Between Ghambageu and Jesus

Ghambageu, the apotheosized cultural hero of the Sonjo of Northern Tanzania, has traditionally had many affinities with Jesus. During the last six decades of Christian missionary efforts among the Sonjo, Ghambageu has increasingly developed into a Jesus-like figure.The aim of this study is to examine the dynamics of power and ideology that are at play in Sonjo communities in order to find out why Sonjo traditional religion has been so succesful in keeping religions foreign to the Sonjo, especially Christianity, at bay. This aim is accomplished by a douple strategy; on the one hand, the structure of Sonjo communities is analysed especially in terms of leadership, and on the other hand, Sonjo mythology is studied. The scope of this study is on the reaction of the Sonjo traditional leaders to the Christian mission.