The origins of the new churches movement in southern Ethiopia, 1927-1944
The term 'new churches' is used to distinguish these ecclesial communities from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The growth and Ethiopianization of the new churches indicates that the movement has now become an integral part of Ethiopian church history. In this dissertation the origins are looked at from three angles. Part one considers the background factors which created the milieu that encouraged the birth and growth of the new churches' movement. The expansion of the northern culture into the south and west gave millions of people access to Ethiopian citizenship. Political, economic and social change rapidly took place. But a religious vacuum was created because the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was unable to assimilate the new Ethiopians. At that point expatriate evangelists arrived; most of them were from North America. Their teaching and strategy filled the religious vacuum. They established a new ecclesial community. This community was able to create an identity of its own before it experienced any significant opposition. The three chapters in part two consider the activities of the expatriate evangelists. Without the explicit assistance of Emperor Haile Selassie their work would have been impossible. They
Fargher, Brian Leslie
Philosophy
The origins of the new churches movement in southern Ethiopia, 1927-1944. The term 'new churches' is used to distinguish these ecclesial communities from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The growth and Ethiopianization of the new churches indicates that the movement has now become an integral part of Ethiopian church history. In this dissertation the origins are looked at from three angles. Part one considers the background factors which created the milieu that encouraged the birth and growth of the new churches' movement. The expansion of the northern culture into the south and west gave millions of people access to Ethiopian citizenship. Political, economic and social change rapidly took place. But a religious vacuum was created because the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was unable to assimilate the new Ethiopians. At that point expatriate evangelists arrived; most of them were from North America. Their teaching and strategy filled the religious vacuum. They established a new ecclesial community. This community was able to create an identity of its own before it experienced any significant opposition. The three chapters in part two consider the activities of the expatriate evangelists. Without the explicit assistance of Emperor Haile Selassie their work would have been impossible. They
origin new church movement southern ethiopia term new church use distinguish ecclesial community orthodox church growth new church indicate movement become_integral part church history origin look angle part_one consider background factor create milieu encourage birth growth new church movement expansion northern culture south_west give million people access citizenship political_economic social_change rapidly take_place religious vacuum create orthodox church unable assimilate new point expatriate evangelist arrive north_america teach strategy fill religious vacuum establish_new ecclesial community community able create identity experience significant opposition three_part consider activity expatriate evangelist without explicit assistance emperor work would impossible