Tim Randolph
Dr. Melinda Thompson
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And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory,
the glory as of the father’s only son, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14
The missionary, called to share the gospel to the world, believes that God cares
about mission and is in fact a missionary God. God’s story is one where God sends
messengers into his creation, and ultimately one in which God himself enters as an agent of
salvation.1 As followers of Jesus, missionaries are called by God to embody Christ to the
communities and cultures they have entered. The Church of Christ missionaries Harold
and Betty Cummins, called to share Jesus to the Maasai, must work to effectively enter the
Maasai community in order to share the gospel. What does it mean for Harold and Betty to
have an Incarnational view of their mission to the Maasai people? How do they effectively
reach this people group? Recently, Harold and Betty had a breakthrough with the Maasai
women who wished to be baptized, but the Cummins need to handle this advance in the
gospel with great care. Not only could this potentially harm the effectiveness of the gospel
message among the Maasai but could also damage relationships among fellow ministers
working in the East African region. It is important that Harold and Betty fully understand
the cultural commitments and expectations of the Maasai people before moving forward.
1 Greg Ott, Stephen J. Strauss, with Timothy C.Tennent, Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical
Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010), 282. This book adapts a contextualization model created by Paul Hiebert, which I am using to arrive at my theological position.
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THE SITUATION2
The Maasai are a nomadic people that wander freely in Kenya and Northern
Tanzania. They are a simple, male dominant people who have no headmen but settle issues
through a group of male elders. The Maasai are cattle farmers. To work the land they are
dependent on their wives and children. Polygamy is well established in their culture. The
more wives, sons and cattle one acquires the wealthier a man is among his people. The
Maasai have a simple diet of meat, blood and milk.
Harold and Betty Cummins have been with the Maasai people for twenty-eight
months. They have not been able to get the Maasai men to participate in Bible study. The
Maasai women recently expressed a desire to be baptized even though previously the
Maasai people have showed little interest in the gospel, and the missionaries have had no
luck planting a church within the culture. Harold and Betty have not emphasized baptism,
so the women’s desire to be immersed took them by surprise. They are excited about
finally breaking through the Maasai culture but realize that to baptize the women
complicates the situation further.
Polygamy is customary among the Maasai people, which has historically been a
problem for Protestants working in East Africa. Should Harold and Betty demand that the
baptismal candidates do away with polygamous relationships? Should the man pick one
wife to keep? Shall they only keep the first wife? Can they continue in all their
relationships but not take on any more wives? Because Harold and Betty are considering
women for baptism, how does this apply to the Maasai women? To appease Protestant
2 The case details have been summarized from the Case Brief “Should I Baptize Them…Now?” http://blogs.acu.edu/gstpathways/cases/should-i-baptize-them…-now/
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ministers in East Africa, should they demand these stipulations upon all baptismal
candidates, thus changing the longstanding traditional Maasai culture? How would such a
decision effect the gospel message they seek to bring to the Maasai people?
The Cummins also realize that baptizing the women before baptizing a man among
the Maasai could have a negative effect on furthering the gospel to the Maasai men. The
Maasai men could potentially see Christianity as a religion for only women. They might
even forbid the Cummins from continuing to work in their village. If the gospel is for male
and female, Harold and Betty must prayerfully consider the ramifications of their decision.
THEOLOGICAL DISCERNMENT
The Cummins need a great deal of theological discernment in order to navigate the cultural
expectations of the Maasai while holding to their doctrinal convictions. Our beliefs, no
doubt, are shaped by our own culture as we wrestle with Scripture in our own context. For
example, the issue of drinking blood is odd for westerners, but for the Maasai it is a form of
nourishment.3 Those opposed to the drinking of blood suggest that the Old Testament
clearly prohibits consuming blood.4 In Colossians 2, Paul proclaims that in Christ the
powers and authorities have been disarmed.5 Therefore we are not to be judged on what
we eat or drink.6 The colloquial phrase “eat and drink” is related to Old Testament kosher
3 Doug Priest Jr., Doing Theology with the Maasai, (Pasadena:William Carey Library, 1990), 146.
4 See Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 3:17; 7:26. 5 Colossians 2:13-15.
6 Colossians 2:17.
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laws.7 Therefore, ascetic rigors recommended by those who prohibit the drinking of blood
encourage abstinence as a requisite of true piety, but Paul states that what we consume
doesn’t disqualify us from salvation!8
In Acts 10 Peter receives a vision where a voice commands him to eat of all kinds of
animals. Peter’s cultural reflex is to deny the voice for religious purity, but the voice makes
it clear that these animals, though at one point were unclean, have been made clean by
God.9 The matter of drinking blood appears to be a cultural issue rather than a theological
one. Because the Maasai are wedded to their traditions it is important to differentiate
between what is healthy among the Maasai traditions and what biblically forbidden.
Furthermore, the issue of polygamy is rarely dealt with in the western church.
According to Harold and Betty there is no uniform position on how churches in East Africa
handle the issue, and that wealth among the Maasai is measured by the number of cows
and sons a man has. For the Maasai polygamy is an issue of survival. In order for the
Maasai to live as herdsman, polygamy is required!10 Genesis 2 is often cited as a defense of
monogamy, where man and woman become one flesh.11 However, this passage is more an
etiological explanation of why man separates from his family to join with the woman12 and
7 N.T. Wright, The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary ,
(Leicester, England: IVP, 1986), 123.
8 Colossians 2:18. Paul uses the phrase “καταβραβεω”, which the NRSV translates, “disqualify.” What we choose or do not choose to eat or drink no longer disqualifies us from salvation!
9 Acts 10:9-16.
10Jan Voshaar, Maasai : between the Oreteti-tree and the tree of the cross (Kampen : Kok, 1998), 70.
11 Genesis 2:24.
12 Robert Alter, Genesis: Translation and Commentary, (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1996), 10.
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an explanation of why the sexes are drawn together,13 rather than a defense of monogamy.
For later in the book of Genesis we are given the story of Lamech who takes two wives
without expressed forbiddance from God.14 Additionally, Abraham, a nomadic patriarch,
has a sexual relationship with his wife and his wife’s servant and is beloved as a faithful
follower of God.15 Perhaps there is room to allow for an Old Testament—Abrahamic
precedent among the Maasai. While the writer of this paper holds the theological
conviction that God intended monogamy, one is hard pressed to find a text that definitively
forbids polygamy.16
1 Corinthians 7 is often read as directions concerning marriage,17 but is more about
the marriage relationship between believers and nonbelievers and whether sexual
intimacy is fitting for Christians. In verse 17 Paul encourages Christians to live as believers
in whatever situation they were in when the Lord called them. If they find themselves
married to a nonbeliever it is better to stay married than to divorce.18 In fact, Paul suggests
that the Christian faith of the believing spouse is a benefit to the nonbelieving spouse!19
13 Gerhard von Rad, Genesis: A Commentary, Old Testament Library, (Philadelphia: Westminster
Press, 1972), 85. Von Rad continues on the same page, “One must emphasize, however, that our narrative is concerned not with a legal custom but what a natural drive...So no recognition of monogamy should be read out of the word. The alliance of one sex to another is seen as a divine ordinance of creation.”
14 Genesis 4:19.
15 Genesis 16. Sarai, believing she is barren, becomes the justification for Abram’s relationship with
another woman.
16 Theologian Karl Barth confirms, "We can hardly point with certainty to a single text [in the N.T.] in which polygamy is expressly forbidden and monogamy universally decreed" (Church Dogmatics IIL 4,199).
17 “Directions concerning Marriage” is the chapter title for 1 Corinthians 7 taken from the The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, (New York: HarperCollins, 1989).
18 1 Corinthians 7:13.
19 1 Corinthians 7:14.
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The Maasai women who have placed their faith in Christ might best serve God by staying
where they are—in their marriage relationship. Ultimately, a missionary living
incarnationally among the Maasai must ask, “am I bringing good news to these people?” Is
it the gospel to tell people to put away their wives before baptism?20 Would it not be less
damaging for the Maasai community and way of life to allow those who are already in
polygamous relationships to stay the way they were when they found Christ? Do two
wrongs make a right? The Scriptures also clearly say that God hates divorce!21 In the
patriarchal Maasai culture the women are the weaker vessels, thus putting away a wife
would not bring honor to God22 or the Maasai people.
Although, after serious study, Harold and Betty may find it appropriate to baptize
individuals who found Christ while in polygamy, they are in conflict with other regional
ministers and could potentially ostracize the Maasai men. Perhaps to rush to baptism
would be a misstep. For many in the churches of Christ, faith begins at baptism.23
However, one should not discount household baptisms found in the New Testament. The
head of the house in patriarchal societies are the decision makers for the whole household,
which would include religious matters. According to G. R. Beasley-Murray, “[I]f the head of
the house decided on a change of allegiance from one religion to another the rest of the
20 Edward Newing, “Baptism of Polygamous Families: Theory and Practice In An East African Church,” in Journal of Religion in Africa 3, no. 2, (1970): 139.
21 Malachi 2:16
22 1 Peter 3:7.
23 In Acts 2:37-43 those who placed their faith in Jesus were first baptized and then devoted themselves to the apostles teaching.
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members unquestionably followed suit.”24 There is also precedent in Christian history for a
lengthy time of instruction and moral examination prior to baptism. According to Everett
Ferguson some baptismal candidates were to receive catechetical training for three years
prior to baptism!25 In line with our incarnational model, our Lord Jesus spent a period of
several years with his close followers before commissioning them to build His church. A
period of catechesis could be better in the long run for the health of the Maasai community.
Though baptizing the women might be satisfying to the Cummins, a catechetical period for
the Maasai confess belief in Jesus would cultivate a deeper, long lasting, and sustaining faith
among the village, and would delay the potential of alienating the Maasai men.
Harold and Betty must also keep in mind the matter of honor and shame among
many East African communities. Honor, especially among men, is given because of one’s
influence and control.26 The importance of family and reputation in the community are
central to African men, thus, forcing divorce upon the Maasai prior to accepting Christianity
would be damaging to the mission.27 The first mention of shame in Scripture comes from
Genesis 2 where man and his wife are naked and without shame, prior to the fall in chapter
3.28 Once they become aware of their nakedness, shame results causing them to hide from
24 G. R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism in the New Testament, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973) 313.
25 Everett Ferguson, Church History: From Christ to the Pre-Reformation, Vol. 1, (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2013), 147. 26 Andrew M. Mbuvi, “African Theology From the Perspective of Honor and Shame”, in
The urban face of mission: ministering the Gospel in a diverse and changing world, eds. Conn, Ortiz, and Baker, (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002), 286.
27 Ibid, 288.
28 Genesis 2:25
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God.29 There openness towards God now becomes closed. It would not only be devastating
to the Cummins but also to Christianity among the Maasai if shame becomes associated
with the message of Jesus.
AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE
The Cummins should understand the desire of the women to be baptized as a gift
but one that still needs to be developed. An incarnational mission seeks to enter and effect
the entire community, not just the women. As bearers of God’s image, God’s desire is for
his people to be comprised of both male and female!30 Because Harold and Betty are
working in a strong patriarchal culture, it would be wise to wait and not baptize the women
until some of the respected Maasai men and elders come to belief in Christ. To wait upon
the men to initiate Christian faith among the Maasai will not only save face but will also
bring lasting stability of the newly birthed church.
Putting off the baptism of the women allows for more conversation between the
Cummins and other ministers in the area who are wrestling with baptizing polygamists. It
would be wise for area ministers to work towards a clearer theological commitment on
issues of polygamy as they move forward. It is best for the Cummins to see area workers as
allies in the mission of God. However, Christian servants among the East Africans must
come to terms with the reality of polygamy as a means of survival and culture among the
people. To draw a hard line opposing polygamy might terminate any progress made in
29 Genesis 3:7
30 Genesis 1:27.
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sharing the gospel among the men. Furthermore, to instruct the men to put away all their
wives except one might equally turn the excluded women away from the Christian faith. It
is important for Harold and Betty to communicate that God is a God that defends the cause
of the fatherless and the widow, but is not the cause!31 Perhaps the Cummins can work
towards teaching on marriage and monogamy for future generations once the Christian
faith has been fully established.
In the short term, this is an opportunity to teach the women to be faithful and
patient. They have an opportunity to serve their husband and pray for their salvation. It is
also important that the Cummins make it clear to the women that they are believers but
that baptism without the men could be detrimental to the work of Christ among the Maasai.
It is also an opportunity to take the existing believers and construct a catechetical
curriculum that would be suitable for the Maasai women, and eventually the men.
The long term goal should be the baptism of the women and the men. More so, the
Cummins should seek the leadership of the men to effectively bringing the message of Jesus
to the Maasai community. Harold and Betty should see their role as bringers of the gospel
and Christian guides for the Maasai community. Because the Cummins are not Maasai, they
are not among the tribal leadership, thus down the road, they should focus their mission on
eventually handing over their work to be the Maasai people. Then the Cummins will be on
the right track to having a church among the Maasai.
31 Deuteronomy 10:18
Works Cited
Alter, Robert. Genesis: Translation and Commentary. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1996.
Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics, III-4, Edinburgh: T &T. Clark, 1961.
Beasley-Murray, G.R. Baptism in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973.
Ferguson, Everett. Church History: From Christ to the Pre-Reformation, Vol. 1. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2013.
Mbuvi, Andrew M. “African Theology From the Perspective of Honor and Shame.”
The urban face of mission: ministering the Gospel in a diverse and changing world. Eds. Conn, Ortiz, and Baker. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2002.
Newing, Edward G. “Baptism of Polygamous Families: Theory and Practice In An East African Church.” Journal of Religion in Africa 3, no. 2, (1970): 130-141.
Ott, Greg and Stephen J. Strauss, with Timothy C. Tennent. Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010.
Priest, Doug Jr. Doing Theology With The Maasai. Pasadena:William Carey Library,
1990.
Rad, Gerhard von. Genesis: A Commentary. Old Testament Library. Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1972. Voshaar, Jan. Maasai : between the Oreteti-tree and the tree of the cross. Kampen: Kok, 1998.
Wright, N.T. The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary. Leicester, England: IVP, 1986.
Updted Title Page
Updated Case Brief
Updated Works Cited