Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. They are not mutually exclusive. In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. {PB,`s While Islam and Christianity tend to . 0000005005 00000 n They do this by having Africans increasingly identify themselves as either Muslim or Christian, thus denying their unique African worldview that has always viewed as evidenced in their creation myths everything as unified and connected to the land, the place were ones clan, lineage, and people were cosmically birthed. 0000002505 00000 n The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. The theological horizon continues to expand. National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Vodou's role in Haitian mental health, Learn Religions - An Introduction to the Basic Beliefs of the Vodou (Voodoo) Religion, Ancient Origins - The Origins of Voodoo, the Misunderstood Religion, LiveScience - Voodoo: Facts About Misunderstood Religion, Vodou - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Vodou - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 0 That book was followed by a flurry of literature on the so-called "death of God" theology (if "theology" it was, for I would call it "atheology"). Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. So the church which exists on the African scene bears the marks of its peoples backgrounds. For myself, I negotiate between my Yoruba and Christian identity by, for example, affirming those aspects of African culture that promote good life and communal human welfare. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. 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. Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. There is even a community deep in the American Bible Belt in Beaufort County, S.C., called Oyotunji Village that practices a type of African indigenous religion, which is a mixture of Yoruba and Ewe-Fon spiritual practices. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions African spirituality is truly holistic. Amen. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. Author of. Abstract. 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. I am very excited, for example, by the estimate that in 1987 there will be a statistical balance of Christian population between the north (Europe, Soviet Union and America) and the south (Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania). But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. (back to text), 2 The World Religion Database estimates that roughly four-in-ten people in Guinea Bissau are Muslim and approximately one-in-ten are Christian, with the rest of the population associated with traditional African religions. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, In the U.S. and Western Europe, people say they accept Muslims, but opinions are divided on Islam, In Western Europe, familiarity with Muslims is linked to positive views of Muslims and Islam, Q&A: Measuring attitudes toward Muslims and Jews in Western Europe, Europes Muslim population will continue to grow but how much depends on migration, The Growth of Germanys Muslim Population, Size & Demographic Characteristics of Religious Groups, Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. 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. 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. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). Omissions? in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. Instead, God brought them, for the God described in the Bible is none other than the God who was already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. I have seen the quest more sharply. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. 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. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. They depended on the labor of enslaved Africans who often constituted the majority of the population in these areas and developed their own forms of cultural and religious autonomy Examples: plantation agriculture, the Carolinas (rice), Barbados (sugar), tobacco Colonial government It is in this complex of religiosity that the preaching of the gospel makes sense; it is this preparedness that has undergirded the spreading of the gospel like wildfire among African societies which had hitherto followed and practiced traditional religion. w?0t7/Oa84P]T}T}?gHq.qsRnkc;]X*s1!E"l^~K_/|j p z|9~p uf:}[Mc|4!#"Zg!/vc _~|oyuQ'dX :?NmU)?oPSw?6#?[OUN@6oz{j;\e7nWsV~XyU4vMm4#f4c:[Wefkd&88XB|cMh6)mt<4M8}; *:7??+0:0$! African immigrants and slaves worked to maintain traditional religious and social practices in their new surroundings. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. According to the 2003 Demographic and Health Survey, for example, Muslims constituted 50% of the population, while the 2008 DHS figure is 45% and the Nigerian Ministry of Healths 2008 estimate is 50%. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. ), 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. Religious pluralism serves peace. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Below is the article summary. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. %PDF-1.7 % Religion Online is designed to assist teachers, scholars and general seekers who are interested in exploring religious issues. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. startxref For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? The first and most intriguing topic that immediately engaged my attention was the thinking of African peoples about God. 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. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. xref And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. 0000001791 00000 n As discussed elsewhere in this report, many Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. <> I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). African development. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. Updates? The Yoruba, however, do have a concept of a supreme being, called Olorun or Olodumare, and this creator god of the universe is empowered by the various orisa [deities] to create the earth and carry out all its related functions, including receiving the prayers and supplications of the Yoruba people. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. 0000000016 00000 n Outline of the Curricular Framework: Anglicanization Atlantic slave trade "Atlantic World" Barbados (sugar) British-American system of slavery the Carolinas (rice) Caste system cereal crops Colonial resistance Dominion of New England Enlightenment Furs Great Awakening Indentured Servants Mercantilism Metis Models of colonization Molasses Act (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. 817-820. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. The success of Christianity and Islam on the African continent in the last 100 years has been extraordinary, but it has been, unfortunately, at the expense of African indigenous religions. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. When we identify the God of the Bible as the same God who is known through African religion (whatever its limitations), we must also take it that God has had a historical relationship with African peoples. These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. 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. This chapter includes information on: Download chapter 1 in full (6-page PDF, <1MB), 1 The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in the easternmost part of North East Africa, on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. 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.. Corrections? Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. (See the glossary for more information on juju. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? A magisterial historical synthesis of the formative period of African Christianity written by one of its foremost scholars. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. In Kenya I grew up in home, school and church milieus which held that the African religious and cultural background was demonic and anti-Christian. 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. Anthropologica is published for CASCA by University of Toronto Press. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. He later earned both an M.A. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. GAZETTE: How do you balance your Christian and indigenous African identity? He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? Reuben Kigame, the Kenyan Christian musician and apologist, has rightly suggested that considering the fact that Christianity existed in Africa for a good eighteen centuries before the. 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. Instead, God brought them. These were not empty names. En ce qui concerne la croyance en Dieu, il semblerait que les Biras se soient servis de la chrtient pour rendre leur dieu traditionnel Mbali plus accessible et plus comprhensif, un changement qui a rendu le Dieu des chrtiens plus compatissant et indulgent vis vis du pch. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. Since the Bible tells me that God is the Creator of all things, his activities in the world must clearly go beyond what is recorded in the Bible. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. Updates? This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. I am tantalized by the fact that my vision cannot cope with that horizon. Since Christianity and Islam spread across Africa, many people there have observed a mixture of religious practices. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. All these spirits are believed to live in a mythic land called Ginen, a cosmic Africa. The God of the Christian Bible is understood to be the creator of both the universe and the spirits; the spirits were made by God to help him govern humanity and the natural world. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Islam And Christianity Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. 0000000676 00000 n OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. 0000001586 00000 n interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. 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. Model tested on tens of thousands of routine brain scans spotted disease risk with 90% accuracy, Experts on law, policy say originalist view used to overturn Roe could upend 76 ruling based on cruel, unusual punishment clause, Issues revolve around culture of viewing civilians as potential threats, concerns about self-protection in departments equipped with military-grade arms, Khalil Gibran Muhammad says College Board needs to stand firm behind curriculum, 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. With it, one began to explore afresh the realm of Gods revelation and other treasures of our faith. The councils programs in response to these problems are impressive. 300 ce). Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa are the only countries surveyed where a significant number of people (roughly one-in-ten) describe their religion as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular. In all the other countries, the figure is closer to zero. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. 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. 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. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. In the cities, local hierarchies of priestesses or priests (manbo and oungan), children of the spirits (ounsi), and ritual drummers (ountgi) comprise more formal societies or congregations (sosyete). Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Muslim populations are especially concentrated in a large geographic belt running west to east from Senegal to the Horn of Africa.1 Southern Africa is predominantly Christian. As the map in the preface to this report shows, sub-Saharan Africa is much more religiously mixed than northern Africa, where the population is overwhelmingly Muslim. As for the belief in God, it appears that the Bira have utilized Christianity to make their traditional God Mbali less remote and more caring, a change which has also made the Christian God more compassionate and forgiving of sins. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. 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. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes.
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