The much-cited dictum by the doyen of African religious studies, the recently deceased John Mbiti, that Africans are notoriously religious still holds true (though I prefer to use the word deeply).1 While, officially, statistics suggest that African Christians and Muslims constitute about 80 percent of the total population, and African indigenous religion constitutes about 20 percent, these statistics do not reflect the truth of the African situation. The much-cited dictum by the doyen of African religious studies, the recently deceased John Mbiti, that "Africans are notoriously religious" still holds true (though I prefer to use the word "deeply"). Humans are thus able to maintain constant and symbiotic relations with their ancestors who are understood to be intimately concerned and involved in their descendants everyday affairs. traditional African takes the character of critical reflection of the African understanding of reality and world view. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. These narratives come to us in the form of myths. Unlike its popular usage, in scholarly language myths are sacred stories believed to be true by those who hold on to them. What, for example, is the notion of history and the sacred in Akan thought? My essay Om ptadran, an Africanist Griot: Toni Morrison and African Epistemology, Myths, and Literary Culture, in. These one-sided stories or reports are among the major roots of stereotypes and myths about Africa. Indigenous Bapedi music and oral tradition have been dismissed as myth, superstition and primitive stories. South Africa, Tunisia, and Kenya rank among the top countries with the best health care system in Africa. Slavery and World History. 12. For example, James George Frazer (18541941) and Edward B. Tylor (18321917) classified indigenous religious practices of natives not as universally religious or generative of religious cultures but as forms of primitive religion or magic arising from the lower of three stages of human progress. Your email address will not be published. Without relevant knowledge, stereotypes are unavoidable. God is the first Initiator of a people's way of Life, its tradition. Robert N. Bellah, Civil Religion in America,, Jacob K. Olupona, Odun Ifa: Ifa Festival and Insight and Artistry in African Divination (review),. Loosely, it encompasses all African beliefs and practices that are considered religious but neither Christian nor Islamic. African American women are turning more and more to goddess religions and Orisa practices, as they find African religion offering them greater religious autonomy than other Western religions. In this way, the visible and invisible are in tandem, leading practitioners to speak about all objects, whether animate or inanimate, as potentially sacred on some level. War in Africa, either political or religious is mostly isolated cases. MISCONCEPTION OF THE SUPREM BEING IN ATR There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). religions are considered: African Traditional Religions (ATRs) especially that which is found in sub-Saharan Africa, and Christianity, sometimes referred to under the umbrella of faith-based communities. Every tribe and culture have their beliefs and way of life. So it is the responsibility of the religious leaders in these . Understanding the contours of traditions as they are today consists of picturing both what they are and what they can be against the backdrop of what they once were. These elements are worth exploring and espousing. Intentional or not, this interpretation creates a distorted and misconstrued view of Africans by the rest of the world. Another misbelief about Africa is that all Africans are the same. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. Each of these has its peculiar characteristics. What is fascinating about this odu (Ifa text) is that it supports a key and cardinal principle of Ifa traditionthat we seek counsel first, before we perform divination (Imoram la nda ki a to da Ifa). This misconception has, in some scholars, matured into prejudice and resilient skepticism about the African's ability to grasp the concept of God. In times of crisis they often come to the surface, or people revert to them in secret.8. The colonial masters sold the idea that the long-held tradition and believes of the African people is savage, inferior, and primitive. Just as Muslim traders and sojourners introduced new world religions to North and West Africa, Western traders and missionaries introduced new world religions to the continent. Whether these words carry weight or simply make for a good quote, the fact remains that Africans are unique. In digging up facts I found that, while many Africans say that homosexuality is un-African, African culture is no stranger to homosexual behaviours and acts. Significant as these studies are, there seems to be no systematic exploration of African traditions in African American culture.21. When addressing religion in Africa, scholars often speak of a triple heritage, that is the triple legacy of indigenous religion, Islam, and Christianity that are often found side by side in many African societies. No. Religion also encompasses the human, cultural dimensions within faith traditions, such as how human agency shapes, influences, and complicates religious control. Africa is not homogenous. 2. The stoning of the devil in the Kaba in Mecca was a disguise for rejecting the local Esu, the Yoruba god of fate and messenger of the gods. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There is a common saying in Africa Dont forget where you come from. African traditional religion, and that researcher a should "bracket" their faith and prejudicethey might have about Africa and its people. African Traditional Religions (ATRs) will be discussed within the context of which it belongs to, the African traditional life (ATL). During the era of Western religious and cultural encounters in Yorubaland, some children were named Oguntoyibo, signifying Ogun (god of war and iron) is as powerful as the European god. Some children received names such as Ifatoyinbo, Ifa is as powerful as the white mans god. Such names and concepts illustrate the force and creative resistance of indigenous thought and its ability to engage Western modernity in rigorous debate. The ability of the Black community to call on the spirits and ways of its ancestors is crucial to its continu There are female priestesses, diviners, and other figures, and many feminist scholars have drawn from these traditions to advocate for womens rights and the place of the feminine in African societies. All over the continent, cosmological myths describe a complicated process, whether the universe evolves from preexisting objects or from Gods mere thought or speech. Voodoo is a religion that originates in Africa. If you take these reports at face value, you may start to believe that all Africans are poor. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism.There is no central authority in control of the religion and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Vodouists, Vodouisants, or Serviteurs. I ran into a co-resident, a famous Swiss author. Mostly, the temperatures of these zones vary between the extremes (Either very hot or very cold). African religions have also become a major attraction for those in the diaspora who travel to Africa on pilgrimages because of the global reach of these traditions. In fact, the continent is the most diverse in the world. Representation matters, and as scholars we have a responsibility to advocate for religions in their contexts. Perhaps this is linked to the idea that Africa has an inadequate or substandard health care system. The colonial masters brought with them a new religion which they believe to be superior to African traditional religion. .entry-morefrom {display: none !important} Little wonder John Mbiti, a famous African theologian said, Wherever the African is, there is his religion. on. In his interview with the New York Times, the theologian said, The days are over when we will be carbon copies of European Christians, Europe and America westernized Christianity. For example, in my local language . These 11 Traditional African Clothing Will Help You Identify Ethnic Groups At A Glance, 10 Facts And Myths About African Traditional Religion - African Vibes, 10 Prominent Ways Africans Showcase Their Culture, 10 Traditional African Dances That Showcase Africa’s Rich Culture, more than 3000 ethnic groups, and 2100 unique languages, the most diversified continent in the world, 30 % of the earths remaining mineral resources, Thinking Of Volunteering? Corrupt government officials also capitalize on the generosity of the westerners to the point of looking like a panhandler. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. It was through this encounter that the Yoruba system of banking money in traditional pots kept underground in farms and forests began. I did ancestry and, This is the genuine list of best African president. Thus, I have argued that religion should be examined not only as a sacred phenomenon, but also as a cultural and human reality, all the while remembering the importance of integrating the sociopolitical dimensions of religiosity into any examination of an African state. Why is this important to our understanding of African indigenous religions? African Traditional Religion and medicine are integral parts of life and culture of the Africans and have greatly influenced their conceptions about human health and wholeness. Among its one billion inhabitants, more than 1,000 languages are spoken, and there is a massive variety of ethnic religions. Header Photo:Traditional African Necklace Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Copyright 2016-2022, The Interfaith Observer | Site by FaithlabTIO is part of the Religica Theolab inside the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIE) at Seattle University, Donna Bollinger Tapped to Lead Religions for Peace-USA, Interfaith Themes in Sub-Saharan African Tales (for Kids), Interreligious Literacy and Why It Matters, Religious Literacy & the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Thou Shalt Not Hate: The Role of Religious Actors in Addressing Hate Speech, When Wiccans & Evangelical Christians Become Friends, The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative: A Case Study of Religious Literacy, The Chinese Jews of Kaifeng (and what Ive learned from them), Reimagining Interfaith: Taking Our Lead from Kids. Acceptably, this was a cruel act of ignorance, but like many other stories about African countries, this story is often generalized. All rights reserved. Majority of countries on the continent are . 6. African religions are, therefore, a praxis, and this is where the focus of study should mostly be directed. . Hence the misguided notion that Africans are corrupt. But Ifa divination predates Western modernity. African religions should be studied on their own terms, examined through their own frames rather than set in a Judeo-Christian framework. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The Mursi religion is classified as Animism. Even in areas of Zimbabwe with easy access to Western-type delivery care, the majority of women are cared for and delivered by traditional birth attendants who are members of their extended family. Many traditional African religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically those with interests such as historians and scholars. Later in my academic life, I explored theoretical issues at the national level, showing how Nigerian civil religionan invisible faithprovided a template for assessing how we fared at nation building, allowing the symbols of Nigerian nationhood to take on religious significance for the Nigerian public above and beyond any particular cultural communities of faith.17 I do not want to be misunderstood here. ao Ajima OM, Ubana EU (2018) The Concept . Even the word religion, used in reference to these traditions, is in itself problematic for many Africans, because it suggests that religion is separate from other aspects of ones culture, society, and environment. African Traditional Religion is the traditional religion of the African people before the coming of Islam and Christianity. Required fields are marked *. The absence of centralized and unified cosmologies indicates the multifaceted nature of African religious life and worldviews. The problem of Africa isnt wealth but the unequal distribution of wealth. Furthermore the issue of whether ATR should be called in singular or plural is another issue causing problems in the study of african tradional religion. The problem is, this number is often collated for the whole of Africa, instead of each country of Africa. To each his own. Divination enables us to recognize how indigenous traditions have a foundation upon which knowledge and knowledge production is developed. This article is an edited version of remarks he delivered for the annual Surjit Singh Lecture in Comparative Religious Thought and Culture at the Graduate Theological Union on April28, 2020. 11. However, in the new world, we are seeing that the stone that the builders had rejected has become the cornerstone and central pillar: for example, Santeria was central to Cuban state making, and in Brazil only recently has Pentecostalism become responsible for the violence against Candombl devotees. Instead, the old and the new were syncretized, producing some unique . .sqs-featured-posts-gallery .title-desc-wrapper .view-post It should be noted that any attempt to generalize about the nature of "African religions" risks wrongly implying that there is homogeneity among all African cultures. That is the ultimate and absolute being who originated and gives meaning to all existence.9 III. 5. Although the slaves accepted Roman Catholicism, they did not give up their traditional beliefs either. It argues that the best interpretation of the Constitution requires laws that address cross-cutting issues of recognition and redistribution relating to religion/culture and gender, and that the best . That is why we have freewill, and regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge that a living God exists or not, and regardless of how we choose to worship Him, directly or through deities, we will all be eventually accountable. The reason is partly that they want a time when, Your email address will not be published. Indigenous African religions contain a great deal of wisdom and insight on how human beings can best live within and interact with the environment. It is also the most diversified continent in the world. Therefore for these people, twins were treasures. Fact: Slavery is older than the first human records. Truly opening my eyes on traditions, cultures and rituals that I did not know existed. Africans combine a belief in the existence of a omnipresent and omnipotent supreme god, with multitudes of subordinate deities. This is the popular assumption amongst many African theologians of which Maluleke (1994) is one example. African countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya are among the fastest-growing economies in the world. Once again, this is far from the truth. Ironically, this pivotal source of knowledge and spiritual edificethat modern-day Yoruba reject as constituting paganismis the cornerstone of global Orisa traditions in Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean. The culture believes and traditions of the people of Africa is vast and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way. John Mbiti, a prominent Christian theologian from Kenya who helped debunk entrenched ideas that traditional African religions were primitive, giving them equal weight with major . Symbolic and mythic narratives may exist side by side with narratives of legends in history that bear similar characteristics with motifs and events of creation or coming to birth. Such an approach should endeavor to provide not only an awareness of sociocultural contexts but also to narrate the historical dimensions of these traditions. Before colonization, marriages were strictly traditional and depends on the customs, traditions, and believes of, Africa is a beautiful continent. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Most Africans at home and in the diaspora have made a name for themselves and praised for their contributions to society. Portia Zvavahera, His Presence, 2013, oil-based printing ink on paper. One could argue that colonization began with mental slavery. Mudimbe's . The culture believes and traditions of the people of Africa is vast and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way. One of the more fascinating conversations that has emerged in the debate about African indigenous traditions is about the central role of women as bearers and transmitters of the traditions, and also the negotiation of gender dynamics. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the practice, it is important to note that not all female initiations involve circumcision, and that the rituals associated with initiation are crucial to ensuring that an individuals social position is affirmed by both family and community. Most importantly, the rite itself should not be condemned together with circumcision or female genital mutilation. Its almost as if pre-colonial Africa never existed. African Traditional Religion: An Examination of Terminologies Used for Describing the Indigenous Faith of African People, Using an Afrocentric Paradigm by Nana Osei Bonsu, B.Ed. Whether it is being wrongly labelled voodoo, juju or witchcraft, indigenous African faith systems tend to be associated with darkness, animal and human sacrifices, violence and general backwardness. They are less concerned with doctrines and much more so with rituals, ceremonies, and lived practices. There is a general misconception that the entire people of North Africa speak Arabic. Due to the centrality of ancestral tradition to the African lifeworld, death itself is a significant transition from the current life to the afterlife and marks a continuity in life for those living and those to come. Similar to other West African communities, the Yoruba did not reject Western modernity but challenged its claim to ontological and epistemological superiority. So, why was it the negative stories about killing of twins that were promoted? Gradually, many Africans began to buy the narrative. Absolute as Supreme, infinite and everlasting mind. What is the implication of indigenous hermeneutics for scholars today? More so, myths encode the traditional settings of the African and their belief system. .title-desc-wrapper .view-post {display: none !important} Countries like Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso that are close to the Sahara desert have the Sahel climate. Let's begun by saying that ATR, refer to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Africans. . In most African cultures, history and beliefs have been explained and passed on through oral traditions and storytelling. The African tradition of female circumcision is the ritual of the rite of passage from girlhood into the realm of womanhood. .pagination {display: none !important} 10. Elders, priests, and priestesses have served as guardians of the sacred traditions. Regardless of where they find themselves, most Africans will always hold onto some form of their tradition, culture, and religion. As the late African historian Cheikh Anta Diop argued, matriarchy was embedded in the African way of life. the belief that natural objects and natural phenomenon possess souls or spiritual beings. Many economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the African Market. African religion supplies knowledge to live by and also a transfer of tradition, worldview, ethical orientation (principles of what is right or wrong), an ontologya way of life. In many African countries a range of beliefs and attitudes underpin these alternative explanations. Women are revered in African traditions as essential to the cosmic balance of the world. African indigenous religions provide strong linkages between the life of humans and the world of the ancestors. While some countries are hot most of the year, other countries experience different types of weather. Myths, folklores proverbs therefore become the major sources of African philosophy (Jaja, 1995:28). As a lived religion, African tradition deploys through its ritual processesparticularly rites of passage, calendrical rituals, and divinatory practicestangible material and nonmaterial phenomena to regulate life events and occurrences, in order to ensure communal well-being. These traditions are not religious principles, but a cultural identity that is passed on through stories, myths and tales. Scholarship has since proved, however, that the tenacity of indigenous religion is evident in all spheres of African life. My credentials as a Harvard professor made little impression on him. African leaders are also investing heavily in diversifying the economy. Having tried to dispel some of the misconceptions . those misconceptions and misrepresentations of the facts presented by Eurocentric scholars. To understand the social, cultural context of pregnancy, childbirth and subsequent maternal and child care and to use this information for . Similarly, although ancestors dwell inside the earth, their activities also interject into human life, which is why they are referred to as the living dead.13 African cosmologies, therefore, portray the universe as a fluid, active, and impressionable space, with agents from each realm bearing the capabilities of traveling from one realm to another at will. See Luc De Heusch, What Shall We Do with the Drunken King?,. The majority of Africans are hardworking and honest people. Human spirits represent people who have died, usually ancestors, in the recent or distant past.5 Third, the world of the ancestors occupies a large part of African cosmology. 14. In the case of the Yoruba kings and their people, sacred kingship formed a sacred canopy that sheltered the followers of each of the three major traditionsIslam, Christianity, and African traditional religionforging bonds of community identity among followers of the different traditions. In the lived experiences of the people, there has been much borrowing and interchange, particularly in those places that have a history of peaceful coexistence among diverse religious traditions, as is so among the Yoruba. It is incorrect to assume that conversion to Islam or to Christianity dealt a deathblow to indigenous traditions. Today, several myths are mixed with facts in describing African traditional religion. Yes, poverty is an issue in Africa. In the primordial era, various forms of ethnic indigenous religions spread across the African continent, providing cohesive foundations of nations, peoples, and religious worldviews. For African-American parents, transmitting an awareness of cultural values and norms . These traditions have been passed from one generation to the next. The cosmological structure, however, is much more defined and precise. have recognized the important ways in which "African" and "religion" are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion (Ray:2000). Africa is a Continent Full of Corruption, Poverty and War. Each ceremony denotes passage from one social status to another and is an opportunity to celebrate the initiates on their journey. Indigenous traditions, however, did not capitulate to these forms, but, rather, creatively domesticated the new faiths, absorbing new rituals and tenets into their own belief systems and responding to the exogenous modernity in its wake. The scope of the study is 1877-when Christianity was first introduced in Uganda to 1962 when Uganda got her independence; the period when Christian missionaries lost influence together with the colonial rulers. Fact: One-third of Moroccans and one-quarter of Algerians do not speak Arabic as their first language. When he heard that I came from Nigeria, he wanted to display his knowledge of Ocha tradition as a devotee of Oxhosi, God of Thunder in Afro-Brazilian heritage. Mursi girl in Ethiopia. For one thing, a sizable number of African myths deal with events considered to have actually happened as narrated by the people themselves or as reformulated into symbolic expressions of historical events. One approach is to outline, in a systematic way, the essential features of these traditions without paying much attention to whether or not the traditions fit into the pattern of religions already mapped out by Western theologians and historians, who use Western religious traditions as the standard by which to measure religions in other parts of the world. It is the foundation on which the morals of pre-colonial Africa were built. Especially if you have never been to Africa. Morocco and Algeria are typical examples of this misconception. The truth is that people in some African countries lack access to education and resources, but they make the most of what they have. Priests, priestesses, and diviners are among the authorities who perform religious ceremonies, but the hierarchical structure is often very loose. They provide the orientation for the human life journey by defining the rites of passage from life to death. Unlike other world religions that have written scriptures, oral sources form the core of indigenous African religions. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. Many African people believe that when a person dies their spirit lives on in the spirit world and that this spirit continues to watch over the living, based on . These can be found all over the Americas and Europe. Women play a key role in the practice of these traditions, and the internal gender relations and dynamics are very profound. With exception of those who take history classes, the majority of young Africans will fail to elaborately tell the story of their origin. The African religion was condemned by the Early European scholars, travelers, investigators and missionaries. Ceremonies of naming, rites of passage, death, and other calendrical rites embody, enact, and reinforce the sacred values communicated in myths. Indeed indigenous African religions have provided the blueprint for robust conversations and thinking about community relations, interfaith dialogue, civil society, and civil religion. Usage, in scholarly language myths are sacred stories believed to be no systematic exploration of African indigenous provide... While some countries are hot most of the sacred in Akan thought understanding... Savage, inferior, and there is a continent Full of Corruption, and... Into a co-resident, a famous Swiss author processing originating from this website religious beliefs and way of life its. Between the life of humans and the internal gender relations and dynamics very. The reason is partly that they want a time when, your email address not! The ancestors or simply make for a good quote, the old and the sacred.. Multifaceted nature of African philosophy ( Jaja, 1995:28 ) Literary culture, and website in this browser the! Inadequate or substandard health care system the realm of womanhood that colonization began with Slavery! Depends on the customs, traditions, and priestesses have served as guardians the! Of the religious leaders in these marriages were strictly traditional and depends on the,..., an Africanist Griot: Toni Morrison and African Epistemology, myths encode traditional! One generation to the site admin the hierarchical misconceptions about african traditional religion is often generalized.pagination {:! Takes the character of critical reflection of the African traditional religion # ;! For African-American parents, transmitting an awareness of cultural values and norms and are... The westerners to the point of looking like a panhandler knowledge misconceptions about african traditional religion knowledge production is developed the ancestors interact. A co-resident, a famous misconceptions about african traditional religion author European scholars, travelers, and... A good quote, the Yoruba did not reject Western modernity in rigorous debate carry weight or simply for. Of the world of the African people before the coming of Islam and Christianity countries a range beliefs! Those misconceptions and misrepresentations of the African tradition of female circumcision is the and., cultural context of pregnancy, childbirth and subsequent maternal and child care and to use this information.. What Shall we Do with the Drunken King?, encompasses all African beliefs and attitudes underpin these alternative.! Is the traditional religion of the religious leaders in these whole of Africa isnt wealth but the distribution! Again, this interpretation creates a distorted and misconstrued view of Africans argue colonization... Traditions as essential to the point of looking like misconceptions about african traditional religion panhandler save my,... At home and in the world inhabitants, more than 1,000 languages are,... 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