Bachwezi Bashomi in western Uganda: origins, beliefs and practices

Abstract

The study explored the origins, beliefs and practices of the Bachwezi Bashomi religious movement in Western Uganda. It also examined the theological contributions of Bachwezi Bashomi in the study of religions in Africa. The phenomenon of Bachwezi Bashomi has since the introduction of foreign religions in Africa presented a theological challenge as the study of African traditional religions came into perspective. This theological challenge is exhibited in the double lives of Bachwezi Bashomi practitioners - they fully embrace and practice Christianity while having very strong belief in their ancestral spirits of the Bachwezi (mystical people who are believed to have lived in the interlacustrine region, and eventually morphed into ancestral spirits) as angels or messengers sent by the supreme God. In this sense, Bachwezi Bashomi are truly Christian and truly African traditionalists. Its adjectival name as Bachwezi Bashomi (literally means Bachwezi who are Christians, who read or enlightened) is a theological problem. Does Bachwezi Bashomi represent theological transactions between African ancestral religious ideas with the foreign religions, especially missionary Christianity, which was associated with the art of literacy? To understand this problem, the study examined their origins, beliefs and practices by targeting both practitioners. This study was based on the following objectives: To explain the meaning of Bachwezi Bashomi; To trace the origins of Bachwezi Bashomi; To explain the beliefs and practices of Bachwezi Bashomi; To examine the theological contributions of Bachwezi Bashomi. The study is qualitative in outlook employing descriptive and analytical approaches. The methods used for data collection are semi structured interviews and observation photography and document analysis. The study established the following key findings: The name as Bachwezi Bashomi denotes the idea of an African religious system which has been Christianized; Bachwezi Bashomi is a blend of African traditional spirituality with other foreign religious ideas especially Christianity; The African spiritual realities like ancestors are central and given prominence as angels or messengers of God; Bachwezi Bashomi stands for the ongoing quest for Africans to express their spirituality and culture in the face of the changing world, by blending modernity with their cultures. Through the encounter with the participants, the researcher recommends that: Bachwezi Bashomi deserve respect, mutual understanding for harmonious co-existence; other religions like Christianity should recognize Bachwezi Bashomi in its right without bias or prejudice; The Bachwezi Bashomi continued growth needs more scholarly work for it holds the Africanism that we cannot deny.