace of mind, freed from giving, spiritual growth, finding the religion or denomination of your choice. The para church organizations have played a major role in denominational change and mainline churches have reacted differently. While some religions, denominations and individuals have been affected negatively, others have benefited a lot from religious diversification in the sense that their spirituality have completely changed to the better. An overall assessment has shown that religious diversification is real in the area of Enukweni. When Christianity came into the area, many people were attracted to it leaving ATR. Others were attracted to Islam when it also came into the area. During the period covered by the research, an estimated of three out of ten members changed from one denomination to another. But change from one religion to another was rare. Although many negative effects were found during the research, denominational change is good for spiritual growth. Unity is paramount in every society but in this research, religious unity is not possible, neither from the side of Islam nor Christianity. My overall argument is that religious diversification is real in the area because people have freedom of worship to join any religion or denomination of their choice. Religious diversification is sometimes caused by problems and sometimes it is the cause of problem, in many cases it is a sign of religious vitality.