EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL POKOT WORLDVIEW ON SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE POKOT

Abstract

Christian missionaries established the first mission work among the Pokot of West Pokot County in 1931, when the Churchman‟s Missionary Society (BCMS) the Anglicans established a mission centre at Kacheliba. However, they encountered resistance and non response from the Pokot. To date, the bulk of the Pokot, especially the elderly are still conservative to their traditional lifestyle and reluctant to open up to Christianity, change and new ideas. This Study endeavoured to find out why the pokot resisted Christianity, change and new ideas. The objectives of the study were: First, to examine the traditional Pokot worldview. Second, evaluate the spread of Christianity among the Pokot, and finally, to assess the effect of the traditional Pokot worldview on the spread of Christianity among the Pokot. This study was guided by the structural functionalism theory of Robert K. Merton (1910-2003). The basic principle of this theory is that society has evolved as an organism and should therefore be studied from the perspective of the social structures and the functions of its constituent elements. This study adopted a descriptive design. The Purposive, snowball and the random sampling methods were used to select the respondents for the study. The study established that the bulk of the Pokot, especially the elderly are very acculturated and conservative to their traditional beleiefs and practices. Due to this, the traditional Pokot worldview has affected the spread of Christianity among the Pokot. There is need therefore, for Christian denominations doing mission work among the Pokot to present the Gospel in light of the Pokot culture and traditional worldview. This can be achieved be achieved by involving the Pokot in decision making and in the establishment of Christian programs that are culturally relevant to them and are geared towards addressing needs perceived by them.