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). OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. 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 more I peeped into African religious insights about God, the more I felt utterly unable to use the word "only" in this case. A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. degree at Harvard Divinity School. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. I wish to apply "change of mind" here to mean theological growth, and not necessarily a rejection of or turnaround from ideas that I may have held ten years ago. 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. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax I want to reflect and write on this topic, but somehow it makes me feel frightened. 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. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. 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 . Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. A semi-annual journal, it publishes peer-reviewed articles in both French and English devoted to social and cultural issues whether they are pre-historic, historic, contemporary, biological, linguistic, applied or theoretical in orientation. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. Amen. 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. So the church which exists on the African scene bears the marks of its peoples backgrounds. 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. Omissions? It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and . 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. 0000003641 00000 n %%EOF In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. 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). While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. 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"). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. Robinson, came out. 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. What is African Traditional Religion? (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. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. In its place there emerged the word "also." Their history has a theological meaning. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. 0000014207 00000 n Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. 0000001019 00000 n 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]. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> (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. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. 817-820. Religious pluralism serves peace. /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Traditional African religions and practices were brought to the Western hemisphere through the African diaspora and the slave trade, often resulting in a syncretic blending with Christianity. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. 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. Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. Its about getting tangible results. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. 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. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. Indigenous African practices tend to be strongest in the central states of Africa, but some form of their practices and beliefs can be found almost anywhere in Africa. That which had been seen as the enemy of the gospel turns out (to me) to be indeed a very welcoming friend. 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. 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. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. In the other case no such written record exists. 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. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? There are also other parallels in social, political and cultural areas, just as there are some significant differences. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. 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 concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. 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. {PB,`s They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. 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. (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 Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. 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. Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. 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). Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. 0000001586 00000 n Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. 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. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. Take em with a grain of salt. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. 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.

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