article
Curing what ails them: individual circumstances and religious choice among the Zulu-speakers in Durban, South Africa
Africa • 52 (2) • Published In 1982 • Pages: 77-89
By: Rounds, John C..
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This paper is concerned with the rise and development of two religious movements among Zulu speakers in the Durban area of South Africa -- a nativistic religion called 'the Zulu way', centered around spiritual healing, and the Pentecostal religion, based on concepts of morality, sin, and salvation. Rounds compares and contrasts these two religions and notes their many basic similarities. According to the author differences between the two arise in the different postures taken toward the city (Durban) and the different decisions made by individuals before conversion about the permanence of their stay in the city. Converts to the nativistic religion were mostly migrants, while converts to the Pentecostal congregation were generally immigrants. 'Activity at the nativist centre appeared to provide solutions to the problems which confront any migrant, especially financial responsibility, maintaining links with home, and the choice of suitable friends and entertainments. On the other hand, activity in the Pentecostal congregation appeared to provide solutions to the parallel problems confronting any immigrant to the city, especially a different and more burdensome financial responsibility, the choice of a different set of friends and entertainment, and the lack of firm guides to proper conduct in a potentially anomic situation' (p. 87).
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Functional and adaptational interpretations
- Cultural participation
- Music
- Social relationships and groups
- Cult of the dead
- Spirits and gods
- Prayers and sacrifices
- Purification and atonement
- Revelation and divination
- Congregations
- Religious denominations
- Organized ceremonial
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Zulu
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2005
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Southern Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- John Beierle ; 2004
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- no date
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- ca.1910-1970s
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Durban, South Africa
- NotesAdditional notes
- John C. Rounds
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 88)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 29010790
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Zulu (African people)