Ethiopian movement
Encyclopedia
The Ethiopian Movement is a religious movement that began in southern Africa
towards the end of the 19th century, when two groups broke away from the Anglican and Methodist
churches. One of the main reasons for breaking away was that the parent denominations were perceived to be too much under white control, with not enough scope being given to African leadership.
The Ethiopian movement was based on their interpretation of a Biblical passage (Psalm 68:31): "Ethiopia shall soon stretch forth its hands unto God" (in the original Hebrew, actually כוש Cush
).
The term was later given a much wider interpretation by Bengt Sundkler, whose book Bantu prophets in South Africa was the first comprehensive study of African Independent Churches (AICs)
.
In 1892 a minister of the Wesleyan Methodist Church
, Mangena Maake Mokone, broke away from that denomination and formed the Ethiopian Church, mainly because of dissatisfaction with segregation in the church and the lack of fellowship between black and white ministers. His preachings included the theme of "Africa for the Africans", which was later a pillar of the UNIA-ACL.
A group of black former Anglican and Methodist leaders gathered around Mokone, including Kanyane Napo, Samuel James Brander, James Mata Dwane and several others. Two relatives of Mokone, Kate and Charlotte
Maneye were studying at Wilberforce University
in America, and Kate wrote to Mokone to tell him about the African Methodist Episcopal Church
, which her sister Charlotte had joined. This led the Ethiopian Church to decide to join the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) in 1896, and James Mata Dwane was sent to the USA to negotiate the union.
There were conflicting views of Dwane's mandate, however, and Dwane (who had originally been a Methodist), through conversations with Anglicans, came to believe that the AME Church did not have bishop
s in the apostolic succession
, whereas the Anglicans did. Dwane and his followers thereupon left the AME Church and formed the Order of Ethiopia
, in association with the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now Anglican Church of Southern Africa). Most of them were in the Eastern Cape
.
Charlotte Maneye married the Revd Marshall Maxeke, and they did missionary work for the AME Church
in South Africa, and in 1908 they founded the Wilberforce Institute in the Transvaal, modelled on her American alma mater.
Many of the original Ethiopianist leaders, however, became dissatisfied with the AME Church, and found black American domination of the church leadership as irksome as white British domination. 1 In 1904 Samuel James Brander formed the Ethiopian Catholic Church in Zion, which combined the Anglican and Methodist strands of the Ethiopian tradition. It initially included Kanyane Napo and Daniel William Alexander among its leaders, but both of them appear to have later broken away to revive Napo's African Church. During the period 1900-1920 many different Ethiopian denominations were formed, which were heirs of the Ethiopian tradition.
Ethiopianism is rather dififcult to define. It was not really an ideology, a theological school, or a political programme. It was rather a cluster of ideas and traditions and assumptions about being Christian in Africa that were shared by a group of Christian leaders in the period from 1890-1920. There was no sharp boundary to the movement, but it shaded off into other groups.
Most of the features of the Ethiopian movement have already been mentioned:
denominations that had broken away from Western-initiated Protestant groups like the Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Baptists, as well as the Anglicans and Methodists.
Sundkler therefore classified bodies like the African Congregational Church and Zulu Congregational Church as "Ethiopian", though they did not really participate in the Ethiopian movement itself. The independent churches of the Congregational tradition formed a separate network from the Ethiopian one, with less contact between the networks.
.
2. Ethiopianism is considered by scholars to be the origin of the Rastafari movement
, and William David Spencer (author of Dread Jesus
) suggests that its theological goal, popularized by Marcus Garvey
, was that God was black.
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
towards the end of the 19th century, when two groups broke away from the Anglican and Methodist
Methodist Church of Southern Africa
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa is a member church of the World Methodist Council.Methodism in Southern Africa began as a result of lay Christian work by an Irish soldier of the English Regiment, John Irwin, who was stationed at the Cape and began to hold prayer meetings as early as 1795...
churches. One of the main reasons for breaking away was that the parent denominations were perceived to be too much under white control, with not enough scope being given to African leadership.
The Ethiopian movement was based on their interpretation of a Biblical passage (Psalm 68:31): "Ethiopia shall soon stretch forth its hands unto God" (in the original Hebrew, actually כוש Cush
Kingdom of Kush
The native name of the Kingdom was likely kaš, recorded in Egyptian as .The name Kash is probably connected to Cush in the Hebrew Bible , son of Ham ....
).
The term was later given a much wider interpretation by Bengt Sundkler, whose book Bantu prophets in South Africa was the first comprehensive study of African Independent Churches (AICs)
African Initiated Church
An African Initiated Church is any of a number of Christian churches independently started in Africa by Africans and not by missionaries from another continent, in which they sometimes hold to one or more African tribal belief systems syncretised with Christianity.-Nomenclature:A variety of...
.
History
In about 1888 an evangelist, Joseph Mathunye Kanyane Napo, seceded from the Anglican Church to form the Africa Church or African Church, which was composed mostly of black Anglicans who were dissatisfied with white control of the Anglican Church.In 1892 a minister of the Wesleyan Methodist Church
Methodist Church of Southern Africa
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa is a member church of the World Methodist Council.Methodism in Southern Africa began as a result of lay Christian work by an Irish soldier of the English Regiment, John Irwin, who was stationed at the Cape and began to hold prayer meetings as early as 1795...
, Mangena Maake Mokone, broke away from that denomination and formed the Ethiopian Church, mainly because of dissatisfaction with segregation in the church and the lack of fellowship between black and white ministers. His preachings included the theme of "Africa for the Africans", which was later a pillar of the UNIA-ACL.
A group of black former Anglican and Methodist leaders gathered around Mokone, including Kanyane Napo, Samuel James Brander, James Mata Dwane and several others. Two relatives of Mokone, Kate and Charlotte
Maneye were studying at Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University is a private, coed, liberal arts historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans...
in America, and Kate wrote to Mokone to tell him about the African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
, which her sister Charlotte had joined. This led the Ethiopian Church to decide to join the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME Church) in 1896, and James Mata Dwane was sent to the USA to negotiate the union.
There were conflicting views of Dwane's mandate, however, and Dwane (who had originally been a Methodist), through conversations with Anglicans, came to believe that the AME Church did not have bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s in the apostolic succession
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
, whereas the Anglicans did. Dwane and his followers thereupon left the AME Church and formed the Order of Ethiopia
Order of Ethiopia
The Order of Ethiopia was a group from the Ethiopian movement in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa that came into association with the Church of the Province of Southern Africa during most of the 20th century. It was founded and initially led by James Mata Dwane...
, in association with the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now Anglican Church of Southern Africa). Most of them were in the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
.
Charlotte Maneye married the Revd Marshall Maxeke, and they did missionary work for the AME Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
in South Africa, and in 1908 they founded the Wilberforce Institute in the Transvaal, modelled on her American alma mater.
Many of the original Ethiopianist leaders, however, became dissatisfied with the AME Church, and found black American domination of the church leadership as irksome as white British domination. 1 In 1904 Samuel James Brander formed the Ethiopian Catholic Church in Zion, which combined the Anglican and Methodist strands of the Ethiopian tradition. It initially included Kanyane Napo and Daniel William Alexander among its leaders, but both of them appear to have later broken away to revive Napo's African Church. During the period 1900-1920 many different Ethiopian denominations were formed, which were heirs of the Ethiopian tradition.
Ethiopianism
Ethiopianism is the movement of the people of Ethiopian/African descent at Home and Diaspora. It is non-classiest, non-confessional, non-irredentist & non-colonial. It is contingent, historic. As a new paradigm of a messianic/ millenarian movement, it is a project of a kingdom in the land of internal or external exile . Prof. Muse TegegneEthiopianism is rather dififcult to define. It was not really an ideology, a theological school, or a political programme. It was rather a cluster of ideas and traditions and assumptions about being Christian in Africa that were shared by a group of Christian leaders in the period from 1890-1920. There was no sharp boundary to the movement, but it shaded off into other groups.
Most of the features of the Ethiopian movement have already been mentioned:
- the use of the name Ethiopia, Ethiopian, Cush or Cushite in the names of churches
- the aim of a united African Christianity, based on the idea that "Ethiopia shall stretch out its hands to God"
- Anglican-Methodist ecclesiastical polity and theology
- In spite of many schisms, the Ethiopianist leaders formed a network, and interacted with each other more than they did with leaders of other traditions.
Wider meaning of Ethiopian
The description above is of the Ethiopian movement itself, but writers like Bengt Sundkler used Ethiopian in a wider sense to include all African independent churchAfrican Initiated Church
An African Initiated Church is any of a number of Christian churches independently started in Africa by Africans and not by missionaries from another continent, in which they sometimes hold to one or more African tribal belief systems syncretised with Christianity.-Nomenclature:A variety of...
denominations that had broken away from Western-initiated Protestant groups like the Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Baptists, as well as the Anglicans and Methodists.
Sundkler therefore classified bodies like the African Congregational Church and Zulu Congregational Church as "Ethiopian", though they did not really participate in the Ethiopian movement itself. The independent churches of the Congregational tradition formed a separate network from the Ethiopian one, with less contact between the networks.
Note
1. Ethiopianist refers to those who adhered to the ideas of Ethiopianism, to distinguish them from those who live in Ethiopia, or who belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo ChurchEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the predominant Oriental Orthodox Christian church in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church was administratively part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All...
.
2. Ethiopianism is considered by scholars to be the origin of the Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
, and William David Spencer (author of Dread Jesus
Dread Jesus
Dread Jesus, published in 1999, is a book written by William David Spencer about the Rastafari movement....
) suggests that its theological goal, popularized by Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
, was that God was black.
See also
- Marcus GarveyMarcus GarveyMarcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
- UNIA-ACL
- Order of EthiopiaOrder of EthiopiaThe Order of Ethiopia was a group from the Ethiopian movement in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa that came into association with the Church of the Province of Southern Africa during most of the 20th century. It was founded and initially led by James Mata Dwane...
- African Initiated ChurchAfrican Initiated ChurchAn African Initiated Church is any of a number of Christian churches independently started in Africa by Africans and not by missionaries from another continent, in which they sometimes hold to one or more African tribal belief systems syncretised with Christianity.-Nomenclature:A variety of...
es - EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- Alexander BedwardAlexander BedwardAlexander Bedward was the founder of Bedwardism. He was one of the most successful preachers of Jamaican Revivalism.-Life:...