What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Omissions? 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]. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. 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.. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." 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. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God. % 0000008365 00000 n Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. The fusion of cultures that was effected by the conquest of Alexander the Great (4th century bce ), his successors, and the Roman Empire tended to bring together a variety of religious and philosophical views that resulted in a strong tendency toward religious syncretism. 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. Updates? In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. It includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. The WCCs very existence as a council of churches is a living hope. <<6D546C3FADADB2110A00A09A6B9CFF7F>]/Prev 416812>> In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. And in Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia, the survey finds that 5% or less identify as Muslim. 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. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. These were not empty names. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. 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). These statements await further exploration by African theologians. 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. L'interdiction de pratiquer le culte des anctres est l'unique domaine dans lequel la mission chrtienne a triomph de la vie religieuse traditionnelle des Biras. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. %PDF-1.7 % In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. 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. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). 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. Religious pluralism serves peace. Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. It is in this complex of religiosity that the preaching of the gospel makes sense; it is this preparedness that has undergirded the spreading of the gospel like wildfire among African societies which had hitherto followed and practiced traditional religion. Its consequences for theological and ecclesiological developments are yet to be faced. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. <> settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas Updates? 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. Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. Omissions? A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. (I myself have consulted with several diviners for my research on specific academic topics regarding African culture and history; consequently, if we were to lose Africas diviners, we would also lose one of Africas best keepers and sources of African history and culture. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. African immigrants and slaves worked to maintain traditional religious and social practices in their new surroundings. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. The theological horizon continues to expand. While Islam and Christianity tend to be overtly resistant to adopting traditional African religious ideas or practices, indigenous African religions have always accommodated other beliefs. 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. (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 In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. In Kenya I grew up in home, school and church milieus which held that the African religious and cultural background was demonic and anti-Christian. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and . Reuben Kigame, the Kenyan Christian musician and apologist, has rightly suggested that considering the fact that Christianity existed in Africa for a good eighteen centuries before the. (back to text), 2 The World Religion Database estimates that roughly four-in-ten people in Guinea Bissau are Muslim and approximately one-in-ten are Christian, with the rest of the population associated with traditional African religions. %%EOF 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). But I have discovered that there is also the fundamental factor of African religion, without which this phenomenal expansion of Christianity would not be a reality. Take em with a grain of salt. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. Everywhere he went in southwestern Nigeria, he never opposed or spoke out against African culture including initiation rites, festivals, and traditional Yoruba dress as long as it didnt directly conflict with Christianity. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. Ritual functionaries include priests, elders, rainmakers, diviners, and prophets. 0000002264 00000 n Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. <>stream What is African Traditional Religion? OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God to our continent. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. African development. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main 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 . 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. My interpretation of Israels history demands a new look at the history of African peoples, among whom this same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has indeed been at work. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. The suppression of ancestor worship is the only area where mission Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. The decisive word here is "only." Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. Ifa is an indispensable treasure trove of knowledge that cant be duplicated elsewhere; much of its knowledge has been handed down from babalawo [Ifa priest/diviner] to babalawo for centuries. 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 of sins. Fewer say it is paramount to their faith to attend religious services (39%), avoid sex before marriage (30%) or oppose abortion . While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. This statistical tilting of Christendom from the north to the south, after 2,000 years, holds tremendous prospects and challenges. 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. No doubt there still remain much research and reflection to be done in order to work out a consistent theological understanding of the issues entailed here. In addition, roughly a quarter or more of the population in 11 countries say they believe in the protective power of juju (charms or amulets), shrines and other sacred objects. Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. 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 Corrections? trailer Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. There is some regional difference in ritual practice across Haiti, and branches of the religion include Rada, Daome, Ibo, Nago, Dereal, Manding, Petwo, and Kongo. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. 0000015705 00000 n Ancestors can offer advice and bestow good fortune and honor to their living dependents, but they can also make demands, such as insisting that their shrines be properly maintained and propitiated. In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. There is even a community deep in the American Bible Belt in Beaufort County, S.C., called Oyotunji Village that practices a type of African indigenous religion, which is a mixture of Yoruba and Ewe-Fon spiritual practices. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. 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. No viable theology can grow in Africa without addressing itself to the interreligious phenomenon at work there. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. African religion has equipped people to listen to the gospel, to discover meaningful passages in the Bible, and to avoid unhealthy religious conflict. OLUPONA: If we lose traditional African religions, we would also lose or continue to seriously undermine the African practice of rites of passage such as the much cherished age-grade initiations, which have for so long integrated and bought Africans together under a common understanding, or worldview. They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. Belief in the power of such objects is highest in Senegal (75%) and lowest in Rwanda (5%). But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. Their history has a theological meaning. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. He later earned both an M.A. My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. degree at Harvard Divinity School. Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. Outline of the Curricular Framework: Anglicanization Atlantic slave trade "Atlantic World" Barbados (sugar) British-American system of slavery the Carolinas (rice) Caste system cereal crops Colonial resistance Dominion of New England Enlightenment Furs Great Awakening Indentured Servants Mercantilism Metis Models of colonization Molasses Act In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. This is not an empty coincidence. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. 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? Anthropologica Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. 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. Robinson, came out. ), 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. 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, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. 817-820. 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 While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . 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. The recipient of many prestigious academic honors and research fellowships, Olupona also received the 20152016 Reimar Lust Award for International and Cultural Exchange, considered one of Germanys most prestigious academic honors. Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. 0000001586 00000 n Didnt our Lord let it be clearly known that "before Abraham was I am" (John 8:58)? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). (back to text), 3 Nigerias 2006 census did not ask about religious affiliation, and recent estimates of the numbers of Muslims and Christians in the country vary. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In one case the thinking and experience of the people produced a written record of Gods dealings with the Jewish people in particular. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender, Side by side with their high levels of commitment to Christianity and Islam, many people in the countries surveyed retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions.

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