Blessed Anastacia and Afro-Brazilian Religions
The history surrounding Anastacia and the inculturated mass
Anastacia Escrava is a saint who was venerated in Brazil. She was originally a slave of African descent and the Brazilians depicted her as possessing incredible beauty. She is highly recognized and accorded devotion by the Catholic Church and people of Umbanda origin. Anastacia was a slave and she went through the same cruelty which other slaves go through in the hands of their masters. At some point people purported that she had tremendous healing powers and at times she performed miracles. Despite the cruelty which was shown by her master, Anastacia treated all people including her cruel master with a lot of love. This was only for a short period as at some point her owner demanded that she put on a muzzle-like face mask which would prevent her from speaking and smiling at people. She was ordered to put on a heavy iron collar around her neck as a way of preventing her from speaking and performing miracles.After a long time of suffering, Anastacia died due to infection of her neck with tetanus from the iron collar. During this time of suffering, she preached peace and healed so many people including her master’s son. The endurance that was depicted by Anastacia led to more people admiring her courage and nature such that most of them wanted to be associated with her and thus, the Afro-Brazilians found a patron saint in her.
Rituals surrounding Anastacia and the inculturated mass
The faithful who are Anastacia devotees experience a great deep personal experience during their veneration. Most present their prayers to her especially during moments of crisis while other devotees pray to her to intercede for them. Images such as those of prayer cards, medallions and statutes are incorporated in the devotion. These are used during all activities involving veneration and a session is only considered complete after incorporation of the items.Devotees of Anastacia Escrava are known to take one pilgrimage in their lifetimes to either of the popular shrines dedicated to St, Anastacia. Pilgrims offer gifts and offerings to their patron at the shrine by presenting the items they use during veneration to the image of Anastacia. The Afro-Brazilians also celebrate the feast day of their patron saint on 25thDecember every year. This day also corresponds to more people paying their pilgrimage to Anastacia.
Theological perspectives surrounding Anastasia and the inculturated mass
Early catholic faithful did not recognize women and especially black women as being beautiful or deserving any form of respect. The inculturated mass was thus, aimed at incorporating African themes as well as including black women in the activities of the church. The devotees of Anastacia wanted to educate Africans that black was beautiful therefore, encourage them to embrace African traditions during mass. This was aimed at reducing racism and respecting the dignity of women as human beings. Racism was seen as inhuman and ungodly such that those who embraced the new religion were considered human.
2. Other constituents views regarding this religious practices
Quite a large number of Escrava Anastacia’s cult members regard her as a symbol of peace and solitude such that most of them present their problems to her and she provides solutions for all. The religious practices associated with the followers of Anastasia are meant to creating awareness to black men who are known to abandon all responsibility of the family to women. These practices encourage men to take the first step towards the well being of their families while women are supposed to act as companions or supporters. The Pentecostal churches saw Anastasia’s willingness to love unconditionally as a character of the Spirit who is colorblind and loves both black and white unconditionally despite being treated cruelly.The religious practices of Anastasia’s cult seeks to refute the theory that women and especially black women have no other meaningful task in the world other than selflessly giving themselves up to men. Emergence of Anastasia Escrava was symbolic to involving women in church activities as well as in engaging them in active spread of the gospel and God’s goodwill.However, as most of the aspects of services conducted in the cults sermons incorporate a lot of African activities this is seen as a way of conflating spirituality with physical appearance. This contradicts to previous goals and aims of the following in fighting racism. Use of none white items and aspects of worship creates a bigger rift between the two races. Despite these shortcomings the devotees of Anastasia are aimed at providing equal love to all regardless of race and sexuality of human beings.
3. Crossings of racial and gender identity
Black women in Afro-Brazil were seen as providers who had to render themselves to men at all times to the extent of forgetting themselves. During the earlier days before establishment of the Anastasia cult, men took little responsibility and charge of their families such that women were left with the sole responsibility of fending for their families. However, with the introduction of the values of Anastasia clear definitions of the role of women and men in the society was introduced. Men were given a responsibility of taking charge of their families as well as taking charge of the new movement. This new move meant that women were given an inferior responsibility at the background such that they were treated as observers. This was seen as a way of silencing a black woman so that she could say or do little to improve the life conditions of herself and her family. The Anastasia religion equated this to the ideology of black women giving herself selflessly to meet the expectations of her master even though she is faced with a lot of criticism.
Similarly, the Protestants saw the move of restricting women to minor role sin society as a way of covering up the real racial problems that were affecting Brazilians. Covering up the racial problems affecting the society did not help much as the devotees were preaching about equality for all yet they denied their wives and daughters a chance to explore their dreams.This way the colorblindness of the Spirit was overshadowed as white women were being allowed to make decisions which had direct influence on their personal lives. This includes the failure to include non-white women in leadership positions in church especially among the catholic faithful. Most Christians have branded this form of rejection as racial discrimination along the lines of gender in the church setting.Pentecostal churches involve women in active participation of the normal services but it lacks the incorporation of certain aspects of African culture in their services as compared to those used by the incultrated mass. This has denied black women a chance to explore their freedom of self-expression as well as inhibiting their individualism. This is a form of modern day discrimination based on gender and racial lines because their white counterparts are not resticted from religious practices of the society.
4. The role of Africanity and ideas of blackness toward ones rejection
Africans are believed to be weaker and less superior to whites such that they are known to be incapable of so many things especially those involving leadership. This notion becomes worse when the individual in question is a woman such that balk women are seen as helpless and incapable to handle positions such as leadership in the family set-up or heading a society such as the society of Anastasia.In as much as the cult of Anastasia preaches equal treatment for all human beings regardless of race and gender, the fact that it was established by a black woman created a lot of conflict especially in terms of leadership. Subsequent women leaders were not considered as the Catholic Church denied them the opportunity by confining them to passive participation in leadership.The fact that only Africans were sold into slavery and it is only this race which has been striving to imitate whites for them to be categorized as beautiful and as equal human beings shows that most of the rejection dependent on racial background is self-inflicted. The perception that they are inferior can be deluded by the modification of this notion.
Liberation Theology
- Biblical narratives in underwriting liberation theology
The liberation theology was formed as an answer to the poverty which was evident in Latin America as a result of social injustices inflicted by people. The movement seeks to fight poverty by addressing its source which is generally as a result of wrong doping by people who live in that society. A closes relationship was identified between political activism, poverty and social injustice.The fight for social justice by the liberation theologians is based on biblical scriptures which describe the work of Jesus Christ here on earth. Among the many aims of His mission was establishment of social unrest. One of the scripture narratives which supports this goal is Isaiah 61: 1 which quotes Jesus Christ saying that the Spirit of the Lord God is upon Him since God anointed Him to preach good news to the poor to bring togetherness for those whom harbor hatred towards each other and at the same time to free those who have been jailed or in captivity.
The real world which people live in is full of hatred and poor people as well as prisoners. All these are social injustices which prevent the growth of any society such that poverty becomes part and parcel of such a society.Mathew 10: 34 further indicate the exact mission of Jesus Christ on earth that He never came to bring peace to the world but rather a sword. Swords are usually associated with wars and unrest but after the unrest, peace is obtained. Swords are used to reduce or eliminate social injustices by punishing the oppressors and wrong doers. The liberation theology was bound to use the same sword to obtain peace and equality for all as a step towards alleviating poverty. Social injustices were also reduced by using a sword to destroy individuals who caused unrest in the society thus, leading to insecurity which reduces the productivity of the citizens.Luke 22: 35-38, depicts the disciples of Jesus Christ being sent by their master with nothing but two swords. The disciples who lacked swords were asked to sell their clothes or any other possession so as to purchase a sword. In this case a sword is symbolic of a vital tool or item to be use in accomplishing a specific task.
A person without a sword is seen as been unprepared to carry out the mission ahead of the group. The theology of liberation was dedicated to the elimination of poverty in Latin America and the only way they could achieve this was by gathering the relevant tools and utilization of better strategies.Mathew 26: 51- 26: 52 indicates the judgment of those who use a sword to harm others. Jesus Christ asks His disciple to put his sword back to where it belongs as there are specific times when a sword should not be used. He further on tells His disciples that those who use the sword to harm others shall also suffer form the same sword. This indicates that people who sin by using their power to harm others shall be rendered useless as well as being maimed by the same criterion. Liberation theologians used this aspect of equal treatment for all and revenge for those who are not in apposition to fend for themselves to obtain social justice.
2. Nature of preferential option for the poor
The preferential treatment of the poor has been a major pillar of the theology liberation due to its strong back-up in the Holy Scriptures. The theology liberation followers have been tying to reduce poverty thus, create equal possession rights for those who have nothing and those with a lot of property.In the scriptures, Jesus Christ called to the Christians to “give Caesar what belongs to Caesar” as a way of ensuring that people are given equal tights of possessing wealth. This calls for provision of laws and regulations which give clear guidelines on how different categories of people should be taxed. Some societies usually present equal taxation rates for all workers and citizens regardless of their income earning capacity. This leads to oppression to those who earn low wages yet they are expected to remit the same amount of tax. This not only increases poverty levels of people but it also reduces their productivity as a larger percentage of their earning may not be benefiting them directly.
Based on this facet of giving a person what they deserve, the liberation theology encouraged employers to pay their workers substantial wages and salaries which corresponded to their out put in the workplace.The Bible refers to the poor as being pure at heart thus chaste and the clergy have bee known to preach poverty as a way of attaining spiritual chastity. Money and wealth is referred to as the source of all evils such that those with a lot are seen as more evil and those with none as being pure. The aspect of unwise utilization of wealth is attributed to bringing about oppression of the poor as well as greed and other immoral actions. Therefore, by advocating for poverty, individuals are saved from this aspect of evil as well as indulgence in the ways of evil men. Poverty reduces the chances of men engaging in evil lifestyles and they concentrate on ways of improving their financial situation as well as seeking God at all times. The wealthy are rarely faced with situations which call for spiritual intervention and even if faced by the same they rarely seek divine intervention.
3. Historical development, ideological shifts and cultural currents in the rise of theology liberation
Over the years, more and more people have embraced the teachings of liberation theology especially in showing their love for their neighbors who live in inhuman conditions. More people are now concerned with comforting their people who live in unhygienic conditions which pose serious health problems. Gone are the days when individuals were left alone to fend for their own needs. The clergy are also more cautious these days on the many temptations which present themselves in many different ways in the fight against poverty. Cases of pastors who have diverted their compassionate work into actions that do not correspond to the teachings and principles of theology liberation are many. People have shifted their cultural barriers to embrace their brothers and sisters from diverse cultures and societies to ensure that social justice is maintained.Ideological perspectives such as separation of the spiritual from physical needs of individuals has changed and today pastors as well as other clergy ensure that the physical needs of the needy are met first before engaging the spiritual part. This way the famous words that man cannot live by bread alone which signifies physical needs but rather upon incorporation of the physical and spiritual needs at relevant timing.
4. Liberation theology and anti-Christendom theology
Liberation theology is based on Biblical scriptures and origins while the anti-Christendom theology tends to distance itself from the Bible. According to the elements of anti-Christendom the bible has a superior position as compared to theology which is termed as a method aimed at understanding the bible. However, the liberation theology lays more emphasis on bible-based aspects and tradition this is referred to as theological abuse by anti-Christendom followers. Lack of understanding of the boundaries and aspects of theology and the Bible as different entities which are related is paramount in anti-Christendom while liberation theology has drawn clear lines on the two aspects of Christianity to reduce confusion.
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