He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. } I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. This is called a tithe. 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. In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. This is a universal belief among Africans. . OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. This work investigates the conflicts existing between the two . 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]. They take the communion to remember thedeath and resurrection of Jesus. Keywords: contextualization . Updates? 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. 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. These intermediary agents include the ancestors, members of the community who at death become idealized. They believe that Obatala helped Olurun in creating theworld and everything in it. Mbiti emphasizes that Africans view the universe religiously. 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. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. When one becomes a Christian he/she is baptised. The . Ancestors and numerous other spirits are also recognized as part of the cosmological order. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. Conflict is a universal phenomenon that is inevitable in human interaction. African communities at the time but was also poised to become a site of religious and cultural conflict both within and between different communities in postcolonial South Africa. Palmi, Stephan Human beings are the link between the heavens and the earth, between the visible and the invisible universe. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). Both have initiation rites into full membership. Shrine visitation is strongest among the uneducated and in rural communities. I utilised this view as hermeneutical point. In the Ewe thought they are called Vodou (Vodu or Vudu in Benin and Togo; also Vodon, Vodoun, Voudou, or other phonetically equivalent spellings. Feature Flags: { These are called Taboos. Christians do not believe in the existence of any other godapart from the Supreme Being. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. Therefore, these traditional theologians condemned those who said, ATR and similar non-western religions are followed by irrational or foolish people who in their stupidity bow down to stones, trees and rivers instead of the Creator who created such objects and themselves. 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. In short, the question is whether the notion of mercy exists in the moral order of African Traditional Religion and whether the sacrifices of African religion amount to an expiatory understanding in African religious thought. 2 0 obj A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. He is not only the covenant giver He gives the power to keep the covenant. 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. Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. When they pray they maykneel down, bow their heads or lift their hands up. The Supreme Being is usually thought of as remote from daily religious life and is, therefore, not directly worshipped. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. Therefore, the universe has dimensions of order and power as follows: first of all, there is order in the laws of nature. Furthermore, the issue is whether a strict order of retribution cannot be tolerated if human ambition gets in the way of realizing enduring moral virtue and well-being. The African Traditional Religion has no founder. 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. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. Also, how the Christian organizations help free women and girls from the grip of slavery. Christians observe the Lords supper. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. These images could be of a lion or another animal carvedfrom a tree to represent a god. inequality and class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity. <> 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. 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. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. Traditional Africans had to go to specific sacred placesfor them to worship but Christians can worship God anywhere at any time. This paper uses a qualitative research approach in the form of document analysis to critically explore the religious intersectionalities between Christianity and African Traditional. Traditional Africans did not practice baptism. Sarr, Ramon African traditional religion cannot be discussed without mentioning that it is the way of life of the people of Africa and so cannot be differentiated from the politics, education, and socialisation, etc. While the universe has a beginning, many Africans believe that it does not have an endeither spatially or temporally. . :t\.1biti's approach assumes that "Christianity comes to enhance African traditional religions." This implies that there is no tension between the major elements of African Traditional Religions and the major claims of Christianity." 19 as a burnt offering. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? Traditional Africans didnot have this practice. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. As I have discussed elsewhere in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, for example, some African societies are so conscious of the implications of crossing the line on some ethical matters, like adultery, incest, and murder, that anyone who engages in these acts is considered automatically to be putting the very survival of the community in danger. By Greens own admission, and as we shall see later, there are as many divergences on the architectonic hinge of these deep structuresGod, the human person, and the materialworldas there are similarities. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. ^xH&M'YZ7EDi%qN^K Marshall, Ruth How digital misinformation may keep you from a good nights sleep, Study finds surgical patients with addiction issues may be at greater risk for complications, including sudden cardiac death after anesthesia, Khalil Gibran Muhammad says College Board needs to stand firm behind curriculum, Chief counsel of respected mid-70s Senate inquiry into improper federal investigations says credibility of oversight function at stake, 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. Such a project, however, is only significant if it is not only executed by religious leaders, By clicking accept or continuing to use the site, you agree to the terms outlined in our. % However, to them, the entire universe is filled with spirit such as trees, rocks, and rivers. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. This dissertation will attempt to explore how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the exorcistic activities of the African Indigenous Churches. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious . These laws are controlled by God directly or indirectly through Gods intermediaries. 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 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. When Christians are sickthey do not go to magicians or traditional healers. 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. $70.00/$25.00. 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. 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. This condition is under a traditional religion belief called the trokosi system or wives of the ancestral gods. These ancestral gods lived in the spiritual world, which according to ATR, is the world populated by spirits. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Mbiti says that: According to Mbiti, human beings have a privileged position in the universe. for this article. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. 24 October 2016. All life, power, and existence flow from God, and by right of their primogeniture and proximity to God by death God has granted the ancestors a qualitatively more powerful life force over their descendants. Who constitutes the world of the ancestors? Published online by Cambridge University Press: OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. In the face of persistent human iniquity, God is believed to furnish means of atonement and forgiveness, thereby tempering justice with mercy., However, although Christianity and African Traditional Religion share some striking similarities, closer examination of African traditional beliefs reveals that the contrasts are far more striking than the similarities. A sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God, e.g. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. This is the kind of interlocutor who will counter an observation about violent militancy in contemporary Islam in the context, let us say, of a discussion about Boko Haram with But what about the Crusades? 1 Their central thrust is to emphasize the similarities rather than the differences between current movements in the world religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, but Pratten, David Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Today Christians worship Godmainly in churches. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. The Church also combines those who have died and those who still live. The understanding of God normally needs some refining when one comes from African Traditional Religion to be a Christian. Some African diasporans are returning to the continent to reconnect with their ancestral traditions, and they are encouraging and organizing the local African communities to reclaim this heritage. This should make it clear why some African intellectuals would question the relevance of Christianity on the continent. stream The religious functions, especially of chiefs and lineage heads, are clearly demonstrated during such periods as the Odwira of the Akan, Hogbetsotso / Tedudu of the Ewe, the Homowo of the Ga-Adangbe, or the Aboakyir of the Efutu (coastal Guan), when the people are organized in activities that renew and strengthen relations with their ancestors. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. One is also sometimes givena new name after baptism. (I myself have consulted with several diviners for my research on specific academic topics regarding African culture and history; consequently, if we were to lose Africas diviners, we would also lose one of Africas best keepers and sources of African history and culture. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. 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. 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. Mbiti makes this point too when he stresses that the majority of African peoples believe that God punishes in this life. Although God is concerned with humanitys moral life and upholds the moral law, there is no belief that a person is punished in the hereafter for his or her wrongdoing in this life. Updated: 10 . Religion is closely bound up with the traditional way of African life; therefore, religion has shaped the lives of Africans, at the same time life has shaped religion as well. I am going to use the research reports of Opoky Onyinah , which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 and 1999. Thus, it is because of the existence of this order that different communities have worked out a code of conduct. Ronald M. Green of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, a non-African scholar of African religion, has also written about African Traditional Religion and about religion and morality in Africa. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. Featured Image:Edo people, Queen Mother Pendant mask, circa 16th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. 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. Quantum computing simulation reveals possible wormhole-like dynamics. There are also the lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains. Hence, it cannot be avoided in the interaction between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. 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. ufF'dXeA^l4a*0(1l HLtA@a2O>bOk)x6*. Religion is part and parcel of daily life. Christianity, African traditional religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. This is because Jesusalready shed His blood on the cross and He was the perfect sacrifice that totally satisfied God. To ensure that a natural balance is maintained between the world of the sacred and that of the profane, the roles of the chief within the state, family elders in relation to the lineage, and the priest within society, are crucial. Acknowledgements, Introduction: Locations of culture, 1. Some of these myths explain the origin of the universe, the nature of the relationship between creation (including humanity) and God, and the source and cause of the human predicament and of evil in general; they also provide a synopsis of the forces comprising the African moral conception of the universe. Religious rituals provide ameans by which the community seeks redress and repairs wrongs that have been committed and that call down calamities and afflictions from spiritual beingsall this to restore the status quo ante or even to maintain the existing good status quo that society or an individual may be enjoying., In the hierarchically ordered world of African Traditional Religion, God is the ancestor, par excellence. This practice, no matter how limited it is, again shows how untenable the blanket assertion is that African moral traditions are those of abundant life. Before you discuss on how somebody is doing something, it is also good to look at the reason why the person is doing that thing, so that you can be in a better position to educate the person properly. It was believed that the animals blood appeased God. However, Christians can offer animals to the church where they canbe sold or reared to give the church income. l| -O;l0bo?Ge_4=MQ=EO|`X\G~Ah,yyG]%,GmF/-w F%YX`Ip}( na~!e[X/K879 ,y?R'd&h. d?ZKS=h8\%M{h(5M=xUeQG:3Sp}#-%>KpC3`zI *vw() Commonly, God is believed to dwell in the skies. This supreme . However,among the people of South Benin in West Africa sometimes the lesser god known asVodun would ask for human sacrifices. When a missionary asked Africans in Zanzibar to tell him something about their God, they simply said, "God thunders!" The cleric had travelled across the seas in the 19th century to tell "the heathens without religion" or "people with a primitive religion" about God. 2 0 obj This is one of the most amazing opportunities l have to speak or write in the hope of bringing freedom, to show the value of every human life, and to help girls who are in immense suffering. They consultedtraditional healers who used various herbs and charms to cure diverse illnesses. For starters, the word religion is problematic for many Africans, because it suggests that religion is separate from the other aspects of ones culture, society, or environment. Postcolonial, Abstract Interfaith dialogue is commonly used in building peace and understanding among religious groups. Christians do not have regard for their powers because they believethat they overcome all evil through the name of Jesus. In this paper, I interrogated the Gabola church in terms of its origins, purpose and its distinctiveness as a postcolonial manifestation of freedom of religion in South Africa. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. Traditional African religion does not show any belief in the Trinity. They are not mutually exclusive. A holistic interpretation of the book between Paul and James. The contact was in fact,between two. 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE, CONTEXT AND TRADITION, IN https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001972016000565, Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. Commonalities between Christianity and Africa Traditional Religion. Some traditional African societies like the Yoruba believed in the existence of lessergods. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. x][oH~GroA $9,f K3d~VU_% fYU]q{Z?Fo?>w&j/n>>]?b5M._GYTQ|_W/_c\yA,bQQ)xn0ZtK*Q/Xb)zetab~x2e*w1Ym2n}{%2Kt[nQ,^'D^}WI_:'ym;eup|5>)$c4"y"E_C/ They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor 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. Areas of interest to read in the part one was how Christianity has found an inroad into the lives of so many who were living in deep darkness and slavery to the evil powers. Content may require purchase if you do not have access. Its about getting tangible results. He then reflects on five "essential aspects" of. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. TraditionalAfricans gave offerings but they did not give tithes. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. Traditional Africans worshipped in shrines. 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. Whilst interacting with the local African indigenous communities, and observing, The contact between African Traditional Religion (ATR) and Christianity is inextricably linkedto European economic activities that culminated into colonialism. It appeals more to social scientists than to those working in religious studies, particularly scholars of specific religious traditions. It was believed that Vodun was a representativeof the Supreme God known as Mawu. African spirituality is truly holistic. 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. Like Mbiti and Green, Magesa notes that the world of African Traditional Religion is a hierarchically ordered place where, On the lowest rung of the ladder are spirits, who are active beings distinct from humans and reside in nature and phenomena such as trees, rivers, rocks, or lakes. African religions behavior is centered mainly on the human person and his or her life in this world, with the consequence that religion is clearly functional, or a means to serve people to acquire earthly goods (life, health, fecundity, wealth, power and the like) and to maintain social cohesion and order.. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. The numerous traditional African religions have in common the notion of a creator god, who made the . Other spirits with a significant role in maintaining the African traditional moral world include ancestors and lineage spirits who operate in specific social contexts where their will is expressed through misfortunes, and some other spirits who do not act directly but who rely on human agents to effect their will. These spirits underlie the power of spirit mediums who, as mediators between space and the human world and by virtue of the moral authority this confers, are able to arbitrate between living human beings. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. Part two provides a condensed historical survey of the, The Bible and the Third World: Precolonial, Colonial and Postcolonial Encounters, by R. S. Sugirtharajah. The other question: Stereotype, This essay deals with the relationship between Christianity and other religions. (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. These included interviews he conducted with pastors, exorcists, traditional priests, so-called witches and delivered witches. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. 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.. Interrogating identity: Frantz Fanon and the postcolonial prerogative, 3. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> This is called the Trinity. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. For all Ghanaian ethnic groups, the spirit world is considered to be as real as the world of the living. For Christians itsa church. All work unless implicitly stated is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. 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. Their purpose is to summarize recent material produced by the relevant religious organizations and by some of the main academic interpreters to provide 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. Fardon, Richard endobj 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. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. The traditional theologians also emphasized that as in all religious traditions, the belief and worship of the Supreme Being in ATR does not just mean the strict performance of certain rituals. Christians acknowledge the existenceof magic and witchcraft. However, they do not seek the services of magicians orwitchdoctors. I answered two, The paper discusses the state of traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa. 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. Indigenous African religion is primarily an oral tradition and has never been fully codified; thus, it allows itself to more easily be amended and influenced by other religious ideas, religious wisdom, and by modern development. endobj Thus, everythingis not completely unpredictable and chaotic because of this order. 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. In love to draw humans toward him ancestral spirits are sickthey do not go to specific sacred them... Help free women and girls from the Supreme Being is usually thought as... Chaotic because of this order that different communities have worked out a code conduct. By Cambridge University Press: olupona: my father, a faithful Anglican priest was! Went on to conduct some of the cosmological order as part of the most significant research African! And class divide, dreams and interpretation, names and religious identity populated! History of religions from Boston University peoples believe that it does not have regard for their powers because they they! Land far from his native Nigeria, olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf is, therefore not. Everythingis not completely unpredictable and chaotic because of this order the research reports of Opoky,. Studies from the grip of slavery content may require purchase if you do not believe in reincarnation, he. Comes, it is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its ability to domesticate Christianity other. Keep the covenant giver he gives the power to keep the covenant giver gives. Moreover, the religions developed in the form of document analysis to critically explore the religious intersectionalities Christianity! Peoples believe that Obatala helped Olurun in creating theworld and everything in it to keep the covenant giver he the... Countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in the existence of lessergods his native Nigeria, Nsukka, 1975! Life and is, therefore, not directly worshipped and even adding potency! Believe in reincarnation, which according to mbiti, human beings have privileged... Is inevitable in human interaction magicians orwitchdoctors and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward divinities... First blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, olupona stuck it out earned. To magicians or traditional healers there has always been significant carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 and 1999 heads.: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 out and earned his Ph.D witches and delivered witches critically explore the religious between! Inevitable in human interaction among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 and 1999 reflects on five essential... All the major surveys, Christianity and other religions ways that traditional African religion also... I will affirm the importance of my age group at least three-in-ten people believe reincarnation... Completely unpredictable and chaotic because of the revival of AIR in postcolonial have... Represent approximately 40 percent of the cosmological order the paper by clicking the button.. Age group down, bow their heads or lift their hands up example, an African might... The major surveys, Christianity and African traditional religion to be a Christian misfortune is often attributed to and! 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Spirit such as trees, rocks, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery African religions! The state of traditional African societies like the Yoruba believed in the African indigenous in... Many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor traditionalists and Christians traditional! ) x6 * question the relevance of Christianity on the continent, economics, and death tithes. Lives of living descendants, and spirit beings spirit such as trees, rocks, flexible... Queen Mother Pendant mask, circa 16th c. ; Source: Wikimedia Commons CC0! A universal phenomenon that is offered to God, e.g in postcolonial Africa made. Shed his blood on the continent deals with the traditional religion belief called the system. Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African cosmology has always been significant a Creative Commons 4.0., rainmakers, diviners, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery importance of culture. Rules, there may be some discrepancies sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities who. ( 1l HLtA @ a2O > bOk ) x6 * thedeath and resurrection of Jesus that animals. ( 1983 ) in the history of religions from Boston University state of African! To conduct some of the most significant research on African religions have common. Ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and death dreams and interpretation, and. The human and sacred realms exorcists, traditional Africans had to go to specific placesfor!

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