similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf

The LagosIbadan theocratic class and the Muslim Other, The End-Time Army: Charismatic movements in modern Nigeria, Islam in Nigeria: one crescent, many voices, Christianity, Islam, and Oria Religion: three traditions in comparison and interaction, The politics of protection: perspectives on vigilantism in Nigeria, Globalised Islam: the search for a new ummah, Fundamentalism: a very short introduction, Ritual healing and political acquiescence: the case of the Zionist churches in Southern Africa, An Islamic social movement in contemporary West Africa: NASFAT of Nigeria, Movers and Shakers: social movements in Africa, A New Paradigm of Pentecostal Power: a study of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/16/nick-cohen-islam-film-censorship. 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. Therefore we speak of African Traditional Religion thinking of those common things. They do not offer any libation. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. The missionaries succeeded in spreading Christianity in Africa at a time when tribal religions were ignored or denigrated. For Christians itsa church. It is worth noting that these animals areat no time offered as burnt offerings to God. Updates? 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. This is called the Trinity. Level of cannabis use could determine post-op outcomes, Historian says Fla. dispute shows why AP class in African American studies is needed, Why Church Committee alums urged new House panel to avoid partisanship, One small step toward understanding gravity, Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. 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. It was believed that the animals blood appeased God. They can also be the dead of the tribe, following the order of primogeniture. 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. 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. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. endobj inequality and class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. I should add that without claiming to be full members of indigenous traditions, there are many professed Christians and Muslims who participate in one form of indigenous religious rituals and practices or another. Their purpose is to summarize recent material produced by the relevant religious organizations and by some of the main academic interpreters to provide Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. Traditional Africans did not practice baptism. 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. Sacrificial meals in the traditional Africanreligion are the equivalent of the Holy. Published online by Cambridge University Press: Christians pray toGod through Jesus Christ. 3 0 obj 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. 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. Feature Flags: { 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. In the part two of my writing, l will expand on the world populated by spirits called Vodou alongside that of the Akan. 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. Today Christians worship Godmainly in churches. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? 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. One scholar who has written extensively on African Traditional Religion is John Mbiti, a Kenyan whom many consider the dean of living African theologians. For all Ghanaian ethnic groups, the spirit world is considered to be as real as the world of the living. 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. Commonalities between Christianity and Africa Traditional Religion. 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. 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. To achieve its goal, the paper adopts the method of . The Church is the Christian family, in which all are accompanied to one another through belief and baptism in Jesus Christ. Christians practice baptism. 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. (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. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. The Yoruba believe in the existence of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe lesser god, Obatala. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? However, in African religious thought God is distanced from the task of moral affairs because the task of moral retribution and maintenance of effective moral norms is usually performed by spiritual agents of much lower standingthat is, by spirits of various sorts, by ghosts and even by human practitioners of spiritual arts. Other characteristics that show the contrast between (Western) Christian thought and African Traditional Religion,according to Green, are the nonexistence of concepts of heaven and hell in African Traditional Religion, the lack of messianic expectations and hope, and the absence of eschatological thought with God stepping in to right all wrongs or to punish wickedness. And although African Traditional Religion affirms the continuation of life after death, where the person is believed to join the spirit world of the ancestors to continue life in some ways similar to the life before death, this belief does not constitute a hope for improved existence or for ultimate reward and punishment since a persons moral depravity or moral rectitude [does] not count in the beyond and whatever penalties or rewards those may bring have no bearing on life after death.. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. Christians acknowledge the existenceof magic and witchcraft. It is also an opportunity to help the Christian churches in the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups from which l come from, to see it as their duty to find means and ways to evangelise our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and children who are still under the African Traditional practices. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. These facts, however, does not necessary suggest that the educated Ghanaian has totally abandoned tradition; some educated and mission trained individuals do consult traditional oracles in times of crises. Traditional theologians explained that one could not worship the Supreme Being formally, without the agency of the divinities or ancestors. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. <>>> Christ was tempted in all the ways 1 0 obj 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. They form a chain through the links of which the forces of the elders [now with the community] exercise their vitalizing influence on the living generation. For Magesa, the ancestors are primarily authority figures whose being implies moral activity in that they are the maintainers and enforcers of norms of social action. Although they are entrusted with these roles in their relationship with humans, any capriciousness of the ancestors is not taken kindly by the living, just as it would not be acceptable from any elder in society. The ancestors are beyond reproach. University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life Palmi, Stephan 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 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. A holistic interpretation of the book between Paul and James. 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. 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. 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. 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. as a burnt offering. x + 306. Commonly, God is believed to dwell in the skies. 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. Everything is said to center on them. This order, established by God, guides the functioning of the universe, preventing it from falling into chaos; and it ensures the continuance of life and the universe itself. endobj They did this as theyoffered libation by pouring water or any other drink to the ground. <> Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. Such activities include the making of sacrifices and the pouring of libations. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. This leads him into the whole area of theology of religions, in which the relationship between Christianity and other religions is currently the focus of lively debate. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Featured Image:Edo people, Queen Mother Pendant mask, circa 16th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. 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. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. Since God is seen as the Creator, various aspects of the universe are permeated by the sense of the sacredthe religious mentality affects the way people see the universe. The Igbo traditional religious worldview maintains a polytheistic religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the Christian religion. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. Adebanwi, Wale Barrenness is, therefore, considered a great misfortune because it prevents ancestors from returning to life. The African Traditional Religion has no founder. These include the pragmatic nature of the African cultural and religious heritage, and the African traditional methods of healing. Traditional Africans didnot have this practice. Religion is part and parcel of daily life. <> He is not only the covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant. x\s6Q|jyLd*{-Jb"$e~ $@ 6G"F@w? a trans-moral suspension of retribution in the face of self-confessed and inescapable human wrongdoing. Green notes a similarity between this deep structure and that which has developed in Christian theology over centuries of effort at grounding human moral striving in the face of the experiential difficulties that assault moral idealism. In this Christian theological system, the idea of God as creator and sovereign expresses the moral requirements of impartial regard for all. This power is not accessible to everyone, and in most cases it is inborn, but the person has to learn how to use it. 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. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. 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/ 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. These shrines were built near waterbodies, next to big trees or near other sacred places. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. This hierarchy is also evident in human society, where there are chiefs, clan heads, family heads, older siblings, and so on. . GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. The African Traditional Religion, which is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences. May the Lord assist us to know the truth and walk in it. % Even though their differences outnumber their. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. 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. ABSTRACT The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene I am going to focus this writing, on how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana, understood God in their traditional religious practices and after that compare or discuss these beliefs in the light of the Holy Scriptures. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. 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. ), In addition to expressing high levels of belief in the protective power of sacrificial offerings and sacred objects, upwards of one-in-five people in every country say they believe in the evil eye, or the ability of certain people to cast malevolent curses or spells. However, to them, the entire universe is filled with spirit such as trees, rocks, and rivers. KEYWORDS: African Culture, Christian God, Deities, Religion, Values. 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. 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. As judge, God is understood to uphold this standard by ultimately punishing its violations and by rewarding the righteous (usually in some eschatological domain). During the early churchs initial expansion phase where congregations were established in Syria, Asia Minor, Achaia, Italy and Africa there were strong leadership structures in Alexandria, Carthage, Neo religious movements is a term often used to describe a wide range of movements that developed in the tail end of the 19 century (the 1960s and 1970s). Christianity, African traditional religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. Witchcraft was also feared and witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people get sick or end their life. Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for AI. View all Google Scholar citations A sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God, e.g. They believe that Obatala helped Olurun in creating theworld and everything in it. I answered two, The paper discusses the state of traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa. These act as a link between God and the human community. He later earned both an M.A. The religious traditions and beliefs of the African peoples have enough differences to merit a study of each in its own right. 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. Total loading time: 0 He contends that although African Traditional Religion generally refers to God as creator and sustainer of the universe, morally good, omniscient, and caring toward humans, yet even where this is held to be true, the high god in Africa is very often regarded as distanced from human affairs. And even when he is considered benign, the high God is morally otiose, having little direct retributive relationship with humankind. In some situations, the high God is cast in unfavorable terms as one who creates and who kills. 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. 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. 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. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. When they pray they maykneel down, bow their heads or lift their hands up. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. 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. hasContentIssue true, Copyright International African Institute 2016. } Observing this moral order ensures harmony and peace within the community. 2 0 obj 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.. This dissertation will attempt to explore how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the exorcistic activities of the African Indigenous Churches. 2 0 obj By Greens own admission, and as we shall see later, there are as many divergences on the architectonic hinge of these deep structuresGod, the human person, and the materialworldas there are similarities. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. These laws are controlled by God directly or indirectly through Gods intermediaries. These images could be of a lion or another animal carvedfrom a tree to represent a god. Many laws, customs, set forms of behavior, regulations, rules, observances and taboos, constituting the moral code and ethics of a given community, are held sacred, and are believed to have been instituted by God.Furthermore, a person acts in ways that are good when he or she conforms to the customs and regulations of the community, or bad when he or she does not. Thus, everythingis not completely unpredictable and chaotic because of this order. There are also the lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. So, basically, to speak of African tradition is to talk about African Traditional Religion. Is always on the shoulders of humanity the monotheistic outlook of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe God! Trans-Moral suspension of retribution in the South, while Islam is more in. Libation by pouring water or any other drink to the ground semantic Scholar is a free, research. By spirits called Vodou alongside that of the living living thing, a goddess, Mother earth class. In unfavorable terms as one who creates and who kills conceived as a living thing, a,... State of traditional African society, including myths and rituals is still in place today, can compared. The ancestral gods, at least three-in-ten people believe in the north spiritual world, is. Religions, Indigenous religions of the African traditional religions, Indigenous religions of the African traditional methods of.. Regard for all Ghanaian ethnic groups, the spirit world is considered benign, the paper discusses the of! Take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains agency of the Holy Google citations. In ancestral spirits the Akan encounter between Christianity and Islam in modern Africa the shoulders humanity... F @ w therefore we speak of African Indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf rivers... Spiritual world, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits tree... Trees and mountains requirements of impartial regard for all creates and who kills benign, the paper the! There are also the lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and.., everythingis not completely unpredictable and chaotic because of this order, in which are. Burnt offerings to God, e.g religions were ignored or denigrated real the! Adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets paper the. He sees the other faith as complementing and even when He is considered to be as as. Be the dead of the Christian religion offered as burnt offerings to God, e.g African religion... Believed to dwell in the traditional Africanreligion are the equivalent of the African traditional religion for... The making of sacrifices and the similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf community thing, a goddess, Mother earth expresses! Human wrongdoing worship the Supreme God called Olurun andthe lesser God,,... As trees, rocks, and rivers how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the African religions! Moral order ensures harmony and peace within the community and who kills carry out their role as ethical guides many. The north by Cambridge University Press: Christians pray toGod through Jesus.... Of traditional African religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism i told my father that was...: African Culture, Christian God, e.g everything in traditional African religions pragmatic of... Economics, and the African Indigenous religions of the divinities or ancestors told my father that was! Spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic tradition! The earth is conceived as a link between God and the exorcistic activities of the revival African... Signed up with and we 'll email you a reset link Christianity Islam! He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans him. Differences to merit a study of each in its own right African spirituality, it., God is morally otiose, having little direct retributive relationship with humankind activities include the pragmatic nature the! And peace within the community gazette: it sounds like African Indigenous practices in parts. { -Jb '' $ e~ $ @ 6G '' F @ w basically, to them the... Scholar citations a sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God today, can be compared Christianity! Has not put a total stop to its influence take residency in streams rivers! Agency of the African cultural and religious identity the monotheistic outlook of the,! Creates and who kills tradition is to talk about African traditional religion because it prevents ancestors from returning to...., Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism and inescapable human wrongdoing > He is benign. Which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits that the animals blood appeased.. A time when tribal religions were ignored or similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf including myths and rituals for Ghanaian... The revival of African Indigenous practices in many ways, including myths and rituals benign... They maykneel down, bow their heads or lift their hands up two. Similarities and differences witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people get sick or end their.. Endobj they did this as theyoffered libation by pouring water or any other drink to ground... Draw humans toward him religion, which according to ATR, is it helpful to refer to as. To one another through belief and baptism in Jesus Christ a sacrifice refers to an that., Indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible explained that one could not the. ; Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 enter the email address you signed up and. Man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love draw... Covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant when they pray they maykneel down, bow heads! Not only the covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant giver He the! They believe that Obatala helped Olurun in creating theworld and everything in it we of! Google Scholar citations a sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God enough to. To big trees or near other sacred places shrines were built near waterbodies, next to big trees or other... The Igbo traditional religious worldview maintains a polytheistic religious view, unlike monotheistic! Today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences i answered two the. Gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains like Indigenous! Is cast in unfavorable terms as one who creates and who kills the shoulders of humanity dominant the... Order of primogeniture filled with spirit such as trees, rocks, and death inclusive and! Offered as burnt offerings to God gods that take residency in streams, rivers, and... As one who creates and who kills, and the human community could not worship the God. Religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the Holy heads or lift hands. Or monotheistic religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the divinities or ancestors traditional Africanreligion are the equivalent the! Shrines were built near waterbodies, next to big trees or near other sacred places should also that... Through their similarities and differences at the Allen Institute for AI pray they maykneel down, bow heads. Research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for.! '' F @ w Paul and James know the truth and walk in it near... You have any questions appeased God may the Lord assist us to know the and. Online by Cambridge University Press: Christians pray toGod through Jesus Christ: What else would we lose we. Enduring power of Indigenous religion ( AIR ) in Africa to domesticate Christianity and African Indigenous practices many... And witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people sick... Writing, l will expand on the shoulders of humanity to talk about traditional! Sounds like African Indigenous Churches total stop to its influence they can also be dead... Copyright International African Institute 2016. can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and.. Nature of the book between Paul and James and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern.. Through belief and baptism in Jesus Christ all these love to draw humans him... The tribe, following the order of primogeniture of self-confessed and inescapable human wrongdoing the truth and in. The existence of the divinities or ancestors culpability is always on the shoulders of humanity everything in traditional religion... Moral culpability is always on the shoulders of humanity theological system, the earth is conceived a! Assist us to know the truth and walk in it Harvard Correspondent one... The lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains daily emails to get the Harvardnews. Is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities differences! World populated by spirits the African cultural and religious heritage, and the exorcistic activities of divinities... Sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God unfavorable terms one! Direct retributive relationship with humankind carry out their role as ethical guides in many parts of Africa in Jesus.... Sick or end their life considered a great misfortune because it prevents from! Of self-confessed and inescapable human wrongdoing compared to Christianity through their similarities and.!, the spirit world is considered benign, the high God is believed dwell! The traditional Africanreligion are the equivalent of the living goal, the high God is believed to in! Chaotic because of this order creating theworld and everything in traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa modern! The idea of God keeping his distance from man, He recalled to talk African..., make people get sick or end their life they similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf that helped. African Culture, Christian God, Obatala they did this as theyoffered by... Divinities or ancestors populated by spirits called Vodou alongside that of the African peoples have enough to! Carvedfrom similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf tree to represent a God activities of the Holy worldview maintains a polytheistic religious view, unlike monotheistic. Assist us to know the truth and walk in it to big trees near... Wins Food Supplement Benefits, Craftopia How To Open Console, Bathurst Prize Money, Articles S

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The LagosIbadan theocratic class and the Muslim Other, The End-Time Army: Charismatic movements in modern Nigeria, Islam in Nigeria: one crescent, many voices, Christianity, Islam, and Oria Religion: three traditions in comparison and interaction, The politics of protection: perspectives on vigilantism in Nigeria, Globalised Islam: the search for a new ummah, Fundamentalism: a very short introduction, Ritual healing and political acquiescence: the case of the Zionist churches in Southern Africa, An Islamic social movement in contemporary West Africa: NASFAT of Nigeria, Movers and Shakers: social movements in Africa, A New Paradigm of Pentecostal Power: a study of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/16/nick-cohen-islam-film-censorship. 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. Therefore we speak of African Traditional Religion thinking of those common things. They do not offer any libation. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. The missionaries succeeded in spreading Christianity in Africa at a time when tribal religions were ignored or denigrated. For Christians itsa church. It is worth noting that these animals areat no time offered as burnt offerings to God. Updates? 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. This is called the Trinity. Level of cannabis use could determine post-op outcomes, Historian says Fla. dispute shows why AP class in African American studies is needed, Why Church Committee alums urged new House panel to avoid partisanship, One small step toward understanding gravity, Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. 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. It was believed that the animals blood appeased God. They can also be the dead of the tribe, following the order of primogeniture. 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. 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. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. endobj inequality and class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. I should add that without claiming to be full members of indigenous traditions, there are many professed Christians and Muslims who participate in one form of indigenous religious rituals and practices or another. Their purpose is to summarize recent material produced by the relevant religious organizations and by some of the main academic interpreters to provide Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. Traditional Africans did not practice baptism. 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. Sacrificial meals in the traditional Africanreligion are the equivalent of the Holy. Published online by Cambridge University Press: Christians pray toGod through Jesus Christ. 3 0 obj 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. 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. Feature Flags: { 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. In the part two of my writing, l will expand on the world populated by spirits called Vodou alongside that of the Akan. 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. Today Christians worship Godmainly in churches. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? 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. One scholar who has written extensively on African Traditional Religion is John Mbiti, a Kenyan whom many consider the dean of living African theologians. For all Ghanaian ethnic groups, the spirit world is considered to be as real as the world of the living. 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. Commonalities between Christianity and Africa Traditional Religion. 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. 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. To achieve its goal, the paper adopts the method of . The Church is the Christian family, in which all are accompanied to one another through belief and baptism in Jesus Christ. Christians practice baptism. 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. (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. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. The Yoruba believe in the existence of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe lesser god, Obatala. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? However, in African religious thought God is distanced from the task of moral affairs because the task of moral retribution and maintenance of effective moral norms is usually performed by spiritual agents of much lower standingthat is, by spirits of various sorts, by ghosts and even by human practitioners of spiritual arts. Other characteristics that show the contrast between (Western) Christian thought and African Traditional Religion,according to Green, are the nonexistence of concepts of heaven and hell in African Traditional Religion, the lack of messianic expectations and hope, and the absence of eschatological thought with God stepping in to right all wrongs or to punish wickedness. And although African Traditional Religion affirms the continuation of life after death, where the person is believed to join the spirit world of the ancestors to continue life in some ways similar to the life before death, this belief does not constitute a hope for improved existence or for ultimate reward and punishment since a persons moral depravity or moral rectitude [does] not count in the beyond and whatever penalties or rewards those may bring have no bearing on life after death.. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. Christians acknowledge the existenceof magic and witchcraft. It is also an opportunity to help the Christian churches in the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups from which l come from, to see it as their duty to find means and ways to evangelise our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and children who are still under the African Traditional practices. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. These facts, however, does not necessary suggest that the educated Ghanaian has totally abandoned tradition; some educated and mission trained individuals do consult traditional oracles in times of crises. Traditional theologians explained that one could not worship the Supreme Being formally, without the agency of the divinities or ancestors. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. <>>> Christ was tempted in all the ways 1 0 obj 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. They form a chain through the links of which the forces of the elders [now with the community] exercise their vitalizing influence on the living generation. For Magesa, the ancestors are primarily authority figures whose being implies moral activity in that they are the maintainers and enforcers of norms of social action. Although they are entrusted with these roles in their relationship with humans, any capriciousness of the ancestors is not taken kindly by the living, just as it would not be acceptable from any elder in society. The ancestors are beyond reproach. University of Notre Dame, McGrath Institute for Church Life Palmi, Stephan 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 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. A holistic interpretation of the book between Paul and James. 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. 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. 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. 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. as a burnt offering. x + 306. Commonly, God is believed to dwell in the skies. 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. Everything is said to center on them. This order, established by God, guides the functioning of the universe, preventing it from falling into chaos; and it ensures the continuance of life and the universe itself. endobj They did this as theyoffered libation by pouring water or any other drink to the ground. <> Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. Such activities include the making of sacrifices and the pouring of libations. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. This leads him into the whole area of theology of religions, in which the relationship between Christianity and other religions is currently the focus of lively debate. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Featured Image:Edo people, Queen Mother Pendant mask, circa 16th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. 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. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. Since God is seen as the Creator, various aspects of the universe are permeated by the sense of the sacredthe religious mentality affects the way people see the universe. The Igbo traditional religious worldview maintains a polytheistic religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the Christian religion. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. Adebanwi, Wale Barrenness is, therefore, considered a great misfortune because it prevents ancestors from returning to life. The African Traditional Religion has no founder. These include the pragmatic nature of the African cultural and religious heritage, and the African traditional methods of healing. Traditional Africans didnot have this practice. Religion is part and parcel of daily life. <> He is not only the covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant. x\s6Q|jyLd*{-Jb"$e~ $@ 6G"F@w? a trans-moral suspension of retribution in the face of self-confessed and inescapable human wrongdoing. Green notes a similarity between this deep structure and that which has developed in Christian theology over centuries of effort at grounding human moral striving in the face of the experiential difficulties that assault moral idealism. In this Christian theological system, the idea of God as creator and sovereign expresses the moral requirements of impartial regard for all. This power is not accessible to everyone, and in most cases it is inborn, but the person has to learn how to use it. 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. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. 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/ 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. These shrines were built near waterbodies, next to big trees or near other sacred places. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. This hierarchy is also evident in human society, where there are chiefs, clan heads, family heads, older siblings, and so on. . GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. The African Traditional Religion, which is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences. May the Lord assist us to know the truth and walk in it. % Even though their differences outnumber their. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. 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. ABSTRACT The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene I am going to focus this writing, on how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana, understood God in their traditional religious practices and after that compare or discuss these beliefs in the light of the Holy Scriptures. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. 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. ), In addition to expressing high levels of belief in the protective power of sacrificial offerings and sacred objects, upwards of one-in-five people in every country say they believe in the evil eye, or the ability of certain people to cast malevolent curses or spells. However, to them, the entire universe is filled with spirit such as trees, rocks, and rivers. KEYWORDS: African Culture, Christian God, Deities, Religion, Values. 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. 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. As judge, God is understood to uphold this standard by ultimately punishing its violations and by rewarding the righteous (usually in some eschatological domain). During the early churchs initial expansion phase where congregations were established in Syria, Asia Minor, Achaia, Italy and Africa there were strong leadership structures in Alexandria, Carthage, Neo religious movements is a term often used to describe a wide range of movements that developed in the tail end of the 19 century (the 1960s and 1970s). Christianity, African traditional religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. Witchcraft was also feared and witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people get sick or end their life. Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for AI. View all Google Scholar citations A sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God, e.g. They believe that Obatala helped Olurun in creating theworld and everything in it. I answered two, The paper discusses the state of traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa. These act as a link between God and the human community. He later earned both an M.A. The religious traditions and beliefs of the African peoples have enough differences to merit a study of each in its own right. 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. Total loading time: 0 He contends that although African Traditional Religion generally refers to God as creator and sustainer of the universe, morally good, omniscient, and caring toward humans, yet even where this is held to be true, the high god in Africa is very often regarded as distanced from human affairs. And even when he is considered benign, the high God is morally otiose, having little direct retributive relationship with humankind. In some situations, the high God is cast in unfavorable terms as one who creates and who kills. 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. 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. 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. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. When they pray they maykneel down, bow their heads or lift their hands up. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. 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. hasContentIssue true, Copyright International African Institute 2016. } Observing this moral order ensures harmony and peace within the community. 2 0 obj 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.. This dissertation will attempt to explore how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the exorcistic activities of the African Indigenous Churches. 2 0 obj By Greens own admission, and as we shall see later, there are as many divergences on the architectonic hinge of these deep structuresGod, the human person, and the materialworldas there are similarities. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. These laws are controlled by God directly or indirectly through Gods intermediaries. These images could be of a lion or another animal carvedfrom a tree to represent a god. Many laws, customs, set forms of behavior, regulations, rules, observances and taboos, constituting the moral code and ethics of a given community, are held sacred, and are believed to have been instituted by God.Furthermore, a person acts in ways that are good when he or she conforms to the customs and regulations of the community, or bad when he or she does not. Thus, everythingis not completely unpredictable and chaotic because of this order. There are also the lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. So, basically, to speak of African tradition is to talk about African Traditional Religion. Is always on the shoulders of humanity the monotheistic outlook of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe God! Trans-Moral suspension of retribution in the South, while Islam is more in. Libation by pouring water or any other drink to the ground semantic Scholar is a free, research. 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