Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God. 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. 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. "For us in Africa, God is not dead" -- and that applies whether or not there is a written record of his relations with and concern for people. 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. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. 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. Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. 0000003217 00000 n 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. Their history has a theological meaning. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. degree at Harvard Divinity School. 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. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. stream 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. Anthropologica For instance, in a few years time, I pray that I will be participating in an age-grade festival for men around 70 years of age called Ero in my native Nigerian community in Ute, in Ondo state. 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 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. God was not a stranger to African peoples. Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. My interpretation of Israels history demands a new look at the history of African peoples, among whom this same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has indeed been at work. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and . Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. 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). Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. The Yoruba diviners, for example, draw on this extensive indigenous knowledge every day by consulting Ifa, an extensive literary corpus of information covering science, medicine, cosmology, and metaphysics. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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 . He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). 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. Religious pluralism serves peace. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. 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. 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. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. 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. 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. 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. Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. (back to text), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. 0000014025 00000 n This number has since grown rapidly, to the point that in 1980 there are estimated to be 200 million Christians (or about 45 per cent of the population). This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, between 10% and 15% of respondents are Muslim. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. 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. 0000005714 00000 n That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. Black Americans who identify with a religion are most likely to say belief in God is essential to what their faith means to them (84%), while large majorities say the same about opposing racism (76%) and sexism (71%). Nevertheless, I am convinced that the World Council of Churches is a great witness of the Christian response to the prayer of our Lord that we may all be one. 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. His research has helped to introduce and popularize new concepts in religious studies, such as the term reverse missionaries, referring to African prelates sent to Europe and the United States. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. 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. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. 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. 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. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. Corrections? It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. But to the disappointment of those theological exporters, this fish was not attracted by the bait. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. Omissions? I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. It doesnt have a fixed creed, like in some forms of Christianity or Islam. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Below is the article summary. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? Focuses on the influences of Africans and African ideas on the mission enterprise, conversion, religious innovation, and church life, but it neglects to cover the . <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> 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. 0000000676 00000 n But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. (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. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ 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. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. 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. settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas (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. A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. <> This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (serve the spirits)to offer prayers and perform various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. They are not mutually exclusive. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. These were not empty names. 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. African diaspora religions, also described as Afro-American religions, are a number of related beliefs that developed in the Americas in various nations of the Caribbean, Latin America and the Southern United States. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? 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). 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. X0#J++?U;_3_gmx9[F\"{,Um1yu 9 ?ce%9EG`N: &U0EHC$p4=$'=DlX6M_7,--" Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? 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. That finished the interview. 75 19 Amen. Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. Anthropologica, journal of the Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) was created from the merger of the Society's former journal, Culture, with Canada's oldest anthropology journal, Anthropologica. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. But, it has been a sorrowful, disappointment to me to experience the fact that some individuals who exercise great power in the council are not angels: they sometimes practice the exact contrary of those values and goals to which the council is committed. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. ), 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. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. In the 17th century a movement led by the German Protestant theologian George Calixtus aimed at reconciling the differences between the Protestants in Germany, but his efforts were disparaged by orthodox Christian leaders as syncretistic. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. 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. Instead, God brought them. But they used the names of the God who was and is already known by African peoples -- such as Mungu, Mulungu, Katonda, Ngai, Olodumare, Asis, Ruwa, Ruhanga, Jok, Modimo, Unkulunkulu and thousands more. First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Omissions? 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. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." African development. Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Syncretistic movements in the Orient, such as Manichaeism (a dualistic religion founded by the 3rd-century-ce Iranian prophet Mani, who combined elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism) and Sikhism (a religion founded by the 15th16th-century Indian reformer Guru Nnak, who combined elements of Islam and Hinduism), also met with resistance from the prevailing religions of their respective areas. 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. 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. 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"). 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. %%EOF Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax 4 0 obj There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. 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. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" "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," said Olupona. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. 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. dennis miller weekend update, how to enable drm in browser xbox one,