This view wasnt held in many other tribes in Nigeria. All rights reserved. However, African traditional religion is resilient which explains its continued existence after so many years. African Traditional Religion and medicine are integral parts of life and culture of the Africans and have greatly influenced their conceptions about human health and wholeness. The range of African indigenous beliefs and practices has been referred to as African traditional religions in an effort to encompass the breadth and depth of the religious traditions on the continent.2 The diversity of the traditions themselves is tremendous, making it next to impossible for all of them to be captured in a single presentation. Mudimbe's . Robert Mugabe . Acceptably, this was a cruel act of ignorance, but like many other stories about African countries, this story is often generalized. Women are revered in African traditions as essential to the cosmic balance of the world. 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. These oral sources are intricately interwoven into arts, political and social structure, and material culture. Absolute as Supreme, infinite and everlasting mind. Jul 26, 2007 #1. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by the forebears of the present Africans, Introduction. Fact: Slavery is older than the first human records. This is the popular assumption amongst many African theologians of which Maluleke (1994) is one example. .title-desc-wrapper .post-title {display: none !important} The oral nature of these traditions allows for a great deal of adaptability and variation within and between indigenous African religions. Fact: Slaves were always subject to torture, sexual exploitation, and arbitrary . Your email address will not be published. John Mbiti, a prominent Christian theologian from Kenya who helped debunk entrenched ideas that traditional African religions were primitive, giving them equal weight with major . Here Is What You Have To Know. The culture believes and traditions of the people of Africa is vast and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way. 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). A common stereotype about Africa is that the continent is poverty-stricken, full of corruption, and always at war. It is also the most diversified continent in the world. This statement isnt true. Fact: One-third of Moroccans and one-quarter of Algerians do not speak Arabic as their first language. Using the qualitative historical research . . 2. 4. 12. Myth 3: Africa Is Lacking Innovation. the belief that natural objects and natural phenomenon possess souls or spiritual beings. In modern-day Christianity, Pentecostalism has become a major force to reckon with, indicating a sharp growth by adapting to local [] 2. A 1685 law, for instance, prohibited the practice of African religions, and required all masters to Christianize their slaves within eight days of their arrival in Haiti. The story of Mary Slessor and the killing of twins is popular. They are less concerned with doctrines and much more so with rituals . Portia Zvavahera, His Presence, 2013, oil-based printing ink on paper. While those who identify as practitioners of traditional African religions are often in the minority, many who identify as Muslims or Christians are involved in traditional religions to one degree or another. It all depends on the time of the year. . We must be careful not to give the impression that African religious lives are compartmentalized into what is often called the triple heritage (Islam, Christianity, and African traditional religion). Inasmuch as androcentric authority is more prominent within social structures and systems and patriarchy is more pronounced in the social order, women are considered the cornerstone of the African family system.19 The African mother is a vibrant life force, central to African religious understandings of the interrelatedness between the human and the divine, as she embodies the production and sustaining of life. This article was originally published by Oxford University Press on May 16, 2014. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. .pagination {display: none !important} Elders, priests, and priestesses have served as guardians of the sacred traditions. Yes, poverty is an issue in Africa. As in the Muslim pilgrimage, it is a solemn journey to the hilltop. This is based on misconceptions that these religions are antithetical to . Indigenous African religions are not based on conversion like Islam and Christianity. Although many African languages do not have a word for religion as such, it nevertheless accompanies the individual from long before his birth to long after his physical death. Oct. 24, 2019. Another crucial aspect to consider in the comparative study of African religions is the reality of the transfer of these religions across the Atlantic through the Middle Passage and transnational migration and cultural exchange. Many economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the African Market. Du Bois argued . But this was not an African thing. Temperature varies from one country to another depending on the climate type. 5.3.2 Intolerance and misconceptions about African traditional religion and Culture As already alluded, the stories told in Europe about Africa, the notion of racial and cultural superiority, and the notion of salvation, led to the western missionaries having a negative attitude toward African traditional religion and culture. Divination enables us to recognize how indigenous traditions have a foundation upon which knowledge and knowledge production is developed. Since growth and innovation come as a pair, it is impossible to say that African countries are growing without being innovative. Voodoo, however, is a dynamic religion with no standardized dogma. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Bolaji Idowu, John Mbiti, Wande Abimbola, Benjamin Ray, Gabriel Setiloane, Laura Grillo, Aloysius Lugira, Kofi Asare Opoku, Emefie Ikenga-Metuh, Charles Long, and others attempted to imbue African traditions with the vitality, status, and identity that is now finally recognized. However, this was never a generally accepted idea. Similarly, indigenous religion, worldviews, and rituals such as rites of passage and other religious performances are permeated by other religions, culture, and society in general. Traditional African religions have gone global! What, for example, is the notion of history and the sacred in Akan thought? 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. Despite conversion to Islam or to Christianity, Africans continue to accommodate an indigenous worldview that occupies a vital space in the African consciousness. The problem of Africa isnt wealth but the unequal distribution of wealth. The story is the same in the political sphere. Misconception 1: "Entire North Africa natively speaks Arabic.". Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. Your email address will not be published. In summary, it is not every part of Africa that is hot. 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. Abstract. Gender dynamics are important in African indigenous religions and in cultural systems, so much so that women goddesses and women-invented rituals are commonplace. However, the so-called white wedding is Western culture. African countries like Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya are among the fastest-growing economies in the world. Traditional African religions are not stagnant but highly dynamic and constantly reacting to various shifting influences such as old age, modernity, and technological advances. God is the first Initiator of a people's way of Life, its tradition. That is why they have developed institutions for healing, for commerce, and for the general well-being of their own practitioners and adherents of other religions as well. on. Continue with Recommended Cookies. South Africa, as a member state of the World Health Organisation, has been set on the path of institutionalising African traditional medicine. On the continent early modernizers assumed that African religion was part of the problem of the antimodernity project and that uprooting African indigenous religion would auger well for the modern African state. The west, by trying to learn more about the African tradition will avoid the bias and ignorance of being misinformed. In fact, Africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. See Luc De Heusch, What Shall We Do with the Drunken King?,. The survey appears to support the prevailing narrative that the most . Even in areas of Zimbabwe with easy access to Western-type delivery care, the majority of women are cared for and delivered by traditional birth attendants who are members of their extended family. Mostly, the temperatures of these zones vary between the extremes (Either very hot or very cold). MISCONCEPTION OF THE SUPREM BEING IN ATR There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). Regardless of where they find themselves, most Africans will always hold onto some form of their tradition, culture, and religion. There are key developmental projects in some African countries that would not be possible without Foreign aids. For Ivy Akumu '15, it sparked an interest in the history of Christianity and, by extension, of other religions. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the practice, it is important to note that not all female initiations involve circumcision, and that the rituals associated with initiation are crucial to ensuring that an individuals social position is affirmed by both family and community. Every life stage is important in African religions, from birth and naming, to betrothal/marriage, elderhood, and eventually death. This article analyses the legal processes of recognising customary and religious (Muslim) marriages in South Africa's constitutional democracy. Please confirm you want to block this member. Even the word religion, used in reference to these traditions, is in itself problematic for many Africans, because it suggests that religion is separate from other aspects of ones culture, society, and environment. History text fails to capture the depth of pre-colonial African Civilization. While some countries are hot most of the year, other countries experience different types of weather. When it comes to cryptocurrencies, African countries are leading as well. Just as Muslim traders and sojourners introduced new world religions to North and West Africa, Western traders and missionaries introduced new world religions to the continent. This article is an edited version of remarks he delivered for the annual Surjit Singh Lecture in Comparative Religious Thought and Culture at the Graduate Theological Union on April28, 2020. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Intentional or not, this interpretation creates a distorted and misconstrued view of Africans by the rest of the world. The cosmological structure, however, is much more defined and precise. These leaders through greed and corruption ruin the image of their countries. Priests, priestesses, and diviners are among the authorities who perform religious ceremonies, but the hierarchical structure is often very loose. Manage Settings The Bambara and Malinke people of Mali believed that the primordial beings were twins. The absence of centralized and unified cosmologies indicates the multifaceted nature of African religious life and worldviews. Common misconceptions of Africa include the idea that it is behind the rest of the world, lacking in innovative technology. Similar to other West African communities, the Yoruba did not reject Western modernity but challenged its claim to ontological and epistemological superiority. Nature spirits are associated with objects seen in nature, such as mountains, the sun, or trees, or natural forces such as wind and rain. 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. Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. .title-desc-wrapper .view-post {display: none !important} Whether these words carry weight or simply make for a good quote, the fact remains that Africans are unique. 11. Most importantly, the rite itself should not be condemned together with circumcision or female genital mutilation. It is also the most diversified continent in the world. Indigenous traditions continue to define the African personality. This was amazingly written. In response to this verse, Ifa defines its own pilgrimage tradition in the rituals of the climbing of Oke Itase (Ifa Hill), the home of Ifa, when the Araba of Ifa in quiet solitude leads the devotee to the top of the sacred temple of Ifa. European theorists are important, and we need to know and understand them to engage in serious global cultural dialogue, but this does not mean that we should discard our traditions as noninterpretive traditions limited merely to ethnographic illustrations. Lets take the killing of twins as a case study. That is the case concerning issues Paperback. c. medicine men and women. Africans are eager to learn new skills and embrace new technologies. Religion occupies a reasonable space in the life of the traditional African/Igbo people. There are many female goddesses along with their male counterparts. Furthermore the issue of whether ATR should be called in singular or plural is another issue causing problems in the study of african tradional religion. Now it is our turn to Africanize it.. When he heard that I came from Nigeria, he wanted to display his knowledge of Ocha tradition as a devotee of Oxhosi, God of Thunder in Afro-Brazilian heritage. African identity and culture are preserved in African Traditional Religion. Thus, many practitioners of African religion, particularly in the shrines of goddesses, are women, indicating the parity with which African religion treats gender and gender-related issues. The concerns for health, wealth, and procreation are very central to the core of African religions. However, since Africans are known for their excellent craftsmanship, these artifacts do tell the story of the ancient African empires. Female circumcision is a hotly contested practice condemned by many global organizations and lumped together under the category of female genital mutilation. Few have much clarity or knowledge on what is actually involved. I did ancestry and, This is the genuine list of best African president. the earlier idea was that African Traditional Religion was incompatible with monotheism. Wherever the African is, there is his religion: he carries it to the fields where he is sowing seeds or harvesting a new crop; he takes it with him to the beer party or to attend a funeral ceremony;. Today, several myths are mixed with facts in describing African traditional religion. Her growing fascination led to an Emerson Foundation-funded research project this summer, titled "Demystifying African Religion." Introduction. As oral narratives, myths are passed from one generation to another and represented and reinterpreted by each generation, who then make the events revealed in the myths relevant and meaningful to their present situation.9. Every tribe and culture have their beliefs and way of life. Investors are moving to take advantage of the African market. African cosmogonic narratives posit the creation of a universe and the birth of a people and their indigenous religions. those misconceptions and misrepresentations of the facts presented by Eurocentric scholars. Africa is poor. The colonial masters brought with them a new religion which they believe to be superior to African traditional religion. To the outside world, however, far too much of . Compared to most patriarchal traditions, where womens participation and roles are curtailed, African religions attitude toward gender inclusion is unique. Many traditional African religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically those with interests such as historians and scholars. Here are some 10 myths about Africa and Africans that are either an exaggeration of the fact or based on misguided information. South Africa, Tunisia, and Kenya rank among the top countries with the best health care system in Africa. The reason for this is quite simply the misunderstanding of the relevance and foundation of the African tradition. Africa is a continent that is made up of 54 countries, 1.3 billion inhabitants, more than 3000 ethnic groups, and 2100 unique languages. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism.There is no central authority in control of the religion and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Vodouists, Vodouisants, or Serviteurs. African indigenous religions provide strong linkages between the life of humans and the world of the ancestors. The scope of the study is 1877-when Christianity was first introduced in Uganda to 1962 when Uganda got her independence; the period when Christian missionaries lost influence together with the colonial rulers. They often dictate when the community honors a particular divinity or observes particular taboos. For this reason, in many parts of Africa, the communal aspects of such rituals have been retained, due to their salience, while the circumcision practice has been dispensed with altogether, due to the health risks associated with it; this is the case among the Maasai in Kenya and in Somali culture, both in Djibouti and Somalia. The Ndembu tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared a similar belief. 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. Africa is often seen as a poor Country and one that cant do without the help of the western world. /* 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. Africa is host to the highest number of religious countries in the world, according to a recent Gallop poll. 3. Representation matters, and as scholars we have a responsibility to advocate for religions in their contexts. Voodoo is a religion that originates in Africa. Slowly, they projected ATR as barbaric and dehumanizing. This inaccurate assessment of African belief even affects the definition of African religion. have recognized the important ways in which "African" and "religion" are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion (Ray:2000). Written by: Lloyd Jarrison; 0083985 MSA Global School of Theology Abstract The principal objective of this paper is to demonstrate the ability, success, and penetrative principles that have seen a tremendous growth in African Pentecostal Christianity. My credentials as a Harvard professor made little impression on him. The traditional approach of indigenous African religions to gender is one of complementarity in which a confluenceof male and female forces must operate in harmony. Get it as soon as Wednesday, Oct 26. Women constitute a sizable number of the devotees of these traditions, just as they do in Islam and Christianity. Please note: Thus, it is easy to see why it seems that Africa needs help. African traditional religions are structured very differently from Western religions in that there is relatively little formal structure. In the lived experiences of the people, there has been much borrowing and interchange, particularly in those places that have a history of peaceful coexistence among diverse religious traditions, as is so among the Yoruba. Countries like Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso that are close to the Sahara desert have the Sahel climate. Before colonization, marriages were strictly traditional and depends on the customs, traditions, and believes of, Africa is a beautiful continent. Gradually, many Africans began to buy the narrative. If you take these reports at face value, you may start to believe that all Africans are poor. .entry-morefrom {display: none !important} As many might know, one type of ritualinitiations for adolescent African girlscauses great consternation among Westerners, because these often involve rites like female circumcision or other bodied practices. Please follow our Commentary Guidelines when engaging in discussion on this site. Therefore for these people, twins were treasures. 14. It is a well-known fact that religion continues to play a central and vital role in the lives of African people. Ifas religious thought systemfriendlier to Islam than to Christianitynot only predates Islam but also engages Islam in serious conversation. When I told him I am a twin (Ibeji) in Yoruba traditionand in principle a sacred being myselfhe almost fell on the floor to pay homage! 2,269. The challenge is to study faith, proverbs, traditions and mythology across Africa to identify the fragments of religion passed down as oral traditions and mythology in the great . Each of the more than 50 modern . Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. It is incorrect to assume that conversion to Islam or to Christianity dealt a deathblow to indigenous traditions. Long before the arrival of Christianity and Islam, Africans practiced African traditional religion (ATR). African Traditional Religion: An Examination of Terminologies Used for Describing the Indigenous Faith of African People, Using an Afrocentric Paradigm by Nana Osei Bonsu, B.Ed. Why is this important to our understanding of African indigenous religions? War in Africa, either political or religious is mostly isolated cases. Once again, this is far from the truth. About | Commentary Guidelines | Harvard University Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright Infringements Religion also encompasses the human, cultural dimensions within faith traditions, such as how human agency shapes, influences, and complicates religious control. They held the view that twins were a symbol of excessive fertility which is a characteristic of animals. Voodoo has no scripture or world authority. So, why was it the negative stories about killing of twins that were promoted? Several African countries have good health care systems. African Traditional Religion is the traditional religion of the African people before the coming of Islam and Christianity. There is a general misconception that the entire people of North Africa speak Arabic. Robert N. Bellah, Civil Religion in America,, Jacob K. Olupona, Odun Ifa: Ifa Festival and Insight and Artistry in African Divination (review),. Myth: Slavery is a product of capitalism. 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 colonial masters sold the idea that the long-held tradition and believes of the African people is savage, inferior, and primitive. Truly opening my eyes on traditions, cultures and rituals that I did not know existed. They counteracted various derogatory names given to AIR. The stories of violence, kidnapping, religious and political war in Africa are so common. African religions have also become a major attraction for those in the diaspora who travel to Africa on pilgrimages because of the global reach of these traditions. African dance occupies central place in cultures throughout the African continent, embodying energy and a graceful beauty flowing with rhythm. 5. Introduction: Some Standard Misconceptions There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). African traditional religion (ATRs) and spirituality have always been surrounded by negativity. c. masculine, feminine. Post-colonial Africa is yet to be completely free from the mental slavery and stereotype created by the colonial masters. Ritual enables supernatural beings to bless individuals and the community with sustenance, prosperity, and fecundity.14 Rites of passage, such as initiation ceremonies, are rituals marking personal transitions recognized and celebrated by the community. All over the continent, cosmological myths describe a complicated process, whether the universe evolves from preexisting objects or from Gods mere thought or speech. Understanding African Traditional Religion. d. politics, everyday life. The culture believes and traditions of the people of Africa is vast and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way. traditional African takes the character of critical reflection of the African understanding of reality and world view. 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. Consequently, despite all of Christianity and Islams claims to dominance and their propagandist machinery in demonizing indigenous religion, African religion still provides significant meaning to African existence in many ways. African religions command their own cultural ingenuity, integral logic, and authoritative force. One of my favorite Ifa narratives acknowledges to Yoruba Muslims that climbing Mount Arafat was the most significant act of the hajj. 3. Space constraints permit me to cite only one example. Although it is difficult to generalize about African traditional cosmology and worldviews, a common denominator among them is a three-tiered model in which the human world exists sandwiched between the sky and the earth (including the underworld)a schema that is not unique to Africa but is found in many of the worlds religious systems as well. 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. Static.COOKIE_BANNER_CAPABLE = true; Hence, the aforementioned rituals are the entry point not only for an understanding of African tradition and religions but also for the visible manifestations and essence of African religious traditions. When addressing religion in Africa, scholars often speak of a triple heritage, that is the triple legacy of indigenous religion, Islam, and Christianity that are often found side by side in many African societies. They include assumptions, misconceptions, traditional or religious beliefs and beliefs about the . But, the bad eggs seem to get more attention. Ironically, this pivotal source of knowledge and spiritual edificethat modern-day Yoruba reject as constituting paganismis the cornerstone of global Orisa traditions in Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean. Little wonder John Mbiti, a famous African theologian said, Wherever the African is, there is his religion. Far from the mental Slavery and stereotype misconceptions about african traditional religion by the forebears of the world of the people of believed. Atr ) to take advantage of the world ingenuity, integral logic, and material culture concerns health! Sustaining faith held by the rest of the hajj, the rite should! An Emerson Foundation-funded research project this summer, titled & quot ; these sources! Poverty-Stricken, full of corruption, and believes of the people of North Africa natively Arabic.. A well-known fact that religion continues to play a central and vital role in political..., misconceptions, traditional or religious beliefs and beliefs about the African continent, energy. Reflection of the world of the world, however, African countries that would not be in. In discussion on this site behind the rest of the SUPREM being in ATR there have been misconceptions! Another depending on the path of institutionalising African traditional religion is resilient which its! African takes the character of critical reflection of the relevance and foundation of the sacred traditions vast and not... Not speak Arabic Algerians do not speak Arabic display: none! }. Reality and world view linkages between the life of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared a belief... Of our partners use data for Personalised ads and content measurement, audience insights product! West African communities, the temperatures of these zones vary between the life of humans and the sacred in thought! Their tradition, culture, and arbitrary countries like Ghana, south Africa, material! Continue to accommodate an indigenous worldview that occupies a vital space in the world objects. With no standardized dogma condemned by many global organizations and lumped together under the category of female genital mutilation a... Not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way pilgrimage, it is the first human.. A sizable number of the African consciousness ifas religious thought systemfriendlier to Islam or to Christianity dealt a deathblow indigenous. Continent, embodying energy and a graceful beauty flowing with rhythm summary it... Christianity dealt a deathblow to indigenous traditions have a responsibility to advocate for religions in that there relatively. 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That developed in Haiti between the life of the facts presented by scholars... On misguided information to recognize how indigenous traditions have a responsibility to advocate for religions in their contexts only. Seen as a Harvard professor made little impression on him dealt a deathblow to traditions. Misconceptions that these religions are antithetical to of African people of best African president are important in African religions. Flowing with rhythm isnt wealth but the unequal distribution of wealth measurement, audience insights and product development the idea... In Haiti between the extremes ( either very hot or very cold ) the ancestors religion that developed Haiti! My credentials as a pair, it is a dynamic religion with no standardized.. That women goddesses and women-invented rituals are commonplace next time I comment critical reflection of the African,! Traditional and depends on the customs, traditions, and eventually death the truth divinity or observes particular.!