Topic: An exploration of the conception of God among the Bali Nyonga and its impact upon their contemporary Christian practice with particular reference to hymnody and prayer.
Dear Sir, Madam, Rev., Dr., Prof., His Majesty
I will be highly honoured to receive your honest answers to this questionnaire on the above topic.
Name [optional]
Profession
Position and title in Church - if any Position and title in Bali - if any Age.
Questions
1. Are you a Christian?
2. Which denomination do you belong to?
3. How long have you been a Christian?
4. Why did you decide to become a Christian?
5. [Depending on your answer to question 4] are your expectations met?
6. Have you ever consulted a ngambi' man [be sincere in your answer]?
7. Why did you go there?
8. Did you believe in what the ngambi man told you?
9. How many times have you consulted a ngambi man?
10. Do you always believe in what you are told by them?
11. Do you believe in the ancestors [ba kusi ke nyikob ba ba]?
12. Have you ever received ancestral libation from your father or grandfather?
13. Do you join other family members when they are performing ancestral sacrifices?
14. Do you not feel guilty that such practices like ngambi and ancestor sacrifice may contradict your Christian faith?
15. Also in tradition people expect to join the ancestors when they die, while Christians expect to be with Jesus Christ when they die. Now that you are in both, with whom do you expect to be when you die?
' Popular name by which diviners are called in Cameroon.
16. If you expect to be with Christ why then do you worship the ancestors?
17. If you expect to be with the ancestors then why are you a Christian?
18. Depending on your answers to questions 16 and 17 does it not appear that you are serving two Gods?
19. Do you know of any creation story according to the Bali?
20. Did your ancestors know God before Christianity came?
21. How was he called?
22. If they knew God how did they worship him?
23. How do you even know that they knew God?
24. Which other traditional gods of the Bali do you know?
25. Do you pray to God?
26. How often do you pray and for what reasons?
27. Do you believe in the power of prayer?
28. Give the strength of the following beginning with the one you consider to be the most powerful: Ancestors, Jesus Christ, a diviner or "medicine man" and God.
29. What in your view is the relationship between Bali traditional religion and Christian practice in Bali?
30. Do you like it the way it is or would you propose some changes?
31. What do you propose?
If you feel that the questionnaire is not enough can you please indicate and give me a contact number so that we can arrange an interview.
Thank you very much. May God richly bless you.
Do you wish your identity to be revealed in this work?
Contact Number.758 26 85.
Appendix II.
Questionnaire B: Prepared for traditional titleholders.
University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Master of Theology in African Christianity.
Questionnaire for Dissertation.
Topic: An exploration of the conception of God among the Bali Nyonga and its impact upon their contemporary Christian practice with particular reference to hymnody and prayer.
Student: Babila George Fochang.
Dear Sir, Madam, Rev., Dr., Prof., His Majesty
I will be highly honoured to receive your honest answers to this questionnaire on the above topic.
Name [optional]
Profession
Position and title in Church - if any Position and title in Bali.
Age.
Questions
1. Are you a Christian?
2. Which denomination do you belong to?
3. How long have you been a Christian?
4. What is your title in Bali?
5. Did you receive this title before becoming a Christian or you received it after you had become a Christian?
6. Are you a family head?
7. Why is it that somebody must succeed the father or mother?
8. Why did you decide to become a Christian?
9. [Depending on your answer to question 8] are your expectations met?
10. Did you swallow the heart of a fowl when you were named to succeed your father/mother?
11. Your responsibility requires that you serve as a family or community priest.
What are the implications of this for your Christian faith?
12. Does it not compromise your Christian faith?
13. Sacrifice to the family/village ancestors is often closely linked with ngambi.
How often have you consulted ngambi!
14. Why did you go there?
15. Did you believe in what the ngambi man told you?
16. How many times have you consulted a ngambi man?
17. Do you always believe in what you are told by them?
18. May be you do not consult ngambi, but what do you do when your daughter/son, acting on the instruction of a ngambi. man come to you asking that you should sacrifice to the ancestors?
19. Do you belong to any traditional cult like Voma, Ngumba, Nda nsi, Tungwe etc? If yes can you name it? Do you believe in the ancestors [ba kusi ke nyikob ba ba]l
20. Have you ever received ancestral libation from your father or grandfather?
21. Do you join other family members when they are performing ancestral sacrifices?
22. Do you not feel guilty that such practices like ngambi and ancestor sacrifice may contradict your Christian faith?
23. Also in tradition people expect to join the ancestors when they die, while Christians expect to be with Jesus Christ when they die. Now that you are in both, with whom do you expect to be when you die?
24. If you expect to be with Christ why then do you worship the ancestors?
25. If you expect to be with the ancestors then why are you a Christian?
26. Depending on your answers to questions 16 and 17 does it not appear that you are serving two Gods?
27. Do you know of any creation story according to the Bali?
28. Did your ancestors know God before Christianity came?
29. How was he called?
30. If they knew God how did they worship him?
31. How do you even know that they knew God?
32. Which other traditional gods of the Bali do you know?
33. Do you pray to God?
34. How often do you pray and for what reasons?
35. Do you believe in the power of prayer?
36. Give the strength of the following beginning with the one you consider to be the most powerful: Ancestors, Jesus Christ, a diviner or "medicine man" and God.
37. What in your view is the relationship between Bali traditional religion and Christian practice in Bali?
38. Do you like it the way it is or would you propose some changes?
39. What do you propose?
If you feel that the questionnaire is not enough can you please indicate and give me a contact number so that we can arrange an interview.
Thank you very much. May God richly bless you.
Do you wish your identity to be revealed in this work?
Contact Number: 758 26 85.
Appendix II