Juxtaposing Traditional African Death and Burial Rites with Christian Practices, among the Maragoli of Western Kenya

Oscar C. Kagali, Susan M. Kilonzo and Daniel Kasomo
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Oscar C. Kagali: Department of Religion Theology and Philosophy, Maseno University, Kenya.
Susan M. Kilonzo: Department of Religion Theology and Philosophy, Maseno University, Kenya.
Daniel Kasomo: Department of Religion Theology and Philosophy, Maseno University, Kenya.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 2, 2847-2861

Abstract: This article evaluates the juxtaposition of traditional African religion in the death and burial rituals of the Maragoli community, with those of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) church that many of the community members ascribe to. This is with an aim of showing the interconnectedness between the traditional death rituals of the Maragoli people and the teachings and practices of the PAG church with regard to death while juxtaposing the two cultures, the article will examine the rituals that accompany various stages of death. It will show existence of the many traditional death rituals of the Maragoli, embedded in African traditional religion that have remained persistent and still find expression in the practices of the PAG converts. These practices are an expression of their innermost beliefs about death, the condition of the soul of the dead, the world of the spirits and the life hereafter. The PAG church has allowed its adherents to continue with these practices because they are significant to them and they don’t appear to be interfering with the programs of the church. This article is part of a larger study that was conducted between 2019 and 2020 in Sabatia and Vihiga sub counties of Vihiga County, Kenya.

Date: 2025
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