In 1894 Jesus appeared in a dream to Rainisoalambo during a period
of intense national crisis shortly before the French colonial
invasion of Madagascar. An educated member of the southern
highlands aristocracy, Rainisoalambo was also a traditional
medicine man who had fallen into grave difficulty. Being stricken
with a case of then-rampant leprosy, his business had vanished and
he and his family were starving. In this vision, Jesus told
Rainisoalambo to put away his sampy, the small idols and charms he
used for his traditional divining and healing. When he awoke, he
found that he was healed. He quickly got rid of his charms and
began a new life of fervent prayer, witnessing to his neighbors
about what had happened, and reading the gospels with new eyes, as
current reality rather than ancient reports of the far-away
dealings of the white man's god. A group of believers soon gathered
around him. Within a year of intense activity they had formally
organized themselves at Soatanna into what we would now call a base
community, the Disciples of the Lord. Their simple rules called
them to lives of economic sharing and self-sufficiency, cleanliness
and orderliness in their persons, houses, and lands, learning to
read the Bible, daily communal prayers and study, and sending out
apostles and evangelists to establish other such households and
communities. This was the beginning of what is now called the
Fifohazana, or Awakening. More than a century later the movement
comprises several tobys, or base communities, following the
appearance of several more prophets, female and male, and their
miracle-working. The members of the movement, or mpiandry, live
throughout the island, some in the tobys butmost in the cities and
villages as members of a variety of churches. The Fifohazana
continues to stress spiritual healings, exorcisms, personal service
to the poor and sick, cleanliness, prayer, Bible study, and
witnessing. This volume provides the reader with a very clear
understanding of what the Fifohazanamovement is all about
historically, theologically, in terms of the main characters
involved, its tremendous contributions to what a Christian healing
ministry might ideally be, and as it relates to the larger world of
church and society. The book is strengthened by the contributions
of a diverse international group of scholars and participants in
the movement. This has fostered the creation of an authentic piece
of research, which combines the actual voices of participants
within the movement itself along with the perspectives of scholars,
who analyze the movement from the external periphery. This is the
first book-length treatment of the Fifohazana in English. Editor
Cynthia Holder Rich has gathered contributions from authors from
five countries, including several members of the movement, to offer
several perspectives onto the history and current life of the
movement. Articles include analysis of major movement leaders, the
place of healing in the movement, history of the conflict between
the missions and the movement, the significance of oral expression
in proclamation and as a means of revival, the role of women as
leaders in the movement, and theological issues. The Fifohazana is
one of the most intriguing current instances of indigenous
Christianity in the world. While the movement has greatly evolved
and changed in over a century, Jesus continues to appear and raise
up newleaders. Various branches of the movement have developed a
variety of institutions, but the movement has not lost its power of
transformation and change. The Fifohazana: Madagascar's Indigenous
Christian Movement is an important volume for research libraries,
universities, African studies institutions and theological schools.
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