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. degree at Harvard Divinity School. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). (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. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. 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 I had it. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. Islam And Christianity Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. <> x\u}4`P}E#(9q"%LCl'KLb)Sfgdq N 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. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It doesnt have a fixed creed, like in some forms of Christianity or Islam. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. (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. 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). It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. 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 xref Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. Indigenous African religion is primarily an oral tradition and has never been fully codified; thus, it allows itself to more easily be amended and influenced by other religious ideas, religious wisdom, and by modern development. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . 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. 0000000676 00000 n I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. 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. 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 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. Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. 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 . Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. 0000014025 00000 n Everywhere he went in southwestern Nigeria, he never opposed or spoke out against African culture including initiation rites, festivals, and traditional Yoruba dress as long as it didnt directly conflict with Christianity. Yet . Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. 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. 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. Instead, God brought them. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 0000002505 00000 n I am tantalized by the fact that my vision cannot cope with that horizon. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. In the other case no such written record exists. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. (See the glossary for more information on juju. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. 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 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. For instance, the Yoruba religion has historically been centered in southwestern Nigeria, the Zulu religion in southern Africa, and the Igbo religion in southeastern Nigeria. 75 19 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). OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. Omissions? 4 0 obj Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. 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. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. %PDF-1.3 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 rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. 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. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax These initiation rituals are already not as common in Africa as they were only 50 years ago, yet age-grade initiations have always helped young Africans feel connected to their community and their past. I have seen the quest more sharply. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. 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. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? 43. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Its about getting tangible results. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. 0000003217 00000 n What factors are responsible for it? 0000008365 00000 n It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and . (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. In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition of the region about 100 years ago, when, according to a Pew Forum analysis of historical information from the World Religion Database, less than a quarter of the population identified as either Christian or Muslim. Anthropologica is published for CASCA by University of Toronto Press. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. 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 Church in Africa, 1450-1950. But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. Updates? Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. %PDF-1.7 % OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. 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, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. 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. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. % 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. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . For instance, in a few years time, I pray that I will be participating in an age-grade festival for men around 70 years of age called Ero in my native Nigerian community in Ute, in Ondo state. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. 0000005714 00000 n He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. 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.