mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush

OLUPONA: I was raised in Africa during the 1960s, when the Yoruba community never asked you to chose between your personal faith and your collective African identity. 75 19 Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. Indigenous African practices tend to be strongest in the central states of Africa, but some form of their practices and beliefs can be found almost anywhere in Africa. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. "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. Religious syncretism - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. All these spirits are believed to live in a mythic land called Ginen, a cosmic Africa. The God of the Christian Bible is understood to be the creator of both the universe and the spirits; the spirits were made by God to help him govern humanity and the natural world. While the recourse to traditional healers may be motivated in part by economic reasons and an absence of health care alternatives, it may also be rooted in religious beliefs about the efficacy of this approach. How Africa Is Changing Faith Around the World In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. 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. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. 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.. Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions. 0000002884 00000 n << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> 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. 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. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? This is not an empty coincidence. 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. A semi-annual journal, it publishes peer-reviewed articles in both French and English devoted to social and cultural issues whether they are pre-historic, historic, contemporary, biological, linguistic, applied or theoretical in orientation. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. 300 ce). 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. Much of Oluponas work is an attempt to provide a fuller understanding of the complexity and richness of African indigenous thought and practice by viewing it not as a foil or as a useful comparative to better understand Western religions, but as a system of thought and belief that should be valued and understood for its own ideas and contribution to global religions. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. African Christianity - African Studies - Oxford Bibliographies - obo 0000002505 00000 n PDF Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The postcolonial 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. A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. Some African diasporans are returning to the continent to reconnect with their ancestral traditions, and they are encouraging and organizing the local African communities to reclaim this heritage. That book was followed by a flurry of literature on the so-called "death of God" theology (if "theology" it was, for I would call it "atheology"). There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. This number has since grown rapidly, to the point that in 1980 there are estimated to be 200 million Christians (or about 45 per cent of the population). (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. 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 Pew Forums survey finds a similar number of people in Guinea Bissau identifying themselves as Muslim (38%) but a much higher percentage identifying themselves as Christian (62%) and very few describing themselves mainly as practitioners of traditional African faiths. Nigeria, the most populous country in all of Africa, has the largest number of Muslims as well as the largest number of Christians in the region.3. Religious pluralism serves peace. 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. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" 93 0 obj Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in 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. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. 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. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continent's major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. 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. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. 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 . Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. And in Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia, the survey finds that 5% or less identify as Muslim. Omissions? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. www.ej-theology.org Christianity and Indigenisation in Africa Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. <> Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. 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. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. Below is the article summary. Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. 0000001586 00000 n Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. 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. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. APUSH Content Quiz #2 Flashcards | Quizlet Updates? Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. The first and most intriguing topic that immediately engaged my attention was the thinking of African peoples about God. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. 0000014025 00000 n That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. 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. What factors are responsible for it? During religious rites, believers sometimes enter a trancelike state in which the devotee may eat and drink, perform stylized dances, give supernaturally inspired advice to people, or perform medical cures or special physical feats; these acts exhibit the incarnate presence of the lwa within the entranced devotee. 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. 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? The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. For example, sickness in the indigenous African worldview is not only an imbalance of the body, but also an imbalance in ones social life, which can be linked to a breakdown in ones kinship and family relations or even to ones relationship with ones ancestors. This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. 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. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? (See the glossary for more information on juju. 0000001519 00000 n And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. ), 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 missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God. 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. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. Corrections? OLUPONA: If we lose traditional African religions, we would also lose or continue to seriously undermine the African practice of rites of passage such as the much cherished age-grade initiations, which have for so long integrated and bought Africans together under a common understanding, or worldview. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. In the other case no such written record exists. 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. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. 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. GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). I have received much in a short period. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. 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. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. 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. They are not mutually exclusive. 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. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. endobj Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. God was not a stranger to African peoples. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. 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. The theological horizon continues to expand. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . Amen. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. African religions and corresponding beliefs and practices As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. There are also other parallels in social, political and cultural areas, just as there are some significant differences. 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. 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]. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. Since the Bible tells me that God is the Creator of all things, his activities in the world must clearly go beyond what is recorded in the Bible. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. African diaspora religions - Wikipedia Abstract. Its aims were to encourage formal and informal dissemination of knowledge through an annual conference and publications; promote relations with other academic and professional associations, aboriginal groups, and governments; and publicize ethnological research and activities to further understanding of ethnological practices. PDF Traditional African Religion and Modern Christianity in Zaire - JSTOR In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. What is African Traditional Religion? In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. It doesnt have a fixed creed, like in some forms of Christianity or 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. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. Jacob Olupona, professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard Divinity School and professor of African and African-American studies in Harvards Faculty of Arts and Sciences, recently sat down for an interview about his lifelong research on indigenous African religions.