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. Let's begun by saying that ATR, refer to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Africans. Although it is difficult to generalize about African traditional cosmology and worldviews, a common denominator among them is a three-tiered model in which the human world exists sandwiched between the sky and the earth (including the underworld)a schema that is not unique to Africa but is found in many of the worlds religious systems as well. This lack of knowledge as well as understanding of essentials has led to burgeoning of myths on African . The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Like Mbiti and Green, Magesa notes that the world of African Traditional Religion is a hierarchically ordered place where, God is seen as the Great ancestor, the first Founder and the Progenitor, the Giver of Life behind everything that exists. The area of study is Buganda in Uganda. 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. 53 offers from $9.56. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. However, the so-called white wedding is Western culture. They include assumptions, misconceptions, traditional or religious beliefs and beliefs about the . Africans combine a belief in the existence of a omnipresent and omnipotent supreme god, with multitudes of subordinate deities. 9 years ago. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. But, the continent of Africa is far from poor. The cosmological structure, however, is much more defined and precise. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the African people. Majority of countries on the continent are . African countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya are among the fastest-growing economies in the world. This view wasnt held in many other tribes in Nigeria. African traditional religions are structured very differently from Western religions in that there is relatively little formal structure. The African religion was condemned by the Early European scholars, travelers, investigators and missionaries. An Ifa song warns those embarking on the pilgrimage to be pure and those who possess witchcraft not to embark on the pilgrimage. Africa is poor. In certain contexts and communities we have many documented instances of the central role of goddesses as founders of traditions, builders of kingdoms, and saviors and defenders of cities and civilizationsfor example, Moremi in Yorubaland, Nzinga in Angola, and Osun in West Africa. Another generalization about Africa is that they are all corrupt. However, the missionaries of the two foreign religions succeeded in converting some African people to the new religions. Using the qualitative historical research . African indigenous religions provide strong linkages between the life of humans and the world of the ancestors. Its almost as if pre-colonial Africa never existed. Myth: Slavery in the non-Western world was a mild, benign, and non-economic institution. Intentional or not, this interpretation creates a distorted and misconstrued view of Africans by the rest of the world. Initially, Christian missionaries and propagators of Islam assumed that indigenous religion would eventually fizzle out, while Islam and Christianity would dominate the African religious scene. the earlier idea was that African Traditional Religion was incompatible with monotheism. Bolaji Idowu, John Mbiti, Wande Abimbola, Benjamin Ray, Gabriel Setiloane, Laura Grillo, Aloysius Lugira, Kofi Asare Opoku, Emefie Ikenga-Metuh, Charles Long, and others attempted to imbue African traditions with the vitality, status, and identity that is now finally recognized. Traditional African religions are not stagnant but highly dynamic and constantly reacting to various shifting influences such as old age, modernity, and technological advances. This is an incorrect representation of the continent that is so vast and with diverse political, social and economic differences. This misconception has, in some scholars, matured into prejudice and resilient skepticism about the African's ability to grasp the concept of God. Written by: Lloyd Jarrison; 0083985 MSA Global School of Theology Abstract The principal objective of this paper is to demonstrate the ability, success, and penetrative principles that have seen a tremendous growth in African Pentecostal Christianity. . Therefore for these people, twins were treasures. Instead, the old and the new were syncretized, producing some unique . a. newly birthed babies. African Cosmology. Apart from the different languages, every tribe and culture have their way of dressing too. This is far from the truth. Ifas religious thought systemfriendlier to Islam than to Christianitynot only predates Islam but also engages Islam in serious conversation. Such dismissal has been based on the misconception and assumption that indigenous Bapedi . If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. While those who identify as practitioners of traditional African religions are often in the minority, many who identify as Muslims or Christians are involved in traditional religions to one degree or another. What is the implication of indigenous hermeneutics for scholars today? Each transition has a function within the society. In fact, the continent is the most diverse in the world. Especially if you have never been to Africa. Second, spirit beings occupy the next tier in the cosmology and constitute a pantheon of deities who often assist the supreme God in performing different functions. Perhaps this is linked to the idea that Africa has an inadequate or substandard health care system. On the continent early modernizers assumed that African religion was part of the problem of the antimodernity project and that uprooting African indigenous religion would auger well for the modern African state. 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. Common misconceptions of Africa include the idea that it is behind the rest of the world, lacking in innovative technology. 11. Your email address will not be published. As in the Muslim pilgrimage, it is a solemn journey to the hilltop. Based on the understanding that even in 21 st century Africa, religion plays a vital role in gender construction, for effective Sexuality is .title-desc-wrapper .post-title {display: none !important} Many people have bought into the narrative of African traditional religious beliefs as something untrue and based on delusions, but they have also forgotten that all religions have the same thing in common. As many might know, one type of ritualinitiations for adolescent African girlscauses great consternation among Westerners, because these often involve rites like female circumcision or other bodied practices. Many centuries ago, Ifa must have envisaged the possibility of Boko Harams Islamic extremist movement ravaging Nigeria today. The problem is, this number is often collated for the whole of Africa, instead of each country of Africa. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by the forebears of the present Africans, Because of this, rituals were done to prevent the birth of twins which the people believed to be an anomaly. Most Africans at home and in the diaspora have made a name for themselves and praised for their contributions to society. .sqs-featured-posts-gallery .title-desc-wrapper .view-post Although many African languages do not have a word for religion as such, it nevertheless accompanies the individual from long before his birth to long after his physical death. All over the continent, cosmological myths describe a complicated process, whether the universe evolves from preexisting objects or from Gods mere thought or speech. There are so many interesting facts about Africa that you dont see every day. In the primordial era, various forms of ethnic indigenous religions spread across the African continent, providing cohesive foundations of nations, peoples, and religious worldviews. Significant as these studies are, there seems to be no systematic exploration of African traditions in African American culture.21. African spirituality more generallyand Nigerian spirituality in particularis shaped by how individuals in their daily existence make sense of their interactions with religious experience. In fact, we should not misunderstand the notoriety in some people's religious life, just like 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. Here are some 10 myths about Africa and Africans that are either an exaggeration of the fact or based on misguided information. The diversity of Native American religions could fill whole libraries with descriptions of belief, tales of lore, definitions, explanations, and insights into spiritual practices and ceremonies. Many foreign nations and organizations do send aid to African countries. Whatever it is, the assumption that Africa is lacking innovation is laughable. The survey appears to support the prevailing narrative that the most . Now it is our turn to Africanize it.. One of the most ridiculous myths about it is that homosexuality did not exist in the continent until white men imported it. Religion occupies a reasonable space in the life of the traditional African/Igbo people. Ifa defines Yoruba humanity, providing responses to critical issues of its communities. The misconception about African religion Man generally is given to misconception especially in the midst of conflicting ideas or contending issues. As oral narratives, myths are passed from one generation to another and represented and reinterpreted by each generation, who then make the events revealed in the myths relevant and meaningful to their present situation.9. ao Ajima OM, Ubana EU (2018) The Concept . Advocating for civil religion in a religiously pluralistic society does not require the erasure of conventional religious traditions. Post-colonial Africa is yet to be completely free from the mental slavery and stereotype created by the colonial masters. 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. Traditional African religion has common themes such as a Creator or High God, positive ancestor influences as well as tricksters, and an afterlife with spirit worlds. Slavery and World History. Myths reveal critical events and episodesinvolving superhuman entities, gods, spirits, ancestorsthat are of profound and transcendent significance to the African people who espouse them. The orthodox Easternize it. African cosmogonic narratives posit the creation of a universe and the birth of a people and their indigenous religions. Introduction. Perhaps its the abundant wildlife, scorching deserts, or the vast uninhabited plainlands. The concerns for health, wealth, and procreation are very central to the core of African religions. on. Another false impression often given about African religions is that women do not play any central or leadership roles in the performance of African religious traditions. As spirits, the ancestors are more powerful than living humans, and they continue to play a role in community affairs after their deaths, acting as intermediaries between God and those still living.6 Finally, I would add that Africans live their faith rather than compartmentalize it into something to be practiced on certain days or in particular places. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade led to the growth of African-inspired traditions in the Americas such as Candombl in Brazil, Santera in Cuba, or Vodun in Hati. Oct. 24, 2019. War in Africa, either political or religious is mostly isolated cases. Africa is host to the highest number of religious countries in the world, according to a recent Gallop poll. With exception of those who take history classes, the majority of young Africans will fail to elaborately tell the story of their origin. Africans who follow a traditional religion rely on no scriptures, canonical texts, or holy books to guide them. Among its one billion inhabitants, more than 1,000 languages are spoken, and there is a massive variety of ethnic religions. In my work, I consider civil religion in Nigeria as a central galvanizing feature that brings together different aspects of religious beingness under the banner of sacred kingship. 5.3.2 Intolerance and misconceptions about African traditional religion and Culture As already alluded, the stories told in Europe about Africa, the notion of racial and cultural superiority, and the notion of salvation, led to the western missionaries having a negative attitude toward African traditional religion and culture. Having tried to dispel some of the misconceptions . 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. Even within a single ethnic group or clan, there are often highly contested and even opposing stories or viewpoints when it comes to creation accounts, thus allowing for flexibility and hermeneutic creativity. .p-summary {display: none !important} In the Americas and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of various African, Catholic and Native American traditions. The idea that Africa is unsafe while statistics say otherwise shows how much misconception there is about Africa. Several African countries have good health care systems. 4.8 out of 5 stars. 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. Although the slaves accepted Roman Catholicism, they did not give up their traditional beliefs either. Portia Zvavahera, His Presence, 2013, oil-based printing ink on paper. The problem of Africa isnt wealth but the unequal distribution of wealth. It is not unusual to see people living below the poverty line in nearly every country on earth. And why should our work in critical theory not begin from indigenous hermeneutics before we invoke Martin Heidegger, Michel Foucault, or Jrgen Habermas as platforms for interpreting our own worldview and society? Reclaim the Ancestral Traditions of African Religion! Colonization may seem to be over but for African traditional religion, it is not. The traditional religions of Africa are human in the deepest sense, because they focus on people and their everyday problems. For example, in many African cultures, intending couples MUST perform both traditional and white weddings. The more modern incarnation of this ancient African religionVoodooemerged as a unique blend of Catholic and African magical and religious rites. In this essay, I attempt to refocus the centrality of indigenous religion, not only in defining African cosmology and an African worldview, but also in defining the African personality in the twenty-first century. Narratives about the creation of the universe (cosmogony) and the nature and structure of the world (cosmology) provide a useful entry to understanding African religious life and worldviews. Many economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the African Market. MISCONCEPTION OF THE SUPREM BEING IN ATR There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). It is the foundation on which the morals of pre-colonial Africa were built. All Religions has truth hidden in them for those who objectively seek them through the path of the religion. Voodoo has no scripture or world authority. those misconceptions and misrepresentations of the facts pre sented by Eurocent . They counteracted various derogatory names given to AIR. Africa is not homogenous. This creates fear and panic resulting in misleading assumptions about Africa. They held the view that twins were a symbol of excessive fertility which is a characteristic of animals. 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. Introduction. Corrupt government officials also capitalize on the generosity of the westerners to the point of looking like a panhandler. This statement isnt true. Jul 26, 2007 #1. But this was not an African thing. Traditional African religions are not stagnant but highly dynamic and constantly reacting to various shifting influences such as old age, modernity, and technological advances. Ritual enables supernatural beings to bless individuals and the community with sustenance, prosperity, and fecundity.14 Rites of passage, such as initiation ceremonies, are rituals marking personal transitions recognized and celebrated by the community. 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 . Perhaps, it was a deliberate attempt to make Africans feel inferior about themselves. Myth: Slavery is a product of Western civilization. b. certain clan outsiders. Slowly, they projected ATR as barbaric and dehumanizing. 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. 2,269. Nature spirits are associated with objects seen in nature, such as mountains, the sun, or trees, or natural forces such as wind and rain. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL 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. While scholars have often argued that African indigenous accounts of creation were ex nihilo (created out of nothing), as the biblical account of creation is often portrayed,12 African cosmological narratives generally indicate that there is never one pattern governing how creation happens. Your email address will not be published. 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. have recognized the important ways in which "African" and "religion" are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion (Ray:2000). In times of crisis they often come to the surface, or people revert to them in secret.8. However, African indigenous religion has not only succeeded in domesticating Islam and Christianity; in many instances, it has absorbed aspects of these two other traditions into its cosmology and narrative accounts and practices. The diviner, therefore, is also a counselor, psychologist, medicine man or woman, and the spiritual guardian of villages and towns. 1. The most common African history begins with the colonial era. 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