East African Journal of Traditions Culture and Religion
Journal Data
| Type | JOURNAL |
|---|---|
| ISSN | 2707-5362 / 2707-5370 |
| Wikidata | Q96695662 |
| OpenAlex | S4210230670 |
| MAG | 4210230670 |
| Website | https://eajtcr.eanso.org |
| Total publications | 131 |
| Coverage period | 2020 - 2026 |
| Country | KE |
| Language | EN |
| Access | Open Access |
| Cited by | 2 |
| Impact factor | 0.154 |
| h-index | 1 |
This journal focuses on traditions, culture, and religion in East Africa. This directly aligns with cultural anthropology, anthropology of religion, and area studies with substantive ethnographic content, making it a closely cognate venue
Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · African cultural and philosophical studies · African history and culture analysis · African history and culture studies · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Christian Theology and Mission · Contemporary Christian Leadership and Education
From Pulpits to Platforms
The rapid expansion of non-traditional churches across sub-Saharan Africa has generated growing scholarly interest in the factors shaping contemporary patterns of religious mobility. While previous studies have emphasised prosperity theology, governance structures, and socio-economic motivations, limited attention has been devoted to the role of digital media and religious marketing in influencing church member migration. This article examines ho…
Moral Leadership and Social Justice
The Roman Catholic Church in Kenya has been on the frontline in the fight for social justice, equity and democracy in Kenya. The Catholic Church also has consistently put the Kenyan government on its toes in fight for morality and ethics in the country. The church has continuously provided moral leadership and set standards in contested national debates such as abortion, sex education, corruption, ethnicity and poor governance. This paper examine…
The Role of Religious Leaders in Community Conflict Resolution in Tanzania
In Africa, where the majority of the population identifies with a religious faith—primarily Christianity and Islam—religious leaders often play an important role in community conflict resolution. However, context-specific practices remain insufficiently documented. This study employed an ethnographic survey to examine the practices of religious leaders in community conflict resolution in Mtwara–Mikindani Municipality in southern Tanzania. Data we…
Voices of the Sky
This study explored the rich and nuanced folklore surrounding birds in the Lango society of northern Uganda, highlighting their profound symbolic roles within myths, traditions, and indigenous knowledge systems. Grounded in Symbolic Interactionism and Ethno-ornithology, the study investigated how meanings are socially constructed around birds through everyday interactions, oral traditions, and close environmental observation. In Lango cosmology, …
Cultural Valuing and Learning of Enanga Music among the Bakiga Youth in Kabale District in South-Western Uganda
This qualitative study examined the role of cultural valuing in the learning and revitalisation of Enanga (trough zither) music among Bakiga youth in Kabale District, South-Western Uganda. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cultural valuing can revitalise the learning of Enanga music among the Bakiga. The study was guided by four specific objectives, which were intended to: (i) Examine traditional methods of indigenous music learn…
Rituals in Transition
Once central to communal healing and ancestral communion, sacrifice now stands at the crossroads of tradition and modernity in Acholi land. This article examines the influence of modernity on the sacrificial practices of the Acholi people. Phenomenological data were collected through interviews and participant observation and analysed through the cultural theoretical framework. The findings of the study revealed that Acholi sacrificial practices …
Contributions of Christian Faith-Based Organisation (CFBOs) to Poverty Reduction in Turkana West, Turkana County, Kenya
Despite the deliberate efforts of the government to mitigate poverty through the equitable share of national and equalization funds in Turkana County, extreme poverty is still evident, and Turkana West sub-county registers the highest poverty index of 82.1%, with limited access to social services, low education levels, recurrent conflicts, and high dependency. The Christian Faith-Based Organisations’ (CFBOs) holistic approach to poverty reduction…
Gender, Ideological Power and Female Agency in Biblical Narratives
This study examines the intersection of gender, ideological power, and female agency in selected Old and New Testament narratives through a feminist literary and discursive re-reading. Grounded in the recognition that biblical texts have profoundly shaped understandings of gender, authority, and social relations across historical and cultural contexts, it investigates how biblical narratives construct and negotiate gender identities, power relati…
Influence of Modern Religions on Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Environmental Preservation
This study examined the influence of modern religions, specifically Christianity and Islam, on Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) among the Luo community in Lower Nyakach, Kisumu County, Kenya. TEK, encompassing taboos, totems, rituals, and sacred practices, historically guided sustainable environmental management within the community. However, the expansion of modern religions has challenged and, in many cases, displaced these indigenous pra…
Factors Influencing Marital Dissolution among Poor Muslim Households in Lindi and Mtwara Regions
This paper examines the factors that influence marital breakdown among low-income Muslim households in the south-eastern Tanzania regions of Lindi and Mtwara. Using a documentary and comprehensive analytical approach, the paper synthesises government statistics, regional studies, media reports, and peer-reviewed literature to identify the socio-economic, cultural, interpersonal, and institutional factors that influence divorce. The main causes ar…
Gendered Pathways to Extremism
The prominence of women in terrorist activities has increased despite heightened soft and hard interventions in Kenya. The ideal normalised perception has been that women are peace champions, victims, and homemakers, which has even influenced Kenya's counter-terrorism strategies, laws, and policies. There are several published reports, surveys, and other literature on women and terrorism in Kenya, but most fail to comprehensively interrogate the …
Naming as Cultural Epistemology
This epistemological study examined Lango personal naming practices among Northern Uganda’s Lango people as rich cultural narratives that encode identity, ecology, and spirituality. Employing a qualitative design grounded in interpretivist and constructivist paradigms, we analysed 131 personal names collected from 78 purposively selected elders, clan leaders, traditional birth attendants, linguists, and cultural custodians. Data were generated th…
PCEA Church–Initiated Socio-Economic Development Projects in Laikipia West Sub-County, Kenya
The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), through its Walk alongside the Bible principle of promoting human welfare, has adopted several programmes and projects to promote the well-being of the members in the communities. This study aimed at describing the PCEA Church–initiated socio–economic development projects in Laikipia West Sub-County, Kenya. The theory of Human Development was the basis of the study. A descriptive mixed-methods resear…
Responses of Grandchildren to Grandparent-Led Religious Formation in Matutu Station, Nyamira Seventh Day Adventist Conference, Kenya
There is a growing involvement of grandparents in the religious upbringing of grandchildren in Matutu Station, Nyamira SDA Conference; however, concerns about grandchildren’s religious character raise questions about how they perceive, respond to, and internalise grandparent-led religious formation. This study investigated the responses of grandchildren to such formation, guided by Social Learning Theory, Faith Development Theory, and Attachment …
The Role of Traditional Elders in Electoral Dispute Resolutions in Somalia
The Somali civilisation is based on a kinship structure in which every clan has a traditional clan elder whose primary responsibility is to mediate disputes and promote harmony both inside and across clans, and, in this modern nation-state era, the traditional clan elder, or Nabadoon (peace-seeker)/Aakil (wise man), took the central stage in state building. On that note, this study was to assess the role of traditional elders in electoral dispute…
Strengthening the Role of Presbyterian Eldership for Urban Ministry in the Digital Age
The digital revolution has challenged the traditional forms and practices of the church, particularly in urban centres where technology has continually changed and spread rapidly. The problem that this article addresses is that Presbyterian eldership within specific urban churches has not fully integrated the digital space in terms of formulating their ministry approaches. Given that the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) serves emerging g…
Faith in the Fray
Both the Old and New Testaments articulate a comprehensive theology of poverty, grounding the obligation to alleviate it in the nature of God and the demands of covenant justice. This paper undertakes a systematic theological examination of biblical teaching on poverty, drawing on a mixed-methods study of the Victory Outreach Ministry Church (VOMC) in Bungoma County, Kenya. Four biblical models of poverty alleviation are identified: the Mosaic ec…
The Role of Religious Leaders in the Implementation of Re-entry Policy among Teen Mothers in Kilindi District Council, Tanzania
This study explored the role of religious leaders in the implementation of the Re-entry Policy among teen mothers in Kilindi District Council, Tanzania, using Social Capital Theory as a theoretical framework. The study employed a qualitative research approach, using semi-structured interviews to collect data from 20 participants, including 10 religious leaders from both Christian and Islamic backgrounds, and 10 teen mothers. Thematic content anal…
The Influence of Globalisation on African Philosophy
This paper examines the complex influence of globalisation on African philosophy, highlighting both its enabling and disruptive impacts. Globalisation, driven by advancements in communication, technology, trade, and cultural exchange, has increased Africa’s interaction with the wider global world, exposing African philosophical thought to diverse intellectual traditions. From a positive perspective, this has expanded academic opportunities, enhan…
Sexual Abstinence
This article explores the complex interplay between African cultural practices and Catholic priestly celibacy through the lens of ritual sexual abstinence. Drawing on decades of missionary experience in Congo and Uganda, the author reflects on the practice of inculturation, emphasising the importance of respecting local traditions, discerning the presence of God within them, and making the Christian message meaningful in every culture. A central …
Jesus’ Teaching on Taxation Matthew 17
This study examined Jesus’ teaching on Taxation (Matthew 17: 24-29) and its implications for economic growth in Nigeria. For centuries, nations have sought ways of increasing revenue in order to meet their obligations to the citizenry. Different methods have been explored, and one of the oldest ways of achieving this goal has been through taxation, that is, the imposition of compulsory levies on individuals or entities by the government, which is…
Infanticide and the Curse They Carry
Infanticide, the intentional killing of newborn infants, has been documented across every continent and throughout recorded history. This article examines the global history of infanticide before narrowing to a detailed case study of the Gweno and Pare peoples of northern Tanzania, where the practice persisted into the early colonial period. Drawing on recent scholarship, oral traditions, missionary records, and new primary research including int…
Practices and Perceptions of Magic and Traditional Medicine among the Rayya Community of Alamata District, Northern Ethiopia
This study investigates the practices and perceptions of magic and traditional medicine among the Rayya community of Alamata district in Northern Ethiopia. Using the perspective of lived Christianity, it explores how community members negotiate the relationship between institutional religion and indigenous magic and healing traditions. The study used a qualitative ethnographic approach, gathering data through observations, informal conversations,…
Reimagining Folktales for Cultural Sustainability
Folktales have long functioned as vital channels for transmitting moral values, cultural identity, and communal memory across generations. However, the dominance of digital and visual media has transformed traditional modes of cultural transmission, necessitating innovative approaches to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. This paper examined the adaptation of the Bakiga folktale The Rabbit and the Leopard into a comic narrative as a strat…
Deciphering Reality from Perception. Learners’ Tales on Sociocultural Setup and Gender-Based Violence in Schools in Uganda
It is time to hear straight from the horse’s mouth. The continuous publication of poor school results from rural parts of Uganda makes all the research reports and policy briefs appear ill-focused. This paper seeks to answer one broad question: What do school children know about the contribution of sociocultural factors to gender-based violence in schools? This child-focused paper draws on a study which employed qualitative approaches, methods an…
Marriage Culture Among the Abagusii in the Pre-Colonial Period
This paper discusses marriage institution among the Abagusii in the pre-colonial period under the following themes: History of migration and settlement of Abagusii, the institution of marriage among the Abagusii in the pre-colonial period, Traditional socio-religious aspects of Gusii marriage, marriage customs among married Gusii men and women in the pre-colonial period, nature of Abagusii households up to 1895, the role of initiation in marriage…
Colonial Legacies and Their Implication to Marriage Relations among the Gusii of Kenya (1895-1960)
This paper examines the legacies of colonialism using Abagusii, a community in western Kenya, as a case study. Firstly, the paper briefly summarizes the key aspects of Abagusii marriage relations in pre-colonial society. It then defines colonialism in the context of Gusii and examines the effects of invasion, the spread of western ideals, the influence of western education, and missionary interactions in the highlands. The research also looks at …
What Has Science to Do with Religion? A Looming Challenge of Traditional and Religious Practices on Curbing the Spread of Covid-19 Pandemic in Kenya
The association between religion and science is a theme of continuous debate in philosophy and theology and recently in politics and governance as experienced in Kenya. To what degree are religion and science (e.g. medicine) well-matched? Are religious beliefs sometimes helpful to science, or do they inexorably pose hindrances to scientific inquiry? Are we able to manage COVID-19 through religion, or medicine or both medicine and prayer? The inte…
Globalization and Religion
Globalization is the interconnectedness of people and ideas across the globe. It involves the scaling of borders and the creation of a global society where events in far-flung areas reverberate uninhibited across great distances and geographical locations. Its agents are the information and communication technology (ICT), and the revolution in the modern transportation system. Globalization has affected everything and everybody and changed the tr…
The Impact of Cultural Beliefs on Mental Health
Even though mental health is usually discussed from the western worldview, it has been existent in Kenya even before civilization. The main objective of this paper therefore is to assess the impact of cultural beliefs on mental health among some selected communities in Western Kenya. This paper was guided by the social psychology theory which posits that social influences, perception and interaction are vital in understanding social behavior. The…
The Burden of Childlessness to Luo Women in Kenya
In the contemporary world, the issue of childbearing is a matter of choice. A couple may decide to bear children or not. However, within the Luo community, childbearing is an obligation that must be fulfilled by every couple; when this is not met, the couple faces several challenges. This is due to the importance the Luo community have on children. Children ensure the continuity of the lineage, and they ensure the immortality of the dead parents,…
Rethinking Religion and Sustainable Development in Africa
This article suggests religion as a viable option for sustainable development in Africa. The focus will be on the three major religions in Africa, namely, African Traditional Religion (ATR), Islam and Christianity. The crux of this paper is on the areas of strength and similarities in the three religions which could foster development. Approaching this topic from within the African and African diasporic context, the nexus between the religions wi…
The Fate of Prosperity Gospel in Kenya
The prosperity gospel Pentecostalism is relatively new on the religious landscape which is swiftly expanding at breath-taking speed and now is a force to be reckoned with in Kenya. It has a greater chance of outliving the 21st century in view of the fact that it is widely and readily being accepted by all classes of people for its claim of physical and spiritual empowerment. The methodology adopted for this study was a phenomenological approach. …
Psychology of Perverse Sexual Behaviour
One of the greatest social crisis in the world today is sexuality. Kenya is one of the developing countries whose social and economic institutions have been adversely affected by sexual perversions. The media, religion, academic, police and legal reports indicate shocking revelations about the extent to which sexual perversions have engulfed Kenyans. Rape, bestiality, paedophilia, incest, sex-oriented violence and insults characterize the social …
African Art Music and the Drama of Christian Worship among Baptists in Nigeria
Church music is purpose-driven and functional art. The search for authentic African experience in Christian worship among Nigerian Baptists brought about the introduction of art music compositions into the drama of worship. The paper discusses the development and contextualisation of Baptist worship by the inclusion of new music(s) written, composed and performed by Africans for the purpose of the liturgy, serving as a voice within the culture. T…
The Prospects of Integrating Traditional Religion and Orthodox Psychiatric Healing Methods Among the Baganda of Uganda
The main objective of this study is to analyse the possibility of integrating traditional psychiatric healing methods among the Baganda into Orthodox healing practices. The debate was influenced by the resistance of some ailments to the orthodox medication and the proven efficacy of traditional healing processes in the treatment of some complications. This paper has singled out psychiatric complications. In Uganda, the ambience of psychiatric vic…
Inculturation Methodology as the Medium towards the Formulation and Establishment of an African Ecclesiology of Ubuntu
The emergence of ecclesiology scholarship in recent theological discourse has exposed the various approaches that ecclesiology has been studied as a distinctive discipline. The traditional ecclesiological approach has prioritized the scholarship of ecclesiology from the perspective of specific denominational orders. There has also been an approach of ecclesiology that revolves around the perspective of some renowned theologians on the basis of th…
Exploring Human Sexuality of the Single Adult in the Church Today
The family is an institution on which a nation is built. Where there are strong family structures, there are strong nations. This paper deals with a social sift whereby more and more adults are choosing not to marry and keep families but instead are opting to remain single. The discussion in this paper alleges that the needs of the single man or woman in the church are not taken care of. Consider for instance, that church programmes cater for the…
The Meaning of Speaking in Tongues
The meaning of speaking in tongues portrays a language that challenges the church in its interpretation in matters of spiritual gifts from God. This article focuses on the Old and New Testament perspectives on tongues; tongues reveal God’s judgment, promises, fulfilment and its negative usages such as selfishness, jealousy, and discouragement. This is mostly for those who do not speak the language. On its positive side it looks at it as an initia…
An Anthropological Discourse to Christian Views on Polygamy and Plural Relationships in Uganda
Marriage and family are prominent institutions in society because they define a person’s essence of life and identity, through providing means and conditions for survival, participation and sustenance. Marriage thus has forms that are inclusive, given the social realities in an area. However, as society changes, we realise that the institution is also changing to respond to new anthropological demands. This paper deals with the polygamous form of…
The Role of the Church in the Transformation of ‘No Sex Before Marriage’ Social Norm in Tanzania
Social norms comprise of “the rules and standards that are understood by members of a group, and that guide and/or constrain social behaviour without the force of laws. Social norms are the public rules of action and thought, acting as the backbone of societal habits, routines, and customs, and legal frames. In African settings, influence is organized mostly along with the gender, age, and religious structures. Religious people play the spiritual…
Why Acholi Traditional War Rituals Cannot Reintegrate Female Lord’s Resistance Army Combatants
The Acholi are Nilotic Negroes who are part of the Lwo speaking people who migrated from Bahr-el Ghazal in the Sudan about 1600 AD. A section of the Acholi community under the umbrella of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) waged a civil war against the sitting government of Uganda in 1986. LRA rebels abducted numerous children from Acholi-land and the neighbouring Lango community in northern Uganda regardless of their gender. The female returnees, whet…
The Unethical Nature of Abuse of Childless Women in African Traditional Thought/Practice
One of the major challenges confronting marriages and families in African from the past to the present is the issue of barrenness or childlessness. Childlessness was often blamed on the woman, even though at times it may arise from the medical conditions of a man. African traditional culture had great value for children and childless marriage was seen as cursed and the woman in particular was even labelled a “man” or a witch. The woman is often v…
Ubuntu Philosophy as a Technology for the Foundational Architecture of African Ecclesiology in Reference to Harvest Revival Ministry Churches in Kenya
The study seeks to study the Christian narrative unearthing the wealth of resources inherent in it to act as a stimulant and a motivating force for the present church towards the much-desired immortality that is the mark of the finish. It is an account that dates back to the first century during the formation of the church to the present state of the church in her pursuit of an alignment to the eschatological roadmap stipulated in scriptures. The…
Teaching Religion or About Religion
The article reviews the teaching of Religious Education in schools in Uganda. Uganda is a religiously pluralistic country with Christianity and Islam the most popular. Ugandans are theists, their worldview is religious and they are passionate about their faiths. Therefore, Religious Education is a fundamental subject since the early years of education as it marked the beginning of formal education in Uganda. However, whilst Uganda has a diversity…
Changing Motivations for Woman-to-Woman Marriages among the Nandi of Kenya
In Africa, marriage was only seen to be complete if there were offspring and for that matter, male offspring. In cases of childlessness or bearing of only girls, woman-to-woman marriages were explored as an alternative to siring of a male offspring. An elderly childless lady or one bearing only girl children would marry a young girl who for one reason or another would be able to get offspring to inherit the name and the property of the older woma…
Ethical Dimensions of Entrepreneurial Practice in Three Traditions
Entrepreneurs are a category of agents who are found in all human societies and their significance has been variously assessed. Although they are a universal phenomenon, their repertoire of activities, thoughts, motivations and emotions appear to be tradition-specific. This paper considers entrepreneurial practice in the liberal, libertarian, and communitarian traditions. The first objective is to determine if the primary ethical dimensions of en…
Deconstruction as a Functional Tool in Decolonizing Nigerian Educational System
The paper examines the role of deconstruction in the Nigerian educational system vis-à-vis its functionality to the growing needs and challenges be devilling the nation. Arguably, the content of the system has been commonly viewed sometimes as dysfunctional, tilted toward the needs of the colonial agenda. This phenomenon did only leave the endeavour handicapped but also totally reliant on foreign ideology; a system that estranged the people. The …
Sexual Harassment, Abuse and Healing in East Africa
Sexual harassment is a serious problem in East Africa. Sexual harassment can occur where one person uses a position of authority to compel another person to engage in an otherwise unwanted sexual activity. Sexual harassment leaves inner wounds in a person that affect negatively their psychological and spiritual lives. In the context of Africa, often it is women who are the targets of sexual harassment but not always. This paper addresses one of t…
Àgbájọ Ọwọ́
This paper examines some of the moral questions surrounding the novel coronavirus, the cause of a new pandemic that just hit the world between late 2019 and early 2020. Coronaviruses are highly contagious and deadly infectious diseases, and victims are urged to do all within their power to ensure that the infection is not spread to healthy people. The central questions involved include the following: why should a person suffer and possibly die al…
Epistemological Base of African Traditional Herbal Medicine Among Primary School Teachers in Uganda
There is a noticeable usage of African Traditional herbal medicine in the treatment of physical and metaphysical diseases. This is largely due to the perceived high costs of orthodox medicine and the feeling that traditional herbs are more dependable. This research established the epistemological underpinnings of African traditional herbal medicine among primary school teachers in the Central Region of Uganda. The researcher used interviews, docu…
African Transition Rituals Celebrating Gender and Human Sexuality
Transition rituals are prominent practices among African traditional communities. Among the Gusii community of western Kenya the ritual is performed for both boys and girls. The boys are taken through circumcision while girls go through clitoridectomy. The ritual for girls is widely criticized and opposed by among others the Christian Church. The ritual for girls is resisted on several grounds, but it still persists. The question which many have …