The main objective of this paper is to examine african culture and values. Errors and generalizations like these are rife and perpetuated both by the media and by popular culture. It further studies the difficulties involved in this study and future of african traditional religion. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. African traditional spirituality as an african heritage must be taken seriously for a fuller understanding of african christian spirituality, particularly of the african pentecostal churches. African spirituality is often pitted against mainstream religions as a culture that promotes mythical and backward teachings. In most african cultures, history and beliefs have been explained and passed on through oral traditions and storytelling. African religion cannot be separated from daily life. Misconceptions about africa are commonplace in the west.
Rediscovering the way african spirituality is often pitted against mainstream religions as a culture that promotes mythical and backward teachings. Distortion of facts in western ethnographic study of african religion, culture and society etim e. Written expressly for the middle grade struggling reader, the series does not contain strong language, edgy themes, or dysfunctional families. The traditional spiritual beliefs of the chewa people of zambia. The african traditional religion is an integral part of black africans everyday life. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of former generations. African ways of doing things became primitive, archaic and regrettably unacceptable in public domain. Again, there have been some misconceptions that interreligious dialogue has to do. Traditional african cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as africans became fully westernised. On stereotypes about african religions state of formation. Each facet of a black africans life is bound to his traditional religious way of life or culture. The paper attempts to demonstrate the vast potentials of oral tradition as a vehicular access to understanding african beliefs and practices. This means that traditional african religion cannot be separated from daily life.
Being an african american woman, most of them automatically assumed i identified as christian. While i was raised in the baptist faith as a young person, the few people i had the courage to reveal my full self to were very surprised to learn i was a practitioner of indigenous african religion. Africa, the place of origin of all humankind, is divided into numerous political and cultural regions, reflecting its diverse range of histories, ethnicities, languages, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Africa is the secondlargest continent in the world. The essence and existence of god in african traditional religion. The best interpreter of african religion is the african with a disciplined mind and the requisite technical tools. Conflicts between african traditional religion and christianity in. The religious beliefs, practices and thehuman characteristics such as love, power, knowledge are transferred to anspeak of african traditional religion we mean the indigenous. The main characteristics of african traditional religion. Mbiti, african religions and philosophy, heineman, 1969, p. African traditional religion, african indigenous religion and african traditional religions are all common terms used to discuss the faiths found within of africa. Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions. The religious beliefs, practices and thehuman characteristics such as love, power, knowledge are transferred to anspeak. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what air and its essential characteristics is.
Johnson, understanding african traditional religion. Jan 12, 2005 dispelling misconceptions about traditional religions. Prior to this contact, each tribe in ghana had its own distinct set of beliefs and practices, which could be referred to as the tribes religion. In sierra leone, botswana, and burkina faso more than 33 percent follow african religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. The type a person focuses on can tell a lot about what he thinks of religion and how he perceives religion in human life. Christianity and the african traditional religions. African religion is traditional for the following reasons. This study will now look at four examples within the yoruba traditional religious setting as illustrations of african traditional religion. This is a 3hour summary lecture on the basic components of african traditional religions. African traditional religion in a globalizing world. However, traditional religion shows resilience in its impact in such areas as africans historicalcultural roots, selfconsciousness and expectations mbiti 1999.
An examination of terminologies used for describing the indigenous faith of african people, using an afrocentric paradigm article pdf available november 2016. This is based on misconceptions that these religions are antithetical to. The term african traditional religion in this thesis refers to all the indigenous religions of ghana before contact with arabs and europeans. Dispelling misconceptions about traditional religions. African philosophy is the reflective inquiry into the marvels and problematic that confront one in the african world, in producing systematic explanation and sustained responses to them iroegbu, 1994. This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis the plurality of divinities polytheism. Many archeologists and other scientists argue that africa was the birthplace of mankind. In practice, most of the rituals and day to day religious. Many traditional african religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically those with interests such as historians and scholars. It is a matter of perspective, whether one lays emphasis on the supreme being or on the many. Myths of african traditional religions introduction. Egwu 2001 observes religion not only because of the problem of objectivity one encounters in defining but is emotion laden, even more so because of the difficulty of penetrating the inner essence of religion. Nigeria, the most populous african country with a population of over 200 million in 2018, is divided between adherents of christianity, islam and traditional religion quite similar to polytheism though the exact ratio is uncertain. Religion in igbo traditional society partakes fully of all the features of world traditional religion, including its beliefs, sacred myths, oral qualities.
Investigators, especially, foreign, should therefore learn to project african traditional religion as the africans themselves say it in their language, culture and all. In five of these countriesbenin, mozambique, guineabissau, liberia, and the ivory coastafrican religion is the majority religion. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs. It has the longest river nile, the biggest desert sahara, and a vast wealth of natural resources. For those who focus upon substantive or essentialist definitions, religion is all about content. The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the. Correcting misconceptions about african traditional religion. Western culture now is regarded as frontline civilisation. Myths of african traditional religions introduction religion creates a significant part of african life. Jun 25, 2019 the type a person focuses on can tell a lot about what he thinks of religion and how he perceives religion in human life.
Some examples rituals and rites abound in yoruba traditional religion. Pdf god, divinities and spirits in african traditional. African traditional religions religion in zimbabwe. Jul 26, 2014 african traditional religion, african indigenous religion and african traditional religions are all common terms used to discuss the faiths found within of africa. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional. Its subject matter is, african reality, african experience and how the african understand and interpret these experiences. Let us start with the ritual in connection with the worship of god olodumare and gods orisa. Shona mwari literally he who is, or ndebele umlimu, is believed to be active in the everyday lives of people. It is not proper to say there an african traditional religion. The traditional african understanding and the interpretation of christianity have deep roots in these fundamental beliefs of the african traditional religions. It then highlights the urgent need, in the face of a rapidly changing world, where values are shifting fast, to document for posterity a religion whose tenets have been. That is why we have freewill, and regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge that a living god exists or not, and regardless of how we choose to worship him, directly or through deities, we will all be eventually accountable.
African traditional religion religion is a difficult subject to inquiry including attempts at definition and conception. African traditional religion on this note, this work sets forth to re. As in most of subsaharan africa, atr is the indigenous religion of. In his latest column, ceasefires jj bola debunks some of the myths and lies surrounding western perceptions of many african traditions. Religions of africa 1985 that one of the most fascinating aspects of our. An african child growing in this environment will uphold african culture, norms. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of. And we agree with professor idowu that the purpose of the study should be.
The religious beliefs, practices and the provision of social services of these immigrant religions have impacted on the religious and cultural life of the traditional communities. African traditional religion is a thriving scholarly business, but a serious disconnect exists between contributions that celebrate a generalized african traditional religion and those that describe particular religions and aspects of religion on the basis of ethnographic and archival research. Myths, communalistic, african philosophy, earth and god. Jun 02, 2015 myths of african traditional religions 1. The majority of nigerian muslims are either nondenominational muslims or sunni and are concentrated in mostly the northern region of the country with some. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the africans.
African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil. Atr african traditional religion introduction three religions dominates african continent. The influence of christianity on african traditional religion and african christian. That is why we have freewill, and regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge that a living god exists or not, and regardless of how we choose to worship him, directly or through deities, we will all.
Correcting misconceptions about african traditional religions to each his own. African traditional religion african studies oxford. In support, iwuoha points out that traditional african religion cuts across economic, sociology, politics, and arts. Percentage of population practicing traditional religion. African indigenous faith systems became primitive, uncivilised, a necessary evil that had to be dealt with, and an inferior system that had to be done away with. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa.
Many traditional african religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically. In discussing african culture and values, we are not presupposing that all african societies have the same. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by. Each term is debated among scholars and some challenge the word traditional and prefer indigenous since traditional means the religion is outmoded.
African traditional religion, mainly by the west and also by some africans themselves who very often, out of sheer ignorance, misinformation have not bothered to know it. African traditional religion cannot easily be studied by nonafricans. To what extent do the resources of african traditional religion atr contribute. Bush famously commented that africa is a nation that suffers from terrible disease, thereby reducing the planets secondlargest continent to a single country. Pabon, diccionario manual griegoespanol, barcelana. In discussing african culture and values, we are not. Book summary african religions and philosophy africa is unique among the continents. These traditional reads are brimming with spirited characters and positive valuesbut with a little extra excitement and bite, so hold on to your hats. In general, people communicate with mwari through the vadzimu. Religion creates a significant part of african life. It is an amalgam of moral ideas and practices that permeates all of life at personal and social levels ibid. Dec 15, 20 misconception of african spirituality african religion.
The traditional african religions or traditional beliefs and practices of african people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. Its study has to go handinhand with the study of the people who practise the religion. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and. African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous. Misconception of african spirituality african religion. Among its one billion inhabitants, more than 1,000 languages are spoken, and there is a massive variety of ethnic religions. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the african people. African traditional religion is very pragmatic and apply to the need as it arises.