Paper short abstract:

In this paper I will show how the complex local spiritual universe is reshaped among some Zion churches in Maputo and Matola, Southern Mozambique. Despite the missionary influence, Zion churches relate to the local perception of evil, especially connected to the logic of kinship allegiances.

Paper long abstract:

The Zion churches, classified as AIC, are part of a transnational phenomenon that spread in South Africa at the beginning of 20th century by the action of North-American missionaries.

In Mozambique, the "Work of Zion" was introduced by the local workers returned from the South African mines during the colonial period, but its diffusion in the country became considerable after the economic liberalization of the 80's and, especially, after the end of the civil war in 1992. Nowadays, the Zion churches, whose principal characteristic is the spiritual healing through the prophets' work, represent one of the most popular religious movements in southern Mozambique.

In this paper I will show how the complex local spiritual world is reshaped among some Zion churches in Maputo and Matola, Southern Mozambique.

In Southern Africa the missionary work introduced a dichotomist vision about spiritual forces, in which all the "heathen" spirits, especially those that cause possession, were considered evil and classified as "demons". Despite the missionary influence, especially in the lexicon, the Zion churches which I worked with in Maputo and Matola reformulate every day, through the performance of their healing practices, the local perception of evil, which is much more fluid and connected to the logic of kinship allegiances. In this way, among the Zion churches the meaning of "mademonio" and "angels" is quite different than the one introduced by the missionaries and this linguistic ambiguity represented a major challenge for my work.

Paper Download (353 KB)