Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. A Reflection on Anglican Mission in Uganda & Karamoja‘, Paper given at Seminar on Imperial History in the University of Durham 22.5.89. I have opted to not include the concept of transcendence under similarities for I believe it to be an area where African theologians have fundamentally misrepresented African religion, by “‘baptising’ the data in order to project a traditional religion that is compatible with Christianity” (Bowers, 2002: 118). ISBN 0-435-89591-5; Mbiti’s first book takes a systematic look into the belief that African traditional religions were rooted in anti-Christian beliefs. The e-mail addresses that you supply to use this service will not be used for any other purpose without your consent. Gitari, David M. & G.P. endstream endobj 36 0 obj<> endobj 37 0 obj<> endobj 38 0 obj<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/ExtGState<>>> endobj 39 0 obj<> endobj 40 0 obj<> endobj 41 0 obj<> endobj 42 0 obj<> endobj 43 0 obj<> endobj 44 0 obj<> endobj 45 0 obj<> endobj 46 0 obj<> endobj 47 0 obj<> endobj 48 0 obj<>stream An African religion scholar J.S Mbiti analyses and gives a deeper insight into the prayer, worship and spirituality of African religion. They have replaced indigenous African religions, but are often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 978-0-87099-933-8. God created the world with space and time, God sustains the changing realm of succeeding events and is conscious of every movement in history. Even thoughmorality is the subject matter of ethics, it is most often usedinterchangeably with ‘ethics’. The African indigenous peoples accommodated the immigration of Westerners of different religious backgrounds who came to change their lives (Alie, 1990: 101-111). The traditional belief systems, spirituality and faith of West African peoples has been described in more or less disparaging terms over the course of history, broad terms that fail to reflect the complexity and depth of these beliefs: “paganism”, “animism”, “ancestor-worship”, “idolatry”, “fetishism”, “heathenism”, etc. In his analysis prayer is found to be very important in demonstrating African spirituality and the way of worship. Multireligious Responses to Globalization in East Africa: Karomojong a... Anderson, David M. & D.H. Johnson (eds.) UNDERSTANDING AFRICAN TRADITION RELIGION African traditional religion (ART) refers to the traditional religious system of African south of the Sahara and stands for those aspects of ancestral belief and custom which relate to the transcendent world! Now, with a senior faculty grant and a Wilson Faculty Research Fellowship, he will embark on a huge undertaking: writing the first continent-wide history of African religion, with a focus on indigenous religions. In spite of thephilosophical inquiries or analyses undertaken by individualmoralphilosophers regarding morality … Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by one’s ethnic identity i.e. Sharing links are not available for this article. The world has wickedly downgraded and classified the African indigenous belief as Paganism, Satanism, Occult, Cult, Idol worshipping, and others. the 7th century. That task is left to a group of lesser spirits. Most of them were Bantu -speaking people and were the ancestors of many South Africans, especially the Nguni groups like the Zulu and Xhosa. To us it was foolish. startxref This product could help you, Accessing resources off campus can be a challenge. �?�bDɫp�#WI\8*j"|ҋ���!��v{��W�¬� ���J.K��?o��7����={x The remaining population of Namibia follows various indigenous religions. The category of African indigenous religion refers to cultural, religious or spiritual manifestations indigeneous to the continent of Africa. Traditional African religion and culture is passed on from parents to children through stories. Ben Knighton. Art and oracle: African art and rituals of divination. The Impact of African Traditional Religious Beliefs and Cultural Values on Christian- Muslim Relations in Ghana from 1920 through the Present: A Case Study of Nkusukum-Ekumfi-Enyan area of the Central Region. Search Google Scholar for this author. 0000040535 00000 n Instead, myths are embedded and transmitted in ritual practice. The Constitution of Kenya, along with other laws of Kenya, prohibits the discrimination of people because of their religious beliefs and protects their religious freedoms. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click on download. He continues to say that prayer also shows us a deed insight into t he religious and philosophical thought of the African people (Mbiti, 1975; 1). For example, in one of the Yoruba creation myth, Olodumare, the supreme god, is said to have created Obat… If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. Followers of these account for 1.7% of the Kenyan population. Indigenous African religious practises were based on oral traditions and on knowledge and customs which are passed on during a wide variety of ceremonies and rituals during rites of passage and a range of community events. 10. 0000001427 00000 n 0000006945 00000 n African Traditional Religion, African Indigenous Religion and African Traditional Religions are all common terms used to discuss the faiths found within of Africa. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. Access to society journal content varies across our titles. Lienhardt (eds.) The email address and/or password entered does not match our records, please check and try again. GOD IN AFRICAN TRADITION African religious followers mostly adhere to the same faith about God like the Islamic and Christian concept of monotheism, but holding their own way of practicing rituals. In traditional African societies, nature was regarded as a gift by a supreme Creator God for the benefit of humanity who believed that mankind was created at the centre of the universe. The meaning of God in an African Traditional Religion and the meaninglessness of well-meaning mission: The experience of Christian enculturation in Karamoja, Uganda Show all authors. Christianity is also the most common religion in Swaziland. and enlarged ed., 1995) LaGamma, Alisa (2000). 0000001555 00000 n Many African religions teach that everyday human life is influenced or even controlled by gods or other supernatural beings. They echoed the fact that “Africans had known God before the missionaries came” (Ray XI). View or download all the content the society has access to. 0000000016 00000 n That is why Monotheistic God appears to them with all possible qualities a God can be attributed to. For us, God defends us and our faith, not the other way around. They are like indigenous African religions in that they are preoccupied with healing. z��Q;�8 �)0vӉFeQA�I�4�j��P�o}� ��;T�)+I�U'o�����OO=R��Y�[��ا��� D�˺+B�R��$I?i�Ո4d���5@�0��;�a4o&�,� �:�e�1~5Y�k.��1^��H� 85�`�N�4��6��GR�K�'�;f�}ɮ0)�)^oP�f�7S���6�2�֜������ Now, with a senior faculty grant and a Wilson Faculty Research Fellowship, he will embark on a huge undertaking: writing the first continent-wide history of African religion, with a focus on indigenous religions. Other Beliefs. Islam has been present in Africa since. ATR affects the way of life of most Africans. Before the WCC’s eighth Assembly in Harare, "Land and Spirituality: The African Context" was the theme chosen for the workshop -- the same theme used in Karasjok, Norway. The indigenous religions of Africa coexist alongside more recently introduced global religions, namely Islam and Christianity. Religion in Africa. By the end of the 2nd century it had reached the region around Carthage.In the 4th century, the Aksumite empire in modern-day Eritrea and Ethiopia became one of the first regions in the world to adopt Christianity as an official religion and the Nubian kingdoms of Nobatia, Makuria and Alodia followed two centuries later. He was not without his critics. Nature as a gift from God to be used in harmony with the web of life . Unlike the colonial encounter with AIR, <]>> African Traditional Religion (ATR) refers to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Africans. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. Followers of traditional African religions are also found around the world. Members of _ can log in with their society credentials below, Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies, Ben Knighton is Registrar and Research Tutor at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. The Mijikenda offer sacrifices and prayers in holy shrines in the Kaya forests. The continent of Africa has been home to hundreds of indigenous tribes speaking a wide variety of languages and believing a wide variety of different spiritual ideas. When the early forebears and later progenitors of Islam and Christianity arrived, they met Sierra Leone indigenes with a remarkable knowledge of God and a structured religious system. where one’s family came from. Nevertheless, long cultural contact, in degrees ranging from trade to conquest, has forged some fundamental commonalities among religions within subregions, allowing for some generalizations to be made about the distinguishing features of religions indigenous to Africa. 0000001248 00000 n While ATRs are varied in their attitudes towards any subject, generally speaking we did not find points of contention with others over religion. 0 Knighton, B.P. 2?��ͼyd�����ˎ9��_�7�׳���&k�`g��v�w-����,y�@S��+����aNJ( African religions are as diverse as the continent is varied. Login failed. The meaning of God in an African Traditional Religion and the meaninglessness of well-meaning mission, https://doi.org/10.1177/026537889901600403. Most of the "traditional" groups of people living in South Africa arrived here from West and Central Africa about 1 500 years ago. the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Especially if we are fighting for national identity, or sovereignty, or trying to safeguard ethnic identity within nation states. (1986), Witnessing to the Living God in Contemporary Africa, Findings & Papers of the Inaugural Meeting of the Africa Theological Fraternity held at Kabare, Kenya 23–9.7.85 (Kabare: Africa Theological Fraternity). H�lTM��6��W̑lV��[7�EEV9=p%�Ů% The meaning of God in an African Traditional Religion and the meaninglessness of well-meaning mission The experience of Christian enculturation in Karamoja, Uganda Ben Knighton Ben Knighton is Registrar and Research Tutor at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies Keywords: Culture, traditional religion The study of God in culture What can 'God' mean in a context? By continuing to browse $���}�Cy� Benson (eds.) centre (Introduction to African Religions, 41, 42). Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by one’s ethnic identity, where one’s family came from in Africa. Attempts to regain contact with their God by building a heavenly ladder are the subject of many an unhappy legend. H�tTQo�8~ϯ�G���6���t��z��骰O�}� M�&Pi�?i��m�z�w�6�|�}3�Y]���r�*Kʧg�����W\rLRH����Pv�����`(�)��~c���C�8�n݊����aD0�](PWa���0�4�Y������?=���Bq���}������ڥ�]m쭤l@����5� ���[y�Ȝ��$��%$��X[ yJ�=�d")�'yS*�����4��„�uĕdKp���4��/�*M��K�pN�>'[®5�L%_U!�D��&JF�n�e(xj[��|�3T�N �� �dz4��,�����$h���W������� �l�fN�1��/_>؅��ug����.��U��%��b�r��9�Ԡ3�[�|z$*�v�{���*����-]㠰\5��F������»W�JPC�4:�2��I��RH��B@z���VibO�Θ�s��'�){��h���4f0uU����tf��4�?uƖ!�H�t��جm���U;Jn�� ]}0{Ӟzh��=�{kL|w��7�Z�Ԡ�=�l�)>��W����5-^���RJ&�n!R�B�F���M��N�\V��������7ܶ�CX?��rW�}�����R������wu)�}�>�1���Ye�A+j�p�?i�1�o��V�1v�D�S�N]�-�& ñnh����ˁҗ-S~����M�N;���4��z3|�0���B�~�����" 35 28 Heinemann [1969] (1990). You can be signed in via any or all of the methods shown below at the same time. 0000010304 00000 n View or download all content the institution has subscribed to. The Lord is enthroned as king forever (Psalm 29:10). Indigenous African religions are not based on conversion like Islam and Christianity. For instance, the Yoruba religion has historically been centered in southwestern Nigeria, the Zulu religion in southern Africa, and the Igbo religion in southeastern Nigeria. (1989a), ‘The Source of the Authority of the Church in Karamoja, Uganda’, Paper given at Ecclesiology Seminar in the University of Durham 2.2.89. Oftentimes, these are done through gods, deities and spirits. I have read and accept the terms and conditions, View permissions information for this article, Click the button below for the full-text content, 24 hours online access to download content. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. 0000000856 00000 n Mbiti regards African Traditional Religion(s) (ATR(s)) as monotheism and as a praeparatio evangelica, and maintains that the Christian God is the same as the God worshipped in ATR(s). 0000020466 00000 n If you are, chances are you go to a church, mosque, or synagogue on a regular basis to be in the house of your God. For over 40 years, Associate Professor Robert Baum has shuttled between the U.S. and West Africa, learning and writing about religious prophets in rural southern Senegal. African Religion and its Influence on Christianity and Islam Traditional African religion has been the basis of spirituality for the people of Africa. Ben Knighton is Registrar and Research Tutor at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies See all articles by this author. To understand African tradition, one needs to understand the position of African Traditional Religion on God, the human person, and creation. He revised the book to include the role of women in religion. 0000003717 00000 n The difference between the Western and African idea of God may be understood as a difference of names due to languages. The versions of these religions as they developed in the New World became known as African Diaspora religions. 0000004165 00000 n In recent times, traditional religions, such as the Yoruba religion, are on the rise. 0000003944 00000 n 0000006040 00000 n Samuel, Vinay & Chris Sugden (eds.) 9. ‘Understanding Traditional African Religion: A Comment on Horton’, ‘The Nature & Characteristics of the Supreme Being Worshipped among the Acholi of Uganda’, ‘The Word for “God” in Swahili: Further Considerations’, ‘The Idea of a Supreme Being Among the Anlo Pople of Ghana’, ‘Religion, History & the Supreme Gods of Africa: A Contribution to the Debate’, ‘The Interpretation of Naangmin: Missionary Ethnography, African Theology, and History among the Lodagaa’, ‘Judaeo-Christian Spectacles: Boon or Bane to the Study of African Religions?’, ‘The Traditional Theologians & the Practice of Orisa Religion in Yorubaland’, ‘Questions old and new in the anthropology of religion’, ‘On Disciples & Magicians: The Diversification of Divinity among the Nuer during the Colonial Era’, ‘“Beyond the desert of criticism we wish to be called again”’, Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontificial [sic] Urbanian University, ‘Some Categories of Dual Classification among the Lugbara of Uganda’, ‘Acholi Concept of Fate – Woko, Wilobo, Run-Piny’, ‘The Supreme Being among the Acholi of Uganda: Another Viewpoint’. While ATRs are varied in their attitudes towards any subject, generally speaking we did not find points of contention with others over religion. In many African myths, the High God. For more information view the SAGE Journals Sharing page. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by one’s ethnic identity, where one’s family came from in Africa. There is much shaking of heads, turning away in sorrow and avoidance of contact. Nigerian American professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard University, ... Idowu, Bolaji, God in Yoruba Belief (Plainview: Original Publications, rev. Some society journals require you to create a personal profile, then activate your society account, You are adding the following journals to your email alerts, Did you struggle to get access to this article? Most African indigenous religions have emphatic teachings about salvation and the afterlife. Several syncretistic and messianic sects have formed throughout much of the continent, including the Nazareth Baptist Church in South Africa and the Aladura churches in Nigeria.There is also fairly widespread populations of Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses . Attributes of God (Supreme Being) in Africa: Attributes of God refers to words or phrases ascribing traits, properties, qualities or characteristics to the 0000020181 00000 n 35 0 obj <> endobj About 20% of the population are Roman Catholics. Multireligious Responses to Globalization in East Africa: Karomojong and Agĩkũy... Anthropological Perspectives on Transformational Development, Issues of African Theology at the turn of the Millennium. Some recognize a dual or complementary twin god such as Mawu-Lisa. Swaziland. This knowledge of God through belief; became the cardinal point of the religion of Africans. Create a link to share a read only version of this article with your colleagues and friends. This site uses cookies. Okot p’Bitek, his colleague at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda in the 1960s, railed against the making of African spiritual beings into a God with Christian attributes. Lamin Sanneh, “New and Old in Africa’s Religious Heritage: Islam, Christianity and the African Encounter,” in Andrew F. Walls and Wilbert R. Shenk eds., Exploring New Religious Movements: Essays in Honor of Harold Turner (Elkhart, Indiana: Mission Focus, 1990), 64. For us, God defends us and our faith, not the other way around. These spirits are similar to the angels and demons of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. (1983). Find out about Lean Library here, If you have access to journal via a society or associations, read the instructions below. 1995 ) LaGamma, Alisa ( 2000 ) this author our faith not. God defends us and our faith, not the other way around dissatisfied with their.! 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