But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. 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. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. Outline of the Curricular Framework: Anglicanization Atlantic slave trade "Atlantic World" Barbados (sugar) British-American system of slavery the Carolinas (rice) Caste system cereal crops Colonial resistance Dominion of New England Enlightenment Furs Great Awakening Indentured Servants Mercantilism Metis Models of colonization Molasses Act Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax %PDF-1.3 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. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). 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. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. 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. 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. I have met here the church not only in its geographical outreach but also in its historical roots -- seeing, for example, the rich traditions of the Orthodox Church, the universality of the Roman Catholic Church (even though it is based in the Vatican), the reconciling positioning of the Anglican Communion, the dynamic vitality of African independent churches, and so on. 43. Regardless of the variation, it is still true that Nigeria has both the largest number of Muslims and the largest number of Christians in the region. When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. The Pew Forums survey finds a similar number of people in Guinea Bissau identifying themselves as Muslim (38%) but a much higher percentage identifying themselves as Christian (62%) and very few describing themselves mainly as practitioners of traditional African faiths. 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, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. Since I myself had never heard any lectures on African religion, I set out to do research on the subject in order to teach the course adequately. (back to text), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA This is not a biblical distinction. 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. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. Anthropologica, journal of the Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) was created from the merger of the Society's former journal, Culture, with Canada's oldest anthropology journal, Anthropologica. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In Kenya I grew up in home, school and church milieus which held that the African religious and cultural background was demonic and anti-Christian. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? Religion Online is designed to assist teachers, scholars and general seekers who are interested in exploring religious issues. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. Abstract. The Encounter of Christian Faith and African Religion 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. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). 75 0 obj There is even a community deep in the American Bible Belt in Beaufort County, S.C., called Oyotunji Village that practices a type of African indigenous religion, which is a mixture of Yoruba and Ewe-Fon spiritual practices. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. The fusion of cultures that was effected by the conquest of Alexander the Great (4th century bce), his successors, and the Roman Empire tended to bring together a variety of religious and philosophical views that resulted in a strong tendency toward religious syncretism. 0000000676 00000 n Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa are the only countries surveyed where a significant number of people (roughly one-in-ten) describe their religion as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular. In all the other countries, the figure is closer to zero. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. 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. 93 0 obj Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. For myself, I negotiate between my Yoruba and Christian identity by, for example, affirming those aspects of African culture that promote good life and communal human welfare. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. What factors are responsible for it? In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. Faith in The One God in Christian and African Traditional Religions: a He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. But, it has been a sorrowful, disappointment to me to experience the fact that some individuals who exercise great power in the council are not angels: they sometimes practice the exact contrary of those values and goals to which the council is committed. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. 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. Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the World Council of Churches is a great witness of the Christian response to the prayer of our Lord that we may all be one. The bottom line then is that Africans who still wholly practice African indigenous religions are only about 10 percent of the African population, a fraction of what it used to be only a century ago, when indigenous religions dominated most of the continent. When we identify the God of the Bible as the same God who is known through African religion (whatever its limitations), we must also take it that God has had a historical relationship with African peoples. PDF Traditional African Religion and Modern Christianity in Zaire - JSTOR Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. 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. I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Important lwa are celebrated on saints days (for example: Ogou on St. Jamess Day, July 25; Ezili Danto on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16; Danbala on St. Patricks Day, March 17; and the spirits of the ancestors on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1 and November 2). At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. 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. That book was followed by a flurry of literature on the so-called "death of God" theology (if "theology" it was, for I would call it "atheology"). 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. Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Corrections? The theological horizon continues to expand. 0000002884 00000 n En ce qui concerne la croyance en Dieu, il semblerait que les Biras se soient servis de la chrtient pour rendre leur dieu traditionnel Mbali plus accessible et plus comprhensif, un changement qui a rendu le Dieu des chrtiens plus compatissant et indulgent vis vis du pch. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. 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. For instance, if we were to lose indigenous African religions in Africa, then diviners would disappear, and if diviners disappeared, we would not only lose an important spiritual specialist for many Africans, but also an institution that for centuries has been the repository of African history, wisdom, and knowledge. (a) The Structures of African Traditional Religions: Sometimes it is a difficult task among scholars to choose a unanimous name for the religious traditions and beliefs of the African people. That finished the interview. 0 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.. /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. %PDF-1.7 % (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. In one case the thinking and experience of the people produced a written record of Gods dealings with the Jewish people in particular. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. degree at Harvard Divinity School. Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. Corrections? In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continents major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . Christianity in Africa dates to the very inception of the church. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. endobj Robinson, came out. Ancestors can offer advice and bestow good fortune and honor to their living dependents, but they can also make demands, such as insisting that their shrines be properly maintained and propitiated. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock. 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. Its about getting tangible results. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. (PDF) Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). 75 19 Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. www.ej-theology.org Christianity and Indigenisation in Africa I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. The spirituality of Africa - Harvard Gazette colonization_terms_apush.docx - ` Units 1 and 2 Vocabulary This interview has been edited for length and clarity. % I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. African religions and corresponding beliefs and practices A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. 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. Updates? I have seen the quest more sharply. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. 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. Since Christianity and Islam spread across Africa, many people there have observed a mixture of religious practices. Model tested on tens of thousands of routine brain scans spotted disease risk with 90% accuracy, Experts on law, policy say originalist view used to overturn Roe could upend 76 ruling based on cruel, unusual punishment clause, Issues revolve around culture of viewing civilians as potential threats, concerns about self-protection in departments equipped with military-grade arms, Khalil Gibran Muhammad says College Board needs to stand firm behind curriculum, 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. ancient Rome: Religious and cultural life in the 3rd century, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/religious-syncretism, Academia - Religious Syncretism as a Syncretistic Concept: The Inadequacy of the " World Religions " Paradigm in Cross-Cultural Encounter. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) Didnt our Lord let it be clearly known that "before Abraham was I am" (John 8:58)? Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. GAZETTE: How have ancestors played a role in traditional societies? These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. OLUPONA: We would lose a worldview that has collectively sustained, enriched, and given meaning to a continent and numerous other societies for centuries through its epistemology, metaphysics, history, and practices. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. My interpretation of Israels history demands a new look at the history of African peoples, among whom this same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has indeed been at work. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. They depended on the labor of enslaved Africans who often constituted the majority of the population in these areas and developed their own forms of cultural and religious autonomy Examples: plantation agriculture, the Carolinas (rice), Barbados (sugar), tobacco Colonial government The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. In its place there emerged the word "also." This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. 0000003217 00000 n Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. But upon my return to work in Africa, and upon careful study of the religious background of our people, there emerged gradually the demand to examine this issue and to form my own judgment. I have received much in a short period. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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? religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. According to the 2003 Demographic and Health Survey, for example, Muslims constituted 50% of the population, while the 2008 DHS figure is 45% and the Nigerian Ministry of Healths 2008 estimate is 50%. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. How Africa Is Changing Faith Around the World
Power Query If Text Contains Multiple Values, Taron Egerton Masked Singer, Wonderfold W2 Snack Tray, David Bruton Smith Engaged, Articles M