Africans believe in the existence of a mystical, invisible, hidden, spiritual power in the universe. Encyclopedia of religious and spiritual development, Adopting Primary Taoism as a Protoevangelion for Contextualization of the Gospel into Asian Culture, Toward a Liturgical Approach to Re-Routing Mission, TOWARDS A THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE MYSTERY OF SUFFERING IN THE MIDST OF PROSPERITY THEOLOGY WITHIN THE PENTECOSTAL AND EVANGELICAL CHURCHES IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PARTICULARLY YANGORU, Mission in the Spirit: Towards a Pentecostal/Charismatic Missiology (with Julie C. Ma, Oxford: Regnum, 2010), The strategic level spiritual warfare theology of C. Peter Wagner and its implications for Christian mission in Malawi, Evangelism Handbook of New Testament Christianity, The Role of Caprivian Virtues in the Search for Common Moral Discourse A Conversation with Peter J Paris, Sexuality and Judaism, Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion (pg. The Church is the Christian family, in which all are accompanied to one another through belief and baptism in Jesus Christ. Published online by Cambridge University Press: He contends that although African Traditional Religion generally refers to God as creator and sustainer of the universe, morally good, omniscient, and caring toward humans, yet even where this is held to be true, the high god in Africa is very often regarded as distanced from human affairs. And even when he is considered benign, the high God is morally otiose, having little direct retributive relationship with humankind. In some situations, the high God is cast in unfavorable terms as one who creates and who kills. Traditional theologians explained that one could not worship the Supreme Being formally, without the agency of the divinities or ancestors. The contact was in fact,between two. This happened in the past, and these codes were stipulated, considered sacred and binding, by the community leaders: The moral and religious order in the universe is articulated and expressed in a variety of taboos and customs that prohibit specific actions contravening such order. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. Such activities include the making of sacrifices and the pouring of libations. We will return to these issues later in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, but for now it is enough to ask whether the similarities in the deep structure between the two religions are indeed as similar as Green suggests. The position I critique in this paper is really a complex of closely overlapping positions, some more theoretically sophisticated or better grounded empirically than others. In lieu of these traditional African ways of defining oneself, Christianity and Islam are gradually creating a social identity in Africa that cuts across these indigenous African religious and social identities. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main Some traditional African societies like the Yoruba believed in the existence of lessergods. In other words, he shows that the sense of the divine was not something introduced to Africa by missionaries or by anyone else; that the knowledge of God in African religion was not much different from the idea of God that Christian missionaries preached in Africa; and, more specifically to our purpose here, that belief in God engendered a moral response that for centuries before Christian arrival in Africa directed moral life and interaction on the continent and among its peoples. Rooted in the belief in God as the Creator, Africans believe in various dimensions of the created universe, such as visible and invisible (the spiritual realm), heavenly (skyward) and earthly (and in some ethnic groups there is a belief in the underworld). Christ is the Mediator between Humans and God In African Traditional Religion ancestral spirits, and lesser gods, are usually the spirits that communicate with humans on earth. Both have initiation rites into full membership. Furthermore, Jesus is the perfect sacrifice that totally pleased God and there is no need for any other. It doesnt have a fixed creed, like in some forms of Christianity or Islam. / DI41@ tD}r;Y w,XVzwiA1JtvrlfFaD7E@s 00=L"q{Vf\}ioKy=lXS.P6ChX m% ~nUV)=vp%FBvy}+6,0+V8sG&>K_iBOntQvyCN[I'uvR;}hA/D|+I9Q$cL, These could be caves, forests,mountains and so on. Christians pray toGod through Jesus Christ. Religion is part and parcel of daily life. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. When a missionary asked Africans in Zanzibar to tell him something about their God, they simply said, "God thunders!" The cleric had travelled across the seas in the 19th century to tell "the heathens without religion" or "people with a primitive religion" about God. The understanding of God normally needs some refining when one comes from African Traditional Religion to be a Christian. This work investigates the conflicts existing between the two . Like Mbiti and Green, Magesa notes that the world of African Traditional Religion is a hierarchically ordered place where, On the lowest rung of the ladder are spirits, who are active beings distinct from humans and reside in nature and phenomena such as trees, rivers, rocks, or lakes. Christians acknowledge the existenceof magic and witchcraft. Differences between Christianity and traditional African beliefs and customs (Exodus 20:3-5,Hebrews 10:8-10) 1. Updated: 10 . 4 0 obj This paper uses a qualitative research approach in the form of document analysis to critically explore the religious intersectionalities between Christianity and African Traditional. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. There are also the lesser gods that take residency in streams, rivers, trees and mountains. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. All life, power, and existence flow from God, and by right of their primogeniture and proximity to God by death God has granted the ancestors a qualitatively more powerful life force over their descendants. Who constitutes the world of the ancestors? 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. This hierarchy is also evident in human society, where there are chiefs, clan heads, family heads, older siblings, and so on. A network of mutual relationships and responsibilities links the duals worlds of the mundane and the sacred. endobj This order, according to Mbiti, is knowable to humans, by nature. Editorial Statement: This essay is a slightly modified excerpt from the section "Evaluating African Traditional Religion: The Descriptive Task" (98-107) in Fr. L_}mB)b7h; uZ4 QI,^ID-*Rj" xx>@9lCQr [GE1Hz:Aj3>^5T-FPD5|. 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. Also, how the Christian organizations help free women and girls from the grip of slavery. Veneration of departed ancestors is a major characteristic of all traditional religions. Part one looks briefly at the matter of religion itself. Pratten, David As I have discussed elsewhere in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, for example, some African societies are so conscious of the implications of crossing the line on some ethical matters, like adultery, incest, and murder, that anyone who engages in these acts is considered automatically to be putting the very survival of the community in danger. African communities at the time but was also poised to become a site of religious and cultural conflict both within and between different communities in postcolonial South Africa. African traditional religion cannot be discussed without mentioning that it is the way of life of the people of Africa and so cannot be differentiated from the politics, education, and socialisation, etc. View all Google Scholar citations Just as within the traditional political and diplomatic contexts, one cannot formally contact the king without the agency of his linguists or sub-chiefs. between African traditional religion and the Christian faith. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. 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. Akiki Nyabongos novel, Africa answers back, reveals that religious syncretism in Africa is a reality that has persistently painted Christianity as an offshoot of traditional African religions. In some communities masks were used to representcertain gods or ancestral spirits. As judge, God is understood to uphold this standard by ultimately punishing its violations and by rewarding the righteous (usually in some eschatological domain). (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. Secondly, there is moral and religious order. Green opines that although superficially regarded, this may seem to be a minimal moral relationshipmore like a kind of egoism on one side and fearful propitiation on the otherit also shows, however, the profound role that respect for age and for the fulfillment of lineage and familial duties play in this traditional setting. :t\.1biti's approach assumes that "Christianity comes to enhance African traditional religions." This implies that there is no tension between the major elements of African Traditional Religions and the major claims of Christianity." 19 Featured Image:Edo people, Queen Mother Pendant mask, circa 16th c.; Source: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. Furthermore, the issue is whether a strict order of retribution cannot be tolerated if human ambition gets in the way of realizing enduring moral virtue and well-being. Africans had shrines they believedGod dwelt in. Moral culpability is always on the shoulders of humanity. The same hierarchy evident in the relationship between God, the ancestors, and humanity is also present in the relationship between the animate and the inanimate world, the former being superior to the latter. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA. This is the kind of interlocutor who will counter an observation about violent militancy in contemporary Islam in the context, let us say, of a discussion about Boko Haram with But what about the Crusades? Acts are wrong if they hurt or damage relationships or if they are discovered to constitute a breach of custom or regulation. To buttress his point Mbiti states that in certain African societies to sleep with someone elses wife is not considered evil if these two are not found out by the society which forbids it, and in other societies is in fact an expression of friendship and hospitality to let a guest spend the night with ones wife or daughter or sister. Mbitis assertions must be read as a limited reference to some African societies and in some limited settings. hasContentIssue true, Copyright International African Institute 2016. The cup of wine symbolises the blood Jesus shedand the bread symbolises His body which was broken for us. Christianity forbids human sacrifices in worshipas it is murder. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. ^xH&M'YZ7EDi%qN^K The position I critique in this paper is really a complex of closely overlapping positions, some more theoretically sophisticated or better grounded empirically than others.1 Their central thrust is to emphasize the similarities rather than the differences between current movements in the world religions, particularly Christianity and Islam, but also to a lesser extent in Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism. There is also a mystical order of the universe. These included interviews he conducted with pastors, exorcists, traditional priests, so-called witches and delivered witches. Odozor's Morality Truly Christian, Truly Africanpublished by theUniversity of Notre Dame Press. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. This is called a tithe. The Spirit medium is in many ways a subordinate agency within the layer of retributive order. The voice and action of the spirit medium connect the community with these moral and spiritual entities who help shape human destiny. Hence, it cannot be avoided in the interaction between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. He then reflects on five "essential aspects" of. the other in tradition poses a serious dilemma for both Christianity and tradition in Africa. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Traditional Africans made images of the Supreme God or other supernatural beingswhich they worshipped. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. For this reason, l am writing on the topic, which says, Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible. This is called the Trinity. The spiritual medium is the physical embodiment of the religious retributive order in which Africans know themselves to stand.. Thus, it is because of the existence of this order that different communities have worked out a code of conduct. The African Traditional Religion, which is still in place today, can be compared to Christianity through their similarities and differences. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. However, in African religious thought God is distanced from the task of moral affairs because the task of moral retribution and maintenance of effective moral norms is usually performed by spiritual agents of much lower standingthat is, by spirits of various sorts, by ghosts and even by human practitioners of spiritual arts. Other characteristics that show the contrast between (Western) Christian thought and African Traditional Religion,according to Green, are the nonexistence of concepts of heaven and hell in African Traditional Religion, the lack of messianic expectations and hope, and the absence of eschatological thought with God stepping in to right all wrongs or to punish wickedness. And although African Traditional Religion affirms the continuation of life after death, where the person is believed to join the spirit world of the ancestors to continue life in some ways similar to the life before death, this belief does not constitute a hope for improved existence or for ultimate reward and punishment since a persons moral depravity or moral rectitude [does] not count in the beyond and whatever penalties or rewards those may bring have no bearing on life after death.. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). They form a chain through the links of which the forces of the elders [now with the community] exercise their vitalizing influence on the living generation. For Magesa, the ancestors are primarily authority figures whose being implies moral activity in that they are the maintainers and enforcers of norms of social action. Although they are entrusted with these roles in their relationship with humans, any capriciousness of the ancestors is not taken kindly by the living, just as it would not be acceptable from any elder in society. The ancestors are beyond reproach. [D@dIS(P]y`ne]y:fjGZ3yEAVOI QFY- 2 0 obj The action of the living, for example, can affect the gods or spirits of the departed, while the support of family or tribal ancestors ensures prosperity of the lineage or state. 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. The vibrancy of African Traditional Religion in these two aspectstheological and moralcreates a unique opportunity for Christianity in Africa, one that, as Bediako points out has been lost to Christian theology in the West, "for a serious and creative theological encounter between the Christian and primal traditions." In this paper, Ill bring the understanding of African traditional adherents into the light of the Holy Scriptures; to explain what the Bible teaches about soul and spirit in relation to God and man. Different fathers played a role in the development of this religion. 3 0 obj I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. TraditionalAfricans gave offerings but they did not give tithes. Religion informs everything in traditional African society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. |,utv2QdjrqfM7PC)2-|O7,0[i=_a/Om"X`Y2FpXBjsFxCqDd`%*g,-J1e*jjq,tm{w>qAsAqN$D Religion is closely bound up with the traditional way of African life; therefore, religion has shaped the lives of Africans, at the same time life has shaped religion as well. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. "useRatesEcommerce": false It argues that since the coming of democracy this form of religion has occupied a more important position, Although there is some debate, Francis Oborji in this article argues that one should speak of African Traditional Religion (ATR) in the singular. <>>> Christianity and Traditional African Heritage, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Thus, to assert as Mbiti does that there are no secret sins or that something or someone is bad or good only according to outward conduct is too careless a statement to make. 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. From this view point, Ill begin to say that African Traditional Religion (ATR) involves the belief and worship of the Supreme Being known and revered all over Africa as Onyame in Akan, Mao in Ewe, Chineke in Igbo and Oludumare in Yoruba etc. The Yoruba believe in the existence of the Supreme God called Olurun andthe lesser god, Obatala. Traditional Africans worshipped in shrines. This is a universal belief among Africans. They take the communion to remember thedeath and resurrection of Jesus. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. Traditional Africans had to go to specific sacred placesfor them to worship but Christians can worship God anywhere at any time. This leads him into the whole area of theology of religions, in which the relationship between Christianity and other religions is currently the focus of lively debate. ABSTRACT The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene I am going to focus this writing, on how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana, understood God in their traditional religious practices and after that compare or discuss these beliefs in the light of the Holy Scriptures. May the Lord assist us to know the truth and walk in it. GAZETTE: What allows African indigenous religions to be so accommodating? Fardon, Richard Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. . For instance, in the southern Volta Region of Ghana, and in Togo and Benin, thousands of young girls of the Ewe (say Ay-vay) tribe are held as slaves in unspeakable conditions under a traditional religion belief called the trokosi system or wives of the ancestral gods. <> What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. %PDF-1.5 I am going to use the research reports of Opoky Onyinah , which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 and 1999. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. SUMMARY OF REFORMED THEOLOGY IN 10 THEOLOGICAL BOOKS. 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. Ancestors and numerous other spirits are also recognized as part of the cosmological order. They have also fostered a greater feeling of individual self-worth by acknowledging important milestones in ones life, including becoming an adult or an elder. Both have religious leaders or priests whopresent the peoples requests to God. Their significance lies in the genealogical positions and the rights and duties which derive from them. Ancestors uphold right conduct by punishing moral violations, demanding respect and attention, and getting angry when not given due respect. Pentecostalism and Shamanism in Asia and Beyond, A Critical Analysis of Byang Kato's Demonology and Its Theological Relevance for an Evangelical Demonology, INITIATION IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION, Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Kirsteen Kim, Amos Yong: Interdisciplinary and Religio-Cultural Discourses on a Spirit-Filled World, Encounter - Journal of African Life and Religion, 12 (2017), REGNUM STUDIES IN MISSION Pentecostal Mission and Global Christianity An Edinburgh Centenary Reader, Van Rheenen, Gailyn: Missions - biblical foundations. A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, by Paulinus Ikechukwu Odozor %PDF-1.5 The missionaries succeeded in spreading Christianity in Africa at a time when tribal religions were ignored or denigrated. 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. endobj When they pray they maykneel down, bow their heads or lift their hands up. Whenever. ), 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. God keeping His distance from man, he, throughout history and today reaches down in love draw! 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