UAMSHO: A Theological Study of the Proclamation of the Revival Movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania

Abstract: This thesis presents a theological study of the revival (Uamsho) movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). This movement is part of the East African Revival Movement that began during the late 1920's within the Protestant churches in Rwanda, after which it spread to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. The introductory chapter begins with a presentation of characteristic features of the Uamsho movement in Tanzania and the various expressions of Uamsho proclamation. Chapter Two describes the early history of the Uamsho movement in East Africa, discussing how the slave trade, colonial rule, certain traditional African customs, and some aspects of Western missionary activity contributed directly or indirectly to the spiritual crisis to which the movement responded. The third chapter deals with Uamsho's different definitions of sin: as life under the dominion of Satan, as life outside the plan of God, as idolatry, as partial commitment to God, as violation to divine laws, and as jeopardizing of eternal life in heaven. Uamsho perceives sin, or the spiritual crisis of the individual Christian, to be the kernel of the church's spiritual crisis. This chapter also contains a discussion of how Uamsho understands the existence of calamities and demons' activities. Chapter Four discusses the process of being saved and what it implies for the human being: full realization of sin, receiving God's forgiveness, deliverance from powers of darkness, being made a co-heir with Jesus Christ, and being assured of inheriting eternal life. Chapter Five presents Uamsho's understanding of life after salvation and discusses the significance of morality, giving testimony, prayer, and spiritual gifts. The sixth chapter has four sections. The first one entitled 'On the Bible' deals with the revivalists' view of the Bible and their methods of interpreting it. The second section, 'On God', discusses how Uamsho explains its exclusivistic approach to non-Christian religions as well as its treatment of theodicy, soteriology, and the Trinity. The third section, 'On the human being', discusses dualism, the role of the individual in salvation, and whether a saved person is able not to sin. 'On the Church' is the last section and it presents the view of the church, the roles of the clergy and laity, and the practice of public confession in Uamsho in view of the exercise of church discipline in the ELCT. Finally, the conclusion offers a summary of the thesis and final observations. The appendices provide background to specific topics discussed in the thesis