in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) 1 Their central thrust is to emphasize the similarities rather than the differences between current movements in the world religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, but But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. For example, in 14 of the 19 countries surveyed, more than three-in-ten people say they sometimes consult traditional healers when someone in their household is sick. The . From this view point, Ill begin to say that African Traditional Religion (ATR) involves the belief and worship of the Supreme Being known and revered all over Africa as Onyame in Akan, Mao in Ewe, Chineke in Igbo and Oludumare in Yoruba etc. In many communities across the world traditional beliefs and practices are passed down generations and are a feature of day-to-day life, despite the influence of outside sources. Whenever. Traditional Africans made images of the Supreme God or other supernatural beingswhich they worshipped. A third scholar of interest to us here is Laurenti Magesa, the central thesis of whose book on African religion is captured quite succinctly in the subtitle: African religion constitutes a tradition of abundant life. between African traditional religion and the Christian faith. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. inequality and class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. Thus, everythingis not completely unpredictable and chaotic because of this order. No matter how one looks at it, to offer the female members of ones family as a mark of hospitality to a stranger is morally wrong, not just from the point of view of Christian morality but from a purely natural law point of view as well. This is a universal belief among Africans. The Yoruba believe in the existence of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe lesser god, Obatala. Mbiti says that: According to Mbiti, human beings have a privileged position in the universe. In addition, roughly a quarter or more of the population in 11 countries say they believe in the protective power of juju (charms or amulets), shrines and other sacred objects. For example, sickness in the indigenous African worldview is not only an imbalance of the body, but also an imbalance in ones social life, which can be linked to a breakdown in ones kinship and family relations or even to ones relationship with ones ancestors. The final aspect of this deep structure of moral reason in African Traditional Religion Green refers to as morally intentional trans-moral safety valves such as are found in the doctrine of grace or atonement in Weston religions (Christianity) or of liberation from the world of moral causation in Eastern religions. Just like in Christianity, traditional Africanreligion has organised practices. Below is the article summary. It argues that since the coming of democracy this form of religion has occupied a more important position, Although there is some debate, Francis Oborji in this article argues that one should speak of African Traditional Religion (ATR) in the singular. In the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups the above phenomenological conception of ATR called for education in the light of the scriptures. Published online by Cambridge University Press: Peel, J. D. Y. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. The Igbo traditional religious worldview maintains a polytheistic religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the Christian religion. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? Dependence here functions like a two-way street, with the dead needing continued respect from and support by the living, and the living needingat least benign neutrality on the part of the dead. The Spirit medium is in many ways a subordinate agency within the layer of retributive order. The voice and action of the spirit medium connect the community with these moral and spiritual entities who help shape human destiny. The idea is that the traditional African practitioner who constructed that amulet believes in the efficacy of other faiths and religions; there is no conflict in his mind between his traditional African spirituality and another faith. He has useful insights to add to our discussion and in many ways corroborates the statements other scholars like Mbiti have made about African religion. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. degree at Harvard Divinity School. Furthermore, the issue is whether a strict order of retribution cannot be tolerated if human ambition gets in the way of realizing enduring moral virtue and well-being. The religious functions, especially of chiefs and lineage heads, are clearly demonstrated during such periods as the Odwira of the Akan, Hogbetsotso / Tedudu of the Ewe, the Homowo of the Ga-Adangbe, or the Aboakyir of the Efutu (coastal Guan), when the people are organized in activities that renew and strengthen relations with their ancestors. But as we learnt in Unit One, Christians can also worship Him attheir homes or other places. Most African communities offered animals and not humans as sacrifices. I answered two, The paper discusses the state of traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa. Part one looks briefly at the matter of religion itself. Mbiti emphasizes that Africans view the universe religiously. Secondly, there is moral and religious order. There is also a mystical order of the universe. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). These are called Taboos. KEYWORDS: African Culture, Christian God, Deities, Religion, Values. Traditional Africans didnot have this practice. We will return to these issues later in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, but for now it is enough to ask whether the similarities in the deep structure between the two religions are indeed as similar as Green suggests. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. Areas of interest to read in the part one was how Christianity has found an inroad into the lives of so many who were living in deep darkness and slavery to the evil powers. At stake here is nothing less than the question of human culpability and ultimate redemption, which has to do with the traditional Christian topic of sin and grace. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential. Postcolonial, Abstract Interfaith dialogue is commonly used in building peace and understanding among religious groups. The writing of this paper is another opportunity given to me so that l would use my talents given by the Holy Spirit to help our relatives still under the worldview of Satan to see and come into the Light of Life. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This chapter includes information on: Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB) Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for AI. Specifically, by reflecting on the wonder and magnitude of the universe, they came to the conclusion that God must exist: they posited the existence of God to explain the existence and sustenance of the universe. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. Content may require purchase if you do not have access. This order, according to Mbiti, is knowable to humans, by nature. The missionaries succeeded in spreading Christianity in Africa at a time when tribal religions were ignored or denigrated. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. While Islam and Christianity tend to be overtly resistant to adopting traditional African religious ideas or practices, indigenous African religions have always accommodated other beliefs. Both have places of worship. Christians observe the Lords supper. <> GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? The spiritual medium is the physical embodiment of the religious retributive order in which Africans know themselves to stand.. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. Some traditional African societies like the Yoruba believed in the existence of lessergods. A sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God, e.g. University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. <> Both believe that God is the creator ofhumankind. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. Creative people have bypassed gatekeepers for centuries to distribute what they wanted to share so badly. They find common ground in Houghton Library exhibition. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Traditional African religion does not show any belief in the Trinity. They are not mutually exclusive. The vigor with which the African Traditional Religion (ATR) has continued to resist the onslaught of Christianity is a cause of academic preoccupation. Inculturation, as we will argue later in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, sheds the light of the gospel on cultural practices like this one to reveal what is sinful in them and to show that human beings, especially women, in this case, deserve better treatment than this. Quantum computing simulation reveals possible wormhole-like dynamics. So, basically, to speak of African tradition is to talk about African Traditional Religion. Just as within the traditional political and diplomatic contexts, one cannot formally contact the king without the agency of his linguists or sub-chiefs. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. Green points out that there is a rational basis to African Traditional Religion that shows, in Kantian terms, that there is a deep structure of universal moral and religious reason to it. The three requirements of reason at the heart of this structure are: first, a basic rule or procedure of moral choice; second, a metaphysic grounding the possibility of strict moral retribution; and third, . A Background to Religion and Magic in Western Thought Our modern usage of the term 'magic' derives from the Greek magike, Also, how the Christian organizations help free women and girls from the grip of slavery. Mbiti makes a very controversial point when he claims that in African societies there are no acts that would be considered wrong in themselves. The Church is the Christian family, in which all are accompanied to one another through belief and baptism in Jesus Christ. Who Should Christians Worship? Journal of Biblical Unitarianism 1:1, 5-33, 2014. The recipient of many prestigious academic honors and research fellowships, Olupona also received the 20152016 Reimar Lust Award for International and Cultural Exchange, considered one of Germanys most prestigious academic honors. % Christ is the Mediator between Humans and God In African Traditional Religion ancestral spirits, and lesser gods, are usually the spirits that communicate with humans on earth. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. All work unless implicitly stated is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. This is the function of Gods providence and sustenance of the universe. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. Those to whom this power is accessible can use it for good, such as healing, rainmaking, or divination, while others can use it for harm, through magic, witchcraft, and sorcery. Therefore, the universe has dimensions of order and power as follows: first of all, there is order in the laws of nature. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? Some African diasporans are returning to the continent to reconnect with their ancestral traditions, and they are encouraging and organizing the local African communities to reclaim this heritage. This is the kind of interlocutor who will counter an observation about violent militancy in contemporary Islam in the context, let us say, of a discussion about Boko Haram with But what about the Crusades? This paper uses a qualitative research approach in the form of document analysis to critically explore the religious intersectionalities between Christianity and African Traditional. The Yoruba diviners, for example, draw on this extensive indigenous knowledge every day by consulting Ifa, an extensive literary corpus of information covering science, medicine, cosmology, and metaphysics. They trust God for their healing. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. Much of Oluponas work is an attempt to provide a fuller understanding of the complexity and richness of African indigenous thought and practice by viewing it not as a foil or as a useful comparative to better understand Western religions, but as a system of thought and belief that should be valued and understood for its own ideas and contribution to global religions. Christian teaching forbids making of any kinds ofimages to represent God. Like Mbiti and Green, Magesa notes that the world of African Traditional Religion is a hierarchically ordered place where, On the lowest rung of the ladder are spirits, who are active beings distinct from humans and reside in nature and phenomena such as trees, rivers, rocks, or lakes. They claimed or argued strongly that in the light of the more objective or scientific study of religions, ATR can no longer be justifiably characterized as stupid, since the worshippers do not worship the said material objects per se, but the Spirit of the Creator reflected in them. People may complain to God and the ancestors, but they will never accuse them of any moral wrongdoing. These differences, I will argue, have significant impact not just on the way people conceive of the moral world or with regard to moral intentions, but also on moral practices. Christians do not believe in the existence of any other godapart from the Supreme Being. These included interviews he conducted with pastors, exorcists, traditional priests, so-called witches and delivered witches. Despite the presence of Christianity, traditional religions in Ghana have retained their influence because of their intimate relation to family loyalties and local mores. Both religions believe that God revealsHimself to people through dreams, propheciesand other special events. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Rooted in the belief in God as the Creator, Africans believe in various dimensions of the created universe, such as visible and invisible (the spiritual realm), heavenly (skyward) and earthly (and in some ethnic groups there is a belief in the underworld). For Christians itsa church. This power originates from God but is possessed hierarchically by divinities, spirits, and the living dead, and it is available to some people, in various degrees. This power is not accessible to everyone, and in most cases it is inborn, but the person has to learn how to use it. The cup of wine symbolises the blood Jesus shedand the bread symbolises His body which was broken for us. Christianity, African traditional religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. as a burnt offering. Christians pray toGod through Jesus Christ. OLUPONA: Yes, its a mixed bag because in the African diaspora mostly due to the slave trade starting in the 15th century indigenous African religions have spread and taken root all over the world, including in the United States and Europe. I am going to use the research reports of Opoky Onyinah , which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 and 1999. 1 0 obj Therefore we speak of African Traditional Religion thinking of those common things. That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. <> I utilised this view as hermeneutical point. OLUPONA: If we lose traditional African religions, we would also lose or continue to seriously undermine the African practice of rites of passage such as the much cherished age-grade initiations, which have for so long integrated and bought Africans together under a common understanding, or worldview. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The action of the living, for example, can affect the gods or spirits of the departed, while the support of family or tribal ancestors ensures prosperity of the lineage or state. The position I critique in this paper is really a complex of closely overlapping positions, some more theoretically sophisticated or better grounded empirically than others. Religion is part and parcel of daily life. endobj Exodus 20:3-5 tells us not to make or worship images ofanything in heaven or on earth. All rights reserved. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. Feature Flags: { With regard to the issue of offering ones wife in generosity, this practice, as Laurenti Magesa has shown, applied to a very limited number of African ethnic groups, such as the Masai, and in very tightly controlled situations among friends within the same age group fraternity and on very limited occasions. psC68k}(`eMTO} }3sUO?JH`dMQois6I{r[}Doq?L0}ze^WZ\|r?3Z %g~bs_*@F`b, vw`qRk3xnnH6NSKF vFK](S?I.$@\$OC(N#a6oJc!0 sm!$!'TGzmSvw)+Na?1s K{o?!I In other words, he shows that the sense of the divine was not something introduced to Africa by missionaries or by anyone else; that the knowledge of God in African religion was not much different from the idea of God that Christian missionaries preached in Africa; and, more specifically to our purpose here, that belief in God engendered a moral response that for centuries before Christian arrival in Africa directed moral life and interaction on the continent and among its peoples. February 21, 2019. He is not only the covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant. The spirit medium is required to possess moral probity and integrity. <> The contact was in fact,between two. These spirit do not carry the desires of humans to the Creator God. l| -O;l0bo?Ge_4=MQ=EO|`X\G~Ah,yyG]%,GmF/-w F%YX`Ip}( na~!e[X/K879 ,y?R'd&h. d?ZKS=h8\%M{h(5M=xUeQG:3Sp}#-%>KpC3`zI *vw() The understanding of God normally needs some refining when one comes from African Traditional Religion to be a Christian. According to Mbiti, Africans believe that God has ordained a moral order for humans, through which they came to understand what is good and what is evil, so that they might live in harmony with one another and safeguard the life of the people. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax African spirituality simply acknowledges that beliefs and practices touch on and inform every facet of human life, and therefore African religion cannot be separated from the everyday or mundane.. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. Villepastour, Amanda These shrines were built near waterbodies, next to big trees or near other sacred places. This happened in the past, and these codes were stipulated, considered sacred and binding, by the community leaders: The moral and religious order in the universe is articulated and expressed in a variety of taboos and customs that prohibit specific actions contravening such order. (I myself have consulted with several diviners for my research on specific academic topics regarding African culture and history; consequently, if we were to lose Africas diviners, we would also lose one of Africas best keepers and sources of African history and culture. Indigenous African practices tend to be strongest in the central states of Africa, but some form of their practices and beliefs can be found almost anywhere in Africa. Keywords: contextualization . The religious traditions and beliefs of the African peoples have enough differences to merit a study of each in its own right. Barrenness is, therefore, considered a great misfortune because it prevents ancestors from returning to life. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, In the U.S. and Western Europe, people say they accept Muslims, but opinions are divided on Islam, In Western Europe, familiarity with Muslims is linked to positive views of Muslims and Islam, Q&A: Measuring attitudes toward Muslims and Jews in Western Europe, Europes Muslim population will continue to grow but how much depends on migration, The Growth of Germanys Muslim Population, Size & Demographic Characteristics of Religious Groups, Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, The changing face of Congress in 8 charts, As Russian invasion nears one-year mark, partisans grow further apart on U.S. support for Ukraine. &RcIX6Wa). . To achieve its goal, the paper adopts the method of . % As judge, God is understood to uphold this standard by ultimately punishing its violations and by rewarding the righteous (usually in some eschatological domain). Moral culpability is always on the shoulders of humanity. The same hierarchy evident in the relationship between God, the ancestors, and humanity is also present in the relationship between the animate and the inanimate world, the former being superior to the latter. Everywhere he went in southwestern Nigeria, he never opposed or spoke out against African culture including initiation rites, festivals, and traditional Yoruba dress as long as it didnt directly conflict with Christianity. African spirituality has always been able to adapt to change and allow itself to absorb the wisdom and views of other religions, much more than, for example, Christianity and Islam. The African Traditional Religion, which is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences. This is one of the most amazing opportunities l have to speak or write in the hope of bringing freedom, to show the value of every human life, and to help girls who are in immense suffering. Thus, for example, older persons not only possess a more powerful vital force but a greater responsibility in society and more intense mystical powers. The Church also combines those who have died and those who still live. Total loading time: 0 Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. For this reason, l am writing on the topic, which says, Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible. These could be caves, forests,mountains and so on. This condition is under a traditional religion belief called the trokosi system or wives of the ancestral gods. These ancestral gods lived in the spiritual world, which according to ATR, is the world populated by spirits. A classicatory system which attempts to distinguish the principal responses In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. They do so by going to the hospital. They do this by having Africans increasingly identify themselves as either Muslim or Christian, thus denying their unique African worldview that has always viewed as evidenced in their creation myths everything as unified and connected to the land, the place were ones clan, lineage, and people were cosmically birthed. Sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and it can never be separated from public. Who have died similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf those who have died and those who still live of a Supreme,... But as we learnt in Unit one, Christians can also worship Him attheir homes or other beingswhich. Is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and.. In Germany ; he is not a closed theological system, dress,,... Public sphere this order keep the covenant would you define indigenous African religions in decades have suggestions improve! Is on leave this year ( 201516 ) on Our websites are to... Our websites African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and death Christianity, priests! There is also a mystical order of the universe, to speak African! Traditional Africans made images of the universe mbiti, is the physical of... Theological system other special events beliefs of the religious retributive order to represent God other places traditions... 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