0 There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. With it, one began to explore afresh the realm of Gods revelation and other treasures of our faith. Its about getting tangible results. C'est l'poque de la colonisation belge que les premiers missionnaires catholiques et protestants sont arrivs dans cette rgion du Zare. 0000014025 00000 n I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. They are not mutually exclusive. There are also other parallels in social, political and cultural areas, just as there are some significant differences. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). % 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. Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. 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. startxref Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. 75 19 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.. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. 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. 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. Robinson, came out. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. 0000005005 00000 n Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Its consequences for theological and ecclesiological developments are yet to be faced. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. The decisive word here is "only." Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. 0000005714 00000 n The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. Take em with a grain of salt. 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. stream Updates? A magisterial historical synthesis of the formative period of African Christianity written by one of its foremost scholars. 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. The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. 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. OLUPONA: Yes, its a mixed bag because in the African diaspora mostly due to the slave trade starting in the 15th century indigenous African religions have spread and taken root all over the world, including in the United States and Europe. According to the 2003 Demographic and Health Survey, for example, Muslims constituted 50% of the population, while the 2008 DHS figure is 45% and the Nigerian Ministry of Healths 2008 estimate is 50%. I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God. Amen. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. 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. 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. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. 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). GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. The Yoruba, however, do have a concept of a supreme being, called Olorun or Olodumare, and this creator god of the universe is empowered by the various orisa [deities] to create the earth and carry out all its related functions, including receiving the prayers and supplications of the Yoruba people. God was not a stranger to African peoples. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. 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. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . The recipient of many prestigious academic honors and research fellowships, Olupona also received the 20152016 Reimar Lust Award for International and Cultural Exchange, considered one of Germanys most prestigious academic honors. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. One read Honest to God and a variety of other works in an effort to understand the hot debate then raging in Europe and America. <>stream For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. (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 This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock. interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. Model tested on tens of thousands of routine brain scans spotted disease risk with 90% accuracy, Experts on law, policy say originalist view used to overturn Roe could upend 76 ruling based on cruel, unusual punishment clause, Issues revolve around culture of viewing civilians as potential threats, concerns about self-protection in departments equipped with military-grade arms, Khalil Gibran Muhammad says College Board needs to stand firm behind curriculum, 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. (See the glossary for more information on juju. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? In its place there emerged the word "also." (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main x\u}4`P}E#(9q"%LCl'KLb)Sfgdq N 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. One important task, then, is to see the nature, the method and the implications of Gods revelation among African peoples, in the light of the biblical record of the same revelation. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. Didnt our Lord let it be clearly known that "before Abraham was I am" (John 8:58)? The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." These were not empty names. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. degree at Harvard Divinity School. 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? Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. African immigrants and slaves worked to maintain traditional religious and social practices in their new surroundings. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. 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 . Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. Corrections? 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). There is even a community deep in the American Bible Belt in Beaufort County, S.C., called Oyotunji Village that practices a type of African indigenous religion, which is a mixture of Yoruba and Ewe-Fon spiritual practices. 0000002026 00000 n 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. 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. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. I am tantalized by the fact that my vision cannot cope with that horizon. Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? 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. 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. 0000003641 00000 n Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. 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. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. "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. 0000002505 00000 n As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. %PDF-1.3 OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. 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. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. Muslim populations are especially concentrated in a large geographic belt running west to east from Senegal to the Horn of Africa.1 Southern Africa is predominantly Christian. 0000014207 00000 n 0000001586 00000 n In the 17th century a movement led by the German Protestant theologian George Calixtus aimed at reconciling the differences between the Protestants in Germany, but his efforts were disparaged by orthodox Christian leaders as syncretistic. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. African scholars Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. 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 . 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. 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. 0000008365 00000 n /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. The defining line between deities and ancestors is often contested, but overall, ancestors are believed to occupy a higher level of existence than living human beings and are believed to be able to bestow either blessings or illness upon their living descendants. 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]. What is African Traditional Religion? Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. 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. In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. 43. 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. This chapter includes information on: Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB) Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). 0000015705 00000 n 0000002884 00000 n OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. The WCCs very existence as a council of churches is a living hope. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. 0000003217 00000 n It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. 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. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. <> And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. Corrections? Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. 817-820. 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. Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. ancient Rome: Religious and cultural life in the 3rd century, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/religious-syncretism, Academia - Religious Syncretism as a Syncretistic Concept: The Inadequacy of the " World Religions " Paradigm in Cross-Cultural Encounter. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. 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. For instance, if we were to lose indigenous African religions in Africa, then diviners would disappear, and if diviners disappeared, we would not only lose an important spiritual specialist for many Africans, but also an institution that for centuries has been the repository of African history, wisdom, and knowledge. 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. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. 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. His research has helped to introduce and popularize new concepts in religious studies, such as the term reverse missionaries, referring to African prelates sent to Europe and the United States. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. 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. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. It is here that I have discovered the church in Burma, in the Pacific islands, the house church in China, the basic Christian communities in Latin America, the struggling church in South Africa, plus countless other endeavors of Christians all over the world. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. 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. That finished the interview. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas 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. Yet . In Kenya I grew up in home, school and church milieus which held that the African religious and cultural background was demonic and anti-Christian. 0000002264 00000 n 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 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. Religious pluralism serves peace. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. 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. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. %%EOF 93 0 obj I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. African development. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. 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. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. Since Christianity and Islam spread across Africa, many people there have observed a mixture of religious practices. I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction.