THE USE OF ANOINTING OIL IN MARK 6:13 IN AFRICAN CONTEXT
Journal Title: JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN HUMANITIES - Year 2017, Vol 5, Issue 1
Abstract
The use of oil and saliva was a common therapeutic technique in the ancient world. The ancient people believed that the anointing oil and the saliva of a holy man of God was therapeutic and had healing effect on whomever the oil was placed upon or to whom the saliva was spitted upon. African scholars have been passionately advocating for the use of mystical powers as an alternative therapy to improve the standard of living of the African people. These scholars have concluded that, mystical powers were made to assist human beings and tapping its resources for the benefit of mankind is useful. Mystical practices that utilize materials in form of oil, herbs, roots, animal parts and body wastes are around us. They are affordable and accessible, what do we do with them? African Christian worldview attaches demonism to every mystical techniques because it is incongruous to Christian faith and practices. They believe that mystical practices are occultic and can jeopardize the Christian faith. So, Christians should have nothing to do with them. But is this true? Thus, this paper discusses the use of anointing oil by Jesus' disciples in Mark 6:13 from an African world view. Applying exegetical tools in an intercultural hermeneutics, this study demonstrates that the use of anointing oil as one of the healing techniques of Jesus' disciples in Mark is mystical and is similar to mystical techniques of healing among traditional healers in Africa, the paper thus submit that the use of anointing oil for healing can be adopted as one of the methods for achieving wholeness in Africa.
Authors and Affiliations
Olagunju olugbenga
Keywords
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- EP ID EP654871
- DOI 10.24297/jah.v5i1.6023
- Views 153
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