mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush

I am very excited, for example, by the estimate that in 1987 there will be a statistical balance of Christian population between the north (Europe, Soviet Union and America) and the south (Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania). Its about getting tangible results. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. 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. 817-820. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. 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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 more I peeped into African religious insights about God, the more I felt utterly unable to use the word "only" in this case. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. 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. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. "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. Abstract. 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. The suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. African spirituality is truly holistic. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 0000001791 00000 n GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? This is not a biblical distinction. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. African spirituality has always been able to adapt to change and allow itself to absorb the wisdom and views of other religions, much more than, for example, Christianity and Islam. While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. Take em with a grain of salt. While Islam and Christianity tend to . w?0t7/Oa84P]T}T}?gHq.qsRnkc;]X*s1!E"l^~K_/|j p z|9~p uf:}[Mc|4!#"Zg!/vc _~|oyuQ'dX :?NmU)?oPSw?6#?[OUN@6oz{j;\e7nWsV~XyU4vMm4#f4c:[Wefkd&88XB|cMh6)mt<4M8}; *:7??+0:0$! 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. 93 0 obj I have received much in a short period. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. Awolawu and Depamu (1979) Its consequences for theological and ecclesiological developments are yet to be faced. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. Anthropologica Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God to our continent. Omissions? 300 ce). For example, followers can seek spiritual direction and relief from healers, medicine men and women, charms [adornments often worn to incur good luck], amulets [adornments often used to ward off evil], and diviners [spiritual advisers]. 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. x\u}4`P}E#(9q"%LCl'KLb)Sfgdq N The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. 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. <> It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> 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. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? 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. 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. %PDF-1.3 But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. 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. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. 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. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. They were names of one and the same God, the creator of the world, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. 0000000016 00000 n They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. 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. Ifa is an indispensable treasure trove of knowledge that cant be duplicated elsewhere; much of its knowledge has been handed down from babalawo [Ifa priest/diviner] to babalawo for centuries. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. GAZETTE: How have ancestors played a role in traditional societies? But upon my return to work in Africa, and upon careful study of the religious background of our people, there emerged gradually the demand to examine this issue and to form my own judgment. 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. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. 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). I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 4 0 obj 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. (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. Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. Corrections? 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. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. {PB,`s For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, between 10% and 15% of respondents are Muslim. 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. 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 . 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. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. 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. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ 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. 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. 0000014207 00000 n Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Their history has a theological meaning. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. 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. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). 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. Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and . 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. 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. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. endobj I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. Model tested on tens of thousands of routine brain scans spotted disease risk with 90% accuracy, Experts on law, policy say originalist view used to overturn Roe could upend 76 ruling based on cruel, unusual punishment clause, Issues revolve around culture of viewing civilians as potential threats, concerns about self-protection in departments equipped with military-grade arms, Khalil Gibran Muhammad says College Board needs to stand firm behind curriculum, 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. African religion has equipped people to listen to the gospel, to discover meaningful passages in the Bible, and to avoid unhealthy religious conflict. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. 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? Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. 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. %%EOF (back to text), 2 The World Religion Database estimates that roughly four-in-ten people in Guinea Bissau are Muslim and approximately one-in-ten are Christian, with the rest of the population associated with traditional African religions. Anthropologica, journal of the Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) was created from the merger of the Society's former journal, Culture, with Canada's oldest anthropology journal, Anthropologica. African immigrants and slaves worked to maintain traditional religious and social practices in their new surroundings. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. 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. That which had been seen as the enemy of the gospel turns out (to me) to be indeed a very welcoming friend.

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