mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush

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. 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? Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. 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. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. 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. C'est l'poque de la colonisation belge que les premiers missionnaires catholiques et protestants sont arrivs dans cette rgion du Zare. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. 0000000016 00000 n They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. 0000001198 00000 n What is African Traditional Religion? 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. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. 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. 0000005714 00000 n GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation | Pew Research Center OLUPONA: Yes, its a mixed bag because in the African diaspora mostly due to the slave trade starting in the 15th century indigenous African religions have spread and taken root all over the world, including in the United States and Europe. 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. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. The more I peeped into African religious insights about God, the more I felt utterly unable to use the word "only" in this case. 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 . The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. 0000002884 00000 n I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. 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. 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%. Omissions? GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. African scholars 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. The WCCs very existence as a council of churches is a living hope. 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. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. 0000014025 00000 n 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. 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. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation. 4 0 obj Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. 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. 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. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). 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. (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. AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. One important task, then, is to see the nature, the method and the implications of Gods revelation among African peoples, in the light of the biblical record of the same revelation. 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. www.ej-theology.org Christianity and Indigenisation in Africa Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. I have met here the church not only in its geographical outreach but also in its historical roots -- seeing, for example, the rich traditions of the Orthodox Church, the universality of the Roman Catholic Church (even though it is based in the Vatican), the reconciling positioning of the Anglican Communion, the dynamic vitality of African independent churches, and so on. 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. (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. 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. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. Instead, God brought them. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. 0000000676 00000 n When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. PDF Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The postcolonial It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. degree at Harvard Divinity School. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and . It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. There are other areas of exploration in which I continue to be engaged. 0000002026 00000 n ), 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. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. 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. 300 ce). The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). <> That finished the interview. At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. Awolawu and Depamu (1979) 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 . I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> APUSH Content Quiz #2 Flashcards | Quizlet Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society PDF African American Christianity - Harvard University "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. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. 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. 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. 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. Omissions? 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. In the end, I believe that Africans can make room for a plurality of religious points of view without one religious point of view excluding or compromising the other. Ancestors can offer advice and bestow good fortune and honor to their living dependents, but they can also make demands, such as insisting that their shrines be properly maintained and propitiated. No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. African spirituality is truly holistic. I want to reflect and write on this topic, but somehow it makes me feel frightened. Their history has a theological meaning. 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. One read Honest to God and a variety of other works in an effort to understand the hot debate then raging in Europe and America. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." Corrections? (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. Anthropologica 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. 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. In its place there emerged the word "also." And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. He later earned both an M.A. 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. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. 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. But I have discovered that there is also the fundamental factor of African religion, without which this phenomenal expansion of Christianity would not be a reality. 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). Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? 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. In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. startxref 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. 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. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible.

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