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. 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. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. Published online by Cambridge University Press: "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. 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, . x + 306. 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. 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 amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. Both have religious leaders or priests whopresent the peoples requests to God. Furthermore, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice that totally pleased God and there is no need for any other. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. 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. Sacrificial meals in the traditional Africanreligion are the equivalent of the Holy. Their significance lies in the genealogical positions and the rights and duties which derive from them. Ancestors uphold right conduct by punishing moral violations, demanding respect and attention, and getting angry when not given due respect. The Supreme Being is usually thought of as remote from daily religious life and is, therefore, not directly worshipped. I answered two, The paper discusses the state of traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa. Christians do not offer animal sacrifices to appease God. stream 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. the other in tradition poses a serious dilemma for both Christianity and tradition in Africa. These act as a link between God and the human community. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. 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. $70.00/$25.00. It is a counter culture in response to the, The move towards contextual Christianity in Africa is an essential venture if Christianity is to communicate with the African cultural heritage. Editorial Statement: This essay is a slightly modified excerpt from the section "Evaluating African Traditional Religion: The Descriptive Task" (98-107) in Fr. 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 Traditional Africans did not practice baptism. Traditional theologians explained that one could not worship the Supreme Being formally, without the agency of the divinities or ancestors. Its about getting tangible results. Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA There are untold millions, which are outside the fold who need to come into the saving knowledge of Christ. An important area Green points to has to do with the role of God in these two systems of thought. Witchcraft was also feared and witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people get sick or end their life. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. (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. African spirituality is truly holistic. They believe that Obatala helped Olurun in creating theworld and everything in it. Devoid of essential personal characteristics they represent the essence of what might be called structural personality. Ancestors and numerous other spirits are also recognized as part of the cosmological order. Updates? These spirit do not carry the desires of humans to the Creator God. ABSTRACT PART II: Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene In the part one of my writing, with the titled The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible - dated 31st May 2006, l explained how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana understood God in their traditional religious practices. The other very big difference between African Traditional Religion and Christianity is the worship. One scholar who has written extensively on African Traditional Religion is John Mbiti, a Kenyan whom many consider the dean of living African theologians. 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. 1 0 obj 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. The Church is the Christian family, in which all are accompanied to one another through belief and baptism in Jesus Christ. This is because Jesusalready shed His blood on the cross and He was the perfect sacrifice that totally satisfied God. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. Traditional Africans didnot have this practice. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. 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 Some traditional African societies like the Yoruba believed in the existence of lessergods. 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/ 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. hasContentIssue true, Copyright International African Institute 2016. 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. They take the communion to remember thedeath and resurrection of Jesus. In most cases, the earth is conceived as a living thing, a goddess, Mother Earth. According to Mbiti, the earth is symbolically viewed as the mother of the universe, while the heavens/sky are seen as its male counterpart. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. The numerous traditional African religions have in common the notion of a creator god, who made the . While both Christianity and African religion have a concept of a Supreme Being,Christians believe in a God who exists in three persons. All rights reserved. Akiki Nyabongos novel, Africa answers back, reveals that religious syncretism in Africa is a reality that has persistently painted Christianity as an offshoot of traditional African religions. Baptismis by being sprinkled on water or being dipped in water. 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. Human beings are the link between the heavens and the earth, between the visible and the invisible universe. 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. On our websites as a living thing, a goddess, Mother earth Creator... 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