African spirituality is truly holistic. 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 Corrections? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. He sees the other faith as complementing and even adding spiritual potency to his own spiritual practice of constructing effective amulets. Christianity in Africa dates to the very inception of the church. It publishes a journal Anthropologica and has reclaimed the name of its former journal, Culture for its occasional online bulletin. 0000015705 00000 n Vodou represents a syncretism of the West African Vodun religion and Roman Catholicism by the descendants of the Dahomean, Kongo, Yoruba, and other ethnic groups who had been enslaved and transported to colonial Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known then) and partly Christianized by Roman Catholic . It is the southern two-thirds of Africa (including Madagascar) which we can rightly call Christian Africa, as the northern one-third is Muslim Africa. Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. In the 17th century a movement led by the German Protestant theologian George Calixtus aimed at reconciling the differences between the Protestants in Germany, but his efforts were disparaged by orthodox Christian leaders as syncretistic. Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 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 The editor of The Christian Century has given me an undeserved privilege in asking me to contribute some reflections on "How My Mind Has Changed" in the course of the past decade. stream The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (serve the spirits)to offer prayers and perform various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour. 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. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. 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. In the other case no such written record exists. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer, By Anthony Chiorazzi Harvard Correspondent. In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. 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. 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. The God described in the Bible is none other than the God who is already known in the framework of our traditional African religiosity. trailer I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. 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. There is not space here to argue the case for the role played by African religion in the establishment of the Christian faith in Africa. 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. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. This is not a biblical distinction. Yet . (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. 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. Anthropologica 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. Omissions? All too often, the result is conflict and radicalisation. %PDF-1.3 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. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. "The success of Christianity and Islam on the African continent in the last 100 years has been extraordinary, but it has been, unfortunately, at the expense of African indigenous religions," said Olupona. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. 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. 43. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. While Islam and Christianity tend to . These impinge upon their daily life- and experience of the Christian faith. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. 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. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. In most of the 19 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, 90% or more of the respondents say they belong to one of these faiths. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. 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. 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. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. The theological horizon continues to expand. GAZETTE: Are ancestors considered deities in the traditional African cosmology? As the map in the preface to this report shows, sub-Saharan Africa is much more religiously mixed than northern Africa, where the population is overwhelmingly Muslim. %%EOF I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. There are other areas of exploration in which I continue to be engaged. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. The success of Christianity and Islam on the African continent in the last 100 years has been extraordinary, but it has been, unfortunately, at the expense of African indigenous religions. It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. During religious rites, believers sometimes enter a trancelike state in which the devotee may eat and drink, perform stylized dances, give supernaturally inspired advice to people, or perform medical cures or special physical feats; these acts exhibit the incarnate presence of the lwa within the entranced devotee. In four countries (Chad, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria and Tanzania), the number of Christians and Muslims is more equally divided, with a ratio of less than two-to-one in either direction.2 The other countries surveyed are predominantly Christian with Muslim minorities of varying sizes. The numerous traditional African religions have in common the notion of a creator god, who made the world and then withdrew, remaining remote from the concerns of human life. xref 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. 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. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. He went on to conduct some of the most significant research on African religions in decades. But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. For example, in 14 of the 19 countries surveyed, more than three-in-ten people say they sometimes consult traditional healers when someone in their household is sick. 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? It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. AR-Ndhdnn}H\{%jC!a,]c8F`1LE(3%"w+tj}](q w[,p8i$dd$GrMRD K4wLG4@h\WfPY C'est l'poque de la colonisation belge que les premiers missionnaires catholiques et protestants sont arrivs dans cette rgion du Zare. settlements formed by African slaves who ran away from imprisonment the Americas Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. And this witness deserves ones support through service and prayer. God was not a stranger to African peoples. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. 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. I should add that without claiming to be full members of indigenous traditions, there are many professed Christians and Muslims who participate in one form of indigenous religious rituals and practices or another. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. God is not insensitive to the history of peoples other than Israel. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. The Pew Forums survey found 52% of the population is Muslim. It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. 75 19 Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. For example, followers can seek spiritual direction and relief from healers, medicine men and women, charms [adornments often worn to incur good luck], amulets [adornments often used to ward off evil], and diviners [spiritual advisers]. 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. That finished the interview. Because of this, Africa is now home to some of the world's largest Christian and Muslim communities. 75 0 obj Instead, God brought them. As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. Updates? In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. 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. 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. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. In particular, the concepts about God provide one area of great commonality. All these spirits are believed to live in a mythic land called Ginen, a cosmic Africa. The God of the Christian Bible is understood to be the creator of both the universe and the spirits; the spirits were made by God to help him govern humanity and the natural world. Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. He has researched and written about such diverse religious cultures as the Hare Krishnas, Zoroastrians, Shakers, and the Old Order Amish. 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. This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. Request Permissions, Published By: Canadian Anthropology Society. 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. They will certainly be overwhelming, and I feel very excited about them. I completed my doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge in 1963, the year that Honest to God, by J.A.T. I have seen the quest more sharply. My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 4: Interreligious Harmony and Tensions, In the U.S. and Western Europe, people say they accept Muslims, but opinions are divided on Islam, In Western Europe, familiarity with Muslims is linked to positive views of Muslims and Islam, Q&A: Measuring attitudes toward Muslims and Jews in Western Europe, Europes Muslim population will continue to grow but how much depends on migration, The Growth of Germanys Muslim Population, Size & Demographic Characteristics of Religious Groups, Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 60% of Americans Would Be Uncomfortable With Provider Relying on AI in Their Own Health Care, Gender pay gap in U.S. hasnt changed much in two decades. Reuben Kigame, the Kenyan Christian musician and apologist, has rightly suggested that considering the fact that Christianity existed in Africa for a good eighteen centuries before the. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. 0000002505 00000 n 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society

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