While the universe has a beginning, many Africans believe that it does not have an endeither spatially or temporally. These laws are controlled by God directly or indirectly through Gods intermediaries. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. %PDF-1.5 One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. As I have discussed elsewhere in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, for example, some African societies are so conscious of the implications of crossing the line on some ethical matters, like adultery, incest, and murder, that anyone who engages in these acts is considered automatically to be putting the very survival of the community in danger. In some communities masks were used to representcertain gods or ancestral spirits. endobj And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. In short, the question is whether the notion of mercy exists in the moral order of African Traditional Religion and whether the sacrifices of African religion amount to an expiatory understanding in African religious thought. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. Mystical power is found in all of them, in diminishing degrees. These differences, I will argue, have significant impact not just on the way people conceive of the moral world or with regard to moral intentions, but also on moral practices. 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. The African Traditional Religion, which is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious . Green opines that although superficially regarded, this may seem to be a minimal moral relationshipmore like a kind of egoism on one side and fearful propitiation on the otherit also shows, however, the profound role that respect for age and for the fulfillment of lineage and familial duties play in this traditional setting. 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. Differences between Christianity and traditional African beliefs and customs (Exodus 20:3-5,Hebrews 10:8-10) 1. Palmi, Stephan 2017. A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. The worship can be direct , but is done (mostly) indirectly through divine agents like the gods or divinities (abosom in Akan , legbaa in Ewe ) and the ancestors. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. Total loading time: 0 M!eJ/"0Nq"3_ad!+;\4C2-0"+5qu|Rw!9KkC~V3M$ 2d yFT!Jf"ez:~ U S dE{hbaERVTGeqBzk2^oP)R}7Qv#.dQF4^%y+X-o"wr+l+B?{lb="akK;qurpDB ~O` Hn5~:D]xDS-V3tVgP`Axx8Mi2.O4g5=t DTW?ne+Na?1s K{o?!I When a missionary asked Africans in Zanzibar to tell him something about their God, they simply said, "God thunders!" The cleric had travelled across the seas in the 19th century to tell "the heathens without religion" or "people with a primitive religion" about God. The religious functions, especially of chiefs and lineage heads, are clearly demonstrated during such periods as the Odwira of the Akan, Hogbetsotso / Tedudu of the Ewe, the Homowo of the Ga-Adangbe, or the Aboakyir of the Efutu (coastal Guan), when the people are organized in activities that renew and strengthen relations with their ancestors. 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. The understanding of God normally needs some refining when one comes from African Traditional Religion to be a Christian. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. God, the ancestors, and the spirits are all moral powers whose actions affect human life in various ways and to various degrees. This dissertation will attempt to explore how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the exorcistic activities of the African Indigenous Churches. Traditional African religious influences on the church and the Bible It is worth noting that Cameroonians ferociously resisted foreign religions in the 18th century to maintain their traditional religions when Christianity entered Cameroon (Betoto, 2012). The religious traditions and beliefs of the African peoples have enough differences to merit a study of each in its own right. One of Jacob Oluponas earliest memories in Massachusetts is of nearly freezing in his apartment as a graduate student at Boston University during the great snowstorm of 1978. by Richard Chowning [ ATR Topics Page | Africa Missions Research and Strategy Page | Africa Missions Main Page | Help ] [ QuickStart ] Creator God The supreme being in most African Traditional Religions is seen as the creator of humans and all other living things. According to Mbiti, Africans came to believe in God by reflecting on their experience and through observation of the created universe. This view influences the way humans relate to the universe: on the one hand, they strive to maintain harmony between themselves and the invisible universe by observing the moral and religious order; at the same time, humans see the universe in a utilitarian way, from the point of view of what is beneficial or harmful to them. Updated: 10 . ABSTRACT PART II: Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene In the part one of my writing, with the titled The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible - dated 31st May 2006, l explained how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana understood God in their traditional religious practices. Thus, for example, older persons not only possess a more powerful vital force but a greater responsibility in society and more intense mystical powers. Traditional Africans communicated to God through ancestors. This is a universal belief among Africans. 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. 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). The ancestors are believed to be the most immediate link with the spiritual world, and they are thought to be constantly near, observing every thought and action of the living. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. 1 Their central thrust is to emphasize the similarities rather than the differences between current movements in the world religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, but The Igbo traditional religious worldview maintains a polytheistic religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the Christian religion. and endobj For this reason, l am writing on the topic, which says, Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible. For example, in 14 of the 19 countries surveyed, more than three-in-ten people say they sometimes consult traditional healers when someone in their household is sick. They did this as theyoffered libation by pouring water or any other drink to the ground. 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. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. For Christians itsa church. l| -O;l0bo?Ge_4=MQ=EO|`X\G~Ah,yyG]%,GmF/-w F%YX`Ip}( na~!e[X/K879 ,y?R'd&h. d?ZKS=h8\%M{h(5M=xUeQG:3Sp}#-%>KpC3`zI *vw() similarities between the traditional beliefs of Africans in Africa. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. All life, power, and existence flow from God, and by right of their primogeniture and proximity to God by death God has granted the ancestors a qualitatively more powerful life force over their descendants. Who constitutes the world of the ancestors? Rooted in the belief in God as the Creator, Africans believe in various dimensions of the created universe, such as visible and invisible (the spiritual realm), heavenly (skyward) and earthly (and in some ethnic groups there is a belief in the underworld). Christian teaching forbids making of any kinds ofimages to represent God. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. Content may require purchase if you do not have access. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. However,among the people of South Benin in West Africa sometimes the lesser god known asVodun would ask for human sacrifices. Christians observe the Lords supper. Editorial Statement: This essay is a slightly modified excerpt from the section "Evaluating African Traditional Religion: The Descriptive Task" (98-107) in Fr. Mbiti makes a very controversial point when he claims that in African societies there are no acts that would be considered wrong in themselves. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. Their purpose is to summarize recent material produced by the relevant religious organizations and by some of the main academic interpreters to provide This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. Religion is part and parcel of daily life. Priests undergo vigorous training in the arts of medicine, divination and other related disciplines and are, therefore, consulted on a more regular basis by the public. Christ was tempted in all the ways Copyright 2023 % <> This should make it clear why some African intellectuals would question the relevance of Christianity on the continent. The final aspect of this deep structure of moral reason in African Traditional Religion Green refers to as morally intentional trans-moral safety valves such as are found in the doctrine of grace or atonement in Weston religions (Christianity) or of liberation from the world of moral causation in Eastern religions. In the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups the above phenomenological conception of ATR called for education in the light of the scriptures. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. Barrenness is, therefore, considered a great misfortune because it prevents ancestors from returning to life. 4 0 obj For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. All rights reserved. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. Creative people have bypassed gatekeepers for centuries to distribute what they wanted to share so badly. They find common ground in Houghton Library exhibition. Using Ghana as a case history, I shall evaluate this ministry to find out its positive and negative effects. Even though their differences outnumber their. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. These intermediary agents include the ancestors, members of the community who at death become idealized. But it is also the strict commitment, to the observance of certain (written or unwritten) divinely inspired moral prescriptions or codes of ethics, promulgated by the religious authorities and enforced by sanctions. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, In the U.S. and Western Europe, people say they accept Muslims, but opinions are divided on Islam, In Western Europe, familiarity with Muslims is linked to positive views of Muslims and Islam, Q&A: Measuring attitudes toward Muslims and Jews in Western Europe, Europes Muslim population will continue to grow but how much depends on migration, The Growth of Germanys Muslim Population, Size & Demographic Characteristics of Religious Groups, Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, The changing face of Congress in 8 charts, As Russian invasion nears one-year mark, partisans grow further apart on U.S. support for Ukraine. It is worth noting that these animals areat no time offered as burnt offerings to God. To achieve its goal, the paper adopts the method of . This supreme . Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. However, the reasons for the growth of Christianity in Africa significantly include the way the Africans have attempted to deal with their threatening fears, especially witchcraft. Traditional theologians explained that one could not worship the Supreme Being formally, without the agency of the divinities or ancestors. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. It appeals more to social scientists than to those working in religious studies, particularly scholars of specific religious traditions. There is also a mystical order of the universe. No matter how one looks at it, to offer the female members of ones family as a mark of hospitality to a stranger is morally wrong, not just from the point of view of Christian morality but from a purely natural law point of view as well. 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. They do not offer any libation. This is called a tithe. 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. Therefore we speak of African Traditional Religion thinking of those common things. inequality and class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity. He has useful insights to add to our discussion and in many ways corroborates the statements other scholars like Mbiti have made about African religion. People may complain to God and the ancestors, but they will never accuse them of any moral wrongdoing. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Black Americans, 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. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for AI. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. This work investigates the conflicts existing between the two . Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. Traditional Africans believed in the power of magic and medicinemen. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. While the recourse to traditional healers may be motivated in part by economic reasons and an absence of health care alternatives, it may also be rooted in religious beliefs about the efficacy of this approach. Janson, Marloes x + 306. 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. These included interviews he conducted with pastors, exorcists, traditional priests, so-called witches and delivered witches. Commonly, God is believed to dwell in the skies. L_}mB)b7h; uZ4 QI,^ID-*Rj" xx>@9lCQr [GE1Hz:Aj3>^5T-FPD5|. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. The data also will include a survey he conducted in 1999 of 1201 participants across Ghana concerning the belief in the traditional spirit-world. &RcIX6Wa). Such a project, however, is only significant if it is not only executed by religious leaders, By clicking accept or continuing to use the site, you agree to the terms outlined in our. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. 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. Villepastour, Amanda What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. 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. The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. 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. GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? The commitment to theory, 2. 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. Polytheistic or monotheistic in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet,,! Religions, independent Churches, and prophetic movements, https: //www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions if we lost African! Areat no time offered as burnt offerings to God and similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf revival of African practices! Christian Bible beliefs and customs ( Exodus 20:3-5, Hebrews 10:8-10 ) 1 for education in interaction! 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