| Chapter 1: | The Contribution of Rainisoalambo to the Indigenization of the Protestant Churches in Madagascar |
The Indigenization Brought About by Rainisoalambo
Indigenization occurs when the church feels the necessity of adapting the Gospel to a local culture. The contribution of Rainisoalambo to the indigenization of the Malagasy Protestant churches is made evident in two main components of the life and ministry of the churches: (a) worship, including preaching, liturgy, and healing, and (b) community life, including clothing choice, the development of the toby ministry, and cooperative labor. Each of these will be addressed in turn. Firstly, this section explores basic biographical and cultural information about who Rainisoalambo was and the world into which he was born and lived. This is important because Rainisoalambo was able to do what he did, in part, because of the person he was and the way that he lived.
Rainisoalambo: His Life and Times
No writers mention Rainisoalambo’s birth date. However, by reflecting on the date of his awakening and the date of his death, it is possible to approximately establish the date of his birth. Thunem stated that on October 15, 1894, he was about fifty years old and that on June 30, 1904, when he died, he was about sixty years old.3 So, it is possible to calculate the date of his birth, or more precisely, the year of his birth. These two dates affirm that Rainisoalambo was born in or around 1844.
Rainisoalambo’s true name was Razaimbola, according to Radaniela.4 His name means “the younger brother of the prince” because the king of Isandra5 had confidence in Razaimbola’s parents, who became high servants in the royal household, and his mother took care of the young boys together. The prince, named Vola, was older than Rainisoalambo. In Malagasy, junior translates to the term zainy. This gave Rainisoalambo the name Razaimbola in his boyhood, from Zainivola, or “Vola’s junior.” Later, when he married and had his first child, who was named Soalambo, people called him Rainisoalambo, which means “the father of Soalambo.”6