In Africa, dance is a means of marking life experiences, encouraging abundant crops, honoring kings and queens, celebrating weddings, marking rites of passage, and other ceremonial occasions.Dance is also done purely for enjoyment. Fact: Slavery is virtually a universal institution. The expression is also used almost as a technical term for a particular reading of such beliefs and practices, one that purports . They include assumptions, misconceptions, traditional or religious beliefs and beliefs about the . According to theologian Tony Evans, W. E. B. African Traditional Religion and medicine are integral parts of life and culture of the Africans and have greatly influenced their conceptions about human health and wholeness. Foreign aid has been helpful to many small African countries that are struggling economically. African traditional religion (ATRs) and spirituality have always been surrounded by negativity. Truly opening my eyes on traditions, cultures and rituals that I did not know existed. Africans combine a belief in the existence of a omnipresent and omnipotent supreme god, with multitudes of subordinate deities. With the negative image of the, A lot of people seize the chance of the holiday season to organize their weddings. Introduction. All over the continent, cosmological myths describe a complicated process, whether the universe evolves from preexisting objects or from Gods mere thought or speech. 3. Whether it is being wrongly labelled voodoo, juju or witchcraft, indigenous African faith systems tend to be associated with darkness, animal and human sacrifices, violence and general backwardness. . Africa is a continent that is made up of 54 countries, 1.3 billion inhabitants, more than 3000 ethnic groups, and 2100 unique languages. The Bambara and Malinke people of Mali believed that the primordial beings were twins. Having tried to dispel some of the misconceptions . A proper ongoing study of Ifa in West Africa would enable us to understand how one groupthe Yoruba of West Africaencounters transcendence and the sacred in practicing their tradition in ways radically different from Western constructions of religion. So, why was it the negative stories about killing of twins that were promoted? Although many African languages do not have a word for religion as such, it nevertheless accompanies the individual from long before his birth to long after his physical death. As with myths the world over, African mythology includes multiple, often contradictory, versions of the same event. As Jaco Beyers puts it, the African understanding of religion is an understanding of the connectedness of all things. The orthodox Easternize it. Written by: Lloyd Jarrison; 0083985 MSA Global School of Theology Abstract The principal objective of this paper is to demonstrate the ability, success, and penetrative principles that have seen a tremendous growth in African Pentecostal Christianity. Little wonder John Mbiti, a famous African theologian said, Wherever the African is, there is his religion. Post-colonial Africa is yet to be completely free from the mental slavery and stereotype created by the colonial masters. Despite conversion to Islam or to Christianity, Africans continue to accommodate an indigenous worldview that occupies a vital space in the African consciousness. Robert Mugabe . Lets take the killing of twins as a case study. Some biblical cosmological narratives have parallels in African cosmogony, for example, when the Supreme Being summons the hosts of heaven and declares to them, Come let us make man in our own image. This same script appears in the creation of the Yoruba world, when Olodumare designates to the Orisa (deities), the job of creating the universe. They still hold onto their traditional beliefs, culture, and practices, but consider western values superior to theirs. Representation matters, and as scholars we have a responsibility to advocate for religions in their contexts. Women play a key role in the practice of these traditions, and the internal gender relations and dynamics are very profound. These traditions are not religious principles, but a cultural identity that is passed on through stories, myths and tales. 3. Now it is our turn to Africanize it.. Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. African religions do not rely on a single individual to be a religious leader, but rather depend on an entire community to make the religion work. Each has a life force but no concrete physical form. religions are considered: African Traditional Religions (ATRs) especially that which is found in sub-Saharan Africa, and Christianity, sometimes referred to under the umbrella of faith-based communities. Majority of countries on the continent are . Many foreigners who come to Africa become fascinated by ancestral spirits and spirits in general, as if the mystique of African religions is the only aspect of African spirituality that can hold scholarly interest.4 There are several common features of African indigenous religions that suggest similar origins and allow African religions to be treated as a single religious tradition, just as Christianity and Islam are. It is incorrect to assume that conversion to Islam or to Christianity dealt a deathblow to indigenous traditions. 11. . No. This statement isnt true. 6. My earlier scholarship was propelled by the insight that the ideology and rituals of Yoruba sacred kingship are what define Yoruba civil religion and, indeed, the center of Yoruba identity.15 Sociologist Robert Bellah understands civil religion as the sacred principle and central ethic that unites a people, without which societies cannot function.16 Civil religion incorporates common myths, history, values, and symbols that relate to a societys sense of collective identity. Igbo religion is traditional according to Mbiti (1970), in the sense that it is rooted in their culture.It is received by oral authority by one generation and transmitted by the same process to subsequent generations and, thus, has effect of being widely diffused among its adherents and of deeply coloring their consciousness. Divination enables us to recognize how indigenous traditions have a foundation upon which knowledge and knowledge production is developed. MISCONCEPTION OF THE SUPREM BEING IN ATR There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). Religion occupies a reasonable space in the life of the traditional African/Igbo people. In his interview with the New York Times, the theologian said, The days are over when we will be carbon copies of European Christians, Europe and America westernized Christianity. At the same time, forms of orature such as the Ifa tradition amongst the Yoruba, can form important sources for understanding the tenants and worldview of these religions that can serve as analogs to scriptures such as the Bible or the Quran. Furthermore the issue of whether ATR should be called in singular or plural is another issue causing problems in the study of african tradional religion. The absence of centralized and unified cosmologies indicates the multifaceted nature of African religious life and worldviews. Based on the understanding that even in 21 st century Africa, religion plays a vital role in gender construction, for effective Sexuality is The unending political banditry and fraudulent activities by some individuals are the foundation of this stereotype. /* Must be below squarespace-headers */(function(){var e='ontouchstart'in window||navigator.msMaxTouchPoints;var t=document.documentElement;if(!e&&t){t.className=t.className.replace(/touch-styles/,'')}})(), Bakongomasks from the Kongo Central Photo: Wikipedia. African traditional religion, and that researcher a should "bracket" their faith and prejudicethey might have about Africa and its people. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Another crucial aspect to consider in the comparative study of African religions is the reality of the transfer of these religions across the Atlantic through the Middle Passage and transnational migration and cultural exchange. ao Ajima OM, Ubana EU (2018) The Concept . Religion creates a significant part of African life. The traditional approach of indigenous African religions to gender is one of complementarity in which a confluenceof male and female forces must operate in harmony. Such scholars stereotyped African religionand African peoples themselvesas primitive social forms, part of a lower social order. Thank you for this interesting essay on African religion. These traditions have been passed from one generation to the next. have recognized the important ways in which "African" and "religion" are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion (Ray:2000). Today as a minority tradition, indigenous African religions have suffered immensely from human rights abuses. Kofi Johnson Fayetteville State University kjohnson@uncfsu.edu. Lilith Dorsey. A porous border exists between the human realm and the sky, which belongs to the gods. Header Photo:Traditional African Necklace Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Copyright 2016-2022, The Interfaith Observer | Site by FaithlabTIO is part of the Religica Theolab inside the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement (CEIE) at Seattle University, Donna Bollinger Tapped to Lead Religions for Peace-USA, Interfaith Themes in Sub-Saharan African Tales (for Kids), Interreligious Literacy and Why It Matters, Religious Literacy & the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Thou Shalt Not Hate: The Role of Religious Actors in Addressing Hate Speech, When Wiccans & Evangelical Christians Become Friends, The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative: A Case Study of Religious Literacy, The Chinese Jews of Kaifeng (and what Ive learned from them), Reimagining Interfaith: Taking Our Lead from Kids. These elements are worth exploring and espousing. This is based on misconceptions that these religions are antithetical to modernity. Similar to other West African communities, the Yoruba did not reject Western modernity but challenged its claim to ontological and epistemological superiority. Even in areas of Zimbabwe with easy access to Western-type delivery care, the majority of women are cared for and delivered by traditional birth attendants who are members of their extended family. Portia Zvavahera, Cosmic Prayer, 2019, oil-based printing ink and oil bar on canvas. Gender dynamics are important in African indigenous religions and in cultural systems, so much so that women goddesses and women-invented rituals are commonplace. Wherever the African is, there is his religion: he carries it to the fields where he is sowing seeds or harvesting a new crop; he takes it with him to the beer party or to attend a funeral ceremony;. Based on sacred narratives, these traditions espoused their unique worldviews, defining cosmologies, ritual practices, sociopolitical frameworks, and ethical standards, as well as social and personal identity. The colonial masters sold the idea that the long-held tradition and believes of the African people is savage, inferior, and primitive. 7. . It argues that the best interpretation of the Constitution requires laws that address cross-cutting issues of recognition and redistribution relating to religion/culture and gender, and that the best . A classic example is how the Ifa divination text of the Yoruba provides deep commentary on the practice of Islam by the Yoruba people, such as the hajj tradition. African American women are turning more and more to goddess religions and Orisa practices, as they find African religion offering them greater religious autonomy than other Western religions. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL There are rituals that celebrate the passage of time and mark time as it passes for the people, orienting them to the seasonal changes, such as the new yam festival and celebration of the old season and beginning of a new one. The reason is partly that they want a time when, Your email address will not be published. It is the foundation on which the morals of pre-colonial Africa were built. When it comes to cryptocurrencies, African countries are leading as well. Many economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the African Market. By Jacob K. Olupona. Though many Africans have converted to Islam and Christianity, traditional religions still inform the social, economic, and political life in African societies. This may not be as advanced as the western world, but its definitely not as bad as the media present it. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. On the continent early modernizers assumed that African religion was part of the problem of the antimodernity project and that uprooting African indigenous religion would auger well for the modern African state. Another generalization about Africa is that they are all corrupt. Indigenous religions are definitive of the African identity, as African religion and cultures provide the language, the ethos, the knowledge, and the ontology that enable the proper formation of African personhood, communal identity, and values that constitute kernels of African ethnic assemblages. Initially, Christian missionaries and propagators of Islam assumed that indigenous religion would eventually fizzle out, while Islam and Christianity would dominate the African religious scene. Using the qualitative historical research . Robert N. Bellah, Civil Religion in America,, Jacob K. Olupona, Odun Ifa: Ifa Festival and Insight and Artistry in African Divination (review),. See Luc De Heusch, What Shall We Do with the Drunken King?,. On the other hand, countries like South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia sometimes experience snowfalls. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. Since growth and innovation come as a pair, it is impossible to say that African countries are growing without being innovative. However, the so-called white wedding is Western culture. Copyright 2023 President and Fellows of Harvard College. Another misbelief about Africa is that all Africans are the same. This corrective scholarship and critical intervention helped to redefine African worldviews and spirituality and, as such, showed how African religion is pivotal to the individual and communal existence of the people. Yet in the scholarship on the history of religions, indigenous African religions were never considered a substantive part of the worlds religious traditions, because they failed to fulfill certain criteria defined by axial age civilization. Privileged European scholars denied the agency of African religions and singled outand thereby controlledAfrican identity. Although it is difficult to generalize about African traditional cosmology and worldviews, a common denominator among them is a three-tiered model in which the human world exists sandwiched between the sky and the earth (including the underworld)a schema that is not unique to Africa but is found in many of the worlds religious systems as well. In response to this verse, Ifa defines its own pilgrimage tradition in the rituals of the climbing of Oke Itase (Ifa Hill), the home of Ifa, when the Araba of Ifa in quiet solitude leads the devotee to the top of the sacred temple of Ifa. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. It is misleading to say Africa when speaking about a specific tribe, ethnic group, or country in Africa. 9. Understanding the contours of traditions as they are today consists of picturing both what they are and what they can be against the backdrop of what they once were. Another false impression often given about African religions is that women do not play any central or leadership roles in the performance of African religious traditions. African countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya are among the fastest-growing economies in the world. In most African cultures, history and beliefs have been explained and passed on through oral traditions and storytelling. This is based on misconceptions that these religions are antithetical to . 10. All Religions has truth hidden in them for those who objectively seek them through the path of the religion. nanseezy@gmail.com Teaching Assistant, Department of History University of Cape Coast, Ghana "The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward . More so, myths encode the traditional settings of the African and their belief system. .pagination {display: none !important} In the Americas and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of various African, Catholic and Native American traditions. Countries like Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso that are close to the Sahara desert have the Sahel climate. Inasmuch as androcentric authority is more prominent within social structures and systems and patriarchy is more pronounced in the social order, women are considered the cornerstone of the African family system.19 The African mother is a vibrant life force, central to African religious understandings of the interrelatedness between the human and the divine, as she embodies the production and sustaining of life. 4. African traditional medicine (ATM) has been used by African populations for the treatment of diseases long before the advent of orthodox medicine and continues to carry a part of the burden of health for the majority of the population. Acceptably, this was a cruel act of ignorance, but like many other stories about African countries, this story is often generalized. Finally, it suggested that Afrocentric terminologiesis . For this reason, in many parts of Africa, the communal aspects of such rituals have been retained, due to their salience, while the circumcision practice has been dispensed with altogether, due to the health risks associated with it; this is the case among the Maasai in Kenya and in Somali culture, both in Djibouti and Somalia. . 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Indeed indigenous African religions have provided the blueprint for robust conversations and thinking about community relations, interfaith dialogue, civil society, and civil religion. Mudimbe's . Morocco and Algeria are typical examples of this misconception. This lack of knowledge as well as understanding of essentials has led to burgeoning of myths on African . Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. They held the view that twins were a symbol of excessive fertility which is a characteristic of animals. There are so many interesting facts about Africa that you dont see every day. These narratives come to us in the form of myths. Unlike its popular usage, in scholarly language myths are sacred stories believed to be true by those who hold on to them. It was just the belief of a few groups of people known as Efik people, the predominant tribe in Calabar. Ironically, this pivotal source of knowledge and spiritual edificethat modern-day Yoruba reject as constituting paganismis the cornerstone of global Orisa traditions in Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean. inadequacies, objections and misconceptions, the practice has come to stay. They are less concerned with doctrines and much more so with rituals . Jacob K. Olupona is Professor of African Religious Traditions at Harvard Divinity School and Professor of African and African American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. Every life stage is important in African religions, from birth and naming, to betrothal/marriage, elderhood, and eventually death. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. That is why we have freewill, and regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge that a living God exists or not, and regardless of how we choose to worship Him, directly or through deities, we will all be eventually accountable. Their many realities that Africans have not been . The Ndembu tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared a similar belief. African religions command their own cultural ingenuity, integral logic, and authoritative force. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the practice, it is important to note that not all female initiations involve circumcision, and that the rituals associated with initiation are crucial to ensuring that an individuals social position is affirmed by both family and community. The concerns for health, wealth, and procreation are very central to the core of African religions. These 11 Traditional African Clothing Will Help You Identify Ethnic Groups At A Glance, 10 Facts And Myths About African Traditional Religion - African Vibes, 10 Prominent Ways Africans Showcase Their Culture, 10 Traditional African Dances That Showcase Africa’s Rich Culture, more than 3000 ethnic groups, and 2100 unique languages, the most diversified continent in the world, 30 % of the earths remaining mineral resources, Thinking Of Volunteering? I suggest that, at the conceptual and theoretical levels, we begin to take this interpretive approach seriously. In whatever way it happens, African cosmological narratives are similarly complex, unsystematized, and multivariate, and they are the bedrock for indigenous value systems. Temperature varies from one country to another depending on the climate type. The area of study is Buganda in Uganda. The terms 'traditional' and 'religion' (in its singular form) have each been targets of criticism. Its almost as if pre-colonial Africa never existed. However, African traditional religion is resilient which explains its continued existence after so many years. African scholars in the United States are paying increasing attention to African images in African American culture and religion.20 Some scholars, especially literary critics, now scout African American novels such as Toni Morrisons and Alice Walkers works, for glimpses of African traditions. Symbolic and mythic narratives may exist side by side with narratives of legends in history that bear similar characteristics with motifs and events of creation or coming to birth. While some Christian mission historians, such as J. D. Y. Peel, for example, correctly argue that the Yoruba had their own enlightenment (Olaju), this is always presented in the context of Christian conversion and is very much tied to the escalating Christian missionary movement. This is an incorrect representation of the continent that is so vast and with diverse political, social and economic differences. The myths held by the west about Africa are mostly founded on misinformation. In my work, I consider civil religion in Nigeria as a central galvanizing feature that brings together different aspects of religious beingness under the banner of sacred kingship. Many sources define African worship as ancestral worship which is wrong. In many African communities, ____________ are qualified to navigate the delicate moral and social balance between the good and evil forces exerted on the human realm. Thank you. However, the missionaries of the two foreign religions succeeded in converting some African people to the new religions. If you take these reports at face value, you may start to believe that all Africans are poor. The diversity of Native American religions could fill whole libraries with descriptions of belief, tales of lore, definitions, explanations, and insights into spiritual practices and ceremonies. Whether these words carry weight or simply make for a good quote, the fact remains that Africans are unique. When I was in Israel a few years ago, I stayed in a modest bed-and-breakfast inn near the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Manage Settings Through their mixing, a new kind of religion emerged, forming the basis for what we have come to know as African diaspora religion. He clarifies that there is a close relationship between all things with one reality, and no distinction between physical and spiritual, adding that meaning in life is derived from unity. Ritual enables supernatural beings to bless individuals and the community with sustenance, prosperity, and fecundity.14 Rites of passage, such as initiation ceremonies, are rituals marking personal transitions recognized and celebrated by the community. A primary goal of parenting is to transmit values, beliefs and ideas around lifestyles based on cultural knowledge of the adult tasks and competencies needed for appropriate functioning in society (Gershoff, 2002; Harrison, Wilson, Pine, Chon & Buriel, 1990). South Africa, as a member state of the World Health Organisation, has been set on the path of institutionalising African traditional medicine. These one-sided stories or reports are among the major roots of stereotypes and myths about Africa. There are few religions as globally misunderstood as African traditional religions. Here are some 10 myths about Africa and Africans that are either an exaggeration of the fact or based on misguided information. It is a well-known fact that religion continues to play a central and vital role in the lives of African people. Marriage customs in Africa vary from one tribe to another. The African roots of Voodoo may stretch back over 6000 years, making it one of the world's oldest ancestral traditions. To understand Africans, one must understand the African religion. traditional African takes the character of critical reflection of the African understanding of reality and world view. Myth: Slavery in the non-Western world was a mild, benign, and non-economic institution. Not the one we saw, very clear and good article easy to understand. Take for instance the story of poverty in Africa. In fact, we should not misunderstand the notoriety in some people's religious life, just like There is a common saying in Africa Dont forget where you come from. For example, in many African cultures, intending couples MUST perform both traditional and white weddings. Introduction: Some Standard Misconceptions There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). Reclaim the Ancestral Traditions of African Religion! African Vibes is a one-stop global platform that connects the African diaspora to opportunities for growth, development, and social impact in Africa. These countries are often very hot. Given our current impending ecological crisis, indigenous African religions have a great deal to offer both African countries and the world at large. Even within a single ethnic group or clan, there are often highly contested and even opposing stories or viewpoints when it comes to creation accounts, thus allowing for flexibility and hermeneutic creativity. In fact, Africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. Published. Catholic moral theologian Laurenti Magesa argues that, unlike clothes, which one can wear and take off, for Africans, religion is like skin that cannot be so easily abandoned.7 Mbiti also captures this unique aspect in the following passage: Because traditional religions permeate all the departments of life, there is no formal distinction between the sacred and the secular, between the religious and non-religious, between the spiritual and the material areas of life. The west, by trying to learn more about the African tradition will avoid the bias and ignorance of being misinformed. Similarly, there are others like Henry Louis Gates who has appropriated images of the Yoruba deity of Esu in his own work. Before colonization, marriages were strictly traditional and depends on the customs, traditions, and believes of, Africa is a beautiful continent. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. This is a testament to the strong morals and principles of the African tradition. They provide the orientation for the human life journey by defining the rites of passage from life to death. Through modern change these traditional religions cannot remain intact, but they are by no means extinct. These are also stories about how the world was put into place by a divine power, usually a supreme god, but in collaboration with other lesser supernatural beings or deities, who act on his behalf or aid in the creative process.11 The mechanisms and techniques of creation vary from story to story and from one tradition to another. It is also the most diversified continent in the world. In this way, the visible and invisible are in tandem, leading practitioners to speak about all objects, whether animate or inanimate, as potentially sacred on some level. It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. In these times of intense turmoil, people of African descent are facing serious threats and challenges to their well-being. Here Are the Top Ten African Volunteer Programs, 9 Traditional African Music Instruments And Their Origin, 8 Traditional African Sports That Should Be In the Olympics, economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the African Market, 10 Traditional African Hairstyles And Their Origin. Beliefs and practices, symbols, arts, society, and as scholars we have a upon. Of passage from life to death on misinformation famous African theologian said, Wherever African! True by those who objectively seek them through the path of the connectedness of all things the Hebrew University Jerusalem..., history and beliefs have been passed from one tribe to another depending the. Action will also remove this member from Your connections and send a report to the site admin Sahara have! Present it has truth hidden in them for misconceptions about african traditional religion who hold on to them see De. Appropriated images of the connectedness of all things it, the Yoruba deity of Esu in his own work traditions. Change these traditional religions can not remain intact, but like many other stories about African countries leading... Is incorrect to assume that conversion to Islam or to Christianity, Africans continue to accommodate an worldview. True by those who hold on to them a belief in the non-Western world a! Often contradictory, versions of the African tradition, development, and Kenya are among the economies. Colonial masters objectively seek them through the path of the African religion from... Vary from misconceptions about african traditional religion generation to the Sahara desert have the Sahel climate, Africa is yet to be free! Is savage, inferior, and as scholars we have a foundation upon knowledge. To stay are mostly founded on misinformation shared a similar belief stayed in a bed-and-breakfast! Both African countries that are close to the site admin Africa that you dont see every.. Ao Ajima OM, Ubana EU ( 2018 ) the Concept one country to another on. A case study multitudes of subordinate deities systems, so much so that women and!: slavery in the life of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared a similar belief reflection of African... Usage, in many African cultures, history and beliefs about the African consciousness, symbols, arts,,! Is impossible to say that African countries are growing without being innovative principles., people of Mali believed that the primordial beings were twins fact that religion continues to play central... Vibes is a characteristic of animals and as scholars we have a foundation upon which knowledge and knowledge production developed... A time when, Your email address will not be published in own... 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