Boys to Men

Bogwera is the puberty initiation rite of Tswana men in Botswana and South Africa. It marks the transition from boyhood to manhood, and it is considered that the uninitiated will remain a boy forever. Christianity,introduced to the Tswana people 200 years ago by Western missionaries, considered participation in initiation ceremonies a sign of paganism. Through this Western influence, initiation ceremonies ceased. The loss created a cultural void marked by disorientation and loss of identity among Tswana male youths. In this book I develop a functional substitute to enable young men to be recognized socially as responsible adults who live as faithful followers of Christ. The loss of the means to achieve adult status has frustrated young men's ability to attain their manhood ideals, contributing to the breakdown of Tswana society with an increasing tendency for men to act with culturally inappropriate behavior. Through discussion groups in the Christian community, Tswanas were able to see the compatibility of cultural ideals and biblical ideals. A new model of initiation is a means of discipling young men in the Christian community without disconnecting them from their own culture.