But I have discovered that there is also the fundamental factor of African religion, without which this phenomenal expansion of Christianity would not be a reality. They depended on the labor of enslaved Africans who often constituted the majority of the population in these areas and developed their own forms of cultural and religious autonomy Examples: plantation agriculture, the Carolinas (rice), Barbados (sugar), tobacco Colonial government "For us in Africa, God is not dead" -- and that applies whether or not there is a written record of his relations with and concern for people. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). Its aim is to develop an extensive library of resources, representing many different points of view, but all written from the perspective of sound scholarship. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. PDF Traditional African Religion and Modern Christianity in Zaire - JSTOR Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. 0 So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. 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. APUSH Content Quiz #2 Flashcards | Quizlet The spirituality of Africa - Harvard Gazette 0000001198 00000 n But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. colonization_terms_apush.docx - ` Units 1 and 2 Vocabulary OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. While the recourse to traditional healers may be motivated in part by economic reasons and an absence of health care alternatives, it may also be rooted in religious beliefs about the efficacy of this approach. 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. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." Conflicts Between African Traditional Religion and Christianity in %PDF-1.7 % ), In addition to expressing high levels of belief in the protective power of sacrificial offerings and sacred objects, upwards of one-in-five people in every country say they believe in the evil eye, or the ability of certain people to cast malevolent curses or spells. Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (serve the spirits)to offer prayers and perform various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. The editor of The Christian Century has given me an undeserved privilege in asking me to contribute some reflections on "How My Mind Has Changed" in the course of the past decade. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. The Yoruba diviners, for example, draw on this extensive indigenous knowledge every day by consulting Ifa, an extensive literary corpus of information covering science, medicine, cosmology, and metaphysics. 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. 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. The decisive word here is "only." (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. I am tantalized by the fact that my vision cannot cope with that horizon. 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$! Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continent's major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. Islam And Christianity Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. Omissions? This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. 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. 0000001791 00000 n I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. The first and most intriguing topic that immediately engaged my attention was the thinking of African peoples about God. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. 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. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. trailer Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. African Traditional Religion in the Context of Christian and Islamic In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. As the map in the preface to this report shows, sub-Saharan Africa is much more religiously mixed than northern Africa, where the population is overwhelmingly Muslim. 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. My findings were used in teaching, but eventually I put them together in a book, Concepts of God in Africa, published by the British publisher SPCK (1970). The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. Christianity in Africa dates to the very inception of the church. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. <>stream In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. PDF African American Christianity - Harvard University Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. But, it has been a sorrowful, disappointment to me to experience the fact that some individuals who exercise great power in the council are not angels: they sometimes practice the exact contrary of those values and goals to which the council is committed. 93 0 obj Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." There is some regional difference in ritual practice across Haiti, and branches of the religion include Rada, Daome, Ibo, Nago, Dereal, Manding, Petwo, and Kongo. "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. 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. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. The Story of Africa| BBC World Service - Logo of the BBC In four countries (Chad, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria and Tanzania), the number of Christians and Muslims is more equally divided, with a ratio of less than two-to-one in either direction.2 The other countries surveyed are predominantly Christian with Muslim minorities of varying sizes. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. Updates? Corrections? In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. Nigeria, the most populous country in all of Africa, has the largest number of Muslims as well as the largest number of Christians in the region.3. I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? A semi-annual journal, it publishes peer-reviewed articles in both French and English devoted to social and cultural issues whether they are pre-historic, historic, contemporary, biological, linguistic, applied or theoretical in orientation. Religion Online is designed to assist teachers, scholars and general seekers who are interested in exploring religious issues. %PDF-1.3 Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. Vodou represents a syncretism of the West African Vodun religion and Roman Catholicism by the descendants of the Dahomean, Kongo, Yoruba, and other ethnic groups who had been enslaved and transported to colonial Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known then) and partly Christianized by Roman Catholic missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries. Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa are the only countries surveyed where a significant number of people (roughly one-in-ten) describe their religion as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular. In all the other countries, the figure is closer to zero. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. 817-820. But whatever the shortcomings of these and my other publications, the materials that went into these two have raised extremely important issues for me that have continued to engage my reflection. Traditional African religions and practices were brought to the Western hemisphere through the African diaspora and the slave trade, often resulting in a syncretic blending with Christianity. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. But today that is not the case due to more exclusive-minded types of Christianity and Islam that see patronizing indigenous African beliefs and practices as violating the integrity of their Christian or Muslim principles, but I believe that one can maintain ones religious integrity and also embrace an African worldview. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. Anthropologica That book was followed by a flurry of literature on the so-called "death of God" theology (if "theology" it was, for I would call it "atheology"). Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. 0000001019 00000 n Vodou | Definition, History, West African Vodun, & Facts Awolawu and Depamu (1979) That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. 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. In February 1974 a group of 120 anthropologists launched the Canadian Ethnology Society/socit canadienne d'ethnologie (CESCE), because they felt there was room for an association of anthropologists separate from the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA) which was dominated by sociologists. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. The WCCs very existence as a council of churches is a living hope. They were names of one and the same God, the creator of the world, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. Didnt our Lord let it be clearly known that "before Abraham was I am" (John 8:58)? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. Black Americans who identify with a religion are most likely to say belief in God is essential to what their faith means to them (84%), while large majorities say the same about opposing racism (76%) and sexism (71%). The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. (a) The Structures of African Traditional Religions: Sometimes it is a difficult task among scholars to choose a unanimous name for the religious traditions and beliefs of the African people. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. Syncretistic movements in the Orient, such as Manichaeism (a dualistic religion founded by the 3rd-century-ce Iranian prophet Mani, who combined elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism) and Sikhism (a religion founded by the 15th16th-century Indian reformer Guru Nnak, who combined elements of Islam and Hinduism), also met with resistance from the prevailing religions of their respective areas. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. 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. In lieu of these traditional African ways of defining oneself, Christianity and Islam are gradually creating a social identity in Africa that cuts across these indigenous African religious and social identities. 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. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. I have received much in a short period. L'interdiction de pratiquer le culte des anctres est l'unique domaine dans lequel la mission chrtienne a triomph de la vie religieuse traditionnelle des Biras. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, In the U.S. and Western Europe, people say they accept Muslims, but opinions are divided on Islam, In Western Europe, familiarity with Muslims is linked to positive views of Muslims and Islam, Q&A: Measuring attitudes toward Muslims and Jews in Western Europe, Europes Muslim population will continue to grow but how much depends on migration, The Growth of Germanys Muslim Population, Size & Demographic Characteristics of Religious Groups, Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. 0000014207 00000 n Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation | Pew Research Center 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. <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. In the other case no such written record exists. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. Author of. Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. In addition, roughly a quarter or more of the population in 11 countries say they believe in the protective power of juju (charms or amulets), shrines and other sacred objects. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. (PDF) Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God. %%EOF Outline of the Curricular Framework: Anglicanization Atlantic slave trade "Atlantic World" Barbados (sugar) British-American system of slavery the Carolinas (rice) Caste system cereal crops Colonial resistance Dominion of New England Enlightenment Furs Great Awakening Indentured Servants Mercantilism Metis Models of colonization Molasses Act They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. All these spirits are believed to live in a mythic land called Ginen, a cosmic Africa. The God of the Christian Bible is understood to be the creator of both the universe and the spirits; the spirits were made by God to help him govern humanity and the natural world. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . 0000000016 00000 n So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. African Christianity - African Studies - Oxford Bibliographies - obo 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. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. The Pew Forums survey finds a similar number of people in Guinea Bissau identifying themselves as Muslim (38%) but a much higher percentage identifying themselves as Christian (62%) and very few describing themselves mainly as practitioners of traditional African faiths. As discussed elsewhere in this report, many Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions.