mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush

That which had been seen as the enemy of the gospel turns out (to me) to be indeed a very welcoming friend. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. Author of. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). 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. 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. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. His research has helped to introduce and popularize new concepts in religious studies, such as the term reverse missionaries, referring to African prelates sent to Europe and the United States. It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. He later earned both an M.A. 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. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. African religion has equipped people to listen to the gospel, to discover meaningful passages in the Bible, and to avoid unhealthy religious conflict. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. Abstract. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. 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Thus, Mbali-God is a creative response on the part of the Bira to the syncretic religious encounter. 0000005005 00000 n God was not a stranger to African peoples. 0000001019 00000 n Instead, God brought them. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. 0000008365 00000 n Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, In the U.S. and Western Europe, people say they accept Muslims, but opinions are divided on Islam, In Western Europe, familiarity with Muslims is linked to positive views of Muslims and Islam, Q&A: Measuring attitudes toward Muslims and Jews in Western Europe, Europes Muslim population will continue to grow but how much depends on migration, The Growth of Germanys Muslim Population, Size & Demographic Characteristics of Religious Groups, Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. <> (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. Religious pluralism serves peace. 4 0 obj %PDF-1.7 % They are not mutually exclusive. But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. (back to text), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? 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. 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. Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. 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 rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. 0000002026 00000 n This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? Islam And Christianity Christianity came first to the continent of Africa in the 1st or early 2nd century AD. African spirituality is truly holistic. Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. 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). He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax endobj In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. 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. Take em with a grain of salt. 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 . The councils programs in response to these problems are impressive. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. One of Jacob Oluponas earliest memories in Massachusetts is of nearly freezing in his apartment as a graduate student at Boston University during the great snowstorm of 1978. But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (back to text), 3 Nigerias 2006 census did not ask about religious affiliation, and recent estimates of the numbers of Muslims and Christians in the country vary. Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? {PB,`s Regardless of the variation, it is still true that Nigeria has both the largest number of Muslims and the largest number of Christians in the region. GAZETTE: How have ancestors played a role in traditional societies? In the end, I believe that Africans can make room for a plurality of religious points of view without one religious point of view excluding or compromising the other. 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). At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. 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. 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. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. 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. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). 43. They depended on the labor of enslaved Africans who often constituted the majority of the population in these areas and developed their own forms of cultural and religious autonomy Examples: plantation agriculture, the Carolinas (rice), Barbados (sugar), tobacco Colonial government Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. The suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. I am not a historian, and I have not done careful thinking in this direction. trailer What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. 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]. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. 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. While Islam and Christianity tend to . 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. African diaspora religions, also described as Afro-American religions, are a number of related beliefs that developed in the Americas in various nations of the Caribbean, Latin America and the Southern United States. Omissions? 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. (See the glossary for more information on juju. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. C'est l'poque de la colonisation belge que les premiers missionnaires catholiques et protestants sont arrivs dans cette rgion du Zare. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and 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. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Traditional African religions and practices were brought to the Western hemisphere through the African diaspora and the slave trade, often resulting in a syncretic blending with Christianity. 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. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. 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. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. So the church which exists on the African scene bears the marks of its peoples backgrounds. 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. On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. The numerous traditional African religions have in common the notion of a creator god, who made the world and then withdrew, remaining remote from the concerns of human life. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. (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. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. 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"). Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, between 10% and 15% of respondents are Muslim. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. 0000002264 00000 n Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. 0000003641 00000 n The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. Didnt our Lord let it be clearly known that "before Abraham was I am" (John 8:58)? 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. mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. 0000005714 00000 n Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. These were not empty names. 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. 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. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. stream OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. 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. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax It doesnt have a fixed creed, like in some forms of Christianity or Islam. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 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). Reuben Kigame, the Kenyan Christian musician and apologist, has rightly suggested that considering the fact that Christianity existed in Africa for a good eighteen centuries before the. 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. 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. 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. (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. 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. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. 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. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. 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. 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. I am very excited, for example, by the estimate that in 1987 there will be a statistical balance of Christian population between the north (Europe, Soviet Union and America) and the south (Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania). As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? Black Americans who identify with a religion are most likely to say belief in God is essential to what their faith means to them (84%), while large majorities say the same about opposing racism (76%) and sexism (71%). OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. 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. 0000001519 00000 n /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. 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 the other case no such written record exists. I had it. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. 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 missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. 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 . I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. Updates? 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. Syncretistic movements in the Orient, such as Manichaeism (a dualistic religion founded by the 3rd-century-ce Iranian prophet Mani, who combined elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism) and Sikhism (a religion founded by the 15th16th-century Indian reformer Guru Nnak, who combined elements of Islam and Hinduism), also met with resistance from the prevailing religions of their respective areas. 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. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. The theological horizon continues to expand. Below is the article summary. They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. The WCCs very existence as a council of churches is a living hope. 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 . African scholars 75 0 obj But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. 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. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). %%EOF For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. 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 of sins. GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. xref interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society That finished the interview. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). 0000001586 00000 n Its about getting tangible results. In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. 0000003217 00000 n OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. Anthropologica They do this by having Africans increasingly identify themselves as either Muslim or Christian, thus denying their unique African worldview that has always viewed as evidenced in their creation myths everything as unified and connected to the land, the place were ones clan, lineage, and people were cosmically birthed. Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY "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.

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