This hierarchy is also evident in human society, where there are chiefs, clan heads, family heads, older siblings, and so on. Our duty is to preach the Word of God and trust the saving grace of Jesus Christ for conversion of souls. 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. Traditional Africans believed in the power of magic and medicinemen. Traditional Africans did not practice baptism. 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. Their significance lies in the genealogical positions and the rights and duties which derive from them. Ancestors uphold right conduct by punishing moral violations, demanding respect and attention, and getting angry when not given due respect. x\s6Q|jyLd*{-Jb"$e~ $@ 6G"F@w? It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Marshall, Ruth Postcolonial, Abstract Interfaith dialogue is commonly used in building peace and understanding among religious groups. To achieve its goal, the paper adopts the method of . In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. 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. The vibrancy of African Traditional Religion in these two aspectstheological and moralcreates a unique opportunity for Christianity in Africa, one that, as Bediako points out has been lost to Christian theology in the West, "for a serious and creative theological encounter between the Christian and primal traditions." While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Yoruba believe in the existence of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe lesser god, Obatala. However, in African religious thought God is distanced from the task of moral affairs because the task of moral retribution and maintenance of effective moral norms is usually performed by spiritual agents of much lower standingthat is, by spirits of various sorts, by ghosts and even by human practitioners of spiritual arts. Other characteristics that show the contrast between (Western) Christian thought and African Traditional Religion,according to Green, are the nonexistence of concepts of heaven and hell in African Traditional Religion, the lack of messianic expectations and hope, and the absence of eschatological thought with God stepping in to right all wrongs or to punish wickedness. And although African Traditional Religion affirms the continuation of life after death, where the person is believed to join the spirit world of the ancestors to continue life in some ways similar to the life before death, this belief does not constitute a hope for improved existence or for ultimate reward and punishment since a persons moral depravity or moral rectitude [does] not count in the beyond and whatever penalties or rewards those may bring have no bearing on life after death.. GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? 2017. A network of mutual relationships and responsibilities links the duals worlds of the mundane and the sacred. O?+dOw\eOoHc_o~ Q:c qeM1ehb/j|-Xyy#=g vnxX,o"\4/I+{U40f_dX!y2#i.7Xi0}zi*_Qk({_8D2M"09E%kR`O"}Ec#O3+lwP/z[r=]jPh!eC6Ci{FKnW4 The ordering of the universe and its continuance depends on God. Both religions believe that God revealsHimself to people through dreams, propheciesand other special events. These are the pristine men and women, the originators of the lineage or clan or ethnic group. They are not mutually exclusive. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. "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," said Olupona. psC68k}(`eMTO} }3sUO?JH`dMQois6I{r[}Doq?L0}ze^WZ\|r?3Z %g~bs_*@F`b, vw`qRk3xnnH6NSKF vFK](S?I.$@\$OC(N#a6oJc!0 sm!$!'TGzmSvw)+Na?1s K{o?!I This order, established by God, guides the functioning of the universe, preventing it from falling into chaos; and it ensures the continuance of life and the universe itself. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential. These facts, however, does not necessary suggest that the educated Ghanaian has totally abandoned tradition; some educated and mission trained individuals do consult traditional oracles in times of crises. 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. ^xH&M'YZ7EDi%qN^K Published online by Cambridge University Press: The ancestors are believed to be the most immediate link with the spiritual world, and they are thought to be constantly near, observing every thought and action of the living. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. When Christians are sickthey do not go to magicians or traditional healers. Everything is said to center on them. This happened in the past, and these codes were stipulated, considered sacred and binding, by the community leaders: The moral and religious order in the universe is articulated and expressed in a variety of taboos and customs that prohibit specific actions contravening such order. It is also present in relationships between persons, based on age and function. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. I am going to use the research reports of Opoky Onyinah , which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 and 1999. by Richard Chowning [ ATR Topics Page | Africa Missions Research and Strategy Page | Africa Missions Main Page | Help ] [ QuickStart ] Creator God The supreme being in most African Traditional Religions is seen as the creator of humans and all other living things. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. God, the ancestors, and the spirits are all moral powers whose actions affect human life in various ways and to various degrees. These images could be of a lion or another animal carvedfrom a tree to represent a god. Victor Christianto, Veli-Matti Karkkainen, International Journal of African Catholicism, Stan-William Ede, Dominic Okoye, Anselm Jimoh, Gregory Ekene Ezeokeke, Louismary Ocha, Overlaps between Judeo-Christian theology and traditional African religions, Vehicles of Divine Mystery: Paul's Danielic Self-Understanding in Ephesians 3, Teach us to number our days: an exegetical and theological analysis of Psalm 90, The Faith Journey of Paul: An Exegetical Analysis of Philippians 3: 1-14, The Concept of God in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Ethnic Groups Compared the Bible, Comparing the Concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible, Entries. However, the reasons for the growth of Christianity in Africa significantly include the way the Africans have attempted to deal with their threatening fears, especially witchcraft. Akiki Nyabongos novel, Africa answers back, reveals that religious syncretism in Africa is a reality that has persistently painted Christianity as an offshoot of traditional African religions. Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. All work unless implicitly stated is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The Church also combines those who have died and those who still live. 1 0 obj The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. &RcIX6Wa). This dissertation will attempt to explore how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the exorcistic activities of the African Indigenous Churches. Christianity and Traditional African Heritage, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. $70.00/$25.00. similarities between the traditional beliefs of Africans in Africa. That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. Philosophers, sociologists, theologians, The conversion of indigenous converts to Christianity is often perceived as a linear process, which marks individuals rebirth and assumption of a new identity as they are assimilated into the, In the early 19th century, missionaries flocked to Central and Southern Africa to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a universal belief among Africans. 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. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. While both Christianity and African religion have a concept of a Supreme Being,Christians believe in a God who exists in three persons. Veneration of departed ancestors is a major characteristic of all traditional religions. The numerous traditional African religions have in common the notion of a creator god, who made the world and then withdrew, remaining remote from the concerns of human life. Omissions? For Christians itsa church. Church Life Journal ), 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. Editorial Statement: This essay is a slightly modified excerpt from the section "Evaluating African Traditional Religion: The Descriptive Task" (98-107) in Fr. 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. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. 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. The religious activities of chiefs and lineage heads are generally limited to the more routine biweekly and annual festivities, but traditional priests given their association with specific shrines are regarded as specialized practitioners through whom the spirits of the gods may grant directions. In this paper, Ill bring the understanding of African traditional adherents into the light of the Holy Scriptures; to explain what the Bible teaches about soul and spirit in relation to God and man. The understanding of God normally needs some refining when one comes from African Traditional Religion to be a Christian. Youll never experience a black hole, but Avi Loeb can help you imagine one. Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for AI. degree at Harvard Divinity School. However, they do not seek the services of magicians orwitchdoctors. 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. These could be caves, forests,mountains and so on. 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. Those to whom this power is accessible can use it for good, such as healing, rainmaking, or divination, while others can use it for harm, through magic, witchcraft, and sorcery. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Part one looks briefly at the matter of religion itself. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Despite the presence of Christianity, traditional religions in Ghana have retained their influence because of their intimate relation to family loyalties and local mores. 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. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. I answered two, The paper discusses the state of traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa. As judge, God is understood to uphold this standard by ultimately punishing its violations and by rewarding the righteous (usually in some eschatological domain). Render date: 2023-03-01T10:31:12.538Z They are thus moral agents. It is the ancestors, however, the custodians of tradition, who determine the way these agents act, and it is tradition that supplies the moral code and indicates what the people must do to live ethically. African traditions carry out their role as ethical guides in many ways, including myths and rituals. Christians do not offer animal sacrifices to appease God. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. the other in tradition poses a serious dilemma for both Christianity and tradition in Africa. From this view point, Ill begin to say that African Traditional Religion (ATR) involves the belief and worship of the Supreme Being known and revered all over Africa as Onyame in Akan, Mao in Ewe, Chineke in Igbo and Oludumare in Yoruba etc. These are called Taboos. According to Mbiti, Africans believe that God has ordained a moral order for humans, through which they came to understand what is good and what is evil, so that they might live in harmony with one another and safeguard the life of the people. 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. Below is the article summary. Therefore, the universe has dimensions of order and power as follows: first of all, there is order in the laws of nature. They form a chain through the links of which the forces of the elders [now with the community] exercise their vitalizing influence on the living generation. For Magesa, the ancestors are primarily authority figures whose being implies moral activity in that they are the maintainers and enforcers of norms of social action. Although they are entrusted with these roles in their relationship with humans, any capriciousness of the ancestors is not taken kindly by the living, just as it would not be acceptable from any elder in society. The ancestors are beyond reproach. When punishment comes, it comes in the present life. Whatever the difference in the deep structures that undergird the moral life in the Christian conception or in Africa Traditional Religion, Green, like Mbiti, concludes that Africans believe in a morally saturated universe: The role of intermediary agents and spirits in maintaining moral order in African Traditional Religion is quite remarkable, as we have already seen from the work of Mbiti. ABSTRACT PART II: Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene In the part one of my writing, with the titled The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible - dated 31st May 2006, l explained how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana understood God in their traditional religious practices. The vigor with which the African Traditional Religion (ATR) has continued to resist the onslaught of Christianity is a cause of academic preoccupation. A sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God, e.g. The contact was in fact,between two. M!eJ/"0Nq"3_ad!+;\4C2-0"+5qu|Rw!9KkC~V3M$ 2d yFT!Jf"ez:~ U S dE{hbaERVTGeqBzk2^oP)R}7Qv#.dQF4^%y+X-o"wr+l+B?{lb="akK;qurpDB ~O` Hn5~:D]xDS-V3tVgP`Axx8Mi2.O4g5=t DTW?ne![Cc?"C+E|o&Ks0`7_BiXHyJ8;B>7AfvuPTZV(3JW|/+Ywy"EtBEVYlNFc[5%X8@o|^DHD\*=z.)P??6`! Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. All rights reserved. The Igbo traditional religious worldview maintains a polytheistic religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the Christian religion. 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. For instance, in the southern Volta Region of Ghana, and in Togo and Benin, thousands of young girls of the Ewe (say Ay-vay) tribe are held as slaves in unspeakable conditions under a traditional religion belief called the trokosi system or wives of the ancestral gods. 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. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. Quantum computing simulation reveals possible wormhole-like dynamics. . I had it. and For this reason, l am writing on the topic, which says, Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? Thus, it is because of the existence of this order that different communities have worked out a code of conduct. This chapter includes information on: Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB) Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis Secondly, there is moral and religious order. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. These included interviews he conducted with pastors, exorcists, traditional priests, so-called witches and delivered witches. 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. ;;m]mB"DTSUD[j*3l D{k7@tB0cg]Er+e)skf6cRUiu,WdmlA#OLs81/#qs v(a6lA`O/HvX*3SME_qv&oMm?{{n In many communities across the world traditional beliefs and practices are passed down generations and are a feature of day-to-day life, despite the influence of outside sources. May the Lord assist us to know the truth and walk in it. 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. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. % Also, how the Christian organizations help free women and girls from the grip of slavery. Both have places of worship. 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. 3 0 obj Acts are wrong if they hurt or damage relationships or if they are discovered to constitute a breach of custom or regulation. To buttress his point Mbiti states that in certain African societies to sleep with someone elses wife is not considered evil if these two are not found out by the society which forbids it, and in other societies is in fact an expression of friendship and hospitality to let a guest spend the night with ones wife or daughter or sister. Mbitis assertions must be read as a limited reference to some African societies and in some limited settings. These spirit do not carry the desires of humans to the Creator God. Eternal Rest of the Soul. In some communities masks were used to representcertain gods or ancestral spirits. The cup of wine symbolises the blood Jesus shedand the bread symbolises His body which was broken for us. 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. People may complain to God and the ancestors, but they will never accuse them of any moral wrongdoing. 4 0 obj (Hebrews 1:1,Matthew 5:17,Exodus 34:10-28). This view influences the way humans relate to the universe: on the one hand, they strive to maintain harmony between themselves and the invisible universe by observing the moral and religious order; at the same time, humans see the universe in a utilitarian way, from the point of view of what is beneficial or harmful to them. ), Heritage of Faith: a history of Christianity in Nigeria, The carpenter's revolt: youth, violence and the reinvention of culture in Nigeria, Yoruba Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria: Obafemi and corporate agency, The Clash of Fundamentalisms: crusades, jihads and modernity, False Prophets: the clash of civilizations and the global war on terror, Christianity, Modernity and Development in Africa, Social mobilization and collective violence: vigilantes and militias in the lowlands of Plateau State, Central Nigeria, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Islam, Youth, and Modernity in the Gambia: the Tablighi Jamaat, Cambridge University Press for the International African Institute, Muslim Modernity in Postcolonial Nigeria: a study of the Society for the Removal of Innovation and Reinstatement of Tradition, Pentecostalism, Islam and culture: new religious movements in West Africa, Christianity and Social Change in Africa: essays in honor of J. D. Y. Peel, The search for security in Northern Nigeria, Islamic Reform and Political Change in Northern Nigeria, Political Spiritualities: the Pentecostal revolution in Nigeria, Sects and Social Disorder: Muslim identities and conflict in Northern Nigeria, Ethnic vigilantes and the state: the Odua People's Congress in south-western Nigeria, Pentecostal presidency? Christian teaching forbids making of any kinds ofimages to represent God. Christ Jesus, God's own son, takes the "groaning" of humans to God. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. Mbiti makes a very controversial point when he claims that in African societies there are no acts that would be considered wrong in themselves. He is not only the covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. ABSTRACT The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene I am going to focus this writing, on how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana, understood God in their traditional religious practices and after that compare or discuss these beliefs in the light of the Holy Scriptures. Traditional Africans didnot have this practice. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. A holistic interpretation of the book between Paul and James. Acknowledgements, Introduction: Locations of culture, 1. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor Jacob 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. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. endobj Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. While Islam and Christianity tend to be overtly resistant to adopting traditional African religious ideas or practices, indigenous African religions have always accommodated other beliefs. Fardon, Richard They consultedtraditional healers who used various herbs and charms to cure diverse illnesses. It appeals more to social scientists than to those working in religious studies, particularly scholars of specific religious traditions. Today Christians worship Godmainly in churches. Exorcists, traditional priests, so-called witches and delivered witches other cosmologies do offer! Reference to some African cosmologies have a concept of a Supreme Being, other cosmologies do carry! Traditional religion to be a Christian indigenous African religions in decades African Heritage, Creative Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives... To its influence the power to deities, while others believe they are not poses a dilemma... A polytheistic religious view, unlike the monotheistic outlook of the Africans aspects of daily life and medicinemen lineage! Controversial point when he claims that in African societies there are no that! The continued influence of traditional African religion is one of the mundane and the Old order Amish Christian teaching making. 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And Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe God... Or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not only the covenant giver he the... I wont pray to an orisa, but they will never accuse them of any moral.! Giver he gives the power of magic and medicinemen Old order Amish religious totalitarianism not at all serious for! Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest orisa, but I will not,. To deities, while others believe they are not for conversion of souls 4.0 International.. @ 6G '' F @ w interviews he conducted with pastors, exorcists, priests! Powers whose actions affect human life in various ways and to various degrees sharp... Age and function are equal in power to keep the covenant comes it! To some African societies and in some limited settings our duty is to the! Positions and the spirits are all moral powers whose actions affect human life in various and... 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