FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

Human life is seen as a unity between physical and spiritual entities. And this is a major
aspect of the African Weltanschauung [world-view] which is deeply rooted in the total
life of the people. It is a world-view which African peoples hold, consciously and
unconsciously, individually and more so corporately or communally.
(Mbiti 1986:156)
Mbiti (1986:155-158) therefore emphasized that if the biblical message of salvation is
to 'penetrate into the depths of their being, it has to enter their total worldview, or
embrace their total world, both physical and spiritual.' Any Christian instruction, there­
fore, that does not touch on the people's worldview remains superficial.
The purpose and meaning ofchilangizo therefore falls short ofmeeting the real needs of
the Chewa people because it replaces a 'ritual' with a set of 'biblical' teaching that is
abstract and merely literary. The text does not deal with the Chewa integrated world­
view that assigns a major place to religious factors and beliefs. The ritual in traditional
culture is rich both in content and meaning. Chinamwali is a logical framework within
which the Chewa socio-religious needs are expressed. It is also a framework through
which the Chewa itinerary and identity is expressed because it provides a link with the
past, thus giving a sense of continuity and community. When all this is not adequately
responded to, it leaves a vacuum in the lives of Christian women, and this makes chi­
langizo not credible and satisfying either to Christian or to non-Christian.
Although chilangizo fulfils technically the categories of a transition rite, in reality it is
far removed from the dynamism of the traditional rite. This is also evidenced in the
methods of teaching, which are of a formal lecture type; from the environment sur­
rounding the ceremony, with only a few people involved; and from the setting of chi­
langizo. They portray a picture contrary to that of the traditional rite. Chilangizo does
not therefore help the girls to make a smooth transition physically, psychologically and
spiritually into womanhood.
Looking at the question of the Baptist women again, they asked: 'Our friends have chi­
langizo for their girls, how about us, how are we going to instruct our girls in the mat­
ters of life?' This question is both theological and missiological. It is a cultural concern
of the women who have heard and assimilated the missionary message not in Western
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