Prayer for protection : a comparative perspective on Psalms in relation to Lozi prayer traditions

Abstract

Thematically, this research interrogates prayer for protection. Its title embodies two distinct religious traditions namely the biblical Psalms in the Old Testament and Lozi prayers grounded in a broad African religious cultural experience. The concept of prayer precipitates questions regarding functionality, structural and theological aspects. Further, this investigation problematizes a theoretical trajectory of closeness between biblical and African cultural experience proposed by some scholars. This study makes a contribution towards a comparative approach in Biblical Studies. An integrated hermeneutical reading is applied to Psalms scholarship. The argumentation is based on a construct of cultic, literary, historical contexts and theological analyses of Psalms 28; 64; 77; 91 and 140. A contemporary reading of similar prayer traditions arising from Lozi people is then conducted. From a perspective of both Psalm studies and African religious experience prayer for protection is seen as a petitioner’s response to the Supreme Being during periods of danger and adversarial encounters. Such danger is imminent at the time of prayer. A victim places his/ her confidence in the salvific intervention of God or the gods. Through this standpoint selected psalms are considered not as songs of praise, but rather as prayers of protection from danger and enemy attacks. A parallel is drawn to the Lozi suppliants’ response to various cultural foes like tribal enemies, malicious neighbours and witchcraft. Other situations of danger are identified as mythological and natural calamities such as drought and crop failure. A comparative analysis of concepts like God, enemies, petitioners, elements of prayer, cultic and other related aspects has yielded similarities and differences. The results of this research contribute to a data bank on indigenous Lozi knowledge systems, hermeneutical and dialogical points of departure between the two traditions within the context of Biblical and Religious Studies.