Traditional Religion as a source of African theology just as Christian theology is. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. 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. 2 0 obj As a universal religion, Christianity has to find an, This article engages with the notion of Ndembu traditional eco-masculinities which was conceptualised in a framework of sacrifice as ground for manliness. However, to them, the entire universe is filled with spirit such as trees, rocks, and rivers. They believe that Obatala helped Olurun in creating theworld and everything in it. 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. The Yoruba, however, do have a concept of a supreme being, called Olorun or Olodumare, and this creator god of the universe is empowered by the various orisa [deities] to create the earth and carry out all its related functions, including receiving the prayers and supplications of the Yoruba people. "The success of Christianity and Islam on the African continent in the last 100 years has been extraordinary, but it has been, unfortunately, at the expense of African indigenous religions," said Olupona. However, Christians can offer animals to the church where they canbe sold or reared to give the church income. To understand African tradition, one needs to understand the position of African Traditional Religion on God, the human person, and creation. Christians observe the Lords supper. There are also the lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. Before you discuss on how somebody is doing something, it is also good to look at the reason why the person is doing that thing, so that you can be in a better position to educate the person properly. / DI41@ tD}r;Y w,XVzwiA1JtvrlfFaD7E@s 00=L"q{Vf\}ioKy=lXS.P6ChX m% ~nUV)=vp%FBvy}+6,0+V8sG&>K_iBOntQvyCN[I'uvR;}hA/D|+I9Q$cL, 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. This is called the Trinity. stream 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 These spirit do not carry the desires of humans to the Creator God. Editorial Statement: This essay is a slightly modified excerpt from the section "Evaluating African Traditional Religion: The Descriptive Task" (98-107) in Fr. When one becomes a Christian he/she is baptised. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. Taboos and customs cover all aspects of human life: words, foods, dress, relations among people, marriage, burial, work, and so forth: A part of this belief in the moral and religious order is belief in the invisible universe, which consists of divinities, spirits, and the ancestors (the living dead). God, the ancestors, and the spirits are all moral powers whose actions affect human life in various ways and to various degrees. May the Lord assist us to know the truth and walk in it. Fardon, Richard A holistic interpretation of the book between Paul and James. African Spirituality, Politics, and Knowledge Systems - Toyin Falola 2022-03-10 Focusing on the three leading religious traditions in Africa (African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity), this book shows how belief in the supremacy of sacred words compels actions and influences practices in contemporary Africa. These are the pristine men and women, the originators of the lineage or clan or ethnic group. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. } Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. by Richard Chowning [ ATR Topics Page | Africa Missions Research and Strategy Page | Africa Missions Main Page | Help ] [ QuickStart ] Creator God The supreme being in most African Traditional Religions is seen as the creator of humans and all other living things. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. He then reflects on five "essential aspects" of. ^xH&M'YZ7EDi%qN^K This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. They do not offer any libation. endobj Some ancestors may even be reincarnated to replenish the lineage. Olupona, professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard Divinity School and professor of African and African-American studies in Harvards Faculty of Arts and Sciences, recently sat down for an interview about his lifelong research on indigenous African religions. 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. 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. Therefore, the universe has dimensions of order and power as follows: first of all, there is order in the laws of nature. Learn more about the similarities and differences of the religious systems of Africa, including indigenous religions, Abrahamic, Islamic, and Christian beliefs of people in the region. Just like in Christianity, traditional Africanreligion has organised practices. When a missionary asked Africans in Zanzibar to tell him something about their God, they simply said, "God thunders!" The cleric had travelled across the seas in the 19th century to tell "the heathens without religion" or "people with a primitive religion" about God. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. They have also fostered a greater feeling of individual self-worth by acknowledging important milestones in ones life, including becoming an adult or an elder. Different fathers played a role in the development of this religion. These intermediary agents include the ancestors, members of the community who at death become idealized. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in . Omissions? A network of mutual relationships and responsibilities links the duals worlds of the mundane and the sacred. Both religions believe that God revealsHimself to people through dreams, propheciesand other special events. 1630-1633), HEBREWS' CHRISTOLOGY AND ITS CONTEMPORARY APPREHENSION IN AFRICA 1, New Mind, New Heart, New Strength (A Paradigm on the New Man), Dissertation ETD Libermann and EA in Dialogue Dec 2013, Pentecostalism and Shamanism in Asia and Beyond: An Inter-disciplinary Analysis. the other in tradition poses a serious dilemma for both Christianity and tradition in Africa. Both have initiation rites into full membership. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) This is because Jesusalready shed His blood on the cross and He was the perfect sacrifice that totally satisfied God. Mbiti says that: According to Mbiti, human beings have a privileged position in the universe. Africans had shrines they believedGod dwelt in. The spiritual medium is the physical embodiment of the religious retributive order in which Africans know themselves to stand.. While both Christianity and African religion have a concept of a Supreme Being,Christians believe in a God who exists in three persons. The vibrancy of African Traditional Religion in these two aspectstheological and moralcreates a unique opportunity for Christianity in Africa, one that, as Bediako points out has been lost to Christian theology in the West, for a serious and creative theological encounter between the Christian and primal traditions. It is therefore very important for African theology to ascertain the meaning of African Traditional Religion, both because of the service this tradition renders to Christian theology as a dialogue partner, and because the very self-awareness of the African theologian and of African theology itself to a large extent hinges on a proper articulation and appreciation of Africas pre-Christian past. In the part two of my writing, l will expand on the world populated by spirits called Vodou alongside that of the Akan. Indigenous African religion is primarily an oral tradition and has never been fully codified; thus, it allows itself to more easily be amended and influenced by other religious ideas, religious wisdom, and by modern development. :t\.1biti's approach assumes that "Christianity comes to enhance African traditional religions." This implies that there is no tension between the major elements of African Traditional Religions and the major claims of Christianity." 19 In this paper, Ill bring the understanding of African traditional adherents into the light of the Holy Scriptures; to explain what the Bible teaches about soul and spirit in relation to God and man. For example, followers can seek spiritual direction and relief from healers, medicine men and women, charms [adornments often worn to incur good luck], amulets [adornments often used to ward off evil], and diviners [spiritual advisers]. Wendy Sherman, who was the lead U.S. negotiator in the nuclear deal with Iran, was welcomed by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. Copyright 2023 Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. 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. This paper uses a qualitative research approach in the form of document analysis to critically explore the religious intersectionalities between Christianity and African Traditional. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. The . This dissertation will attempt to explore how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the exorcistic activities of the African Indigenous Churches. 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. Traditional African religious influences on the church and the Bible It is worth noting that Cameroonians ferociously resisted foreign religions in the 18th century to maintain their traditional religions when Christianity entered Cameroon (Betoto, 2012). Peel, J. D. Y. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? Ifa is an indispensable treasure trove of knowledge that cant be duplicated elsewhere; much of its knowledge has been handed down from babalawo [Ifa priest/diviner] to babalawo for centuries. Janson, Marloes endobj The African Traditional Religion, which is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences. Commonalities between Christianity and Africa Traditional Religion. Baptismis by being sprinkled on water or being dipped in water. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. 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 (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. Some of the ideas from Mbitis works are pertinent to our discussion here: Africans believe in a hierarchy of beings, from the ultimate being, God, to lesser ones, divinities, spirits, the living dead, human beings, animals, plants, and inanimate beings. 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. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. 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. 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. These shrines were built near waterbodies, next to big trees or near other sacred places. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. Human beings maintain active and real relationshipswith the spiritual world, especially with the living dead, through offerings, sacrifices, and prayers. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Its about getting tangible results. His research has helped to introduce and popularize new concepts in religious studies, such as the term reverse missionaries, referring to African prelates sent to Europe and the United States. O?+dOw\eOoHc_o~ Q:c qeM1ehb/j|-Xyy#=g vnxX,o"\4/I+{U40f_dX!y2#i.7Xi0}zi*_Qk({_8D2M"09E%kR`O"}Ec#O3+lwP/z[r=]jPh!eC6Ci{FKnW4 In the end, I believe that Africans can make room for a plurality of religious points of view without one religious point of view excluding or compromising the other. Second, Africans believe in a moral order given by God, stipulated by the ancestors in the past. But today that is not the case due to more exclusive-minded types of Christianity and Islam that see patronizing indigenous African beliefs and practices as violating the integrity of their Christian or Muslim principles, but I believe that one can maintain ones religious integrity and also embrace an African worldview. Sarr, Ramon The other question: Stereotype, This essay deals with the relationship between Christianity and other religions. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. For starters, the word religion is problematic for many Africans, because it suggests that religion is separate from the other aspects of ones culture, society, or environment. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). The African Traditional Religion has no founder. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by the forebears of the present Africans, and which is being practised today in various forms and various shades and intensities by a very large number . Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. Human beings are the link between the heavens and the earth, between the visible and the invisible universe. Traditional African religion does not show any belief in the Trinity. 2017. Hence, it cannot be avoided in the interaction between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. 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. Traditional Africans had to go to specific sacred placesfor them to worship but Christians can worship God anywhere at any time. Other spirits with a significant role in maintaining the African traditional moral world include ancestors and lineage spirits who operate in specific social contexts where their will is expressed through misfortunes, and some other spirits who do not act directly but who rely on human agents to effect their will. These spirits underlie the power of spirit mediums who, as mediators between space and the human world and by virtue of the moral authority this confers, are able to arbitrate between living human beings. Some scholars have rightly observed that the centre of gravity of Christianity is shifting from the West to the two-thirds world, that is Asia, South America and Africa. These are called Taboos. Mbiti emphasizes that Africans view the universe religiously. These images could be of a lion or another animal carvedfrom a tree to represent a god. Below is the article summary. Neglect, it is believed, might spell doom. The religious activities of chiefs and lineage heads are generally limited to the more routine biweekly and annual festivities, but traditional priests given their association with specific shrines are regarded as specialized practitioners through whom the spirits of the gods may grant directions. Highlights of the first writing were, the African Traditional Religion, the life of the ethnic groups in Ghana; their beliefs, customs, ritual and taboos. . Traditional Africans communicated to God through ancestors. Witchcraft has been a prevailing belief in African cultures and has continually posed problems for the African people groups. The numerous traditional African religions have in common the notion of a creator god, who made the world and then withdrew, remaining remote from the concerns of human life. 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. Christians acknowledge the existenceof magic and witchcraft. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. A Background to Religion and Magic in Western Thought Our modern usage of the term 'magic' derives from the Greek magike, <> The religious traditions and beliefs of the African peoples have enough differences to merit a study of each in its own right. 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. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. February 21, 2019. It was believed that Vodun was a representativeof the Supreme God known as Mawu. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 9 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 595.32 841.92] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S>> Therefore, these traditional theologians condemned those who said, ATR and similar non-western religions are followed by irrational or foolish people who in their stupidity bow down to stones, trees and rivers instead of the Creator who created such objects and themselves. L_}mB)b7h; uZ4 QI,^ID-*Rj" xx>@9lCQr [GE1Hz:Aj3>^5T-FPD5|. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. Traditional Africans believed in the power of magic and medicinemen. OLUPONA: I was raised in Africa during the 1960s, when the Yoruba community never asked you to chose between your personal faith and your collective African identity. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. In short, the question is whether the notion of mercy exists in the moral order of African Traditional Religion and whether the sacrifices of African religion amount to an expiatory understanding in African religious thought. To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. But as we learnt in Unit One, Christians can also worship Him attheir homes or other places. 4 0 obj Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Black Americans, Side by side with their high levels of commitment to Christianity and Islam, many people in the countries surveyed retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. For instance, the Yoruba religion has historically been centered in southwestern Nigeria, the Zulu religion in southern Africa, and the Igbo religion in southeastern Nigeria. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? Youll never experience a black hole, but Avi Loeb can help you imagine one. But it is also the strict commitment, to the observance of certain (written or unwritten) divinely inspired moral prescriptions or codes of ethics, promulgated by the religious authorities and enforced by sanctions. 3 0 obj Adebanwi, Wale Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor, C.S.Sp., is Professor of moral theology, the theology of the world church, and Africana studies at the University of Notre Dame. Corrections? 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. In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. Green opines that although superficially regarded, this may seem to be a minimal moral relationshipmore like a kind of egoism on one side and fearful propitiation on the otherit also shows, however, the profound role that respect for age and for the fulfillment of lineage and familial duties play in this traditional setting. Christ Jesus, God's own son, takes the "groaning" of humans to God. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continent's major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. A classicatory system which attempts to distinguish the principal responses It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. All rights reserved. It evolved through many centuries, before the westerner come to Africa. 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. Ronald M. Green of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, a non-African scholar of African religion, has also written about African Traditional Religion and about religion and morality in Africa. x][oH~GroA $9,f K3d~VU_% fYU]q{Z?Fo?>w&j/n>>]?b5M._GYTQ|_W/_c\yA,bQQ)xn0ZtK*Q/Xb)zetab~x2e*w1Ym2n}{%2Kt[nQ,^'D^}WI_:'ym;eup|5>)$c4"y"E_C/ While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. for this article. Who Should Christians Worship? Journal of Biblical Unitarianism 1:1, 5-33, 2014. 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. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. Thus, for example, older persons not only possess a more powerful vital force but a greater responsibility in society and more intense mystical powers. Thus, it is because of the existence of this order that different communities have worked out a code of conduct. Thus, to assert as Mbiti does that there are no secret sins or that something or someone is bad or good only according to outward conduct is too careless a statement to make. Even though their differences outnumber their. To ensure that a natural balance is maintained between the world of the sacred and that of the profane, the roles of the chief within the state, family elders in relation to the lineage, and the priest within society, are crucial. 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? Have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today from the public sphere AIR in ( M.T.S ). Responses it is believed, might spell doom communities have worked out a of... 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