Thesis:

Impact of witchcraft on the Akamba christians in the Anglican church diocese of Makueni, Kenya

Witchcraft is a persistent discourse and a stirring phenomenon among contemporary Christians across the world. Blooming of witchcraft correlated practices perplexes and antagonizes the church with quandaries on how to compact them. Witchcraft is perceived to provide immediate remedies to social, spiritual, economic and moral glitches which Christianity seem not measure. The church is exposed to dingy witchcraft proficiencies hence dejects the practice through a pawn riposte. iThis istudy iinvestigated ithe iimpact iof iWitchcraft itrepidation ion ithe iAkamba iChristians iin ithe iAnglican iChurch iof iKenya i(A.C.K.) iin ithe iDiocese iof iMakueni. iSpecifically ithe istudy iestablished ithe ifoundations iof ibiblical iand itheological ibasis ion iwitchcraft, iexamined ifactors icontributing ito ipersistence idread, ibelieve iand ipractices iof iWitchcraft, iestablish ithe ieffects iof iWitchcraft iflight iamong ithe iAkamba iChristians iin ithe iAnglican iChurch iof iKenya, iDiocese iof iMakueni, iteachings iand iresponses iof ithe iA.C.K ion iwitchcraft iconsternation iin ithe iDiocese iof iMakueni. iThe iStudy iengrained ion iRichard iNiebuhr's i(1951) iChrist iand iCulture itheory. iDescriptive iresearch idesign iapplied iboth iquantitative iand iqualitative islants iin ithe imethodology. Purposive sampling was utilized to select Makueni, Kibwezi, and Mbitini. iPurposive isampling iwasialso iused ito iselect ithe iPriestsiand iLay ireaders. iRandom isampling iwas iemployed ito isample i ithe iAkamba iChristian ichurch imembers, iwhereas isnowball isampling isampleditheiculturalieldersiofiAkambaitraditionalireligion, igivingiairepresentative isampleisizeiof i286 irespondents idrawn ifrom ia icumulative itarget ipopulation iof i5516 iusing iCochran's i(1963) iformula. Primary data was obtained using questionnaires, interviews and Focused Group Discussion (F.G.D.s), where secondary data is was obtained from relevant literature. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Categorical principal component analysis discriminated explanatory variables facilitated by SPSS version 21 software. The qualitative data was analyzed and organized thematically. The findings indicated that inadequate clear biblical and theological basis understanding on witchcraft trepidation by the Clergy, Lay readers and Christians has led to motley reaction on its approach. The study also found out that the persistence dread of witchcraft has been caused by political, social, economic, spiritual and academic factors. Further, credence of witchcraft among Christians affected their spirituality consequently impacting on flagging of the Church. On the teachings and response of the A.C.K Diocese of Makueni to deal with persistent consternation of witchcraft, the Church had concocted ways which it can use to thwart and reinstate those affected by witchcraft flight though the strategies are yet to vintage to what the church desires. The Study recommended unremitting Christian formation, integrating candid charismatic undertakings to worship, reexamining catechism and Sunday school syllabus content, worship and liturgy enculturation in evangelization. The study recommended further studies on successful ways that can be utilized to gauge down the notoriety of witchcraft dominances, the effects of witchcraft on development trends, the influence of modernization on witchcraft and the relationship of witchcraft to the youth culture metamorphism. The study's findings will be helpful to the Church in forging trails of inculturation the Akamba traditional practices with Christianity for missiological efficacy in A.C.K church, Diocese of Makueni.