Revised thesis (doctoral) - Universität, Bayreuth, 2014.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [285]-303).

Acknowledgements -- Table of contents -- Introduction -- Relevance of the study -- Christian and traditional african religions -- After vatican council II -- The early period -- Colonial christianity -- Nature of dialogue -- Inculturation and on-going dialogue -- Nature of dialogue within the context of inculturation -- Inculturation, challenges and implications -- Research hypothesis -- Research questions -- Overview of chapters -- Lubukusu and kiswahili -- Introduction -- The status of kiswahili and lubukusu languages in kenya -- Classification -- Linguistic studies in lubukusu and kiswahili -- Kiswahili and lubukusu languages : preliminary issues -- Kiswahili language -- Lubukusu language -- Conclusion -- Communicative genre and ritual studies -- Introduction -- Communicative genre theory -- Historical development in communicative genre studies -- Issues in communicative genres -- The notion of context -- Context, interpretive frame and performance -- Context and reflexivity -- Context and contextualization -- Interactional sociolinguistics -- Communicative genre and ritual -- Ritual, rite and ceremony -- The development of ritual -- Problems in ritual analysis -- Parallels between ritual and communicative genre -- Points of divergence -- Conclusion -- Data and methods -- Theoretical and methodological implications -- Data and methods -- Recordings -- Interviews -- Analysis -- The bukusu funeral event -- Introduction -- The christian funeral -- Studies in the christian understanding of death -- Cosmologies underlying the christian understanding of death -- Summary of the christian cosmologies -- Activities in the christian funeral event -- The traditional bukusu funeral -- Studies in traditional bukusu understanding of death -- Cosmologies underlying the bukusu understanding of death -- Summary of bukusu cosmologies -- Activities in traditional bukusu funeral -- Similarities and differences between christian and traditional bukusu funerals -- Cosmologies underlying the understanding of death -- Activities in christian and traditional bukusu funeral -- The bukusu funeral event today -- Conclusion -- The structure of the sermon -- Introduction -- Studies in the sermon -- The sermon -- Elements of the funeral sermon -- The situative features -- The formal aspects : commonly used formal features -- The formal aspects : uncommonly used formal features -- The constitutive features of the sermon -- Conclusion -- The structure of the traditional public comforting genre -- Introduction -- Aspects in traditional public comforting (khuuswena, khuuswala kumuse) -- The function of khuuswena, khuswaala kumuse -- The social context -- The thematic structure -- The comforter and the venue -- The performative and topical structures -- The performative structure -- The topical structure -- The presentation of topics in traditional public comforting -- Examples of communicative techniques from other performances -- The constitutive features of traditional public comforting -- Conclusion -- Communicative techniques -- Introduction -- Performance -- Contcxtualization cues -- Communicative techniques -- Performative aspects -- Conclusion -- Communicative techniques in the sermon -- Introduction -- Analogy -- Metaphor -- Rhetorical questions -- Citation -- Semi-direct speech -- 'Let us...' formula -- Code switching -- Conclusion -- Communicative techniques in traditional public comforting -- Introduction -- Analogy -- Metaphor -- Semi-direct speech -- Dialogic sequence -- Reported dialogue -- Scenario -- Narratives -- Conclusion -- Heteroglossia in the sermon -- Introduction -- Aspects in heteroglossia -- Definition -- Types of heteroglossia -- Inculturation -- Refutation of traditional bukusu religious aspects -- Analogy -- Semi-direct speech -- Code switching -- Replacement of meaning -- Analogy -- Proverbs -- Code switching -- Conclusion -- Heteroglossia in traditional public comforting -- Introduction -- Refutation of christian beliefs and practices -- Analogy -- Comparison and contrast -- Semi-direct speech -- Legitimization of traditional bukusu beliefs and ideas -- Examples with concealed elements from christian religion -- Coalescence of beliefs and values -- Conclusion -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Appendices -- Appendix A -- Transcription conventions -- Appendix B -- Questionnaire for interviews -- Appendix C -- Questions related to the sermon and traditional public comforting -- Sermon.