The Trinity in Xhosa Thought

The Continuities and Discontinuities between the Christian understanding of the Triune God and the Traditional Xhosa Understanding of God

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. The Catholic Dogma of the Trinity

3. The Traditional Xhosa Understanding of God

3.1 The Supreme Being – Qamata

3.2 The Ancestors

3.3 Spirits

4. Continuities and Discontinuities between the Trinity and the Xhosa understanding of God

5. Conclusion

6. Bibliography

1 Introduction

In his book Concepts of God in Africa, John Mbiti makes this statement "In traditional [African] life there are no atheists" (Mbiti 1970: 29). While the validity of this statement has been debated, few doubt the fact that religion plays a major role in the lives of most traditional African peoples. This would be the case for the traditional Xhosa of South Africa, with it being said that:

‘Religion so pervades the life of the people that it regulates their doings and governs their leisure to an extent that it is hard for Europeans to imagine' (Willoughby 1928: 1)

The introduction of European settlers, and the subsequent cultural and religious interactions between the Xhosa and these new peoples, have resulted in a socio-religious milieu that is dynamic and changing, yet not without many drawbacks and pains. Rapid urbanisation over the last fifteen years has intensified this process. What has resulted is what Pauw calls a people with an ‘intermediate position', whereby some Xhosa, especially in rural areas, hold firmly to traditional culture and religion, others, mainly in urban areas, have adopted Western religion and culture fully, while many others hold some cultural-religious position in-between (Pauw 1975: 330). This latter category seems to be where most Xhosa fall into, holding to a pragmatic dualism of faith that sees Christian and traditional ideas held side by side (ibid: 57). This dualism surfaces, for instance, in the mourning/mortuary rituals, birth/baptism rituals and marriage rituals that have separate ceremonies devoted to God and the ancestors, respectively (ibid: 98-100).

Perhaps this dualism is nowhere more evident than when it comes to the Christian belief in the Triune God. Among modern Xhosa Christians, the concept of the Trinity is not prominent. Most identify God the Father with Qamata (traditional Xhosa Supreme Being), and so tend to hold to a strong unitarian-flavoured faith. However, when asked about their faith most would not disagree with the Christian doctrine