Saved or not? speaker meaning attributed to salvation and Ukusindiswa in a church context
Date
2009-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
Members of churches commonly use the English terms salvation/saved and their isiZulu
equivalents insindiso/ukusindiswa. Implied meanings seem to have become attached to these
terms, especially in isiZulu, which could cause miscommunication due to the attitudes of
superiority of the so-called “saved ones” (abasindisiwe) and consequent antagonism amongst
certain ecclesiastical groupings.
The question addressed by this study was whether or not the meaning of the term to be saved
and its isiZulu translation ukusindiswa, as understood by a selection of isiZulu-speaking
Christians, is unambiguous. A further question was whether – should it be the case that these
terms are found to be ambiguous – to be saved and its isiZulu translation ukusindiswa could be
rehabilitated.
Nine people from various denominational backgrounds, both lay and ordained, were
interviewed in order to discover how they understood the terms in question. The interviewees
were asked ten question, including questions on the influence of cultural practices on the
meaning of the terms. These cultural practices were in connection with ancestors, as
experienced in Zulu culture, and the influence of their understanding of the terms on the
permissibility of ancestral practices. The answers given by the interviewees revealed certain
trends. One of them was that, for some isiZulu speakers, the meaning of the terms included the
aspect of laying aside of all contact with the ancestors. Those who understood the terms in this
manner were seen by the interviewees as having an attitude of superiority and as condemning
members of more traditional churches for their adherence to Zulu culture.
A sociolinguistic analysis of the terms salvation/insindiso and to be saved/ukusindiswa is
presented based on the interviewees’ responses. A conclusion is that the terms are often used
in a biased and/or “loaded” way, which is a principal cause of miscommunication and
misunderstanding. Ways of reducing this misunderstanding are proposed, including the
“rehabilitation” of the terms linguistically and theologically. Greater sensitivity to different
ecclesiastical cultures should be shown, involving the use of inclusive language and the
exercising of the skills of intercultural communicative competence.
This study reveals that the church needs to work at the issues surrounding the terms in
question, the use of which can cause a breakdown in intercultural communication.
Description
Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))—University of Stellenbosch, 2009.
Keywords
Salvation, Ukusindiswa, Speaker meaning, Intercultural communication, Dissertations -- Linguistics, Theses -- Linguistics