(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 I have received much in a short period. GAZETTE: Are ancestors considered deities in the traditional African cosmology? OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition of the region about 100 years ago, when, according to a Pew Forum analysis of historical information from the World Religion Database, less than a quarter of the population identified as either Christian or Muslim. 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. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. First, the association of traditional African religion with an other-worldly orientation may appear problematic, given the "pragmatic" basis of this religion. I had it. I told my father that I was coming home, he recalled. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. 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. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. Model tested on tens of thousands of routine brain scans spotted disease risk with 90% accuracy, Experts on law, policy say originalist view used to overturn Roe could upend 76 ruling based on cruel, unusual punishment clause, Issues revolve around culture of viewing civilians as potential threats, concerns about self-protection in departments equipped with military-grade arms, Khalil Gibran Muhammad says College Board needs to stand firm behind curriculum, 2023 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. Corrections? Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. 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 Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. In February 1974 a group of 120 anthropologists launched the Canadian Ethnology Society/socit canadienne d'ethnologie (CESCE), because they felt there was room for an association of anthropologists separate from the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA) which was dominated by sociologists. When we identify the God of the Bible as the same God who is known through African religion (whatever its limitations), we must also take it that God has had a historical relationship with African peoples. He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. Updates? In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. The more I peeped into African religious insights about God, the more I felt utterly unable to use the word "only" in this case. African scholars Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." But to the disappointment of those theological exporters, this fish was not attracted by the bait. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? Religious pluralism serves peace. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt The first and most intriguing topic that immediately engaged my attention was the thinking of African peoples about God. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. Anthropologica is published for CASCA by University of Toronto Press. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? Omissions? Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. Omissions? <> For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. The statistical expansion of the Christian faith in Africa in this century is one of the considerations that led me back to the issue of its relation with African religion. ), 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. In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. 0000008365 00000 n 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. Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. 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. 75 0 obj For starters, the word religion is problematic for many Africans, because it suggests that religion is separate from the other aspects of ones culture, society, or environment. Maybe this is why I am not an Anglican priest. African religion has equipped people to listen to the gospel, to discover meaningful passages in the Bible, and to avoid unhealthy religious conflict. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax 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. Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? 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. The Yoruba diviners, for example, draw on this extensive indigenous knowledge every day by consulting Ifa, an extensive literary corpus of information covering science, medicine, cosmology, and metaphysics. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. GAZETTE: How do you balance your Christian and indigenous African identity? w?0t7/Oa84P]T}T}?gHq.qsRnkc;]X*s1!E"l^~K_/|j p z|9~p uf:}[Mc|4!#"Zg!/vc _~|oyuQ'dX :?NmU)?oPSw?6#?[OUN@6oz{j;\e7nWsV~XyU4vMm4#f4c:[Wefkd&88XB|cMh6)mt<4M8}; *:7??+0:0$! That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. %PDF-1.3 In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. Didnt our Lord let it be clearly known that "before Abraham was I am" (John 8:58)? Robinson, came out. ancient Rome: Religious and cultural life in the 3rd century, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/religious-syncretism, Academia - Religious Syncretism as a Syncretistic Concept: The Inadequacy of the " World Religions " Paradigm in Cross-Cultural Encounter. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. (See the glossary for more information on juju. The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. GAZETTE: How would you define indigenous African religions? OLUPONA: I was raised in Africa during the 1960s, when the Yoruba community never asked you to chose between your personal faith and your collective African identity. When this happens, then a passage such as Hebrews 1:1-3 rolls down like mighty waters, full of exciting possibilities of theological reflection. 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They include the work of missionaries (of whom there are about 40,000 today, without counting their family members); the work of African Christians in evangelism and pastoral care (their numbers are infinitely greater than those of overseas missionaries, and include men, women and children, both lay and ordained); the role of Christian schools; the translation and distribution of the Bible (which is now available in full or in part in nearly 600 of Africas 1,000 languages); and the ending of the colonial era during the decades 1960-1980. 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 findings were used in teaching, but eventually I put them together in a book, Concepts of God in Africa, published by the British publisher SPCK (1970). This chapter includes information on: Download chapter 1 in full (6-page PDF, <1MB), 1 The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in the easternmost part of North East Africa, on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. 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. Black Americans who identify with a religion are most likely to say belief in God is essential to what their faith means to them (84%), while large majorities say the same about opposing racism (76%) and sexism (71%). Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. In the other case no such written record exists. 0000001519 00000 n There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. What factors are responsible for it? Olupona, professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard Divinity School and professor of African and African-American studies in Harvards Faculty of Arts and Sciences, recently sat down for an interview about his lifelong research on indigenous African religions. Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. 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. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. Indigenous African religion is primarily an oral tradition and has never been fully codified; thus, it allows itself to more easily be amended and influenced by other religious ideas, religious wisdom, and by modern development. According to the 2003 Demographic and Health Survey, for example, Muslims constituted 50% of the population, while the 2008 DHS figure is 45% and the Nigerian Ministry of Healths 2008 estimate is 50%. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. 0000001586 00000 n This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population uses traditional healers. 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. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. %PDF-1.7 % Modernity has not put a total stop to its influence. In most countries surveyed, at least three-in-ten people believe in reincarnation, which may be related to traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits. They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. So the church which exists on the African scene bears the marks of its peoples backgrounds. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. The decisive word here is "only." 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. But upon my return to work in Africa, and upon careful study of the religious background of our people, there emerged gradually the demand to examine this issue and to form my own judgment. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. endobj We can list some obvious and often publicized factors. Eating pattern tied to 24% reduction in cardiovascular, cancer mortality in people diagnosed with the chronic condition, HMS/Brigham study shows most advertised medicines little better than other treatment options. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) C'est l'poque de la colonisation belge que les premiers missionnaires catholiques et protestants sont arrivs dans cette rgion du Zare. 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. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. 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. 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. This is not an empty coincidence. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. OLUPONA: Indigenous African religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic colonization of Africa. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. 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. These were not empty names. The missionaries who introduced the gospel to Africa in the past 200 years did not bring God to our continent. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions (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. GAZETTE: It sounds like African indigenous religions are dynamic, inclusive, and flexible. 0000003217 00000 n In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. In one case the thinking and experience of the people produced a written record of Gods dealings with the Jewish people in particular. Instead, God brought them, for the God described in the Bible is none other than the God who was already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. 0 Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. Anthropologica, journal of the Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) was created from the merger of the Society's former journal, Culture, with Canada's oldest anthropology journal, Anthropologica. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. 0000002884 00000 n (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). One read Honest to God and a variety of other works in an effort to understand the hot debate then raging in Europe and America. Muslim populations are especially concentrated in a large geographic belt running west to east from Senegal to the Horn of Africa.1 Southern Africa is predominantly Christian. So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" {PB,`s trailer As discussed elsewhere in this report, many Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. They are not mutually exclusive. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 0000014025 00000 n Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. I was like a snail shyly peeping out of its house after a heavy thunderstorm. I have met here the church not only in its geographical outreach but also in its historical roots -- seeing, for example, the rich traditions of the Orthodox Church, the universality of the Roman Catholic Church (even though it is based in the Vatican), the reconciling positioning of the Anglican Communion, the dynamic vitality of African independent churches, and so on. hb```b``g`a`.ef@ aV68+ +$.0t9$r8A2Or}6=<4. The Pew Forums survey finds a similar number of people in Guinea Bissau identifying themselves as Muslim (38%) but a much higher percentage identifying themselves as Christian (62%) and very few describing themselves mainly as practitioners of traditional African faiths. % And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. But they used the names of the God who was and is already known by African peoples -- such as Mungu, Mulungu, Katonda, Ngai, Olodumare, Asis, Ruwa, Ruhanga, Jok, Modimo, Unkulunkulu and thousands more. Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. I wish to apply "change of mind" here to mean theological growth, and not necessarily a rejection of or turnaround from ideas that I may have held ten years ago. Regardless of the variation, it is still true that Nigeria has both the largest number of Muslims and the largest number of Christians in the region. (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. In the end, I believe that Africans can make room for a plurality of religious points of view without one religious point of view excluding or compromising the other. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? A semi-annual journal, it publishes peer-reviewed articles in both French and English devoted to social and cultural issues whether they are pre-historic, historic, contemporary, biological, linguistic, applied or theoretical in orientation. Then was he not there in other times and in such places as Mount Fuji and Mount Kenya, as well as Mount Sinai? It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. At Makerere University I taught New Testament, African religion and other courses. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> Syncretistic movements in the Orient, such as Manichaeism (a dualistic religion founded by the 3rd-century-ce Iranian prophet Mani, who combined elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism) and Sikhism (a religion founded by the 15th16th-century Indian reformer Guru Nnak, who combined elements of Islam and Hinduism), also met with resistance from the prevailing religions of their respective areas. X0#J++?U;_3_gmx9[F\"{,Um1yu 9 ?ce%9EG`N: &U0EHC$p4=$'=DlX6M_7,--" Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. 0000005005 00000 n One African theologian, Gabriel Setiloane, has even argued that the concept of God which the missionaries presented to the Sotho-Tswana peoples was a devaluation of the traditional currency of Modimo (God) among the Sotho-Tswana. This number has since grown rapidly, to the point that in 1980 there are estimated to be 200 million Christians (or about 45 per cent of the population). 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. While Islam and Christianity tend to . Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. 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. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main Later, my theological studies in America and England did not challenge this position, since that was not a living issue for my professors and fellow students. Indigenous religion in Africa is the way Africans understand and worship their god. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. Since Christianity and Islam spread across Africa, many people there have observed a mixture of religious practices. (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. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. Its about getting tangible results. After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. stream The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continent's major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. 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.. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. 0000000016 00000 n Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. "For us in Africa, God is not dead" -- and that applies whether or not there is a written record of his relations with and concern for people.