A Luo Christian perspective on the role of the Holy Spirit in sanctification according to John Calvin

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research project interprets Calvin's views on the work of the Spirit in sanctification. Itthen evaluates Calvin's views from a Luo perspective. The study of Calvin focuses on the1559 edition of the Institutes, while the evaluative study of his views is taken from theperspective of the Luo of the Africa Inland Church (A.I.C.) of Kenya. The Africa InlandChurch was founded under the influence of Calvin's legacy, particularly concerning mattersregarding Christian sanctification. Therefore an evaluative study of Calvin's views from aLuo perspective is relevant.The study of Calvin focuses on Calvin's views on 'the Christian life and specifically 'theChristian life as a life of Grace and Gratitude. It is from these views that the evaluativestudy of his views is undertaken from a Luo perspective. The chapters in the study aredeveloped in the following manner:Chapter One forms the introduction to the study itself. It defines the 'problem statement ofthe research project and demonstrates what is being investigated in the study. It outlines the'purpose statement of the research project and makes clear the contribution being made. The'purpose statement outlines the perspectives of Calvin's views that are explored in the study.The statement further points to the fact that a thorough study of the Luo also develops in theprocess of the research project. This chapter of the study further states the limits of the studyof Calvin and that of the evaluation of his views. It states that the study only focuses on theperspectives of Calvin's views already outlined and the evaluative study of his views from theperspective of the Luo members of the Africa Inland Church of Kenya.Chapter Two centres on a study of how Calvin's influence found its way into the Christianpractices and beliefs of the Luo. The chapter outlines a number of works published on thestudy of Calvin through which Calvin's influence is seen; a brief outline of Calvin's lifedemonstrating the nature of influences upon his own life through which he acquired skills thatsubsequently became useful to him in his contribution towards the development of thedoctrine of the Holy Spirit; the cultural background of the Luo people; as well as the natureand characteristics of the Christian beliefs and practices which form the background of theLuo members of the Africa Inland Church. Such Christian beliefs form the basis on whichCalvin's influence on the Church and the Luo people is evaluated. Furthermore, this chapterof the study forms the basis upon which the succeeding chapters in the study are developed. Itis necessary to understand the manner in which Calvin's influence found its way into theChristian beliefs and practices of the Luo before interpreting Calvin's views and evaluatingsuch views from a Luo perspective.Chapter Three focuses on the study of Calvin's views. It explores Calvin's understanding ofthe work of the Spirit in the sanctification of 'the Christian life and specifically of 'theChristian life as a life of Grace and Gratitude. Concerning 'the Christian life, the studydemonstrates that Calvin understood the Spirit as the power that effects sanctification in theChristian life, firstly, by bringing forth faith in an individual, and secondly, by workingthrough the aspects of faith, namely repentance, Christian life (a life of righteousness) andprayer.The aspect of justification, however, which Calvin also discusses under 'the Christian life,though an activity through which renewal into the Image of God takes place by the work ofthe Spirit, is not a process through which sanctification takes place. The Spirit is onlyinvolved in the work of justification in the sense that justification is imputed by God whoexists in Three Persons (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) and the Spirittherefore forms part of the Being and function of the Godhead. Furthermore, concerning Calvin's understanding of 'the Christian life as a life of Grace andGratitude, the study demonstrates that Calvin understood the Spirit to sanctify believersthrough the elements of the Word, Baptism, the Lord's Supper and the Church. Calvinunderstood the elements as means through which the grace of God is attained and gratitude isdemonstrated to God for His work in creation and salvation. Firstly, God's gracious 'actsare extended to the people through the elements and, secondly, individuals, as they observethe elements, honour God, hence expressing gratitude to him, since the elements have beeninstituted by him for this purpose.Chapter Four deals with the evaluation of Calvin's views from the perspective of the Luo ofthe Africa Inland Church. It reconsiders Calvin's views discussed in chapter three andcompares those views to those of the Luo. Consequently, a Luo response to Calvin's viewsdevelops. The chapter demonstrates that the Luo of the Africa Inland Church interpret thework of the Spirit in 'the Christian life and 'the Christian life as a life of Grace andGratitude in a manner more or less similar to that of Calvin. Furthermore, the chapterdemonstrates vividly that, in spite of coming from a cultural background where belief in theancestral spirits is firmly rooted, the Luo make a distinction between the 'Holy Spirit and the'ancestral spirits; hence they submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in their Christian beliefsand practices in spite of the fact that the concept 'Holy Spirit is translated in the Luo Bible,the Muma Maler, as 'Roho Maler which, in plain 'Dholuo (Luo language), just means'Clean Spirit. The term 'Clean Spirit does not bear any reference to God the Father andGod the Son, compared to Calvin's interpretation of the identity of the term 'Holy Spirit.Chapter Five provides the Conclusion. It is in this chapter that the views of Calvin and theLuo of the Africa Inland Church are reassessed. The chapter outlines the fact that Calvin'sviews have indeed had a remarkable influence on the Luo of the Africa Inland Church asevidenced in the manner in which they respond to Calvin's views. The Luo understand thework of the Spirit in the sanctification of 'the Christian life and 'the Christian life as a life ofGrace and Gratitude in more or less the same way as Calvin did. This implies the enormousinfluence of Calvin's views on the people. Furthermore, the chapter also points out that,though the Luo Christians understand who 'Roho Maler (Clean Spirit) is and understand hisrelated work in the sanctification of a believer, when the term 'Clean Spirit is used in acontext where the audience consists of non-believers, the non-believers in particular are notable to make a clear distinction between what the 'Holy Spirit and 'ancestral spirits are,since people from a Luo cultural background believe that not all spirits are bad. Some wouldbe seen as good depending on how they relate to the living – whether they return to haunt theliving or not. The 'good spirits may therefore be understood as 'Clean Spirits byunbelievers. The chapter therefore concludes by offering two necessary principles forinterpreting the Holy Spirit in a Luo Christian cultural dimension. Those principles are,firstly, that of focusing on the study of the Scripture and secondly, understanding thedimension of 'Community in a cultural background where Luo traditional cultural values arethe dominant values.Finally, the chapter points out that, though Calvin's views are useful when interpreting Luoviews, the Luo need to focus, more than anything else, on the study of Scripture, in this case,the Muma Maler – as Calvin also based his interpretation on Scripture.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University