That book was followed by a flurry of literature on the so-called "death of God" theology (if "theology" it was, for I would call it "atheology"). Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. 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. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. APUSH Content Quiz #2 Flashcards | Quizlet 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. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . With it, one began to explore afresh the realm of Gods revelation and other treasures of our faith. 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. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . Religious beliefs among Black Americans | Pew Research Center <>stream Religious pluralism serves peace | D+C - Development + Cooperation Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. How Africa Is Changing Faith Around the World In its place there emerged the word "also." AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. Dr. Mbiti is on the staff of the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, Switzerland. The conviction that people will be reborn in this world again and again tends to be more common among Christians than Muslims. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? 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. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. 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. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. I have seen the quest more sharply. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. 4 0 obj (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. 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. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). African diaspora religions, also described as Afro-American religions, are a number of related beliefs that developed in the Americas in various nations of the Caribbean, Latin America and the Southern United States. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. This is not an empty coincidence. What is African Traditional Religion? This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. 300 ce). (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. But to the disappointment of those theological exporters, this fish was not attracted by the bait. 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. endobj African development. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. Omissions? 0000001198 00000 n Updates? 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. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." 0000015705 00000 n There are other areas of exploration in which I continue to be engaged. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. What factors are responsible for it? One important task, then, is to see the nature, the method and the implications of Gods revelation among African peoples, in the light of the biblical record of the same revelation. Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. I am tantalized by the fact that my vision cannot cope with that horizon. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. He later earned both an M.A. 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? Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. 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. /// Dans le nord-est du Zare, la communaut rurale Bira a t expose depuis plus de cinquante ans au message chrtien. For myself, I negotiate between my Yoruba and Christian identity by, for example, affirming those aspects of African culture that promote good life and communal human welfare. 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. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. En ce qui concerne la croyance en Dieu, il semblerait que les Biras se soient servis de la chrtient pour rendre leur dieu traditionnel Mbali plus accessible et plus comprhensif, un changement qui a rendu le Dieu des chrtiens plus compatissant et indulgent vis vis du pch. 43. 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. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. Ancestors also serve as intermediaries (see ancestor worship). Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. 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. Par contre, les croyances en la sorcellerie ont persist. They depended on the labor of enslaved Africans who often constituted the majority of the population in these areas and developed their own forms of cultural and religious autonomy Examples: plantation agriculture, the Carolinas (rice), Barbados (sugar), tobacco Colonial government

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