At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. A magisterial historical synthesis of the formative period of African Christianity written by one of its foremost scholars. This is not an empty coincidence. w?0t7/Oa84P]T}T}?gHq.qsRnkc;]X*s1!E"l^~K_/|j p z|9~p uf:}[Mc|4!#"Zg!/vc _~|oyuQ'dX :?NmU)?oPSw?6#?[OUN@6oz{j;\e7nWsV~XyU4vMm4#f4c:[Wefkd&88XB|cMh6)mt<4M8}; *:7??+0:0$! Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. 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 of sins. Many other familial feasts (for the sacred children, for the poor, for particular ancestors) as well as initiations and funerary rituals occur throughout the year. Robinson, came out. These initiation rituals are already not as common in Africa as they were only 50 years ago, yet age-grade initiations have always helped young Africans feel connected to their community and their past. (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 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%). 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. Updates? What is African Traditional Religion? Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation. 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. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, 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. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. 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 has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. 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.. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. Updates? This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. 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. 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. They have also fostered a greater feeling of individual self-worth by acknowledging important milestones in ones life, including becoming an adult or an elder. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. 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. They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. No doubt there still remain much research and reflection to be done in order to work out a consistent theological understanding of the issues entailed here. Updates? But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. stream Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 817-820. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? 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. The suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. 0000015705 00000 n 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. But to the disappointment of those theological exporters, this fish was not attracted by the bait. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. Reuben Kigame, the Kenyan Christian musician and apologist, has rightly suggested that considering the fact that Christianity existed in Africa for a good eighteen centuries before the. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. 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. (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. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. Amen. But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. 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 subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. 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). 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). At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. 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. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. 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. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. 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. 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). Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. Awolawu and Depamu (1979) There are also other parallels in social, political and cultural areas, just as there are some significant differences. 300 ce). What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ xref Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. That finished the interview. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. Its about getting tangible results. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. They were names of one and the same God, the creator of the world, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. % Take em with a grain of salt. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. 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. 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. 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. 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. But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. Outline of the Curricular Framework: Anglicanization Atlantic slave trade "Atlantic World" Barbados (sugar) British-American system of slavery the Carolinas (rice) Caste system cereal crops Colonial resistance Dominion of New England Enlightenment Furs Great Awakening Indentured Servants Mercantilism Metis Models of colonization Molasses Act 0000002264 00000 n Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. 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. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. 0 For starters, the word religion is problematic for many Africans, because it suggests that religion is separate from the other aspects of ones culture, society, or environment. The editor of The Christian Century has given me an undeserved privilege in asking me to contribute some reflections on "How My Mind Has Changed" in the course of the past decade. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. {PB,`s 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. Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. 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. 0000000676 00000 n While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that 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. 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. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. 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 church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. ), 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. 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. 0000008365 00000 n 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"). settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. <>stream They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . 0000001586 00000 n This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. There are other areas of exploration in which I continue to be engaged. GAZETTE: Are ancestors considered deities in the traditional African cosmology? 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. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. African spirituality is truly holistic. 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. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. It is the southern two-thirds of Africa (including Madagascar) which we can rightly call Christian Africa, as the northern one-third is Muslim Africa. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender, Side by side with their high levels of commitment to Christianity and Islam, many people in the countries surveyed retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. 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. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. 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. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). 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. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. 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. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. 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. <> While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. 0000014025 00000 n Islam And Christianity Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. One of Jacob Oluponas earliest memories in Massachusetts is of nearly freezing in his apartment as a graduate student at Boston University during the great snowstorm of 1978. Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. 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. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. In one case the thinking and experience of the people produced a written record of Gods dealings with the Jewish people in particular. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Pew Forums survey finds a similar number of people in Guinea Bissau identifying themselves as Muslim (38%) but a much higher percentage identifying themselves as Christian (62%) and very few describing themselves mainly as practitioners of traditional African faiths. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main 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. Religious pluralism serves peace. Omissions? 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. 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 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. Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. Vodou ritual activity (e.g., prayer, song, dance, and gesture) is aimed at refining and restoring balance and energy in relationships between people and between people and the spirits of the unseen world. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. God was not a stranger to African peoples. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. Below is the article summary. 0000005714 00000 n The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." 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. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. Omissions? Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. %PDF-1.7 % 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. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. 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. trailer This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions.

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