%%EOF During religious rites, believers sometimes enter a trancelike state in which the devotee may eat and drink, perform stylized dances, give supernaturally inspired advice to people, or perform medical cures or special physical feats; these acts exhibit the incarnate presence of the lwa within the entranced devotee. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. Their history has a theological meaning. For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? 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. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. 0000002884 00000 n
startxref 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. On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. (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. Corrections? A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. 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]. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. African scholars Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. X0#J++?U;_3_gmx9[F\"{,Um1yu 9
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&U0EHC$p4=$'=DlX6M_7,--" 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. <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Later, my theological studies in America and England did not challenge this position, since that was not a living issue for my professors and fellow students. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. 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. 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. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. 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. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. 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. 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. 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. settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. 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. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. 0000001019 00000 n
Since Christianity and Islam spread across Africa, many people there have observed a mixture of religious practices. A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. 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. Take em with a grain of salt. Supreme Court may halt health care guarantees for inmates, Why police resist reforms to militarization, Historian says Fla. dispute shows why AP class in African American studies is needed, Low-carb diet can help manage progression of Type 2 diabetes, Those breezy TV drug ads? It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. xref (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. GAZETTE: How have ancestors played a role in traditional societies? So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" 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). That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. 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. But to the disappointment of those theological exporters, this fish was not attracted by the bait. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. 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 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). Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. Wendy Sherman, who was the lead U.S. negotiator in the nuclear deal with Iran, was welcomed by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. 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 . %PDF-1.3 This interview has been edited for length and clarity. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. 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 Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. 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. There are other areas of exploration in which I continue to be engaged. In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? They include the work of missionaries (of whom there are about 40,000 today, without counting their family members); the work of African Christians in evangelism and pastoral care (their numbers are infinitely greater than those of overseas missionaries, and include men, women and children, both lay and ordained); the role of Christian schools; the translation and distribution of the Bible (which is now available in full or in part in nearly 600 of Africas 1,000 languages); and the ending of the colonial era during the decades 1960-1980. 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%. Nigeria, the most populous country in all of Africa, has the largest number of Muslims as well as the largest number of Christians in the region.3. Omissions? 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. religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. But upon my return to work in Africa, and upon careful study of the religious background of our people, there emerged gradually the demand to examine this issue and to form my own judgment. The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. 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. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). 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. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. A conference of mainly African theologians, held in Ghana in December 1977, said in its final communiqu: "The God of history speaks to all peoples in particular ways. 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. Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. I want to reflect and write on this topic, but somehow it makes me feel frightened. I had it. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ Christianity in Africa dates to the very inception of the church. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 43. I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. 0000001586 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. There are also other parallels in social, political and cultural areas, just as there are some significant differences. 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"). We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. 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. 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. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. 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. 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. This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological 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. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. African spirituality is truly holistic. {PB,`s At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. 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. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. Abstract. God was not a stranger to African peoples. Updates? 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. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. The decisive word here is "only." 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. 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. This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. 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. 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 . Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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. Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. 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 conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . 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 . Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 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. ), 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. 0000015705 00000 n
They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. 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. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. (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. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). Eating pattern tied to 24% reduction in cardiovascular, cancer mortality in people diagnosed with the chronic condition, HMS/Brigham study shows most advertised medicines little better than other treatment options. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. (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. Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. 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. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. Updates? 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. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? 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. 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.