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degree at Harvard Divinity School. Omissions? << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> startxref In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. 817-820. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Awolawu and Depamu (1979) Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. 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. Corrections? In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. In the end, I believe that Africans can make room for a plurality of religious points of view without one religious point of view excluding or compromising the other. In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? As discussed elsewhere in this report, many Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. 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. 0000003217 00000 n 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. This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. OLUPONA: I was raised in Africa during the 1960s, when the Yoruba community never asked you to chose between your personal faith and your collective African identity. (a) The Structures of African Traditional Religions: Sometimes it is a difficult task among scholars to choose a unanimous name for the religious traditions and beliefs of the African people. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. In the other case no such written record exists. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa are the only countries surveyed where a significant number of people (roughly one-in-ten) describe their religion as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular. In all the other countries, the figure is closer to zero. At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. OLUPONA: Your question underscores an important facet about African spirituality: It is not a closed theological system. 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? Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. 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]. 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. Amen. That which had been seen as the enemy of the gospel turns out (to me) to be indeed a very welcoming friend. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. 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. These initiation rituals are already not as common in Africa as they were only 50 years ago, yet age-grade initiations have always helped young Africans feel connected to their community and their past. In February 1974 a group of 120 anthropologists launched the Canadian Ethnology Society/socit canadienne d'ethnologie (CESCE), because they felt there was room for an association of anthropologists separate from the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA) which was dominated by sociologists. One African theologian, Gabriel Setiloane, has even argued that the concept of God which the missionaries presented to the Sotho-Tswana peoples was a devaluation of the traditional currency of Modimo (God) among the Sotho-Tswana. 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. xref 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%. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? I wish to apply "change of mind" here to mean theological growth, and not necessarily a rejection of or turnaround from ideas that I may have held ten years ago. While the recourse to traditional healers may be motivated in part by economic reasons and an absence of health care alternatives, it may also be rooted in religious beliefs about the efficacy of this approach. Important lwa are celebrated on saints days (for example: Ogou on St. Jamess Day, July 25; Ezili Danto on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16; Danbala on St. Patricks Day, March 17; and the spirits of the ancestors on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1 and November 2). Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. Traditional African religions and practices were brought to the Western hemisphere through the African diaspora and the slave trade, often resulting in a syncretic blending with Christianity. 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. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. A magisterial historical synthesis of the formative period of African Christianity written by one of its foremost scholars. The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continents major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. 0000002264 00000 n When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. 0000000676 00000 n (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. 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. For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. Its aims were to encourage formal and informal dissemination of knowledge through an annual conference and publications; promote relations with other academic and professional associations, aboriginal groups, and governments; and publicize ethnological research and activities to further understanding of ethnological practices. (back to text), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. That finished the interview. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. 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 I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. 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. Omissions? Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. 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. 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. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . 0000008365 00000 n Updates? One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. 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. The editor of The Christian Century has given me an undeserved privilege in asking me to contribute some reflections on "How My Mind Has Changed" in the course of the past decade. The bottom line then is that Africans who still wholly practice African indigenous religions are only about 10 percent of the African population, a fraction of what it used to be only a century ago, when indigenous religions dominated most of the continent. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. 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. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The amount of devotees to indigenous practices has dwindled as Islam and Christianity have both spread and gained influence throughout the continent. In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Vodou's role in Haitian mental health, Learn Religions - An Introduction to the Basic Beliefs of the Vodou (Voodoo) Religion, Ancient Origins - The Origins of Voodoo, the Misunderstood Religion, LiveScience - Voodoo: Facts About Misunderstood Religion, Vodou - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Vodou - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. 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. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. Black Americans who identify with a religion are most likely to say belief in God is essential to what their faith means to them (84%), while large majorities say the same about opposing racism (76%) and sexism (71%). In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. 300 ce). No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. 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.