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. To understand the social, cultural context of pregnancy, childbirth and subsequent maternal and child care and to use this information for . This view wasnt held in many other tribes in Nigeria. The myths held by the west about Africa are mostly founded on misinformation. 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. They are less concerned with doctrines and much more so with rituals . Prior to colonization, there was scarcely any form of writing in the majority of African tribes and cultures. African traditional religion (ATRs) and spirituality have always been surrounded by negativity. One could argue that colonization began with mental slavery. 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. 4.8 out of 5 stars. During the era of Western religious and cultural encounters in Yorubaland, some children were named Oguntoyibo, signifying Ogun (god of war and iron) is as powerful as the European god. Some children received names such as Ifatoyinbo, Ifa is as powerful as the white mans god. Such names and concepts illustrate the force and creative resistance of indigenous thought and its ability to engage Western modernity in rigorous debate. One of the most ridiculous myths about it is that homosexuality did not exist in the continent until white men imported it. These can be found all over the Americas and Europe. 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. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. This article analyses the legal processes of recognising customary and religious (Muslim) marriages in South Africa's constitutional democracy. Mudimbe's . Thus, I have argued that religion should be examined not only as a sacred phenomenon, but also as a cultural and human reality, all the while remembering the importance of integrating the sociopolitical dimensions of religiosity into any examination of an African state. When Christianity and Western civilization came and interacted with African culture and religion, misconception of beliefs, values, and terms developed. The much-cited dictum by the doyen of African religious studies, the recently deceased John Mbiti, that Africans are notoriously religious still holds true (though I prefer to use the word deeply).1 While, officially, statistics suggest that African Christians and Muslims constitute about 80 percent of the total population, and African indigenous religion constitutes about 20 percent, these statistics do not reflect the truth of the African situation. African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of Africa. Gradually, many Africans began to buy the narrative. In spite of the heuristic value of V. Y. Mudimbes distinction between myth and history in Africa, and by extension the cohesion of oral and written narratives,10 the notion that myth is nonrational and unscientific while history is critical and rational is false. These elements are worth exploring and espousing. .sqs-featured-posts-gallery .title-desc-wrapper .view-post So it is the responsibility of the religious leaders in these . 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. Correcting Misconceptions About African Traditional Religions. Regardless of where they find themselves, most Africans will always hold onto some form of their tradition, culture, and religion. The misconception about African religion Man generally is given to misconception especially in the midst of conflicting ideas or contending issues. His many publications include African Religions: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2014); City of 201 Gods: Il-If in Time, Space, and the Imagination (University of California Press, 2011); and Kingship, Religion, and Rituals in a Nigerian Community: A Phenomenological Study of Ondo Yoruba Festivals (Almqvist & Wiksell, 1991), which has become a model for ethnographic research among Yoruba-speaking communities. However, in the new world, we are seeing that the stone that the builders had rejected has become the cornerstone and central pillar: for example, Santeria was central to Cuban state making, and in Brazil only recently has Pentecostalism become responsible for the violence against Candombl devotees. 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. 8. There are quite a number of revival groups and movements whose main aim is to ensure that the tenants and practice of African indigenous religion that are threatened survive. Marriage customs in Africa vary from one tribe to another. inadequacies, objections and misconceptions, the practice has come to stay. Later in my academic life, I explored theoretical issues at the national level, showing how Nigerian civil religionan invisible faithprovided a template for assessing how we fared at nation building, allowing the symbols of Nigerian nationhood to take on religious significance for the Nigerian public above and beyond any particular cultural communities of faith.17 I do not want to be misunderstood here. 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. Most Africans at home and in the diaspora have made a name for themselves and praised for their contributions to society. Based on the understanding that even in 21 st century Africa, religion plays a vital role in gender construction, for effective Sexuality is there is a diversity of religion in Africa; rather, it is the extent of that diversity and the degree to which the term 'African traditional religion' might misleadingly mask both that extent and the mutability of the forms it encompasses. The formation of African diasporic religions in the crucible of forced and voluntary migrations of Africans from the continent from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries led to the intermingling of African religions with Christianity and local cultures of the Transatlantic to form novel religious expressions. 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. Africa is the target of western stereotypes. Africans who follow a traditional religion rely on no scriptures, canonical texts, or holy books to guide them. 9 years ago. It was through this encounter that the Yoruba system of banking money in traditional pots kept underground in farms and forests began. Your email address will not be published. Many sources define African worship as ancestral worship which is wrong. Here Is What You Have To Know. . Divination enables us to recognize how indigenous traditions have a foundation upon which knowledge and knowledge production is developed. The concerns for health, wealth, and procreation are very central to the core of African religions. According to theologian Tony Evans, W. E. B. The first encounters are fascinating. With exception of those who take history classes, the majority of young Africans will fail to elaborately tell the story of their origin. They often dictate when the community honors a particular divinity or observes particular taboos. /* 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. Once again, this is far from the truth. 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. It is an accepted position that the African Initiated Churches (AICs) were formed as a result of the search for a unique African identity and culture. Indeed indigenous African religions have provided the blueprint for robust conversations and thinking about community relations, interfaith dialogue, civil society, and civil religion. African Vibes is a one-stop global platform that connects the African diaspora to opportunities for growth, development, and social impact in Africa. Perhaps this is linked to the idea that Africa has an inadequate or substandard health care system. Therefore, this article will explore African spirituality, traditional religion, culture and the present way of life. Gender dynamics are important in African indigenous religions and in cultural systems, so much so that women goddesses and women-invented rituals are commonplace. Unlike other world religions that have written scriptures, oral sources form the core of indigenous African religions. Africa is poor. . As spirits, the ancestors are more powerful than living humans, and they continue to play a role in community affairs after their deaths, acting as intermediaries between God and those still living.6 Finally, I would add that Africans live their faith rather than compartmentalize it into something to be practiced on certain days or in particular places. Apart from a few instances in West Africa, where women actually ruled as kings, the designation queen was not often used in isolation from the position itself (which was defined in male terms). In digging up facts I found that, while many Africans say that homosexuality is un-African, African culture is no stranger to homosexual behaviours and acts. 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. If you take these reports at face value, you may start to believe that all Africans are poor. Many foreign nations and organizations do send aid to African countries. In the primordial era, various forms of ethnic indigenous religions spread across the African continent, providing cohesive foundations of nations, peoples, and religious worldviews. These oral sources are intricately interwoven into arts, political and social structure, and material culture. The culture believes and traditions of the people of Africa is vast and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way. Rather, institutional religion continues to grow in relevance and in the national imagination, whether its invocations are part of conversations concerning nation building, Maitatsine and Boko Haram violence, the secularism debate, the Sharia debate, the question of Islamic banking, or the role of the Organization of Islamic Conference. 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. Advertisement. For example, James George Frazer (18541941) and Edward B. Tylor (18321917) classified indigenous religious practices of natives not as universally religious or generative of religious cultures but as forms of primitive religion or magic arising from the lower of three stages of human progress. By Jacob K. Olupona. Portia Zvavahera, His Presence, 2013, oil-based printing ink on paper. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Since growth and innovation come as a pair, it is impossible to say that African countries are growing without being innovative. Africa is often seen as a poor Country and one that cant do without the help of the western world. Whether these words carry weight or simply make for a good quote, the fact remains that Africans are unique. Like Mbiti and Green, Magesa notes that the world of African Traditional Religion is a hierarchically ordered place where, God is seen as the Great ancestor, the first Founder and the Progenitor, the Giver of Life behind everything that exists. African spirituality more generallyand Nigerian spirituality in particularis shaped by how individuals in their daily existence make sense of their interactions with religious experience. Please note: All over the continent, cosmological myths describe a complicated process, whether the universe evolves from preexisting objects or from Gods mere thought or speech. These traditions have been passed from one generation to the next. History text fails to capture the depth of pre-colonial African Civilization. Nature spirits are associated with objects seen in nature, such as mountains, the sun, or trees, or natural forces such as wind and rain. Indigenous traditions, however, did not capitulate to these forms, but, rather, creatively domesticated the new faiths, absorbing new rituals and tenets into their own belief systems and responding to the exogenous modernity in its wake. But, the continent of Africa is far from poor. 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 . It all depends on the time of the year. Absolute as Supreme, infinite and everlasting mind. Examples are mobile innovations such as Flutterwave, Sproxil, and Paystack. Also, about 30 % of the earths remaining mineral resources are in Africa. 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