The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. 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. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. Corrections? 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 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. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. 0000001198 00000 n Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. 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. 0000001586 00000 n The decisive word here is "only." In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. 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. 0000005005 00000 n interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. 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 church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. But, it has been a sorrowful, disappointment to me to experience the fact that some individuals who exercise great power in the council are not angels: they sometimes practice the exact contrary of those values and goals to which the council is committed. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . 0000015705 00000 n Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. Instances of religious syncretismas, for example, Gnosticism (a religious dualistic system that incorporated elements from the Oriental mystery religions), Judaism, Christianity, and Greek religious philosophical conceptswere particularly prevalent during the Hellenistic period (c. 300 bcec. 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"). Take em with a grain of salt. African immigrants and slaves worked to maintain traditional religious and social practices in their new surroundings. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. 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. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. They were names of one and the same God, the creator of the world, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. % The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (serve the spirits)to offer prayers and perform various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour. xref The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. (See the glossary for more information on juju. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. (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. Of course, behind all these factors is the Holy Spirit working through them. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." I have seen the quest more sharply. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). Author of. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. 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. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. 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 do this by having Africans increasingly identify themselves as either Muslim or Christian, thus denying their unique African worldview that has always viewed as evidenced in their creation myths everything as unified and connected to the land, the place were ones clan, lineage, and people were cosmically birthed. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. Yet . African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt 0000002884 00000 n Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. (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 It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition of the region about 100 years ago, when, according to a Pew Forum analysis of historical information from the World Religion Database, less than a quarter of the population identified as either Christian or Muslim. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. In Kenya I grew up in home, school and church milieus which held that the African religious and cultural background was demonic and anti-Christian. 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. ), 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 word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. 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. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In four countries (Chad, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria and Tanzania), the number of Christians and Muslims is more equally divided, with a ratio of less than two-to-one in either direction.2 The other countries surveyed are predominantly Christian with Muslim minorities of varying sizes. 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. In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. Abstract. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> The bottom line then is that Africans who still wholly practice African indigenous religions are only about 10 percent of the African population, a fraction of what it used to be only a century ago, when indigenous religions dominated most of the continent. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. 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. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. So the church which exists on the African scene bears the marks of its peoples backgrounds. 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. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. 4 0 obj Its about getting tangible results. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. stream Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. 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. 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. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. GAZETTE: Are ancestors considered deities in the traditional African cosmology? The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. 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. Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. There are other areas of exploration in which I continue to be engaged. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. 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 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. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. Corrections? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. During religious rites, believers sometimes enter a trancelike state in which the devotee may eat and drink, perform stylized dances, give supernaturally inspired advice to people, or perform medical cures or special physical feats; these acts exhibit the incarnate presence of the lwa within the entranced devotee. I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. Corrections? 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. Omissions? Instead, God brought them, for the God described in the Bible is none other than the God who was already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. 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 have also fostered a greater feeling of individual self-worth by acknowledging important milestones in ones life, including becoming an adult or an elder. ancient Rome: Religious and cultural life in the 3rd century, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/religious-syncretism, Academia - Religious Syncretism as a Syncretistic Concept: The Inadequacy of the " World Religions " Paradigm in Cross-Cultural Encounter. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. 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%. Islam And Christianity Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. Instead, God brought them. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. 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. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. This is not a biblical distinction. 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%). It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. 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 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. A magisterial historical synthesis of the formative period of African Christianity written by one of its foremost scholars. 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. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. 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. The idea is that the traditional African practitioner who constructed that amulet believes in the efficacy of other faiths and religions; there is no conflict in his mind between his traditional African spirituality and another faith. In its place there emerged the word "also." According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. 0 Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? 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 missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. It is here that I have discovered the church in Burma, in the Pacific islands, the house church in China, the basic Christian communities in Latin America, the struggling church in South Africa, plus countless other endeavors of Christians all over the world. I had it. 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. While Islam and Christianity tend to . No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. 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 0000014025 00000 n AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main 0000003641 00000 n Anthropologica is published for CASCA by University of Toronto Press. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. 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. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. 0000000016 00000 n Amen. 43. What factors are responsible for it? It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. 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. It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. 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. 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. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). <> 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Their history has a theological meaning. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. I have received much in a short period. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. Its consequences for theological and ecclesiological developments are yet to be faced. A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S.
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