THE SPREAD OF THE AKURINU RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT

Abstract

Purpose: Akurinu community demonstrates the resoluteness and innovative originality of an African religious movement that in the context of a congested and contested religious space, where western Christianity has, with immense success, obliterated African cultural and religious beliefs to substitute them with foreign ones, this church remains stable. The general objective of the study was to examine the spread of the Akurinu religious movement

Methodology: The paper used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes and to extract knowledge gaps.

Findings: The study concludes that transformation changed the Akurinu way of life and practices such that they relaxed their dietary rules and could now eat in hotels, took active roles in politics, started seeking medical attention in hospitals and embraced formal education. Indeed, Akurinu became a church with well-organized leadership structures and operations. In this transformation, the Akurinu church conformed to a modernization crisis that demanded a search for new social adjustments and identities outside their traditional world mileu. However, there were sections of Akurinu who remained conservative and could not for instance visit hospital or seek medical attention from a doctor, as they believed in faith healing, while others could not participate in any political activity, like voting or vying for elective posts.

Recommendations: The study recommends that the Akurinu church will have to rediscover their prophetic calling which dares to anticipate the future and step out towards it by faith. There is an urgent need to rediscover a refinement of what it means to be a Mukurinu in the context of a global world of change.