The Day of Prayer and Its Potential for Engendering Public Ecclesiology Ecumenism in Zambia

Bibliographic Data

ID3301242
AuthorsChammah J Kaunda (0000-0001-6879-6330, Human Sciences Research Council, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume9
Issue12
Pages393
Publication date2018-11-29
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel9120393
OpenAlexW2902445620
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited17

This article argues that while the National Day of Prayer in Zambia has its inception in political context, it has obligated the institutional churches to break out of their religiously fixed spaces, forcing them to suspend their official doctrinal positions for that specific day, and embrace each other in enacting what could be classified as "public ecclesiology ecumenism". The article defines public ecclesiology ecumenism as the manifestation of institutionally-defined churches in public spaces to celebrate a common liturgical life in Christ through prayer, songs, preaching, and promotion of unified prophetic witness in the public. However, being a political initiative makes the Day of Prayer a potentially dangerous neo-colonial space for advancing a dominant political ideology which perpetuates corruption and exploitation of the masses. Thus, one of the core tasks of the churches is to liberate, reclaim, and reconstitute the Day of Prayer into a prophetic site of struggle against political corruption and poor governance by seeking to produce alternative public and political cultures

Ecclesiology · Ecumenism · Ideology · Political science · Politics · Prayer · Sociology · Witness · Christian Theology and Mission · History · Law · Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious studies

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