GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? African development. 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. Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. 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, 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. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? With it, one began to explore afresh the realm of Gods revelation and other treasures of our faith. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." I am tantalized by the fact that my vision cannot cope with that horizon. Updates? 0000014207 00000 n 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 They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. 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. 0000008365 00000 n He later earned both an M.A. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. 0000002884 00000 n The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Since I myself had never heard any lectures on African religion, I set out to do research on the subject in order to teach the course adequately. But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt %PDF-1.3 0000005714 00000 n I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. 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. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society 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. That which had been seen as the enemy of the gospel turns out (to me) to be indeed a very welcoming friend. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. 0000000676 00000 n It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. 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 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. 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. What is African Traditional Religion? In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. 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. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. 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. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. Islam And Christianity Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. 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. 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). I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. 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"). There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. Omissions? Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. Robinson, came out. For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. 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. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God. It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. ), 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. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. 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. 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. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. (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 These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. 0000003641 00000 n A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. (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. 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%. Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. OLUPONA: If we lose traditional African religions, we would also lose or continue to seriously undermine the African practice of rites of passage such as the much cherished age-grade initiations, which have for so long integrated and bought Africans together under a common understanding, or worldview. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. startxref A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. This is not an empty coincidence. 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. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. 0000002505 00000 n Take em with a grain of salt. The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. 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. 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. 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. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. xref After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. Christianity in Africa dates to the very inception of the church. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. So the church which exists on the African scene bears the marks of its peoples backgrounds. Instead, God brought them. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. %PDF-1.7 % Omissions? Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. 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. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. %%EOF Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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.