the concept of man in african traditional religion

All aspects of weather, thunder, lightning, rain, day, moon, sun, stars, and so on may become amenable to control through the cosmology of African people. ATR is the original religious belief and practice of the Africans. They have replaced indigenous African religions, but are often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems. I have opted to not include the concept of transcendence under similarities for I believe it to be an area where African theologians have fundamentally misrepresented African religion, by “‘baptising’ the data in order to project a traditional religion that is compatible with Christianity” (Bowers, 2002: 118). Among Afro-Asiatic-speakers is henotheism, the belief in one's own gods but accepting the existence of other gods; evil here is caused by malevolent spirits. An African understanding, The List: The World's Fastest-Growing Religions, "US study sheds light on Africa's unique religious mix", Ian S. Markham,(A World Religions Reader. Ancestors (ancestral ghosts/spirits) are an integral part of reality. Transcendence in African traditional religions Francis Rakotsoane1 Department of Theology and Religious Studies National University of Lesotho, Roma, Lesotho Introduction ‛Transcendence’ is derived from the Latin word transcendere, which means to ascend on or elevate oneself above (Mondin 1991:196). Among Niger–Congo-speakers is a belief in a creator God, force or higher deity, which is considered by some to be a widespread and ancient feature of Niger-Congo-cultures,[19][20][21] along with other more specialized deities, ancestor spirits, territorial spirits, and beings, as well as evil caused by human ill will and neglecting ancestor spirits, and priests of territorial spirits. Virtue in traditional African religion is often connected with carrying out obligations of the communal aspect of life. 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. Examples include social behaviors such as the respect for parents and elders, raising children appropriately, providing hospitality, and being honest, trustworthy, and courageous. African Traditional Religion is not essentially idolatrous, but it has a tendency to become so if the cult and the symbols of the divinities are so emphasized as to exclude the Supreme Being. For the Kikuyu, according to their primary supreme creator, Ngai, acting through the lesser deities, is believed to speak to and be capable of guiding the virtuous person as one's conscience. The essential role of Chi concept is seen in the Igbo Conflict is a reality. Sc i., 2010, 1(2): 209-218 . Cf. The reason is certainly associated with the religious propensities of man. Rubinga, Paluku (1986), ‘The Concept of God as Father in the Bible & in African Religion’ in Benson & Gitari (1986), pp. In African traditional religion the spirits are always present, and requests and offerings are made to them for health, prosperity, and protection.36 African Traditional Religion 37. In addition to the belief in deity, the Supreme Being of Africa largely overlaps conceptually with the identity and work of the biblical God. The first is that the context of this article is sub-Sahara Africa. Diviner (also known as priest) are also sought for their wisdom as counselors in life and for their knowledge of herbal medicine. There are generally no prohibitions against the practice. The S… The individual only exists within the community and separation from it is sometimes worse than death. /XObject <> [31], When this trance-like state is witnessed and understood, adherents are privy to a way of contemplating the pure or symbolic embodiment of a particular mindset or frame of reference. [15], Followers of traditional African religions are also found around the world. 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. The religion does not separate believers from unbelievers. The names which various African communities give to God project their best expression of Him in their religious experiences. Such separation and subsequent contemplation of the nature and sources of pure energy or feelings serves to help participants manage and accept them when they arise in mundane contexts. For Christianity, it is the first century AD, and maybe beyond; and for Islam the seventh century. It resides in the heart and lungs and is fed by the wind. The difference between powerful spirits and gods is often minimal. [25], Some researchers, including historical ethnolinguist Christopher Ehret, suggest that certain monotheistic concepts, such as the belief in a creator god or force (next to other gods, deities and spirits) are ancient and indigenous among peoples of the Niger-Congo ethnolinguistic family (of much of West Africa and Central Africa) and date to the beginning of their history, in a form substantially different from the monotheism found in Abrahamic religions. This Ghanaian Adinkra symbol means \"except for God\" and symbolizes the supremacy of God. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. 1 0 obj In many cases, Africans who have converted to other religions have still kept up their traditional customs and practices, combining them in a syncretic way.[42]. Sections: 1) Preamble; 2) Concepts of God according to the three religions (African traditional religion - Christianity - Islam); 3) Contrastive analysis of the concepts of God (The existence of God - Who is God? Ray says, “It is true that that religion is neither an African word nor an indigenous concept.” Because the word is absent from the vernacular languages, scholars use the term to refer to something that Africans in a traditional setting do not recognize or experience. Concept Clarified It is necessary to have the perception of the basic concept of the words Religion and Value before exploring the extensive area of Influence of Christian Religion on African Traditional Religion/Value Systems. Last week, in a veiled comparison between African traditional religions and Christianity, which is the major religion in Jamaica, some of the key elements of African traditional religions were discussed using Kenya-born Professor John S. Mbiti, a well-known scholar and researcher of African religions, as the main reference. This paper gives a brief outline of concepts and practices on that theme, from the perspectives of African Religion. Introduction. They do not need to put them down in scripture or in texts or as tenets. ), World Christian Encyclopedia, summarized here, "Ancient African Religion Finds Roots In America", "The Need to Re-Conceptualize African Traditional Religion", The Civilizations of Africa: A History to 1800, Black God: the Afroasiatic roots of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions, Sayings of the Ancient One - Wisdom from Ancient Africa, culture-exchange.blog/animism-modern-africa, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Traditional_African_religions&oldid=997452558, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from October 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Manjonjo Healers of Chitungwiza of Zimbabwe, Information presented here was gleaned from, Chidester, David. Traditional healers are common in most areas, and their practices include a religious element to varying degrees. <> Those who offered the sacrifices or offerings were blameless elders whose children were married. Peavy, D., (2009). Britannica Book of the Year 2003. African Traditional Religion has sometimes been described as ancestor religion by scholars as if this is what defines this religion. It is most difficult to properly understand a religion if you do not know it’s history. [26][20][21][27], Traditional African medicine is also directly linked to traditional African religions. Encyclopædia Britannica. This facilitates better control and transformation of these energies into positive, culturally appropriate behavior, thought, and speech. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. In Nigeria, the Yoruba people believe that a person has at least three spiritual beings. In most African traditional cultures, there seem to be no distinction between man and the rest of creation. Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions, this includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife. stream clearly points out that man was created by God (1996:80), while other like the Kikuyu of Kenya believe that their first ancestors walked down from Mount Kenya (considered to be heaven). In this state, depending upon the region, drumming or instrumental rhythms played by respected musicians (each of which is unique to a given deity or ancestor), participants embody a deity or ancestor, energy or state of mind by performing distinct ritual movements or dances which further enhance their elevated consciousness. Among Nilo-Saharan speakers is the belief in Divinity; evil is caused by divine judgement and retribution; prophets as middlemen between Divinity and man. <> The Africans are known to be intensely religious people. worth. Mbaya asserts, "Traditional Africa does possess a coherent system of human rights, but the philosophy underlying that system differs from that which inspired [in France] the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen." Monotheism does not reflect the multiplicity of ways that the traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. This list is limited to a few well-known traditions. Atheistic tendencies in Africa are minimal. Cf. The concept of salvation in African traditional religion ... 4.6 Man’s salvation: its nature and meaning in African ... regard African traditional religions can be perceived as preparatio evangelica. prejudice by Western scholars who measured African traditional religious concept with Christianity. endobj With African Traditional Religions you must be much more careful about speaking about belief systems in the same way, because Africans will actually tolerate quite a wide variety of beliefs as long as it supports the same rituals or certain rituals or ritualistic explanations of why this is being done or why this is being believed. 98 – 118. People could gain knowledge of it through different ways but primarily from their experience. 3 0 obj While some traditions have a supreme being (next to other deities), others have not. By and large they had a much better perception of African Traditional Religion and they saw the relevance of the system of beliefs for African traditional society. According to Clemmont E. Vontress, the various religious traditions of Africa are united by a basic Animism. He summarizes that traditional African religions are not only religions, but a worldview, a way of life. The Supreme Being 37 38. By this label serious damage was done to the gospel in Africa. [34] Some recognize a dual god and goddess such as Mawu-Lisa. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 15:48. In recent times, traditional religions, such as the Yoruba religion, are on the rise. 217. While some religions adopted a pantheistic worldview, most follow a polytheistic system with various gods, spirits and other supernatural beings. The concept of culture includes not An early 20th century Igbo 'medicine man' in present day Nigeria, West Africa. Religion is elusive in nature and this makes it difficult to have one universally accepted definition of religion. The Semitic Abrahamic religion of Judaism is comparable to the latter world view. [18], Traditional African religions can be broken down into linguistic cultural groups, with common themes. The most prominent were R. S. Rattray, [14] P. A. Talbot, [15] A. Also, this practice can also give rise to those in these trances uttering words which, when interpreted by a culturally educated initiate or diviner, can provide insight into appropriate directions which the community (or individual) might take in accomplishing its goal. [23][24][20] San religion is generally non-theistic but a belief in a Spirit or Power of existence which can be tapped in a trance-dance; trance-healers. This paper attempts to reappraise his views on salvation from a theological point of view. [1] Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural and passed down from one generation to another through folk tales, songs and festivals,[2][3] include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator or force, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African medicine. In this second edition, Dr Mbiti has updated his material to include the involvement of women in religion, and the potential unity to be found in what was once thought to be a mass of quite separate religions. That is the indigenous religion of every African people, which evolved from ancient times, without founders. The term Priesthood is one of the oldest institutions of mankind all over the world. 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. John S. Mbiti, in his book Introduction to African Religion (1977: 63-66) argues that, “in African societies sacrifice was very common and that most, involved shedding of blood of a human being or an animal.” He adds that in African societies, life is closely associated with blood. In African Religion systems, there are traditional pharmacologists who are specialists in identifying different problems and medicines, and this also includes veterinary medicines. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. Politics and the traditional African religion. [17] Besides all those mentioned above, totems were basically used to thank those who would have performed heroics for the families. Ezeanya (1970:37) notes positively about the African God that “a more careful study of Igbo religion shows that, the Supreme Being is not as “unknown” as he is thought to be. Most African societies believe in several “high gods” and a large amount of lower gods and spirits. (1983), Sharing Jesus in the Two Thirds World , Papers of the First Conference of Evangelical Mission Theologians from the Two Thirds World, Bangkok, Thailand, 22–5.3.82 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans). This builds skills at separating the feelings elicited by this mindset from their situational manifestations in daily life. God has always been real and never an abstract concept to the African. African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous religion of the African people. 08��`DvG�њ;J��(E�Ɣhe۪R(��W���d}[3��m#>7F��w�b�G�t�iಳQ8� D:�ڳ�u. One religious ceremony practiced in Gabon and Cameroon is the Okuyi, practiced by several Bantu ethnic groups. We find it in the oral culture of proverbs, ritual formulas, prayers, creedal formulations, and … 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. - The unity of God - Intermediaries between Man and God - The relationship between Man and God - Attributes of God; 4) Conclusions. %PDF-1.3 %���� `��"����ѫT��d�[(.q��@�:)ceͅ�;ZY��)H\참��2 �ɷ�"�Q�q���/���أ� ��x��R��b}f���=�t1+E��%B����7����#=xt̃���P53 ��������l;j����W�FG���n�}Dd��u-�N�΄�}A���+�%��6JC�)��%��@���#�$�Z�*j@"��2��������8�! Introduction to African religion. [39], For example, in the Serer religion, one of the most sacred stars in the cosmos is called Yoonir (the Star of Sirius). THE SUPREME BEING IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION With this belief based on God’s revelation of Himself to the Africans, God became real, and every African community has a local name for God. "African Religions and Philosophy" is a systematic study of the attitudes of mind and belief that have evolved in the many societies of Africa. [32], Followers of traditional African religions pray to various spirits as well as to their ancestors. The ancestors are generally believed to reside in an ancestral realm (spiritworld), while some believe that the ancestors became equal in power to deities.[29]. 4 0 obj 2 0 obj He further maintains that African culture has much in common with In some traditional African religions, morality is associated with obedience or disobedience to God regarding the way a person or a community lives. African traditional religions is a term referring to a variety of religions indigenous to the continent of Africa. Since Africa is a large continent with many ethnic groups and cultures, there is not one single technique of casting divination. The concept of death and afterlife in African Traditional Religion was not created in one day. The religion of the Yoruba is finding roots in the Islands of the Caribbean and portions of Central and South America. >> not a man any more” (Africa Religion …79). Keywords: Sexual relationship; African Traditional culture; Cultural globalization; Sacredness; Taboos Introduction From Conflicts Between African Traditional Religion and Christianity in Eastern Nigeria: The Igbo Example Chukwuma O. Okeke1, ... for the life of an Igbo man is like a religious drama, which ... same vein sees this concept of Chi as a genius or spiritual double. Encyclopædia Britannica, (2003), Index of African mythology and creation narratives, List of African deities and mythical figures, Traditional African Religion and other religions, Persecution of traditional African religion, "The world of spirits and the respect for nature: towards a new appreciation of animism", "Animism: Foundation of Traditional Healing in Sub-Saharan Africa", What is religion? (16) Each one is aware of all the elements of religion and worship. Totems are very important because they are used on specific occasions to respect each other. The will of the gods or spirits is sought by the believer also through consultation of divinities or divination. CONCEPT OF GOD IN AFRICA. … Most of those who came to study the religions of Africa were armchair scholars who depended on data from missionaries who themselves concentrated in one community or tribe. This theological concept in traditional religions has a great influence upon how traditional Africans define the role and function of the Supreme Being, lesser beings, divinities and ancestors in an African community. [28], Nigerian American professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard University, Jacob Olupona summarized the many traditional African religions as complex animistic religious traditions and beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic "colonization" of Africa. There is no demarcation between them. Totemism is manifested in various forms and types in different contexts and is most often found among populations whose traditional economies relied on hunting and gathering, mixed farming with hunting and gathering, or emphasized the raising of cattle. To efficiently study the African Traditional Religion (ATR), one must also study the people who practice this religion. 5. B. Foundational Religious Practices. That is, African traditional religion or African traditional religions (Mbiti 1969, 1–2; Idowu 1973, 103; Booth 1977, 3; Ikenga-Metu 1987, 19; Alolo 2007; Ejizu n.d). It is necessary to have the perception of the basic concept of the word “conflict” before exploring the extensive area of conflicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. /ProcSet 46 0 R These oldest religions of the world,have had their history and traditions handed down orally and preserved in the culture and religious artifacts of the African people. It is the most popular for decoration and can often be seen printed on cloth or stamped on pottery.The rapid spread of Pentecostal Christianity and fundamentalist Islam has greatly affected the role of indigenous religion in African society. ��=N��#�k�Z�� pOX�v�mkV�] �I�cE�����/A+�"Z�aE����仾s���a�7�$������!����ID suLD� (Onitsha Nigeria: IMICO Press 1985) 109. The symbol can be found throughout Ghana. In the United States Vudon is more predominant in the states along the Gulf of Mexico. "Kings, Magic & Medicine". "African Religions and Philosophy" is a systematic study of the attitudes of mind and belief that have evolved in the many societies of Africa. 3. Olupona rejects the western/islamic definition of Monotheism or Polytheism and says that such concepts could not reflect the complex African traditions and are simplistic. �yD���xjm�5o=? Some African religions adopted different views through the influence of Islam or even Hinduism.[36]. [33] This includes also nature, elementary and animal spirits. People could notice that the new-born child, who was named after the one who died, Religion, which gives the African morality, is part and parcel of African customs and traditions, African life. [17] Traditional African religions also have elements of fetishism, shamanism and veneration of relics. It does not exist in a vacuum or up there in the blues but among humans. A spirit ceremony is held by the Fon people of Benin, Nigeria, to contact the spirit world. cultural globalization is so enormous to have sunk the ships of most African Traditional Cultures, the paper suggested a common ground for the accommodation of the concept of sex and sexual relationship between the African Traditional Culture and the emerging global culture. [30], West and Central African religious practices generally manifest themselves in communal ceremonies or divinatory rites in which members of the community, overcome by force (or ashe, nyama, etc. :���ݞ7��\�_��JQIS�S-[a�, I_�A,Y�ݎK�c���AK�8�[�$��b��IU��-�TM�g�,���Qlm����"Al�QG> ���@(� Other factors include lack of indebt study of African religion leading to hasty conclusion. Nowadays African Religion systems are at risk because of the changes in natural environments, cultural changes on a global scale, economic and political issues. Gods were either self-created or evolved from spirits or ancestors which got worshiped by the people. H��Wk���>��"_vx6z��o�mR���b��@���h�ItHi\���\>4#J�`�����{�=��Ä%���w�������q�����߭��ϫ�������A������������}};���[�3����tŞ����ٳ�n�����j��m����������'��{�������=�v����������x���VfI����u�5�f��R�_��E��B4߄6�e���_U����.L���^˒�ȂW����5{>��p��s�,|��&>gȺ;�uG��+�*�����u�!�Q6F�{� kx��ɎI�v���D�.�W��[�sfB���|떼��,�B���1N��t�n�t�NBW��e{^vL��<>~���w�������n��\ʣ:/���t]�9lxm�@�:>�K��|��yz~��*��eΐ#��b��S���Jm�x�=����Qlp�C! Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the African people. J. Soc. It should be noted that the word religion is a western concept. Africans who are notoriously religious who “eat religiously, drink religiously, bath religiously, dress religiously and sin religiously.”5 Cherish, nourish and sustain the institution … [1][7], Adherents of traditional religions in sub-Saharan Africa are distributed among 43 countries and are estimated to number over 100 million. [] Points of Contrast between African Traditional Religion and Christianity God The understanding of God normally needs some refining when one comes from African Traditional Religion to be a Christian. This is largely because cosmology and beliefs are intricately intertwined with the natural phenomena and environment. Religion in Igbo traditional society partakes fully of all the features of world traditional religion, including its beliefs, sacred myths, oral qualities, strong appeal to the hearts of adherents, high degree of ritualization, and possession of numerous participatory personages such as officiating elders, kings, priests, and diviners. Emefie Ikenga - Metuh, African Religions in Western Conceptual Schemes: The Problem of Interpretation (Studies in lgbo Religion) 2nd ed. While some religions adopted a pantheistic worldview, most follow a polytheistic system with various gods, spirits and other supernatural beings. [16], Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions, this includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife. Mgmt. E. Ilogu, Christianity and Igbo Culture (New York : NOK Ltd. 1982) 204. [8][9], Although the majority of Africans today are adherents of Christianity or Islam, African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. The most significant similarity between the African God and the Biblical God is the fundamental belief in a deity. The traditional values of the African includes among others: large family, love for and practice of the extended family system, respect for old people, ancestor worship, traditional religion, African loves nature and seeks harmony with it. Everyone is welcome in the society because Africans are born into the religion. [37] The deities and spirits are honored through libation or sacrifice (of animals, vegetables, cooked food, flowers, semi-precious stones and precious metals).

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