Though larger religions have made big inroads, african spirituality, a belief. African religion is traditional for the following reasons. African traditional spirituality as an african heritage must be taken seriously for a fuller understanding of african christian spirituality, particularly of the african pentecostal churches. The first is that the context of this article is subsahara africa. Apr 17, 2016 families were split apart and children were sold. The religious beliefs, practices and thehuman characteristics such as love, power, knowledge are transferred to anspeak of african traditional religion we mean the indigenous. Traditional african societies also observe environmental ethics that help in regulating their interactions with the natural environment shastri et al. The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the.
They are folk religions, and combine different beliefs. Tabona shoko analyses the traditional karanga views of the causes of illness and disease, mechanisms of diagnosis at their disposal and the methods they use to restore health, shoko discusses the views of a specific african independent church of the apostolic tradition. African traditional religion religion is a difficult subject to inquiry including attempts at definition and conception. Do the tools used by todays scholars of religion, their ways of gathering information, and their. It presents the worldview, philosophical nature and foundation of african traditional religion.
Traditional african religions are the traditions of the religious groups in africa. Its study has to go handinhand with the study of the people who practise the religion. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs. Some of the african traditional religions are those of the serer of senegal, the yoruba and. An african child growing in this environment will uphold african culture, norms and standards as the only acceptable way of life. Exploring the african traditional belief systems in natural. African world view, all life is religionfarrington 1998. African traditional religions religion in zimbabwe.
Each facet of a black africans life is bound to his traditional religious way of life or culture. African traditional religion and concepts of development. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of former generations. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage. Jun 11, 2015 in african traditional religion the spirits are always present, and requests and offerings are made to them for health, prosperity, and protection.
Box 4384400100, nairobi, kenya abstract it is the opinion consensuses of a few scholars that the institution of marriage has continued to. A person must be born in a particular african people in order to be able to follow african religion. Slaves were often punished for speaking their native languages or taking part in african traditional rituals. It also shows that the worship of god in african traditional religion is through sacrifices, offerings, singing, dancing and prayers. There is a specific cult of olodumare in y orubaland. Christianity in africa and in most parts of africa even in india was a precursor of colonisation. And we agree with professor idowu that the purpose of the study should be. The effects of christianity on traditional african religions. The african traditional religion is an integral part of black africans everyday life. The major faiths practiced in south africa are christianity, islam, hinduism, traditional african religions and judaism. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. What is the role of ancestors in traditional african communities.
This paper is a trawl of literature on african traditional religion1 atr and. If we are going to speak of traditional african concepts and customs regarding marriage and the family, a few clarifications are called for. In sierra leone, botswana, and burkina faso more than 33 percent follow african religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. Myths of african traditional religions introduction religion creates a significant part of african life. The study of african traditional religion the study of african traditional religion atr is very exciting, fascinating, but sadly uncared for and very much unregarded even by the africans, who very often, out of sheer ignorance, misinformation or naivity have not bothered to know its worth or importance.
African culture has experienced rapid change since the colonial invasion. African traditional religion in a globalizing world. The continued influence of traditional african religion is also evident in some aspects of daily. African religion cannot be separated from daily life. The paper attempts to demonstrate the vast potentials of oral tradition as a vehicular access to understanding african beliefs and practices. The religious beliefs, practices and the provision of social services of these immigrant religions have impacted on the religious and cultural life of the traditional communities. The best interpreter of african religion is the african with a disciplined mind and the requisite technical tools. African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil. Africa, the place of origin of all humankind, is divided into numerous political and cultural regions, reflecting its diverse range of histories, ethnicities, languages, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage and sexuality dr. African traditional religion atr is the faith of indigenous african people, and the majority of communities in africa south of the sahara desert practise it whilst islam is the dominant religion in north africa. In discussing african culture and values, we are not presupposing that all african societies have the same. Jun 02, 2015 myths of african traditional religions 1. The main objective of this paper is to examine african culture and values.
Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural. The term african traditional religion in this thesis refers to all the indigenous religions of ghana before contact with arabs and europeans. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa. Prior to this contact, each tribe in ghana had its own distinct set of beliefs and practices, which could be referred to as the tribes religion. African traditional religion, in that there is the belief that the gods and the ancestors could assume eshy form and visit relatives or people as strangers or sick people in order to put their. Traditional african religions generally believe in an afterlife, one or more spirit worlds, and ancestor worship is an important basic concept in mostly all african religions. These teachers sacrificed their time in teaching african traditional religion in their classes.
It is a matter of perspective, whether one lays emphasis on the supreme being or on the many. This revision of a standard text lj 775 provides an excellent overview of native religion in africa. This is a 3hour summary lecture on the basic components of african traditional religions. Mbiti, african religions and philosophy, heineman, 1969, p. Local african culture was oppressed for many years by white south africans, who find their cultural roots in western countries. Guineabissau, liberia, and the ivory coast african religion is the majority religion. African traditional religion south african history online. The practicality of teaching african traditional religion in schools would not have been proved if it were not the efforts and willingness of mr robert stonier, mrs z johnson, mr d adonis and mr z ndamandama. The people from europe, america, and asia cannot be converted to african religion as it is more removed from their geographical and cultural setting. Religion in africa is multifaceted and has been a major influence on art, culture and philosophy. In general, people in the cities confess to either christianity or islam. African traditional religion is very pragmatic and apply to the need as it arises.
These figures represent people who primarily follow african traditional religion. As in most of subsaharan africa, atr is the indigenous religion of sierra leone. The traditional african religions are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. Pdf god, divinities and spirits in african traditional. After christianity and islam, they are the thirdbiggest religious group in africa. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and.
Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions. Religion, centre for west african studies, centre for the study of global ethics. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the africans. In practice, most of the rituals and day to day religious. African traditional religion cannot easily be studied by nonafricans. John set out to refute some of the erroneous claims about african traditional religion. Contemporary african culture is a mixture of traditional elements and alien features. This controversy and misunderstanding misconception continued until the 1970s and 1980s whensome african indigenous scholars like bolaji e. New religious movements nrm in west african traditional religion. Traditional african healing has been in existence for many centuries yet many people still seem not to understand how it relates to god and religionspirituality. Religion informs everything in traditional african society, including.
Traditional african religious beliefs and practices pew. It is the creation and maintenance, through the academic study of religion, of a new form of life. African traditional religion atr and cultural practices in most parts of african communities are environmentally friendly and sustainable, contributing so much. African traditional religion simple english wikipedia, the. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by. It also offers a useful and uptodate list of books for more advanced reading, questions for. The initiation of a christian driven slave trade was a very detrimental blow to african culture. The invention of african traditional religion sciencedirect. The main characteristics of african traditional religion. Aug 07, 2014 there are many reasons why i ascribe to my traditional african religion or customs. This paper examines the concept and philosophy of african traditional religion from the viewpoint of africans.