Kimbanguism

Front matter

ses.

fying (on) Scriptures

VINCENT WIMBUSH, GENERAL EDITOR

Part II Kimbanguism and the Bible 4 The Three Sources of Kimbanguist Theology / 83

The Identity of Simon Kimbangu in the Contemporary Kimbanguist Faith / 122

Part III Expressions of Kimbanguist Messianism Kimbanguist Prophetism, Messianism, and Millenarianism / 175 A Theology of Identity Reconstruction in a Global Context / 196

9 Reclaiming Kimbangu’s Prophetic Heritage / 228 Conclusion / 260

Notes | 265

Bibliography | 279 Index | 287

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs appear courtesy of PRESKI (Presse Kimbanguiste).

Maps 1 Kingdom of Kongo, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries / 17 2 Democratic Republic of the Congo. Map courtesy of d-maps.com, http://d-maps.com/carte.php?num_car=14168&lang=en. / 64

Figures 1 Kimbangu in front of the Lubumbashi jail / 72 2 Photograph of Marie Muilu superimposed on the temple of Nkamba / 77 3 One of the “small soldiers” of Armageddon / 92 4 The Rise to Jerusalem | 94 5 Simon Kimbangu’s image hovers over Diangienda Kuntima and Simon Kimbangu Kiangani / 130 6 Simon Kimbangu Kiangani / 131 7 Dialungana, Kisolokele, and Diangienda / 133 8 Painting of the creation of man starring the sons of Kimbangu / 140 9 Marie-Louise Martin greeted by Elizabeth Mvete / 145 10 Kimbangu’s mausoleum in Nkamba. Photo: author. / 159 11 The Kimbanguist band, conducted by Diangienda / 163 12 The Lord’s Supper, conducted by Diangienda / 169 13 Diangienda healing two church members / 170 14 Temple of Nkamba / 186 15 Rev. Figueiredo with the author. Photo courtesy of the author. / 207 16 Kristin Shrader-Frechette kneels in front of Kimbangu’s portrait. Photo: Gabriel Nzau Ngoma Wagaza. / 208 17 Corinne Kumar D’Souza receives a blessing from Diangienda. Photo: Gabriel Nzau Ngoma Wagaza. / 209

22 23

ILLUSTRATIONS

David Wabeladio Payi teaches church members the Mandombe script. Photo: author. / 222

Members of the Saint-Denis congregation graduate from their Mandombe course. Photo: author. / 223

Armand Wabasolele Diangienda and the Kimbanguist Symphonic Orchestra. Photo courtesy of the Kimbanguist Symphonic Orchestra. / 226

Kimbanguist Symphonic Orchestra in concert. Photo courtesy of the Kimbanguist Symphonic Orchestra. / 226

President Mobutu visits Diangienda / 232

President Joseph Kabila visits Dialungana / 246

This book would never have been published without the help and input of Professor Vincent Wimbush, who not only suggested a new approach for my research, but also welcomed me into his Institute for Signifying Scriptures and gave my work a home in the Signifying (on) Scriptures series at Penn State University Press. I am immensely grateful and indebted to him. I am also deeply appreciative of the help, suggestions, and understanding of Kathryn Yahner, acquisitions editor, and Hannah Hebert, editorial assistant, at Penn State University Press, who accompanied me through the editing process with as much kindness as professionalism.

I have been encouraged by the interest of colleagues who invited me to present and discuss my research in their departments: Professor Thee Smith of Emory University, Professor Maha Marouan of the University of Alabama, Emerita Professor Rosa Bobia of Kennesaw University, and Professors Marla Brettschneider, Carol Conaway, Penny Moreau, Courtney Marshall, and Faina Bukher of the University of New Hampshire. Your support has been greatly appreciated.

I am also indebted to Professors Michael Gomez of New York University, Drew Smith of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, John Jackson of the University of Pennsylvania, Edith Bruder of SOAS, Zekeh Gbotokuma of Morgan State University, Clement Akassi of Howard University, Pamela Gay-White of Alabama State University, David Garbin of Kent University, and Metka Zupancic and Emeritus Professor Michael Mendle of the University of Alabama. Each of you has been a steadfast friend, and your support has always been highly valued.

By introducing me to sociology and supervising my research at the University of Rennes 2, Emeritus Professor Pierre-Jean Simon has been a crucial influence and a real mentor. My fellow researchers at the Groupe société, religions, laicité of the French national research center (CNRS) hosted by the University of Paris, Sorbonne, are also deserving of thanks for their interest in my work and their encouragement. I am especially

X ACKNOWLEDGMENTS grateful to Professors Philippe Portier, Jean Paul Willaime, Jean Baubérot, Sébastien Fath, Joëlle Allouche-Benayoun, and Martine Cohen.

Emeritus professor Georges Balandier expressed interest in my work and encouraged me to publish it in the United States; I was very honored when he offered to write a preface for this book, but health issues unfortunately made this impossible. Professor Elikia M’Bokolo helped by inviting me to speak on his radio program, Mémoire d’un Continent, on Radio France Internationale, thus making my work more visible, and by organizing a historic international conference in Kinshasa called “Simon Kimbangu, the Man, His Work, and His Contribution to the Liberation of Black People,” which successfully connected the work of scholars with that of the members of the Kimbanguist Church.

I am also extremely grateful to the leaders of the Kimbanguist Church, particularly the spiritual leader Simon Kimbangu Kiangani for his support and encouragement, and Maestro Armand Diangienda Wabasolele for his interest, the interview he gave me, and his invariable helpfulness. I am indebted to King Kipula Nsimba Wise for his help with information and pictures of the Kimbanguist Symphonic Orchestra; to Gabriel Nzau Ngoma Wagaza, who generously shared archival material and images he took as the church’s official photographer with PRESKI until 2001; and to the many interviewees, especially the late David Wabeladio Payi and Véronique Kabeya, as well as the other inspired people and church members who answered my questions with honesty and confidence. Jérôme Makiadi, Enock Mban, Sylvain Mbote Munzila, Adrien Fwakasumbu Luwawanu, and Joseph Shiashia honored me with an invitation to be a guest of the first Kimbanguist Book Fair in the greater Paris area. My longtime friends Saturnin Ngoma, Gody Dia Kongo, Fortuné Mboussa, Darius Azika-Eros, David Biangué, and Erick Siassia have been helpful and supportive. May all the Kimbanguist community find here the expression of my heartfelt appreciation.

My final thanks are for my family: my wife, Dr. Cécile Coquet-Mokoko, introduced me to Professor Wimbush and prioritized the translation of my manuscript into English; our two sons, Antoine Elikia and Vincent Luka, were patient during the years-long process of writing and revising the manuscript, which kept their father engrossed in his work. I am also grateful to my sisters, Madeleine Ambembé, Antoinette Mabouéré, and the late Jeanne N’Gania; my brothers, Joseph, Gustave, Roger, and Blanchard Mokoko; and all my relatives for their unwavering helpfulness and support.