FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

1.4 OBJECTIVES
The importance ofthe study is that while I personally, and others will be well equipped
to respond confidently to chinamwali, the Baptist Convention of Malawi churches will
be able to provide an adequate response that helps Chewa Christians respond to the is­
sues of rites of passage in general, and puberty rites in particular. This study also con­
tributes to theological study in Africa and the world in that it aims to provide a resource
not only for academic research, but for practical pastoral responses to many of the
challenges still affecting African societies, such as rites of passage which 'are so im­
portant for almost all African ethnic groups' (Fiedler 1996: 176).
Every church is called to be a missionary church. To make a critical analysis of its cul­
tures in the light of the gospel is part of the Church's mission. As these rites and re­
sponses concern women, this dissertation aims to assist in emancipating women from
the Western 'missionary' mind-set and empowering them to become Christians who can
express their faith within their cultural context as Jesus becomes Lord of the Chewa
culture.
This study will therefore benefit not only the situation in the Baptist denomination, but
the wider church and society in Malawi and also the body of Christ in other parts ofAf­
rica and the world.
1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Chilangizo is a Christian response to chinamwali. In order to effectively evaluate the
present state of chilangizo in the Baptist churches in Malawi, I examined four areas ­
the chinamwali phenomenon in its cultural context, chilangizo within the church setting,
the church liturgy on chilangizo and the use of Chewa Scriptures to re-interpret chi­
namwali and its meanings. Although there are some written sources on the subject, the
primary focus has been on learning from oral sources mainly through participant obser-
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