'Bible revival' among Orthodox

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — To the casual Western observer, the unique ceremonies and strange-sounding music of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church may seem more rooted in its own tradition than in Scripture.

n With their sistra in one hand and their ceremonial prayer sticks in the other, the Ethiopian Orthodox dancers chant our music totally based on biblical stories on Holy Trinity Day. Ethiopia. Photo: UBS/LarryJerden (ETH02DJ-16)

But for the past 10 years or so the churches have been showing a resurgence of interest in the Bible. The latest evidence is the program of daily Bible study lectures held by Orthodox churches in Addis Ababa and, in many cases, broadcast into the city streets over loudspeakers.

“There are Bible studies every day at 5 p.m.,” says Kebede Mamo, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ethiopia. “They started in Addis and are now spreading to other towns. In terms of using the Bible, it is a revival.”

Discussion

The Bible Society has been an active participant, providing the Scriptures for the Church and its members and, like many aspects of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, even its Bible is special.

Whereas the Protestant Bible has 66 books and the Catholic - depending on how you count them - 73, the Ethiopian Bible - again depending on how they are counted - has no fewer than 81.

The exact status of the ‘extra’ books, says Mr Mamo, is the subject of some discussion, even within the Ethiopian Church itself. “Many people hold all 81 books to be holy and canonical,” says Mr Mamo, “but scholars say that while the ‘extra’ books are good for spiritual study, they are not canonical in the same way as the 66.”

Bible ‘the same for all’

Still, says Mr Mamo, the heart of the Bible is the same for all Christians. “I graduated from an Orthodox seminary,” he explains, “and we studied the Bible and the same theology books as any other seminary. The seminary now is very Bible-oriented, as was the traditional educational system before the time of the Communists.”

n Reminiscent of David Dancing before the Ark in the Old Testament, these choirs move to the beat of the drum as they lead the tabot, which represents the Ark of the Covenant, in the annual parade celebrating the Ethiopian Orthodox Epiphany, the baptism of Jesus, in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia. Photo: UBS/LarryJerden (ETH02DJ-49)

The Church’s elaborate and colourful traditional ceremonies, too, such as the Epiphany celebrations held in January marking Jesus’s baptism, bring the Bible to the fore: the ceremonial music draws its words from Scripture.

But despite such biblical emphasis in the Church, the Bible Society itself continues to meet opposition. Its willingness to sell the Bible preferred by the Orthodox Church, for example, brings criticism from Protestants. The owner of a Protestant bookshop once asked Mr Mamo to leave his store for precisely that reason. In fact, when he read the ‘extra’ 15 books in the Bible, he found nothing objectionable in them and gave up his protest.

Conversely, some Orthodox adherents think the Society leans too far the other way. “Even though I am Orthodox and our present board chairman is Orthodox there are still those in the Orthodox Church who see us as a ‘Protestant’ organisation,” Mr Mamo says. “But, of course, we work with all churches.”

In its efforts to reach out to unbelievers as well as Christians, the Bible Society has in the past distributed Scripture Selections directly to the crowds at celebrations such as Timkat, the Epiphany festival in January. But following an agreement between the authorities and not only Evangelicals, but Bahá’ís and Jehovah’s Witnesses, too, distribution now takes place through the churches.

Challenged by needs

“We give Selections to Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, and they distribute them to their people and to others,” says Mr Mamo. “The Catholics and Evangelicals also celebrate Timkat, but with ceremonies in their own churches, not in the public parades.”

n While for many people the Ethiopian Orthodox Epiphany represents a time of spiritual recommitment, for these women and their children the parades and all-night vigils provide an opportunity to generate some much-needed income by selling food and other necessities to the celebrants. Ethiopia. Photo: UBS/LarryJerden (ETH02DJ-90)

But all such provision of Scriptures, Mr Mamo emphasises, depends on adequate funding, and meeting the needs of an increasingly Bible-centred Ethiopian Church is a difficult challenge.

“Most Ethiopians cannot afford Bibles,” he admits. “Bibles cost about 50 Birr (US$5.84) to produce, and we sell them at 25 Birr. But we also give discounts on top of that, because people could not afford the full cost.”

This, of course, means that the Bible Society needs funds to subsidise the Scriptures. Some are raised within Ethiopia, and some Scriptures are funded directly by churches and overseas missions. The contribution of the UBS World Service Program is also very valuable.