A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. x + 306. Mbiti emphasizes that Africans view the universe religiously. Pratten, David Authoring or editing more than half a dozen books on religion and African culture (including the recent African Religions: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press), Olupona has researched topics ranging from the indigenous religions of Africa to the religious practices of Africans who have settled in America. Traditional African religion advocated for bird and animal sacrifices whenever peoplewent to worship God. 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. The traditional cosmology expresses belief in a supreme being (referred to by the Akan as Nyame, or by the Ewe Mawu). 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 Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. Shrine visitation is strongest among the uneducated and in rural communities. To achieve its goal, the paper adopts the method of . While the recourse to traditional healers may be motivated in part by economic reasons and an absence of health care alternatives, it may also be rooted in religious beliefs about the efficacy of this approach. Encyclopedia of religious and spiritual development, Adopting Primary Taoism as a Protoevangelion for Contextualization of the Gospel into Asian Culture, Toward a Liturgical Approach to Re-Routing Mission, TOWARDS A THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE MYSTERY OF SUFFERING IN THE MIDST OF PROSPERITY THEOLOGY WITHIN THE PENTECOSTAL AND EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PARTICULARLY YANGORU, Mission in the Spirit: Towards a Pentecostal/Charismatic Missiology (with Julie C. Ma, Oxford: Regnum, 2010), The strategic level spiritual warfare theology of C. Peter Wagner and its implications for Christian mission in Malawi, Evangelism Handbook of New Testament Christianity, The Role of Caprivian Virtues in the Search for Common Moral Discourse A Conversation with Peter J Paris, Sexuality and Judaism, Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion (pg. 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. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? Therefore we speak of African Traditional Religion thinking of those common things. Sacrificial meals in the traditional Africanreligion are the equivalent of the Holy. African spirituality is truly holistic. Part one looks briefly at the matter of religion itself. 4 0 obj In lieu of these traditional African ways of defining oneself, Christianity and Islam are gradually creating a social identity in Africa that cuts across these indigenous African religious and social identities. ^xH&M'YZ7EDi%qN^K for this article. GAZETTE: How do you balance your Christian and indigenous African identity? The . An important area Green points to has to do with the role of God in these two systems of thought. A Background to Religion and Magic in Western Thought Our modern usage of the term 'magic' derives from the Greek magike, But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. May the Lord assist us to know the truth and walk in it. This is called the Trinity. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. [D@dIS(P]y`ne]y:fjGZ3yEAVOI QFY- 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. 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. Their purpose is to summarize recent material produced by the relevant religious organizations and by some of the main academic interpreters to provide Hence, it cannot be avoided in the interaction between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. 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. 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 0 obj Exodus 20:3-5 tells us not to make or worship images ofanything in heaven or on earth. 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. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. The defining line between deities and ancestors is often contested, but overall, ancestors are believed to occupy a higher level of existence than living human beings and are believed to be able to bestow either blessings or illness upon their living descendants. ;;m]mB"DTSUD[j*3l D{k7@tB0cg]Er+e)skf6cRUiu,WdmlA#OLs81/#qs v(a6lA`O/HvX*3SME_qv&oMm?{{n Secondly, there is moral and religious order. They are thus moral agents. It is the ancestors, however, the custodians of tradition, who determine the way these agents act, and it is tradition that supplies the moral code and indicates what the people must do to live ethically. African traditions carry out their role as ethical guides in many ways, including myths and rituals. Peel, J. D. Y. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. "useRatesEcommerce": false 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. 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. These laws are controlled by God directly or indirectly through Gods intermediaries. The understanding of God normally needs some refining when one comes from African Traditional Religion to be a Christian. This practice, no matter how limited it is, again shows how untenable the blanket assertion is that African moral traditions are those of abundant life. 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. <> Furthermore, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice that totally pleased God and there is no need for any other. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. It is worth noting that these animals areat no time offered as burnt offerings to God. Today Christians worship Godmainly in churches. 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. Human beings maintain active and real relationshipswith the spiritual world, especially with the living dead, through offerings, sacrifices, and prayers. 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. The religious traditions and beliefs of the African peoples have enough differences to merit a study of each in its own right. Witchcraft was also feared and witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people get sick or end their life. inequality and class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity. 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 power is not accessible to everyone, and in most cases it is inborn, but the person has to learn how to use it. <> Religion is part and parcel of daily life. These initiation rituals are already not as common in Africa as they were only 50 years ago, yet age-grade initiations have always helped young Africans feel connected to their community and their past. I had it. 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. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. For this reason, they can come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the teaching of the Word of God because it is home going time. 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/ 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. They do not offer any libation. One of Jacob Oluponas earliest memories in Massachusetts is of nearly freezing in his apartment as a graduate student at Boston University during the great snowstorm of 1978. Corrections? (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. These shrines were built near waterbodies, next to big trees or near other sacred places. Omissions? 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. 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. Christianity and Traditional African Heritage, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Quantum computing simulation reveals possible wormhole-like dynamics. 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. 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. 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? For all Ghanaian ethnic groups, the spirit world is considered to be as real as the world of the living. 3 0 obj He then reflects on five "essential aspects" of. Adebanwi, Wale African traditional religion cannot be discussed without mentioning that it is the way of life of the people of Africa and so cannot be differentiated from the politics, education, and socialisation, etc. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. endobj A classicatory system which attempts to distinguish the principal responses This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. (Hebrews 1:1,Matthew 5:17,Exodus 34:10-28). Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. 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. These spirit do not carry the desires of humans to the Creator God. Mission Manual Pages Section A Biblical Basis of Mission 1 20, E-journal of Religious and Theological Studies, TITLE A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SALVATION IN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY: TOWARDS DEVELOPING AN EVANGELISTIC MODEL IN SPECIAL REFERENCE TO TUENSANG DISTRICT CHAPTER ONE, Baptism and Original Sin in the Early Church : contributions of Tertullian, THE UNIQUELY CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW - Ethington Book, CHRISTIANITY AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN KUMASI: A COMPARATIVE STUDY Department of General Art Studies, SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY @BULLET An Introduction to Bible Doctrine @BULLET, Monotheism in the Qur'an and in the New Testament: Comparative Theological Explorations of the Role of Prophets and the Covenants. The African Traditional Religion, which is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences. 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. Interrogating identity: Frantz Fanon and the postcolonial prerogative, 3. Veneration of departed ancestors is a major characteristic of all traditional religions. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. x\s6Q|jyLd*{-Jb"$e~ $@ 6G"F@w? Mystical power is found in all of them, in diminishing degrees. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. (See the glossary for more information on juju. Below is the article summary. 3 0 obj Editorial Statement: This essay is a slightly modified excerpt from the section "Evaluating African Traditional Religion: The Descriptive Task" (98-107) in Fr. 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. The data also will include a survey he conducted in 1999 of 1201 participants across Ghana concerning the belief in the traditional spirit-world. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. stream There are also the lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. Commonly, God is believed to dwell in the skies. The African Traditional Religion has no founder. African religions behavior is centered mainly on the human person and his or her life in this world, with the consequence that religion is clearly functional, or a means to serve people to acquire earthly goods (life, health, fecundity, wealth, power and the like) and to maintain social cohesion and order.. In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. He is not only the covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant. Pentecostalism and Shamanism in Asia and Beyond, A Critical Analysis of Byang Kato's Demonology and Its Theological Relevance for an Evangelical Demonology, INITIATION IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION, Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Kirsteen Kim, Amos Yong: Interdisciplinary and Religio-Cultural Discourses on a Spirit-Filled World, Encounter - Journal of African Life and Religion, 12 (2017), REGNUM STUDIES IN MISSION Pentecostal Mission and Global Christianity An Edinburgh Centenary Reader, Van Rheenen, Gailyn: Missions - biblical foundations. The traditional spirit-world would you define indigenous African religions which is still in place today can... African continent of Religion itself real as the world of the Africans, 3 traditions... Big trees or near other sacred places, but I will affirm the importance of my age.. Religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent is the perfect that! Rivers, trees and mountains these two systems of thought for daily to! 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