Africa's traditional religious "ontolo&>y" for Christian faith, with publication of his classic La Philosophie Bantoue in 1945. appropriated within 19th century West African consciousness, have also been recognised as an essential strand in the emergence at the beginning of the 20th century of the political and cultural movement called Pan-Africanism. 2 not only in passionate subjective commitment, but also by thought about his creative works (general revelation) knowledge of God involves both objective, conceptual validity and subjective, person fellowship. The Main Characteristics of African Traditional Religion. And we agree with Professor Idowu that the purpose of the study should be: Christianity came to Africa from the outside, it happened, as the legend says, in 42, then the Orthodox Coptic Church was formed by the Apostle Mark. African Traditional Religion: A Definition (1973), Omosade Awolalu in Yoruba Belief and Sacrificial Rites and John Mbiti in The Concept of God in Africa (1970) are a few examples of postcolonial scholars of religion who have resisted and denounced colonial idea that Africans do not know God. The complexity of the relationship between environment and religion in indigenous and contemporary African cultures and societies requires a more multidisciplinary approach that draws from a variety of sources, approaches, and epistemological positions: phenomenology, ecology, geography … Ama Ata Aidoo,2 an authoress of African literature states, “I should go on to insist that every man and every woman should be a feminist – especially if they believe that Africans should take charge of African land, African wealth, African 1 AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION 14 1.1 Nature, Fundamentals and Principles 14 1.1.1 The Origin of African Traditional Religion 16 1.1.2 Features of African Traditional Religion 18 1.1.3 Various Elements 19 1.1.4 The Place of Cult 20 1.1.5 Private worship 21 1.1.6 Public Worship 21 1.2 Documentation of African Traditional Religion 22 This article builds a case for the use of some African religious values in modern conflict prevention, mitigation and response in Africa (CPMR). The effect of colonisation on Africa's traditional religion is seen in the views of colonialists that African traditional religious practices are fetish, barbaric, ritualistic and demonic. The best interpreter of African Religion is the African with a disciplined mind and the requisite technical tools. 3 Leo Frobenius, The Voice of Africa, Vol. African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of Africa.It should be noted that any attempt to generalize about the nature of “African religions” risks wrongly implying that there is homogeneity among all African cultures.In fact, Africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. 0000000653 00000 n 0000001450 00000 n It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society and so on .because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the African people. This is a 3-hour summary lecture on the basic components of African Traditional Religions. The following people presented … endstream endobj 176 0 obj<. Examples of African traditional religion or philosophy in Zimbabwe include: Mwali Religion. The concept of God, divinities and spirits in African traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing Africans as people who did not know the Supreme Being nor worship Him. For instance, Levy Bruhl rejected the rationality of the primitive people and claimed that they were largely pre-logical and that what their practices point to is a kind of symbolism. Religion in Igbo traditional society partakes fully of all the features of world traditional religion, including its beliefs, sacred myths, oral qualities, strong appeal to the hearts of adherents, high degree of ritualization, and possession of numerous participatory personages such as officiating elders, kings, priests, and diviners. (Uburu: Truth And Life Publication Ltd, Ohaozara, Ebonyi State Nigeria, 2007), 73. You are currently offline. 30. 0000061368 00000 n For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in social life6. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. portrayed in African religions. European Christian missionaries from 16th century onwards see African religions as demonic, primitive, evil & stupid • 2. Download PDF Package. Religion has an extremely powerful influence over people™s lives. African Traditional Religion is not essentially idolatrous, but it has a tendency to become so if the cult and the symbols of the divinities are so emphasized as to exclude the Supreme Being. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by the forebears of the present Africans, and which is being practised today in various forms and various shades and intensities by a very large number of Africans, including individuals who claim to be Muslims or Christians. African culture, tradition and custom, and what is a colonial or imperial construct which is now regarded as African culture, tradition and custom. 0000003409 00000 n AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION. S�Ӑ�J�B|�#p�Z��q~+`]z�-7��2),o�����y��:� P��g�Y��޷�!xn�P\J��`K��P. 3 And similar to this was the dialogue that took place between Edwin Smith, who had gone out as a missionary to Africa, and Emil Ludwig, an eminent biographer. No longer was reference made to African culture, it became barbarism. (ii) It is a religion that links the people who now live it and practice it with their forebears. 0000001534 00000 n African traditional religion The faith in ancestors continued to be practised by many African Christians. Religion in Igbo traditional society partakes fully of all the features of world traditional religion, including its beliefs, sacred myths, oral qualities, strong appeal to the hearts of adherents, high degree of ritualization, and possession of numerous participatory personages such as officiating elders, kings, priests, and diviners. African traditional religion is a debatable subject among scholars of religions in Africa. 13 numbers of adherents of African religion. The Mwali hilltop cult and shrines is discussed in the 2008 book Mambo Hills: Historical and Religious Significance by Marieke Clarke ().Mambo Hills is northeast of Bulawayo.Njelele Shrine, Religion in Sub-Saharan Africa 10 Traditional Religion 11 What is “Traditional Religion”? African Traditional Religion: A Definition (1973), Omosade Awolalu in Yoruba Belief and Sacrificial Rites and John Mbiti in The Concept of God in Africa (1970) are a few examples of postcolonial scholars of religion who have resisted and denounced colonial idea that Africans do not know God. These traditions are not religious principles, but a cultural identity that is passed on through stories, myths and tales. Traditional African religion is based on oral traditions, which means that the basic values and way of life are passed from elders to younger generation. Mugambi, 1995). Printed in South Africa by DS Print Media The manual may not be reproduced without written permission from Inter Press Service. This paper. The African traditional The evangelistic mandate of Christianity and the very nature of Jehovah God encompasses all ethnic groups on the planet. Ernst Wendland. Introduction . It was under western religious and secular influences that tensions and conflicts, particularly between Christians and Muslims began to emerge (Chipenda, 1993). 0000003672 00000 n accessed December 2009. “philosophical tradition” that can be traced back very far historically in most of the continent. 0000004364 00000 n Africa Traditional Religious System as Basis of Understanding Christian Spiritual Warfare. African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous religions of the African people. One of the burning moral issues in Africa is that of conflicts. PDF. �M靔���邃;����Pu��)U�u�,.Q��):�b%JQ�� �~)��Tg_�R��X�+��a��Ni7��]i�'B�ލq��v�����-6T���kP�X_��g�!�fNE��I�I` ,��[qU���'�'d�+`A��_� ���Wu�`ߊ����]�A����� ����i3PMYK@�d>y�y��S�j�̚��V�T���T?�$�����9v�=FC� ���IL���iX�a4ժ/���Y�l�U� �|���˖�3�h��Cj���^�dG�[���@;t*cf�y�a��.K����SW$��b��l�b�_x�^G�Q� African Traditional Religions are specific to each ethnic group on the continent. African Traditional Religion has grown out of the African soil. Traditional/Indigenous African religions are the traditional beliefs and practices of African people including the various traditional religions and customs. For example, the existence of events and actions done by Black South African women prior to colonisation can be interpreted as feminist action. Traditional African religions. Traditional African religion and culture is passed on from parents to children through stories. In traditional African society, there is implied and widespread belief in a Supreme Being, God. an answer to what the African traditional world views were through their theories on religions of the primitive people. The term “African Traditional Religion” is used in two complementary senses. PDF. PDF. pdf. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic, and traditional medicine. So the issues in “understanding”—cultures and philosophies— are complex. 1, Hutchison, 1913, p.xll. The Soul of the religion, its Traditions, is passed down orally through dance, poetry, music and stories from generation to generation. This is why (Romose 2003;1) protests that there have been too many spokes person for Africa. African (Traditional) and modern religions may offer African solutions to many problems of conflict in the region of Africa. Maulana Karenga states that in African art, the object was not as important as the soul force behind the creation of the object. African tribal societies are rich in the awareness of a Supreme Being to the extent that no native-born African is unaware of God’s existence (O’Donovan 1996:41). AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION Religion is a difficult subject to inquiry including attempts at definition and conception. The symbol can be found throughout Ghana. 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