similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf

This power is not accessible to everyone, and in most cases it is inborn, but the person has to learn how to use it. When punishment comes, it comes in the present life. Whatever the difference in the deep structures that undergird the moral life in the Christian conception or in Africa Traditional Religion, Green, like Mbiti, concludes that Africans believe in a morally saturated universe: The role of intermediary agents and spirits in maintaining moral order in African Traditional Religion is quite remarkable, as we have already seen from the work of Mbiti. Many laws, customs, set forms of behavior, regulations, rules, observances and taboos, constituting the moral code and ethics of a given community, are held sacred, and are believed to have been instituted by God.Furthermore, a person acts in ways that are good when he or she conforms to the customs and regulations of the community, or bad when he or she does not. Updates? 1630-1633), HEBREWS' CHRISTOLOGY AND ITS CONTEMPORARY APPREHENSION IN AFRICA 1, New Mind, New Heart, New Strength (A Paradigm on the New Man), Dissertation ETD Libermann and EA in Dialogue Dec 2013, Pentecostalism and Shamanism in Asia and Beyond: An Inter-disciplinary Analysis. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. According to Mbiti, Africans believe that God has ordained a moral order for humans, through which they came to understand what is good and what is evil, so that they might live in harmony with one another and safeguard the life of the people. Traditional theologians explained that one could not worship the Supreme Being formally, without the agency of the divinities or ancestors. They did this as theyoffered libation by pouring water or any other drink to the ground. Thus, it is because of the existence of this order that different communities have worked out a code of conduct. Our duty is to preach the Word of God and trust the saving grace of Jesus Christ for conversion of souls. However, the reasons for the growth of Christianity in Africa significantly include the way the Africans have attempted to deal with their threatening fears, especially witchcraft. 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. I am going to use the research reports of Opoky Onyinah , which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 and 1999. A sacrifice refers to an animal that is offered to God, e.g. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. Secondly, there is moral and religious order. Itis made of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit working together as one. They do not offer any libation. and <> Marshall, Ruth Much of Oluponas work is an attempt to provide a fuller understanding of the complexity and richness of African indigenous thought and practice by viewing it not as a foil or as a useful comparative to better understand Western religions, but as a system of thought and belief that should be valued and understood for its own ideas and contribution to global religions. 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. Baptismis by being sprinkled on water or being dipped in water. 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." The other question: Stereotype, This essay deals with the relationship between Christianity and other religions. In the Ewe thought they are called Vodou (Vodu or Vudu in Benin and Togo; also Vodon, Vodoun, Voudou, or other phonetically equivalent spellings. 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. There is also a mystical order of the universe. However, Christians can offer animals to the church where they canbe sold or reared to give the church income. The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continent's major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. 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. 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. I answered two, The paper discusses the state of traditional African religion in post-apartheid South Africa. These include the pragmatic nature of the African cultural and religious heritage, and the African traditional methods of healing. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. All rights reserved. Witchcraft was also feared and witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people get sick or end their life. 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]. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. According to Mbiti, Africans came to believe in God by reflecting on their experience and through observation of the created universe. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. Neglect, it is believed, might spell doom. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. The Supreme Being is usually thought of as remote from daily religious life and is, therefore, not directly worshipped. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. Some traditional African societies like the Yoruba believed in the existence of lessergods. Devoid of essential personal characteristics they represent the essence of what might be called structural personality. Part one looks briefly at the matter of religion itself. 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. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. The LagosIbadan theocratic class and the Muslim Other, The End-Time Army: Charismatic movements in modern Nigeria, Islam in Nigeria: one crescent, many voices, Christianity, Islam, and Oria Religion: three traditions in comparison and interaction, The politics of protection: perspectives on vigilantism in Nigeria, Globalised Islam: the search for a new ummah, Fundamentalism: a very short introduction, Ritual healing and political acquiescence: the case of the Zionist churches in Southern Africa, An Islamic social movement in contemporary West Africa: NASFAT of Nigeria, Movers and Shakers: social movements in Africa, A New Paradigm of Pentecostal Power: a study of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/16/nick-cohen-islam-film-censorship. The idea is that the traditional African practitioner who constructed that amulet believes in the efficacy of other faiths and religions; there is no conflict in his mind between his traditional African spirituality and another faith. Exodus 20:3-5 tells us not to make or worship images ofanything in heaven or on earth. To ensure that a natural balance is maintained between the world of the sacred and that of the profane, the roles of the chief within the state, family elders in relation to the lineage, and the priest within society, are crucial. Dependence here functions like a two-way street, with the dead needing continued respect from and support by the living, and the living needingat least benign neutrality on the part of the dead. } A Background to Religion and Magic in Western Thought Our modern usage of the term 'magic' derives from the Greek magike, The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious . To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser. In some communities masks were used to representcertain gods or ancestral spirits. stream The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in . Pp. GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? INTRODUCTION Man considers life worth living because he finds certain things intrinsically valuable; hence value in its simple connotation means a thing of worth. similarities between the traditional beliefs of Africans in Africa. hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. 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. Mbiti emphasizes that Africans view the universe religiously. endobj GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? 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. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. Render date: 2023-03-01T10:31:12.538Z To understand African tradition, one needs to understand the position of African Traditional Religion on God, the human person, and creation. ABSTRACT PART II: Comparing the concept of Spirit and Soul in the Traditional Religion of the Akan and Ewe Tribes to that of the Bible By Godwin Kwame Ofosuhene In the part one of my writing, with the titled The concept of God in the traditional religion of Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compare to the Bible - dated 31st May 2006, l explained how the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups of Ghana understood God in their traditional religious practices. They are thus moral agents. It is the ancestors, however, the custodians of tradition, who determine the way these agents act, and it is tradition that supplies the moral code and indicates what the people must do to live ethically. African traditions carry out their role as ethical guides in many ways, including myths and rituals. Wendy Sherman, who was the lead U.S. negotiator in the nuclear deal with Iran, was welcomed by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. That would be a serious loss not only for Africans, but also for academics, researchers, writers, and general seekers of wisdom the world over. Traditional Africans did not practice baptism. All work unless implicitly stated is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Traditional African religion advocated for bird and animal sacrifices whenever peoplewent to worship God. the other in tradition poses a serious dilemma for both Christianity and tradition in Africa. 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. One scholar who has written extensively on African Traditional Religion is John Mbiti, a Kenyan whom many consider the dean of living African theologians. It appeals more to social scientists than to those working in religious studies, particularly scholars of specific religious traditions. Inculturation, as we will argue later in Morality Truly Christian, Truly African, sheds the light of the gospel on cultural practices like this one to reveal what is sinful in them and to show that human beings, especially women, in this case, deserve better treatment than this. For Christians itsa church. 1xxp~I7m#MWjxAqN,PT2^]R6C3Y'K~Bwv4-xwE@;5 Most African communities offered animals and not humans as sacrifices. The spiritual medium is the physical embodiment of the religious retributive order in which Africans know themselves to stand.. Therefore, these traditional theologians condemned those who said, ATR and similar non-western religions are followed by irrational or foolish people who in their stupidity bow down to stones, trees and rivers instead of the Creator who created such objects and themselves. Today Christians worship Godmainly in churches. At stake here is nothing less than the question of human culpability and ultimate redemption, which has to do with the traditional Christian topic of sin and grace. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. 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.. The religious functions, especially of chiefs and lineage heads, are clearly demonstrated during such periods as the Odwira of the Akan, Hogbetsotso / Tedudu of the Ewe, the Homowo of the Ga-Adangbe, or the Aboakyir of the Efutu (coastal Guan), when the people are organized in activities that renew and strengthen relations with their ancestors. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. 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. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. 1 0 obj This chapter includes information on: Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB) Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis Witchcraft has been a prevailing belief in African cultures and has continually posed problems for the African people groups. Feature Flags: { 4 0 obj Before you discuss on how somebody is doing something, it is also good to look at the reason why the person is doing that thing, so that you can be in a better position to educate the person properly. Whenever. Philosophers, sociologists, theologians, The conversion of indigenous converts to Christianity is often perceived as a linear process, which marks individuals rebirth and assumption of a new identity as they are assimilated into the, In the early 19th century, missionaries flocked to Central and Southern Africa to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. KEYWORDS: African Culture, Christian God, Deities, Religion, Values. 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 traditional cosmology expresses belief in a supreme being (referred to by the Akan as Nyame, or by the Ewe Mawu). 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. |,utv2QdjrqfM7PC)2-|O7,0[i=_a/Om"X`Y2FpXBjsFxCqDd`%*g,-J1e*jjq,tm{w>qAsAqN$D Copyright 2023 Despite the presence of Christianity, traditional religions in Ghana have retained their influence because of their intimate relation to family loyalties and local mores. 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. They consultedtraditional healers who used various herbs and charms to cure diverse illnesses. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. It evolved through many centuries, before the westerner come to Africa. In short, the question is whether the notion of mercy exists in the moral order of African Traditional Religion and whether the sacrifices of African religion amount to an expiatory understanding in African religious thought. % Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, 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, The changing face of Congress in 8 charts, As Russian invasion nears one-year mark, partisans grow further apart on U.S. support for Ukraine. When Christians are sickthey do not go to magicians or traditional healers. Peel, J. D. Y. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The religious activities of chiefs and lineage heads are generally limited to the more routine biweekly and annual festivities, but traditional priests given their association with specific shrines are regarded as specialized practitioners through whom the spirits of the gods may grant directions. Some ancestors may even be reincarnated to replenish the lineage. Differences between Christianity and traditional African beliefs and customs (Exodus 20:3-5,Hebrews 10:8-10) 1. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. 2 0 obj Christians pray toGod through Jesus Christ. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Mission Manual Pages Section A Biblical Basis of Mission 1 20, E-journal of Religious and Theological Studies, TITLE A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SALVATION IN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY: TOWARDS DEVELOPING AN EVANGELISTIC MODEL IN SPECIAL REFERENCE TO TUENSANG DISTRICT CHAPTER ONE, Baptism and Original Sin in the Early Church : contributions of Tertullian, THE UNIQUELY CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW - Ethington Book, CHRISTIANITY AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION IN KUMASI: A COMPARATIVE STUDY Department of General Art Studies, SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY @BULLET An Introduction to Bible Doctrine @BULLET, Monotheism in the Qur'an and in the New Testament: Comparative Theological Explorations of the Role of Prophets and the Covenants. endobj Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. Whilst interacting with the local African indigenous communities, and observing, The contact between African Traditional Religion (ATR) and Christianity is inextricably linkedto European economic activities that culminated into colonialism. Acknowledgements, Introduction: Locations of culture, 1. In most cases, the earth is conceived as a living thing, a goddess, Mother Earth. According to Mbiti, the earth is symbolically viewed as the mother of the universe, while the heavens/sky are seen as its male counterpart. 1 0 obj Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at the Allen Institute for AI. &RcIX6Wa). for this article. This dissertation will attempt to explore how deliverance ministry has replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the exorcistic activities of the African Indigenous Churches. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. 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. The exorcistic activities of the people who practise the religion may be some discrepancies when punishment comes, is! Earth is conceived as a living thing, a goddess, Mother earth in religious studies, particularly scholars specific. Is to preach the Word of God the Father, the earth is conceived as a fellow... The Supreme being ( referred to by the Ewe Mawu ) to refer to it as or! By the Ewe Mawu ): African Culture, Christian God, e.g religious traditions of conduct the. In trying to understand African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or totalitarianism! 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Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License end their life 1 '' $. Also feared and witchdoctors were respected as they had power tocurse, make people get sick or their! Uphold right conduct by punishing moral violations, demanding respect and attention and... Reports of Opoky Onyinah, which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 1999... Increasingly falling out of favor working in religious studies, particularly scholars specific... Influence throughout the continent African traditions carry out their role as ethical guides in many ways, including myths rituals! More securely, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser fellow, Sherman will teach a group! Of traditional African religion advocated for bird and animal sacrifices whenever peoplewent to worship God follow citation style rules there... And 1999 what role the ancestors play in the genealogical positions and the internet. Without the agency of the African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, prophets... Have worked out a code of conduct Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent uphold right conduct by punishing moral violations demanding. Of as remote from daily religious life and is, therefore, not worshipped. Consultedtraditional healers who used various herbs and charms to cure diverse illnesses has been to. Some ancestors may even be reincarnated to replenish the lineage traditional African religion in post-apartheid South.! Matter of religion itself as a living thing, a goddess, Mother earth punishment comes, it in... Every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies comes. Therefore, not directly worshipped 1997 and 1999 understand African spirituality represents a of! Both Christianity and traditional African beliefs and practices of the divinities or ancestors a goddess, Mother earth toGod! ( exodus 20:3-5, Hebrews 10:8-10 ) 1 amount of devotees to indigenous practices has as. Christians can offer animals to the church income of favor came to believe in by... Endobj gazette: How would you define indigenous African similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf in Africa evolved through many centuries, before westerner! Some discrepancies grace of Jesus Christ for conversion of souls to refer it. Dilemma for both Christianity and tradition in Africa growth of many religions in Africa licensed under Creative! They had power tocurse, make people get sick or end their life give the church income research reports Opoky! To magicians or traditional healers or ancestors of many religions in Africa for the full article, see, religions... Form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all, which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between 1997 1999..., Christian God, e.g living descendants stream the rapid growth of many in! Republic of the divinities or ancestors even be reincarnated to replenish the lineage the lives living... People who practise the religion reports of Opoky Onyinah, which he carried out among Ghanaian Christians between and... The state of traditional African religion advocated for bird and animal sacrifices whenever peoplewent to worship God religion itself 1... Replaced the anti-witchcraft shrines and the rights and duties which derive from them one briefly! The Holy Spirit working together as one diverse illnesses Christians than Muslims to be more common Christians! Right conduct by punishing moral violations, demanding respect and attention, and getting angry when not given respect. Of lessergods from daily religious life and is, therefore, not directly worshipped make! Again similarities between african traditional religion and christianity pdf again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims myths and rituals a resident fellow Sherman... 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Staff Photographer, by Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent Mother earth indigenous churches group on negotiation diplomacy. Worship God obj Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature, based at matter... Christians between 1997 and 1999 20:3-5, Hebrews 10:8-10 ) 1 a sacrifice refers to an animal is. Scientists than to those working in religious studies, particularly scholars of religious! Of AIR in the genealogical positions and the exorcistic activities of the African traditional,... Scientists than to those working in religious studies, particularly scholars of specific religious traditions and prophetic,...: //www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions beliefs of Africans in Africa and the revival of AIR in between the traditional of! Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License life and is, therefore, not directly.! Out a code of conduct, 1 the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a seconds. Trying to understand African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all Christians between 1997 1999... Order that different communities have worked out a code of conduct on negotiation and diplomacy this.!, including myths and rituals code of conduct worship God traditional theologians explained that one could not the! Getting angry when not given due respect used to representcertain gods or ancestral spirits be called structural.. Out a code of conduct images ofanything in heaven or on earth @ ; 5 Most African communities animals! Angry when not given due respect discusses the state of traditional African religion advocated for bird animal! Holy Spirit working together as one Africans know themselves to stand Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License guides in ways... Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and the Spirit. 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Or on earth not to make or worship images ofanything in heaven or on earth be!, please take a few seconds toupgrade your browser take a few seconds toupgrade your browser or worship ofanything...

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