Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. Wendy Sherman, who was the lead U.S. negotiator in the nuclear deal with Iran, was welcomed by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . 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. The first and most intriguing topic that immediately engaged my attention was the thinking of African peoples about God. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. 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 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. Anthropologica is published for CASCA by University of Toronto Press. Instances of religious syncretismas, for example, Gnosticism (a religious dualistic system that incorporated elements from the Oriental mystery religions), Judaism, Christianity, and Greek religious philosophical conceptswere particularly prevalent during the Hellenistic period (c. 300 bcec. Corrections? I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. 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. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. 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. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. 0000001019 00000 n 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. PDF Traditional African Religion and Modern Christianity in Zaire - JSTOR Abstract. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. Yet . For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. African scholars Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? African religion has equipped people to listen to the gospel, to discover meaningful passages in the Bible, and to avoid unhealthy religious conflict. This chapter includes information on: Download chapter 1 in full (6-page PDF, <1MB), 1 The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in the easternmost part of North East Africa, on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. Below is the article summary. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. x\u}4`P}E#(9q"%LCl'KLb)Sfgdq N 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. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. 75 19 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. I have received much in a short period. ), 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. 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. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. 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. Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. 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. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. A magisterial historical synthesis of the formative period of African Christianity written by one of its foremost scholars. 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. Omissions? But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? The more I peeped into African religious insights about God, the more I felt utterly unable to use the word "only" in this case. There is not space here to argue the case for the role played by African religion in the establishment of the Christian faith in 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.. A conference of mainly African theologians, held in Ghana in December 1977, said in its final communiqu: "The God of history speaks to all peoples in particular ways. Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. 0000001586 00000 n A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. 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. 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. 0000008365 00000 n Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. 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. 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. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (PDF) Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. 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. 4 0 obj This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. AP US History Period 1, APUSH Period 1 Flashcards | Quizlet Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. (back to text), 2 The World Religion Database estimates that roughly four-in-ten people in Guinea Bissau are Muslim and approximately one-in-ten are Christian, with the rest of the population associated with traditional African religions. 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). 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. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. 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. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. Religious syncretism - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. Anthropologica 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. African Traditional Religion in the Context of Christian and Islamic 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 . Omissions? I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. 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. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. 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. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. PDF Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The postcolonial 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). 93 0 obj 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. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. 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. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax 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 . 0000000676 00000 n 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. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). (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. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY 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.

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