'Rituals of resistance, weapons of the weak': Toward an African Pentecostal transformative Holy Communion Missiology

Abstract

The article defines symbolic inversion as transgressive behaviour which most traditional Zambian societies reenacted in the ritual context as a dynamic cultural form. It argues for critical reclamation and reconstitution of symbolic resistance dimension of Ndembu ritual (people of North-west Zambia) to construct transformative Holy Communion missiology within Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Zambia (PAOG-Z). The symbolic resistance of Ndembu ritual seems to have potential to give fresh perspective on how Holy Communion could function as mundus inversus (world-upside-down)- a way of resisting negative prevailing social order. Finally some contours for Holy Communion Missiology are suggested on methodological and practical level to help the community of faith refocus its Holy Communion performances to resisting anti-life and death-dealing forces.