In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. Omissions? GAZETTE: How have ancestors played a role in traditional societies? Corrections? Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. L'interdiction de pratiquer le culte des anctres est l'unique domaine dans lequel la mission chrtienne a triomph de la vie religieuse traditionnelle des Biras. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Vodou represents a syncretism of the West African Vodun religion and Roman Catholicism by the descendants of the Dahomean, Kongo, Yoruba, and other ethnic groups who had been enslaved and transported to colonial Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known then) and partly Christianized by Roman Catholic missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is here that I have discovered the church in Burma, in the Pacific islands, the house church in China, the basic Christian communities in Latin America, the struggling church in South Africa, plus countless other endeavors of Christians all over the world. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> In four countries (Chad, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria and Tanzania), the number of Christians and Muslims is more equally divided, with a ratio of less than two-to-one in either direction.2 The other countries surveyed are predominantly Christian with Muslim minorities of varying sizes. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. Yet . It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The statistical expansion of the Christian faith in Africa in this century is one of the considerations that led me back to the issue of its relation with African religion. %PDF-1.3 In February 1974 a group of 120 anthropologists launched the Canadian Ethnology Society/socit canadienne d'ethnologie (CESCE), because they felt there was room for an association of anthropologists separate from the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA) which was dominated by sociologists. 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. (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. 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 Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. 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. But today that is not the case due to more exclusive-minded types of Christianity and Islam that see patronizing indigenous African beliefs and practices as violating the integrity of their Christian or Muslim principles, but I believe that one can maintain ones religious integrity and also embrace an African worldview. 0000001586 00000 n Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. 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. mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continent's major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. But whatever the shortcomings of these and my other publications, the materials that went into these two have raised extremely important issues for me that have continued to engage my reflection. 0000002884 00000 n 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. 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. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. Jacob Olupona, professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard Divinity School and professor of African and African-American studies in Harvards Faculty of Arts and Sciences, recently sat down for an interview about his lifelong research on indigenous African religions. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. My findings were used in teaching, but eventually I put them together in a book, Concepts of God in Africa, published by the British publisher SPCK (1970). 300 ce). While Islam and Christianity tend to be overtly resistant to adopting traditional African religious ideas or practices, indigenous African religions have always accommodated other beliefs. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. Instances of religious syncretismas, for example, Gnosticism (a religious dualistic system that incorporated elements from the Oriental mystery religions), Judaism, Christianity, and Greek religious philosophical conceptswere particularly prevalent during the Hellenistic period (c. 300 bcec. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions African spirituality is truly holistic. For example, followers can seek spiritual direction and relief from healers, medicine men and women, charms [adornments often worn to incur good luck], amulets [adornments often used to ward off evil], and diviners [spiritual advisers]. Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. I had it. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. (back to text), 3 Nigerias 2006 census did not ask about religious affiliation, and recent estimates of the numbers of Muslims and Christians in the country vary. Take em with a grain of salt. In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. For example, sickness in the indigenous African worldview is not only an imbalance of the body, but also an imbalance in ones social life, which can be linked to a breakdown in ones kinship and family relations or even to ones relationship with ones ancestors. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. Vodou represents a syncretism of the West African Vodun religion and Roman Catholicism by the descendants of the Dahomean, Kongo, Yoruba, and other ethnic groups who had been enslaved and transported to colonial Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known then) and partly Christianized by Roman Catholic . 75 19 They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. Its aims were to encourage formal and informal dissemination of knowledge through an annual conference and publications; promote relations with other academic and professional associations, aboriginal groups, and governments; and publicize ethnological research and activities to further understanding of ethnological practices. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender, Side by side with their high levels of commitment to Christianity and Islam, many people in the countries surveyed retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. 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. Much of Oluponas work is an attempt to provide a fuller understanding of the complexity and richness of African indigenous thought and practice by viewing it not as a foil or as a useful comparative to better understand Western religions, but as a system of thought and belief that should be valued and understood for its own ideas and contribution to global religions. The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. God was not a stranger to African peoples. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. xref <> My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. 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. <>stream But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. 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. 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. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society 0000000676 00000 n My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. 0000014025 00000 n I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." 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. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition of the region about 100 years ago, when, according to a Pew Forum analysis of historical information from the World Religion Database, less than a quarter of the population identified as either Christian or Muslim. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. Omissions? Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. Since Christianity and Islam spread across Africa, many people there have observed a mixture of religious practices. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. One important task, then, is to see the nature, the method and the implications of Gods revelation among African peoples, in the light of the biblical record of the same revelation.
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