I 05 Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology ll. 2 1992 Conserving Culture with Biblical Integrity

The ethnogenesis of both the Konkomba people of Ghana, and the Pitjantjatjara of Central Australia lies deeply hidden in the past. In the first half of this century both groups were still nomadic hunters and gatherers. Similarities and differences in their cultural patterns are evident, particularly in the area of the 'rites of passage. 1 Both were adherents of tribal or folk religion and the comparison of their culture affords a unique opportunity to observe universal trends as well as specific differences. This study contrasts the worldview of these two ethnic groups as it is traced through practices and beliefs in connection with their 'rites of passage. 1 Rites of Passage Culture is ' a dynamic organism that patterns our way of seeing reality. Expressions ofthis reality are co~veyed through ceremon~es and rituals that form the warp and woof of hfe. Many of these occasiOns are to celebrate an individual's progress through society from one status to another. The anthropologist, Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957) coined the phrase 'Rites of Passage ' when he first wrote his book in the French. language in 1909. This refers to the special rituals that are practised during the various stages of the life cycle