mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush

The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 0000002884 00000 n 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. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. 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Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. Yet . OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. African immigrants and slaves worked to maintain traditional religious and social practices in their new surroundings. African Traditional Religion in the Context of Christian and Islamic While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. In lieu of these traditional African ways of defining oneself, Christianity and Islam are gradually creating a social identity in Africa that cuts across these indigenous African religious and social identities. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. 75 19 I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . 0000001519 00000 n I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. 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. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? 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. 0000008365 00000 n The theological horizon continues to expand. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. Author of. Religious beliefs among Black Americans | Pew Research Center 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%. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. (a) The Structures of African Traditional Religions: Sometimes it is a difficult task among scholars to choose a unanimous name for the religious traditions and beliefs of the African people. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Regardless of the variation, it is still true that Nigeria has both the largest number of Muslims and the largest number of Christians in the region. 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. 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). What is African Traditional Religion? In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. Important lwa are celebrated on saints days (for example: Ogou on St. Jamess Day, July 25; Ezili Danto on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16; Danbala on St. Patricks Day, March 17; and the spirits of the ancestors on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1 and November 2). Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. 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. The numerous traditional African religions have in common the notion of a creator god, who made the world and then withdrew, remaining remote from the concerns of human life. One African theologian, Gabriel Setiloane, has even argued that the concept of God which the missionaries presented to the Sotho-Tswana peoples was a devaluation of the traditional currency of Modimo (God) among the Sotho-Tswana. (See the glossary for more information on juju. 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. 75 0 obj Corrections? Ifa is an indispensable treasure trove of knowledge that cant be duplicated elsewhere; much of its knowledge has been handed down from babalawo [Ifa priest/diviner] to babalawo for centuries. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. %PDF-1.7 % And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. The recipient of many prestigious academic honors and research fellowships, Olupona also received the 20152016 Reimar Lust Award for International and Cultural Exchange, considered one of Germanys most prestigious academic honors. African diaspora religions - Wikipedia Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. ), 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. %%EOF OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. The fusion of cultures that was effected by the conquest of Alexander the Great (4th century bce), his successors, and the Roman Empire tended to bring together a variety of religious and philosophical views that resulted in a strong tendency toward religious syncretism. There is not space here to argue the case for the role played by African religion in the establishment of the Christian faith in Africa. 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. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. 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. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God to our continent. I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. This is not an empty coincidence.

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