FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

The above responses to the issue of 'rites of passage' show a lack of understanding on
the part ofthe missionaries ofthe religious and theological significance attached to chi­
namwali rituals. This study attempts to re-examine the rites to discover their religious
and theological significance and to use the Scriptures to re-interpret the rite.
Banda, R (2001) in her work on 'Liberation through Baptist polity and doctrine,' in­
cludes a chapter on how chinamwali is either liberative or oppressive to Baptist Women
in Southern Malawi. Although Banda uses the same Baptist booklet Buku la Alangizi in
her comparative analysis, it differs to this study for she deals with an ethnic group dif­
ferent from the Chewa in Lilongwe and she focuses on only one congregation, while
this research examines the practice in a district through observation of three rites and
interviews with people from a wide number ofchurches. Although the initiation rites for
girls in Southern Malawi includes pre-puberty girls, this research focuses on the actual
physical puberty rites. The rites all serve the same purpose - that of transition from
childhood into adulthood. It is important that detailed research on cultural issues be car­
ried out on smaller people groups. Banda's study provides the church with more ade­
quate tools as it seeks to reach every culture with the Gospel. While Banda makes some
recommendations for chinamwali that are liberative for Baptist women, this study goes
further to suggest that Scriptures become the key interpretative tool for the rites and is
thus like a 'road map' for a Christian rite that addresses the needs ofthe Chewa people.
The study also gives a sample Christian ceremony.
Increased local academic interest in initiation rites is also seen in a number of writings
such as Orison Chaponda (1999) who highlights attempts by one group of missionaries
to chritianize the Yao male and female initiation rites, (with circumcision for boys) in
the predominantly Yao district of Mangochi. Elvira Ignasio (1999) also looks at the
Christianisation of the pre-puberty rites for girls and its effect on the Yao society in
Monkey Bay. Patrick Makondesa (1999) concentrates on the initiation ceremonies for
both boys and girls among the Lomwe of some districts in the Southern Malawi. Van
Breugel's (2001) study of Chewa traditional religion and Matthew Schoffeleers's work
(1997) provide general cultural background information on the Chewa people.
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