GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. 75 19 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. Vodou is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. 0000002026 00000 n GAZETTE: How do you balance your Christian and indigenous African identity? He later earned both an M.A. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. 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. Moreover, the religions developed in the Americas impact Africa in that devotees of the African diaspora have significant influence on practices in Africa. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . 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. 0000014207 00000 n X0#J++?U;_3_gmx9[F\"{,Um1yu 9 ?ce%9EG`N: &U0EHC$p4=$'=DlX6M_7,--" After that date there will be more Christians in the south than in the north. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. 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. 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 five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main 817-820. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. 93 0 obj Updates? There is even a community deep in the American Bible Belt in Beaufort County, S.C., called Oyotunji Village that practices a type of African indigenous religion, which is a mixture of Yoruba and Ewe-Fon spiritual practices. 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. But to the disappointment of those theological exporters, this fish was not attracted by the bait. "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. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. 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. 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 0000000016 00000 n Some Africans believe that the ancestors are equal in power to deities, while others believe they are not. Religious pluralism serves peace. 0000005714 00000 n An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Religion Online is designed to assist teachers, scholars and general seekers who are interested in exploring religious issues. I should also state that there are signs of the revival of African indigenous practices in many parts of Africa. Supreme Court may halt health care guarantees for inmates, Why police resist reforms to militarization, Historian says Fla. dispute shows why AP class in African American studies is needed, Low-carb diet can help manage progression of Type 2 diabetes, Those breezy TV drug ads? Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. 0000001791 00000 n The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. 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. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. endobj (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax GAZETTE: But yet you said its a mixed bag? 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. African development. Author of. I find the traditional Western distinction between "special revelation" and "general revelation" to be inadequate and unfreeing. (See the glossary for more information on juju. degree at Harvard Divinity School. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. 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. Everywhere he went in southwestern Nigeria, he never opposed or spoke out against African culture including initiation rites, festivals, and traditional Yoruba dress as long as it didnt directly conflict with Christianity. In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. Robinson, came out. 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. The Yoruba, however, do have a concept of a supreme being, called Olorun or Olodumare, and this creator god of the universe is empowered by the various orisa [deities] to create the earth and carry out all its related functions, including receiving the prayers and supplications of the Yoruba people. (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. In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Liberia and Mozambique, Muslims account for between 15% and 30% of survey respondents. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. 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. Yet consider that in 1900 most Africans in sub-Saharan Africa practiced a form of indigenous African religions. 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. Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. It doesnt have a fixed creed, like in some forms of Christianity or Islam. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. I am very excited, for example, by the estimate that in 1987 there will be a statistical balance of Christian population between the north (Europe, Soviet Union and America) and the south (Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania). For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. 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. Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation. Updates? A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. But I have discovered that there is also the fundamental factor of African religion, without which this phenomenal expansion of Christianity would not be a reality. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. 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. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. That which had been seen as the enemy of the gospel turns out (to me) to be indeed a very welcoming friend. In the cities, local hierarchies of priestesses or priests (manbo and oungan), children of the spirits (ounsi), and ritual drummers (ountgi) comprise more formal societies or congregations (sosyete). Focuses on the influences of Africans and African ideas on the mission enterprise, conversion, religious innovation, and church life, but it neglects to cover the . So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. Outline of the Curricular Framework: Anglicanization Atlantic slave trade "Atlantic World" Barbados (sugar) British-American system of slavery the Carolinas (rice) Caste system cereal crops Colonial resistance Dominion of New England Enlightenment Furs Great Awakening Indentured Servants Mercantilism Metis Models of colonization Molasses Act It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. While the recourse to traditional healers may be motivated in part by economic reasons and an absence of health care alternatives, it may also be rooted in religious beliefs about the efficacy of this approach. 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. As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. 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. But I feel that the issue of looking at African history in light of the biblical understanding of history is clearly called for. Awolawu and Depamu (1979) Some individuals have criticized these books -- and no book is perfect. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). 0000001198 00000 n It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? That finished the interview. settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. 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. 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. The defining line between deities and ancestors is often contested, but overall, ancestors are believed to occupy a higher level of existence than living human beings and are believed to be able to bestow either blessings or illness upon their living descendants. Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people.