Afrika Hıristiyanlığının Ayırıcı Özelliği Olarak Şifa Bağışı

Hıristiyanlar açısından İsa Mesih’in Tanrı Oğlu olmasının yanında öne çıkan özelliklerinden biri şifacılığıdır. Ölüleri diriltmesi, cinleri kovması, cüzzamlıları, felçlileri, sağırları ve körleri iyileştirmesi İsa Mesih’in küçüklüğünden vefatına kadar göstermiş olduğu şifa mucizelerin-den bir kısmıdır. Şifa mucizesi, İsa Mesih’ten sonra havariler ve azizler yoluyla devam ettirilmiş ve günümüze kadar gelmiştir. Katolik ve Ortodokslardan bağımsız olarak her ne kadar Reform Kiliseleri şifa bahşetme yeteneğini reddetmiş olsalar da 18. ve 19. yüzyıllarda şifa bağışı belli başlı gruplar ve isimler sayesinde tekrar gündeme gelmiş hatta Pentekostal Kiliseler ile Bağımsız Afrika Kiliseleri için vazgeçilmez bir unsur halini almıştır. Günümüzde şifa mucizesi, Afrika’da kurulan birçok kilise için ayırıcı bir özellik olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Zira şifa bağışının gerek misyonerlik faaliyetlerindeki etkisi gerekse söz konusu kiliselerin teolojilerindeki vurgusu sebebiyle Bağımsız Afrika Kiliseleri altında kurulan kiliselerin bir kısmı şifa kilisesi olarak adlandırılmıştır. Bu makalede, Geleneksel Afrika Dinleri ile ana akım Hıristiyanlıkta şifa bağışının mahiyeti ortaya konduktan sonra Afrika Hıristiyanlığında şifa bağışının anlam ve önemine ayrıca diğer Hıristiyan gruplardan farklı kendi özgün yapısına değinilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Dinler Tarihi, Afrika, Geleneksel Afrika Dinleri, Hıristiyanlık, Bağımsız Afrika Kiliseleri, Şifa., History of Religions, Africa, African Traditional Religions, Christianity, African Independent Churches, Healing.

Healing as a Distinctive Feature of African Christianity

For Christians, one of the prominent features of Jesus, besides being the Son of God, is his healing miracles. Reviving the dead, exorcising demons, healing lepers, the paralyzed, the deaf, and the blind are some of the healing miracles that Jesus showed. The miracle of healing has survived to the present day through the apostles and saints after Jesus. Although the Reformed Churches rejected the healing, it was brought back to the agenda by certain groups and names in the 18th and 19th centuries and even became an indispensable element for Pentecostal Churches and African Independent Churches. Especially today, healing stands out as a distinctive feature for many churches established in Africa. Besides the effect of the healing on the missionary activities and the emphasis on the theology of these churches established under the African Independent Churches, some of them were named as healing churches. In this article, after revealing the nature of healing in African Traditional Religions and Mainstream Christianity, the meaning and importance of healing in African Christianity and its unique structure different from other Christian groups are mentioned.

Keywords:

History of Religions, Africa, African Traditional Religions, Christianity, African Independent Churches, Healing.,

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