One African theologian, Gabriel Setiloane, has even argued that the concept of God which the missionaries presented to the Sotho-Tswana peoples was a devaluation of the traditional currency of Modimo (God) among the Sotho-Tswana. 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 I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. 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. {PB,`s Omissions? What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. The fusion of cultures that was effected by the conquest of Alexander the Great (4th century bce ), his successors, and the Roman Empire tended to bring together a variety of religious and philosophical views that resulted in a strong tendency toward religious syncretism. 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. Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. colonization_terms_apush.docx - ` Units 1 and 2 Vocabulary According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. In its place there emerged the word "also." OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. 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. Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. The Story of Africa| BBC World Service - Logo of the BBC Important lwa are celebrated on saints days (for example: Ogou on St. Jamess Day, July 25; Ezili Danto on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16; Danbala on St. Patricks Day, March 17; and the spirits of the ancestors on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1 and November 2). I am very excited, for example, by the estimate that in 1987 there will be a statistical balance of Christian population between the north (Europe, Soviet Union and America) and the south (Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania). The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. The bottom line then is that Africans who still wholly practice African indigenous religions are only about 10 percent of the African population, a fraction of what it used to be only a century ago, when indigenous religions dominated most of the continent. Afro-American Religious Syncretism in Brazil and the United States: A 817-820. And in Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia, the survey finds that 5% or less identify as Muslim. In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. <>stream It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices The statistical expansion of the Christian faith in Africa in this century is one of the considerations that led me back to the issue of its relation with African religion. I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. This number has since grown rapidly, to the point that in 1980 there are estimated to be 200 million Christians (or about 45 per cent of the population). Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. 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. Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. 0000001586 00000 n In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. I have met here the church not only in its geographical outreach but also in its historical roots -- seeing, for example, the rich traditions of the Orthodox Church, the universality of the Roman Catholic Church (even though it is based in the Vatican), the reconciling positioning of the Anglican Communion, the dynamic vitality of African independent churches, and so on. 300 ce). They include the work of missionaries (of whom there are about 40,000 today, without counting their family members); the work of African Christians in evangelism and pastoral care (their numbers are infinitely greater than those of overseas missionaries, and include men, women and children, both lay and ordained); the role of Christian schools; the translation and distribution of the Bible (which is now available in full or in part in nearly 600 of Africas 1,000 languages); and the ending of the colonial era during the decades 1960-1980. (back to text), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA The decisive word here is "only." For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. The suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. stream 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. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender, Side by side with their high levels of commitment to Christianity and Islam, many people in the countries surveyed retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? 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. 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. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. But they used the names of the God who was and is already known by African peoples -- such as Mungu, Mulungu, Katonda, Ngai, Olodumare, Asis, Ruwa, Ruhanga, Jok, Modimo, Unkulunkulu and thousands more. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. 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. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. The Encounter of Christian Faith and African Religion Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. 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. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. 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]. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ 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. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. As for the belief in God, it appears that the Bira have utilized Christianity to make their traditional God Mbali less remote and more caring, a change which has also made the Christian God more compassionate and forgiving of sins. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, between 10% and 15% of respondents are Muslim. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. 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. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Instead, God brought them, for the God described in the Bible is none other than the God who was already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. Much of Oluponas work is an attempt to provide a fuller understanding of the complexity and richness of African indigenous thought and practice by viewing it not as a foil or as a useful comparative to better understand Western religions, but as a system of thought and belief that should be valued and understood for its own ideas and contribution to global religions. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions 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. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. Supreme Court may halt health care guarantees for inmates, Why police resist reforms to militarization, Historian says Fla. dispute shows why AP class in African American studies is needed, Low-carb diet can help manage progression of Type 2 diabetes, Those breezy TV drug ads? I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. X0#J++?U;_3_gmx9[F\"{,Um1yu 9 ?ce%9EG`N: &U0EHC$p4=$'=DlX6M_7,--" They are not mutually exclusive. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God to our continent. My interpretation of Israels history demands a new look at the history of African peoples, among whom this same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has indeed been at work. What factors are responsible for it? Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. Omissions? 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 The idea is that the traditional African practitioner who constructed that amulet believes in the efficacy of other faiths and religions; there is no conflict in his mind between his traditional African spirituality and another faith. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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 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. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. Regardless of the variation, it is still true that Nigeria has both the largest number of Muslims and the largest number of Christians in the region. 0000001198 00000 n Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. African religions and corresponding beliefs and practices AP US History Period 1, APUSH Period 1 Flashcards | Quizlet And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax 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. 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. Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Vodou's role in Haitian mental health, Learn Religions - An Introduction to the Basic Beliefs of the Vodou (Voodoo) Religion, Ancient Origins - The Origins of Voodoo, the Misunderstood Religion, LiveScience - Voodoo: Facts About Misunderstood Religion, Vodou - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Vodou - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). African diaspora religions, also described as Afro-American religions, are a number of related beliefs that developed in the Americas in various nations of the Caribbean, Latin America and the Southern United States. 0000001791 00000 n GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. While Islam and Christianity tend to be overtly resistant to adopting traditional African religious ideas or practices, indigenous African religions have always accommodated other beliefs. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. 0000015705 00000 n In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. 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. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. They do this by having Africans increasingly identify themselves as either Muslim or Christian, thus denying their unique African worldview that has always viewed as evidenced in their creation myths everything as unified and connected to the land, the place were ones clan, lineage, and people were cosmically birthed. Reuben Kigame, the Kenyan Christian musician and apologist, has rightly suggested that considering the fact that Christianity existed in Africa for a good eighteen centuries before the. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. 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.