OLUPONA: We would lose a worldview that has collectively sustained, enriched, and given meaning to a continent and numerous other societies for centuries through its epistemology, metaphysics, history, and practices. Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? 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. I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? stream They were names of one and the same God, the creator of the world, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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 the end, I believe that Africans can make room for a plurality of religious points of view without one religious point of view excluding or compromising the other. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. Conflicts Between African Traditional Religion and Christianity in (See the glossary for more information on juju. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. 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. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. He later earned both an M.A. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. Indigenous African practices tend to be strongest in the central states of Africa, but some form of their practices and beliefs can be found almost anywhere in Africa. Christianity in Africa dates to the very inception of the church. Faith in The One God in Christian and African Traditional Religions: a 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. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. 0000002884 00000 n All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. GAZETTE: What else would we lose if we lost traditional African Religions? Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. Its about getting tangible results. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. Religious pluralism serves peace | D+C - Development + Cooperation Focuses on the influences of Africans and African ideas on the mission enterprise, conversion, religious innovation, and church life, but it neglects to cover the . What is African Traditional Religion? Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. 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. 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 suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. 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 find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. 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. When we identify the God of the Bible as the same God who is known through African religion (whatever its limitations), we must also take it that God has had a historical relationship with African peoples. When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. PDF African American Christianity - Harvard University In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. PDF Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The postcolonial These were not empty names. The Encounter of Christian Faith and African Religion Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. 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. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. 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. startxref 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. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. (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 (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax <> degree at Harvard Divinity School. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. Eating pattern tied to 24% reduction in cardiovascular, cancer mortality in people diagnosed with the chronic condition, HMS/Brigham study shows most advertised medicines little better than other treatment options. Of course, behind all these factors is the Holy Spirit working through them. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. Anthropologica No doubt there still remain much research and reflection to be done in order to work out a consistent theological understanding of the issues entailed here. En ce qui concerne la croyance en Dieu, il semblerait que les Biras se soient servis de la chrtient pour rendre leur dieu traditionnel Mbali plus accessible et plus comprhensif, un changement qui a rendu le Dieu des chrtiens plus compatissant et indulgent vis vis du pch. 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. How Africa Is Changing Faith Around the World Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. 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. The WCCs very existence as a council of churches is a living hope. African scholars Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. The councils programs in response to these problems are impressive. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. 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. 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. (PDF) Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. For myself, I negotiate between my Yoruba and Christian identity by, for example, affirming those aspects of African culture that promote good life and communal human welfare. www.ej-theology.org Christianity and Indigenisation in Africa GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Anthropologica is published for CASCA by University of Toronto Press. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society APUSH Unit 1 Flashcards | Quizlet I had it. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. There are also other parallels in social, political and cultural areas, just as there are some significant differences. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. 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. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. God was not a stranger to African peoples. 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. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. "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. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. 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. In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. 0000005714 00000 n The decisive word here is "only." Take em with a grain of salt. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, between 10% and 15% of respondents are Muslim. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While Islam and Christianity tend to . Omissions? 0000001519 00000 n Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. PDF Traditional African Religion and Modern Christianity in Zaire - JSTOR Amen. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. Religious pluralism serves peace. 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. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. Vodou ritual activity (e.g., prayer, song, dance, and gesture) is aimed at refining and restoring balance and energy in relationships between people and between people and the spirits of the unseen world.

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