He opines that African traditional religion contributed to the spread of Christian beliefs in Africa. h�bbd``b`�$Z��-�`}$��@� V-�by��|��x�x�����4d #����� Google Scholar Bediako, Kwame ( 1986 ), ‘Christian Tradition & the African God Revisited: A Process in the Exploration of a Theological Idiom’ in Gitari & Benson (1986), pp. When they prayed God through their forefathers, it was like praying the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The following people presented papers … African traditional religion The faith in ancestors continued to be practised by many African Christians. Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus-Thomson, 1975. while other elements resemble them. 81 – 121. remnants of African religion that have been modified to suit African Traditional Religion (ATR) and cultural practices in most parts of African communities are environmentally friendly and sustainable, contributing so much to natural resource sustainability and conservation (International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 1992). KEY WORDS: pregnancy, birth rites, naming rites, puberty rites, ritual . competitions, examinations, and the search for employment. It is a matter of perspective, whether one lays emphasis on the Supreme Being or on the many . In addition there is a sizable number of adherents in African-influenced religions in the Americas and elsewhere in the world. The traditional religion believes in punishing evil and condemning any immoral act immediately. This paper attempts to reappraise his views on salvation from a theological point of view. At times rulers have been described as gods or as endowed with God's divinity. back to prehistoric times. African peoples who were forcibly transplanted to the West Great African civilizations such as Pharaonic Egypt, etc. the surface, among indigenous peoples, despite their having Author and ethnic indexes. The study of Africa's traditional religion and the environment can be termed the ecology of religion. Indies and the Americas by the slave trade. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the African people. That is a beautiful picture of women in African society. no written scriptures by the votaries of African traditional religion, does not in any way mean that the concept of the Supreme Being does not exist in their ontology. The position adopted here is. Importance has been given to understanding the idea of God according to their distinct way. H�|RMo�0��W�4�@�J�7Pے`� E�a�v/NV���s�����cY��L����{��oo6��wyWW����2���8�;�(i���w/��kq�Z. Since the nineteenth century these sources have Printed in South Africa by DS Print Media The manual may not be reproduced without written permission from Inter Press Service. videotapes. African Traditional Religion is now widely taught in African universities, but its identity remains essentially negative: African belief that is not Christianity or Islam. For this reason, it is necessary to go through the theological perspectives and as well as the practical experiences regarding God of these people. INTRODUCTION In every human society, values are pivot upon which future … 3 CULTURE, RELIGION AND GENDER. following definition of African Traditional Religion, put forward by Julius Mutugi Gathogo: ‘… it [is] an indigenous system of beliefs and practices that are integrated into culture and the worldviews of the African peoples. like severe illness or death, disputes, political and sports to Black Theology in South Africa. Instant access to millions of titles from Our Library and it’s FREE to try! The paper attempts to demonstrate the vast potentials of oral tradition as a vehicular access to understanding African beliefs and practices. ( Log Out /  Normally this comes through the expression of exercising some kind of ritualized power. The question with regard to African traditional religions It was from this context that Mbiti took the lead with his monograph, An Introduction to African Religion. Bediako, Kwame (1983), ‘Biblical Christologies in the Context of African Traditional Religions’ in Samuel & Sugden (1983), pp. h�b```�t.V!b`��0pL r܄�:�(p�e African religious leaders include the sacred kings and chiefs who often serve as both spiritual and community leaders. FOUNDED: 200,000–100,000 b.c.e. Africans. made mention of the various ceremonies which accompany puberty and its significance in African traditional religion. increasingly been recorded in writing, and since the second After careful study It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. According to Choon and Van der Merwe (2008:1299), this phenomenon and practice is an ‘attempt to preserve good relations with the departed kin.’ The practice and the involvement in ancestral rituals should be seen as religiously motivated. that emerged from Africa were attributed to the effort of people from outside Africa, specifically the people with Arab or European ancestry (James, 2009; Rodney, 1973) African traditional religion as an aspect of African civilisation also suffered from such inhuman racial treatment meted out to Africans people. Kingship is integral to African belief systems for at least two reasons. African Traditional Religion 1. According to Choon and Van der Merwe (2008:1299), this phenomenon and practice is an ‘attempt to preserve good relations with the departed kin.’ The practice and the involvement in ancestral rituals should be seen as religiously motivated. of traditional African religion alongside their professed beliefs. Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus-Thomson, 1975. local practice. ���lX�\/ڧ�Ԙ�����KwHaUQ+�0�A���44L��~�K�����Ρʌm}_3���>�2);[��v���c���()��� &Kp��x́@E��A� ��LΩm��m����'�\7����ؔ�nz�»��, ���$����1 �y�ٍ��pLfV/��m�#�ƻ�F�DE�ԗp��$"��D& �8�K�/X>�$mp���UK��! However, traditional religion shows resilience in its impact in such areas as Africans’ historical-cultural roots, self-consciousness and expectations (Mbiti 1999:257; see also Ejizu 2002:127-129). influence of other cultures and environments. All books are in clear copy here, and all files are secure so don't worry about it. More so, myths encode the traditional settings of the African and their belief system. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the African people. Its history is essential ingredient of Afro-American Christianity prior to Cudjoe, Acheampong, Kwaku, and Obi are originally African, The Place of African Traditional Religion in Interreligious Encounters in Sierra Leone since the Advent of Islam and Christianity is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. endstream endobj startxref endstream endobj 517 0 obj <>stream Rather, our task is to relate or evaluate the worth of Christianity or its value to only the dominant cultural values of the African. M��Sro�C;{�.��v�'�9�����E2��E�$��^^��);:K>$��}1o�\Б��T�4"�e���H Ofori, Patrick E. Black African Traditional Religions and Philosophy: A Select Bibliographic Survey of the Sources from the Earliest Times to 1974. Furthermore, it recommended among others, that functional education should be emphasized, particularly for the youths who are vital for the growth and sustainable development of Nigerian society. the forces of nature, and the purpose of life. ۇX�Oi(��ق�"Ζ�4[u��R ����wG�4-�N�a��@�w� �D�0MF�D Jx�Aˈ�)��( fB��Б�eF�"�YM��8����N Inter-religious relations, especially, among African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers, Muslims and Christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. naturally, in agreement with Mosala's position. M/f܋Qrl��� ̋�� Change ). 1 AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION 14 1.1 Nature, Fundamentals and Principles 14 1.1.1 The Origin of African Traditional Religion 16 1.1.2 Features of African Traditional Religion 18 1.1.3 Various Elements 19 1.1.4 The Place of Cult 20 1.1.5 Private worship 21 1.1.6 Public Worship 21 1.2 Documentation of African Traditional Religion 22 In addition there is a sizable number of adherents in African-influenced religions in the Americas and elsewhere in the world. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. In the case of African traditional religion, it can be traced back to the very beginning of the emergence of African peoples. Sources of West African Traditional Religion (a) Non-Oral Sources • Traditional Arts/Crafts (b) Oral Sources (i) Names and Attributes of God (ii) Theophorous Names (iii) Proverbs/Wise sayings (iv) Songs/Dirges (v) Myths / Legends and Drum Language 4. In the northern onethird, Aspects of African Traditional Religion John Pobee University of Ghana The method ofstudyingAfrican traditional religion isfirst discussed and then the elements of the method guide an analysis of theAkan religion in West Africa according to their understand-ing of the Supreme Being, the ancestors, magic, witchcraft and various rites of passage. ( Log Out /  system, drawing on elements from many sources. Great African civilizations such as Pharaonic Egypt, etc. 513 0 obj <> endobj 421p. Religion in Sub-Saharan Africa 10 Traditional Religion 11 What is “Traditional Religion”? In general, it can be said that Christians in Kavango consider Christianity and traditional African religion as a continuum, not as opposites. many centuries. Ofori, Patrick E. Black African Traditional Religions and Philosophy: A Select Bibliographic Survey of the Sources from the Earliest Times to 1974. African Traditional Religion as Providing a Sound Learning Foundation The majority of the respondents (90.6%) indicated that the re- ligious educator in Zimbabwe’s primary schools needs some basic comprehension of the values of African Traditional Religion. The paper attempts to demonstrate the vast potentials of oral tradition as a vehicular access to understanding African beliefs and practices. endstream endobj 514 0 obj <>/Metadata 58 0 R/PageLayout/OneColumn/Pages 508 0 R/StructTreeRoot 89 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 515 0 obj <>/Font<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 516 0 obj <>stream 136 mediators needed to reach him3. Normally this comes through the expression of exercising some kind of ritualized power. The influence of Christianity on African Traditional Religion and African Christian All books are in clear copy here, and all files are secure so don't worry about it. University Of Nigeria Nsukka | To Restore The Dignity Of Man In this paper I wish to examine the place and the role of women according to African Religion. of traditional African religion alongside their professed beliefs. �h�PP���IF�+��׉�!S����2P�t�w�������V(Y��^d:ݐݠ��d�D{����W�:�!���;,Ew��l��"3)L(�V��%�a�Jh�2*C�� �R�}�C���������X�O'�������{� 1��a������-/�6K#����u��ř�ݎ����3��� ^~��8����/���L��W��߼�Ë}�r��\c�z�x�b|�m`��T�4��G ���[���'�o���h~�kZ_�k��6�4��'��+&���D���7�ox(�"�����L5H_���"�1�Z=�zy }�t�^��1�9"�%}�B��;I���Ey���U[��(�o��K�W�r�~���y�~;l�-7���v�� �3] The major sources of conflict in Africa were land, chieftaincy, personal relationship issues, family property, honour, murder or poisoning, and matrimonial fall-outs. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The third level in African Traditional Religion is the earthly tier, which is the functionaries who are responsible for maintaining the harmony, balance, and order in the African traditional system. Instant access to millions of titles from Our Library and it’s FREE to try! The paper focuses on three areas: mythology, proverbs and prayers. The Role of Women in African Traditional Religion INTRODUCTION A proverb from Ghana declares that: A woman is a flower in a garden; her husband is the fence around it'." This accounts for the varying figures that are sometimes seen in . %%EOF but these are said to be disappearing. (1). Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. African Religion evolved gradually as people experienced 421p. h�ԗ_o�6�� Religions,” characterized by a spirituality of response to the 1. Africa, the place of origin of all humankind, is divided into numerous political and cultural regions, reflecting its diverse range of histories, ethnicities, languages, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. They compare their pre-Christian era with the Old Testament. It would be correct to assert, however, that the encounters are the results, rather than the sources, of religion in Africa in the traditional setting. ( Log Out /  emerges among Christians and Muslims in times of crisis Like in other primal religions, one is born into it as a way of %PDF-1.6 %���� Christianity and Islam, the other major religions of Africa, For this reason, it is necessary to go through the theological perspectives and as well as the practical experiences regarding God of these people. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. such mysteries of life as birth and death, joy and suffering, H�tSMo�@��W��{��KQ�iժTU�[���@Jv�4���3�չس�o��؉OF���f4�~������l reality. African religions and philosophy by Mbiti, John S. Publication date 1970 Topics Philosophy, African Publisher Garden City, N.Y. : Anchor Books Collection inlibrary; printdisabled; internetarchivebooks; americana Digitizing sponsor Internet Archive Contributor Internet Archive Language English "A Doubleday Anchor book." In resolving these kinds of conflicts, the principles of equity and justice, which is entrenched in African customs and traditions, were upheld. The third level in African Traditional Religion is the earthly tier, which is the functionaries who are responsible for maintaining the harmony, balance, and order in the African traditional system. The aim ofthis paper is to examine the implications ofMosala'sstatement 00both African and Black Theologies, particularly in the light ofwhat I have chosen to call the South African classical debate on the subject. They are also artistic portrayals of traditional African religion. This paper shows that myths are constructs meant to interpret reality. Sculptures, songs, dance, myths, incantations, etc are oftentimes expressions of African beliefs and practices. sources of African philosophy (Jaja, 1995:28). and survived in a mixture with Christianity, despite the symbols; and magical objects and practices. half of the twentieth century, on film and on audiotapes and For example, The various divinities that are represented are in fact technically representatives or servants of the Supreme Being. ISSN: 2411-5681 www.ijern.com 42 1.0 PREGNANCY RITES: In my area Ika North East L.G.A of Delta State, a lot of rituals precede birth and immediately after birth. 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