mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush

There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. African spirituality is truly holistic. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. Its aim is to develop an extensive library of resources, representing many different points of view, but all written from the perspective of sound scholarship. On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . 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). 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. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. {PB,`s Since I myself had never heard any lectures on African religion, I set out to do research on the subject in order to teach the course adequately. 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. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. 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. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. African religion has equipped people to listen to the gospel, to discover meaningful passages in the Bible, and to avoid unhealthy religious conflict. 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. Omissions? 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. I had it. Vodou is an oral tradition practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits, along with the necessary devotional practices, from their elders. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. 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. 0000000016 00000 n An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. They were names of one and the same God, the creator of the world, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. 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. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. Updates? Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. 0000002884 00000 n In the cities, local hierarchies of priestesses or priests (manbo and oungan), children of the spirits (ounsi), and ritual drummers (ountgi) comprise more formal societies or congregations (sosyete). 0000014025 00000 n 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 . That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. There are other areas of exploration in which I continue to be engaged. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" 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. 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. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." GAZETTE: Are ancestors considered deities in the traditional African cosmology? All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. According to the 2003 Demographic and Health Survey, for example, Muslims constituted 50% of the population, while the 2008 DHS figure is 45% and the Nigerian Ministry of Healths 2008 estimate is 50%. startxref African immigrants and slaves worked to maintain traditional religious and social practices in their new surroundings. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. 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. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. Indigenous African religion is primarily an oral tradition and has never been fully codified; thus, it allows itself to more easily be amended and influenced by other religious ideas, religious wisdom, and by modern development. 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. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, between 10% and 15% of respondents are Muslim. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. Nevertheless, I am convinced that the World Council of Churches is a great witness of the Christian response to the prayer of our Lord that we may all be one. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. Their culture, history, world views and spiritual aspirations cannot be taken away from them. 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. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation. Many other familial feasts (for the sacred children, for the poor, for particular ancestors) as well as initiations and funerary rituals occur throughout the year. AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. En ce qui concerne la croyance en Dieu, il semblerait que les Biras se soient servis de la chrtient pour rendre leur dieu traditionnel Mbali plus accessible et plus comprhensif, un changement qui a rendu le Dieu des chrtiens plus compatissant et indulgent vis vis du pch. 0000005714 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. But upon my return to work in Africa, and upon careful study of the religious background of our people, there emerged gradually the demand to examine this issue and to form my own judgment. /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. Yet . (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 0000000676 00000 n Anthropologica is published for CASCA by University of Toronto Press. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. Vodou ritual activity (e.g., prayer, song, dance, and gesture) is aimed at refining and restoring balance and energy in relationships between people and between people and the spirits of the unseen world. It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. 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. 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. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. <>stream Below is the article summary. "For us in Africa, God is not dead" -- and that applies whether or not there is a written record of his relations with and concern for people. Didnt our Lord let it be clearly known that "before Abraham was I am" (John 8:58)? But today that is not the case due to more exclusive-minded types of Christianity and Islam that see patronizing indigenous African beliefs and practices as violating the integrity of their Christian or Muslim principles, but I believe that one can maintain ones religious integrity and also embrace an African worldview. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. 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. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. 75 19 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. (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. 0000014207 00000 n 0000015705 00000 n 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. This chapter includes information on: Download chapter 1 in full (6-page PDF, <1MB), 1 The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in the easternmost part of North East Africa, on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. 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. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. 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. 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. %%EOF 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. Omissions? I want to reflect and write on this topic, but somehow it makes me feel frightened. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. 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). The first and most intriguing topic that immediately engaged my attention was the thinking of African peoples about God. 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. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. 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. Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. The theological horizon continues to expand. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. Updates? 0000005005 00000 n Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. The Yoruba diviners, for example, draw on this extensive indigenous knowledge every day by consulting Ifa, an extensive literary corpus of information covering science, medicine, cosmology, and metaphysics. African 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 missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries. 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 I should add that without claiming to be full members of indigenous traditions, there are many professed Christians and Muslims who participate in one form of indigenous religious rituals and practices or another. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God to our continent. The decisive word here is "only." C'est l'poque de la colonisation belge que les premiers missionnaires catholiques et protestants sont arrivs dans cette rgion du Zare. It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. 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? settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas 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. 0000001019 00000 n This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. Additionally, I will not discourage, disparage, or try and convert those who practice their form of African indigenous religions.