Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. 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. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. 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 amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" Its aim is to develop an extensive library of resources, representing many different points of view, but all written from the perspective of sound scholarship. They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. 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. They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. 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. %%EOF Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. He later earned both an M.A. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. GAZETTE: How do you balance your Christian and indigenous African identity? The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. 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. 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. 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. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. 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. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax 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. /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. 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. 0000005714 00000 n In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. APUSH Content Quiz #2 Flashcards | Quizlet 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. 0000002264 00000 n I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. 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). "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. 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%. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. www.ej-theology.org Christianity and Indigenisation in Africa 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. 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. 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. 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 approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices 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. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? 0000001519 00000 n African diaspora religions - Wikipedia 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. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. 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. 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). With it, one began to explore afresh the realm of Gods revelation and other treasures of our faith. This is not an empty coincidence. The suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. That finished the interview. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." degree at Harvard Divinity School. For instance, if we were to lose indigenous African religions in Africa, then diviners would disappear, and if diviners disappeared, we would not only lose an important spiritual specialist for many Africans, but also an institution that for centuries has been the repository of African history, wisdom, and knowledge. 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 African religions and corresponding beliefs and practices settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continents major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? African Traditional Religion in the Context of Christian and Islamic Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. Below is the article summary. 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 will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. 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. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. But to the disappointment of those theological exporters, this fish was not attracted by the bait. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . 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. 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. OLUPONA: We would lose a worldview that has collectively sustained, enriched, and given meaning to a continent and numerous other societies for centuries through its epistemology, metaphysics, history, and practices. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. Instead, God brought them. Religious syncretism - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica This is not a biblical distinction. It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. The decisive word here is "only." I have seen the quest more sharply. 4 0 obj African religion has equipped people to listen to the gospel, to discover meaningful passages in the Bible, and to avoid unhealthy religious conflict. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. 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. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. 43. Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. Abstract. The WCCs very existence as a council of churches is a living hope. The more I peeped into African religious insights about God, the more I felt utterly unable to use the word "only" in this case. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. (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. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. 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. 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. In its place there emerged the word "also." They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. 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 Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. PDF African American Christianity - Harvard University For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. 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. startxref This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. 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.

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