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[PANEL] 1305 ETHIOPIAN CHRISTIANITY: GLOBAL INTERCONNECTIONS AND LOCAL IDENTITIES - 19TH–21ST CENTURIES
Organizers:
Martin TAMCKE, Professor, Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen, Germany
Stanislau PAULAU, Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen, Germany
Paper presenters:
Andrei MACAR; Jürgen KLEIN; Izabela ORLOWSKA; Stéphane ANCEL; Verena BÖLL; Ilija JOVIC;
Eunhye CHANG; ZETSEAT Fekadu Mulugeta; TEKESTE Kashu Negash; Christine CHAILLOT
This panel is conceived as a continuation of panel no. 1302 ETHIOPIAN CHRISTIANITY: GLOBAL INTERCONNECTIONS AND LOCAL IDENTITIES - FROM LATE ANTIQUITY TO EARLY MODERN TIMES.
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ADDIS ABABA: PLACE OF THE ECUMENICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN EASTERN ORTHODOX AND ORIENTAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES AND THE RECEPTION OF THE THEOLOGICAL AGREEMENTS FROM THERE IN THE EASTERN ORTHODOX THEOLOGY [Abstract ID: 1305-01]
The second half of the 20th century represented for Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches a period of a mutual rapprochement, determined by an increased interest for reconsidering the reasons which lead to nearly a millennium and a half of alienation and suspicion. Before passing to an official ecumenical dialogue, theologians of this Churches gathered together in unofficial consultations, where they tried to bring a fresh view on the matters concerning the Council of Chalcedon (451). After three meetings, in Aarhus (1964), Bristol (1967) and Geneva (1970), the discussions continued in the Ethiopian capital city Addis Ababa between 22nd and 26th January 1971. The delegates of the two Churches approached here particularly the topic of lifting excommunication and mutual recognition of the Saints, but the theological debates in Addis Ababa didn’t stop after this fourth unofficial consultation. Two subsequent meetings concerning the Eastern Orthodox – Oriental Orthodox dialogue took place there, which were studied to a lesser degree up to now. These are the meetings of the Inter-Orthodox Commission for the Dialogue with Old Oriental Churches, held from the 18th to 28th August 1971, and of the Orthodox Subcommittee for Dialogue with the Old Orientals, held from the 8th to 13th January 1975. Hence, the purpose of our study is to bring into discussion this three theological consultations from Addis Ababa, pointing out their contribution to the ecumenical dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches with a particular attention for the role of the Ethiopian theologians during the discussions. In the second part of the study we shall present the reception of this theological reflections from Addis Ababa in the Eastern Orthodox theology.
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BEYOND YÄKATIT 12: ETHIOPIAN CHRISTIANS AND GERMAN MISSIONARIES TOGETHER IN RESISTANCE [Abstract ID: 1305-06]
In 1937, activities of the resistance movement in Addis Ababa led to a tragic and horrific climax, the massacres on Yäkatit 12 (19 February 1937) and afterwards. The German Hermannsburg Mission (GHM), which started mission work in Ethiopia at the end of 1927, like other mission organisations got directly and indirectly involved in the resistance against the Italian fascist rule. According to Ian Campbell in his book “The Plot to Kill Graziani” (2010), preparations for the assassination attempt were partly planned on the compound of the GHM. One important co-worker of the GHM, the teacher and evangelist Sǝb’hatu Tǝrunäh, arranged some of these meetings. Missionary Rev. Hinrich Rathje has been accused of having known about the plans. Both were taken to prison separately. Rev. Hermann Bahlburg, Head of the GHM in Ethiopia, had to navigate through different interest groups during difficult times. The presentation sheds some fresh light on what happened during those days around Yäkatit 12. Based on the analysis of documents found at the Political Archive of the German Foreign Ministry, the Archive of the Ev.-Lutheran Mission in Hermannsburg, private archives and other documents, it asks for a reconstruction of history. The main aim, however, is to highlight how both Ethiopian Christians (Orthodox and Protestant) and German and other missionaries were involved in passive and active resistance. The interconnectedness has global dimensions and lasts until now, as relatives of Sǝb’hatu Tǝrunäh and Hermann Bahlburg, being one example, share memories and relations across the two countries, and beyond Yäkatit 12.
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CHURCH MURALS OF ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AS EXPRESSIONS OF CONSENSUS FOR CHANGE [Abstract ID: 1305-04]
This paper will look at secular themes in church murals of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church dating to late 19th and early 20th centuries and argue that they reflect changes often resulting from Ethiopia’s interactions with the outside world. These images offer insights into shifting identities often shaped by external events. The very idea of a reunited Ethiopia as a realm of the king of kings is visible in battle scenes of wars with Egyptians (mid 1870s) and later with the Dervishes from the Sudan in late 1880s. Highland Ethiopians are depicted as defenders of their Christians faith united against an external enemy. The idea of Ethiopia as an entity, as opposed to armies of regional rulers, is further cemented in scenes depicting the victory of Adwa (1896) against invading Italian forces. The latter also introduces a racial and a colonial dimension. Two churches in Addis Ababa introduced on their walls the Ethiopian flag and the coat of arms. These new symbols of nationhood properly came to light during the reign of Menelik II (1889-16) and are of foreign origin. Church murals also depicted new controversial narratives of power providing legitimacy for unusual power arguments (Iyasu, Zewditu-Teferi). Menelik’s designated heir Lij Iyasu was visually sanctioned by the Church to counterbalance his Muslim background. After his removal from power, partly due to external pressure, the choice of Menelik’s daughter, the female ruler (titled the queen of kings) was sanctioned in murals and during her coronation ceremony by referring to a foreign female monarch. The above mentioned examples and many more suggest a clear imprint on the sense of identity and belonging resulting from external interactions. They also illustrate the adaptation of foreign models. The Church with its rituals and distinct national character served as a space where to introduce changes to the social order of the highland society and to sanctify them by divine powers. This paper will attempt to illustrate how seemingly timeless Ethiopian Orthodoxy has in fact played a major role in sanctifying change resulting from various forms of global interaction.
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ETHIOPIAN CHRISTIANS IN JERUSALEM – AN OPEN WINDOW TO INTERACTIONS WITH “OTHERS” (1840-1930) [Abstract ID: 1305-07]
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Ethiopian Orthodox community was in a pitiful condition. At that time, one would be legitimately worried about the future of the small Ethiopian orthodox community. But during the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the Ethiopian community of Jerusalem knew a great revival. Ethiopian Kings and aristocracy showed a new interest in Jerusalem and invested a lot on the development of the community. This period included many discussions, negotiations, alliances and clashes with other religious communities (Coptic, Greek, Armenian, Protestants, etc.) but also with Ottoman authorities and Westerners consulates. Definitively, Ethiopians interacted a lot with the different (religious but also political and economic) actors of the Holy City life. At first, it seems legitimate to interrogate the implication of the religious and political situation in Ethiopia on the establishment and the development of these interactions in the holy city. But secondly, one must wonder whether these interactions have influenced changes in religious situations in Ethiopia during the same period. Through the analysis of documents from Ethiopian, Ottoman and European consular archives, this paper aims at defining the characteristics, circumstances and issues of the religious interactions of Ethiopian Orthodoxs with others communities in Jerusalem between 1840 and 1930. But also, it will present an investigation about the influence of these interactions on the religious situation in Ethiopia, especially on the definition of the Ethiopian Orthodox identity and its relationship with other religious identities in Ethiopia.
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FUNERALS OF ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS IN GERMANY. [Abstract ID: 1305-05]
Ethiopian Orthodox believers have been living in Germany since a long time and are buried in German cemeteries. The paper will describe some Ethiopian burials in catholic and protestant cemeteries in Germany in former times. Have they been buried with the same liturgical ceremony as in Ethiopia? Was the whole ceremony fulfilled, was the Mäshafä genzät available? Have there been changes and modifications in the ritual performance due to the presence of the Catholic Church? Furthermore it analyses current Ethiopian funerals. Due to the presence of several Ethiopian Orthodox parishes in Germany the rites can be performed as prescribed. Nevertheless time and place have an effect on the Ethiopian ecclestical funeral ceremony and will be shown in detail. Finally, the question is: Is the cultural behaviour of the mourners like the feeding of the poor after the burial the same in Germany?
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RELATIONS BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND YUGOSLAVIA (1956-1974) [Abstract ID: 1305-02]
The relations between Ethiopia and Yugoslavia (and Yugoslavia's legal successor- Serbia), are very often described as „being warm“. However, due to the historical and geographical reasons, intensive relations between the two countries are relatively new. They are the outcome of the 20th century and its ties. In the period of 1956-1974 a vivid relationship developed between two countries. Both predominantly Orthodox countries with a significant Muslim population and a variety of Christian denominations, with different governing systems and ideologies, in the time of the cold war they managed to interconnect in a unique way. Comprehensive interconnectedness on socio-political as well on cultural and religious grounds they developed in specific historical circumstances. Situating relations of the two countries in its historical environment, the paper ought to examine peculiarities of these interconnections. Exchange that happened was reciprocal and we will seek that, through reciprocity of exchange, to underline how were Ethiopian identities perceived on the Yugoslavian side. This paper will primarily focus on raising discussion questions on the understanding of peculiarities of exchange and outcomes of the same.
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THE ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH AND ITS INTERACTION WITH WESTERN CHRISTIANITY [Abstract ID: 1305-10]
Over the centuries, being closely tied to the state, the Orthodox Church has had a dominant influence over every sphere of Ethiopian society by setting “the cultural delimiters, legislating norms, and defining national identity” (Eshete 2009, 310). The Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s interaction with western Christianity began from the sixteenth century, particularly through Jesuit missions. Without knowing the history and the spiritual heritage of Ethiopia, Portuguese missionaries sought to impose Catholicism, authorized by a decree officially passed by Ethiopian Emperor Susenyos in 1622. This provoked fierce opposition from Ethiopian monks, ultimately leading to a widespread civil war. This resulted in the emperor’s abdication and the Jesuits’ expulsion from Ethiopia (Tibebe Eshete 2009, 25). Due to the conflict that resulted from the Orthodox encounter with the Catholic missions in the 16th Century, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has been reluctant to interact with the western forms of Christianity. It is assumed that the major issues of the conflict are related to keeping Ethiopian Orthodox identity from the western Christianity. Catholic and Protestant Christians were perceived as “foreign, unfamiliar, and heretical” religion (Tibebe Eshete 2009, 309). Nowadays, it is reported that some interactions between western Christianity and the global Orthodox churches including the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This panel will provide 1) the reason why the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was reluctant to interact with western forms of Christianity; 2) what kind of interaction the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is making with western Christianity nowadays. In order to find these answers, it will raise the subsequent research questions under #1 as follows: 1-1) What are the major issues of the conflict between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and western Christianity that was brought into the country by Catholic missions and Protestant missions. 1-2) What is the perception of Orthodox Christians toward Protestant Christianity and Protestant Christians? Regarding the research methodology, it will review the major issues of the conflict and the current interaction between the Orthodox and western Christianity based on the literature related to history, theology, missiology, and anthropology. The research will employ the qualitative research based on interviews to find out how Ethiopian Orthodox Christians perceive western Christianity, especially, Protestant Christianity.
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THE ROLE OF REASON IN RELIGIONS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON INTER AND INTRA-FAITH DIALOGUE: A CLOSE ANALYSIS OF ETHIOPIAN ORTHODOX TRADITIONAL PEDAGOGY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON INTERFAITH DIALOGUE [Abstract ID: 1305-03]
The research examines how Ethiopian Orthodox pedagogy settles the tension between faith and reason which further influences inter and intra-faith dialogue. It will closely examine what contributed to the development of thinkers who were involved in the 19th century debate over the person of Christ, and who also interacted with Catholic and Muslim believers. The first section of the paper will briefly discuss the interrelation between reason and inter and intra-faith dialogue. After this, it discusses the role of reason in the traditional pedagogy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church by closely analyzing major incidents of the 19th century, i.e. the debate over the person of Christ and Orthodox believers’ relations with Catholic and Muslim believers. The third section analyses how traditional pedagogy influenced students’ inter and intra-faith dialogue. Finally, based on the analysis, the paper attempts to give recommendations for today’s religious pedagogy for better inter and intra-faith dialogue.
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THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE STATE IN THE PRODUCTION OF ELITES IN ETHIOPIA, PART 2, 1991-2015 [Abstract ID: 1305-09]
The main objective of this paper is to analyse the Ethiopian education system that was put in place since 1941 within the context of an ideological struggle between the educational values espoused by the Orthodox Church and that of the state. The paper argues that the Ethiopian state pursued an education policy that undermined the privileged status of the imperial system and that of the Orthodox Church. The educational policies of the state also marginalized the educational functions of the Muslim institutions. This study does not, however, deal with the Muslim dimension due to the scarcity of easily accessible sources. Furthermore, the Education policy of the Imperial regime undermined the capacity of the Ethiopian society to act and interact both internally and externally in dynamic and reflexive manners. The Ethiopian state produced an elite group that was poorly linked to the values developed and espoused by the religious and non-religious institutions of the country. The education policy pursued and implemented by the Imperial system was suicidal for the system itself. The education sector of the Imperial system and the contradictions created by the education system were to a large extent responsible for the overthrow of the Imperial system in 1974. The second part of the paper examines the ideological struggle between the state and the Church from 1991 to 2015 with a special focus on the re-emergence of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, through the activities of the Mahibere Qiddusan, as an important actor in the production and formation of elites in the country. This preliminary study is based on two kinds of sources. Government policies on education and the various textbooks on humanities and social sciences are used to explain the production of elite by the state. Likewise, the voluminous studies and texts by the Mahibere Qidusan on training and education of its members is used as a basis for the examination of elite that is the process of formation. Although based on empirical sources, this paper aspires to discuss the issues of education and elite formation on a conceptual level.
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THE TEACHING OF WADLA QENE IN ETHIOPIA NOWADAYS [Abstract ID: 1305-08]
Qene is the composition in Ge’ez of poems, in the tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOTC). Writing in Ge’ez has virtually ceased, but the oral composition and use of qene in Ge’ez continues to this day. In every major church, one of the clergy composes a qene which will be sung for the festival or occasion during the service. The main historic centres/schools to study qene were Wadla (Wällo), Gonj (Bahar Dar, Goggam), Wasära (Damot, Goggam) and Gondar. Each of these centers/schools has a distinct tradition. The Wadla qene is the first and earliest and original qene created by Yoanes Geblawi, according to the EOTC tradition. Wadla qene is the basis for the other qenes. It is particularly difficult on account of its composition and interpretation, using many equivocal words, allusions and allegoric figures. In my paper I shall speak of the traditional training of some teachers of wadla qene and also discuss their present teaching. What is the situation of the teachers teaching wadla qene today in Ethiopia, and also that of their students ? Some examples will be given. What to do about this teaching in the future ? How to save the teaching of wadla qene, that is the wadla qene itself ? Other difficulties to be faced will also be discussed, for example about the number of teachers and students decreasing and the reasons for this. For all these questions the causes must be analysed and answers must be found, as qene being part of the traditional oral teaching of the EOTC can be seen as intangible patrimony.