Photo: Pinterest. Another misbelief about Africa is that all Africans are the same. South Africa, as a member state of the World Health Organisation, has been set on the path of institutionalising African traditional medicine. Some African countries even adopted the language of their colonial masters as the Lingua Franca. Indigenous religions are definitive of the African identity, as African religion and cultures provide the language, the ethos, the knowledge, and the ontology that enable the proper formation of African personhood, communal identity, and values that constitute kernels of African ethnic assemblages. Humans are thus able to maintain constant and symbiotic relations with their ancestors who are understood to be intimately concerned and involved in their descendants everyday affairs. Some biblical cosmological narratives have parallels in African cosmogony, for example, when the Supreme Being summons the hosts of heaven and declares to them, Come let us make man in our own image. This same script appears in the creation of the Yoruba world, when Olodumare designates to the Orisa (deities), the job of creating the universe. 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. Esu was represented as a stone mound in the front yard of ancient Yoruba compounds. The ability of the Black community to call on the spirits and ways of its ancestors is crucial to its continu .sqs-featured-posts-gallery .title-desc-wrapper .view-post African Cosmology. African traditional religion (ATRs) and spirituality have always been surrounded by negativity. have recognized the important ways in which "African" and "religion" are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion (Ray:2000). The diviner, therefore, is also a counselor, psychologist, medicine man or woman, and the spiritual guardian of villages and towns. However, the missionaries of the two foreign religions succeeded in converting some African people to the new religions. Its almost as if pre-colonial Africa never existed. 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. Hence the misguided notion that Africans are corrupt. Many traditional African religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically those with interests such as historians and scholars. The battle between the African traditional religion and western civilization has been raging on for years. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. the earlier idea was that African Traditional Religion was incompatible with monotheism. But Ifa divination predates Western modernity. Myth #2. .p-summary {display: none !important} About | Commentary Guidelines | Harvard University Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright Infringements Many African people believe that when a person dies their spirit lives on in the spirit world and that this spirit continues to watch over the living, based on . These leaders through greed and corruption ruin the image of their countries. MISCONCEPTION OF THE SUPREM BEING IN ATR There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). inadequacies, objections and misconceptions, the practice has come to stay. The African tradition of female circumcision is the ritual of the rite of passage from girlhood into the realm of womanhood. There is a general misconception that the entire people of North Africa speak Arabic. Having tried to dispel some of the misconceptions . In this essay, I attempt to refocus the centrality of indigenous religion, not only in defining African cosmology and an African worldview, but also in defining the African personality in the twenty-first century. . Whatever it is, the assumption that Africa is lacking innovation is laughable. Depending on the kind of religious activity being performed, different religious authorities can be leaders for specific events. The story is the same in the political sphere. To understand Africans, one must understand the African religion. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. In these times of intense turmoil, people of African descent are facing serious threats and challenges to their well-being. Religion also encompasses the human, cultural dimensions within faith traditions, such as how human agency shapes, influences, and complicates religious control. Based on sacred narratives, these traditions espoused their unique worldviews, defining cosmologies, ritual practices, sociopolitical frameworks, and ethical standards, as well as social and personal identity. For one thing, a sizable number of African myths deal with events considered to have actually happened as narrated by the people themselves or as reformulated into symbolic expressions of historical events. Perhaps this is because the traditional African system was dependent on the oral form of communication. African leaders are also investing heavily in diversifying the economy. Check Out Marriage Customs From 10 African Tribes, 15 Tribes With Surprising Bridal Traditions In Africa, 12 Surprising African Countries That Allow Dual Citizenship By Marriage, Can Foreigners Buy Land In Ghana? Voodoo is a religion that originates in Africa. With the negative image of the, A lot of people seize the chance of the holiday season to organize their weddings. those misconceptions and misrepresentations of the facts presented by Eurocentric scholars. Traditional African religions are not stagnant but highly dynamic and constantly reacting to various shifting influences such as old age, modernity, and technological advances. Instead, the old and the new were syncretized, producing some unique . Many foreign nations and organizations do send aid to African countries. 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. 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. I ran into a co-resident, a famous Swiss author. According to the Global peace index, Malaysia, Botswana, and Ghana are among the top 50 most peaceful countries, beating the United Kingdom and the United States that were ranked 45 and 128 respectively. 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 . .title-desc-wrapper .post-title {display: none !important} The traditional religions of Africa are human in the deepest sense, because they focus on people and their everyday problems. Africa is not homogenous. Through their mixing, a new kind of religion emerged, forming the basis for what we have come to know as African diaspora religion. There are key developmental projects in some African countries that would not be possible without Foreign aids. It is incorrect to assume that conversion to Islam or to Christianity dealt a deathblow to indigenous traditions. Foreign aid has been helpful to many small African countries that are struggling economically. Several African countries have good health care systems. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by the forebears of the present Africans, All over the continent, cosmological myths describe a complicated process, whether the universe evolves from preexisting objects or from Gods mere thought or speech. However, African indigenous religion has not only succeeded in domesticating Islam and Christianity; in many instances, it has absorbed aspects of these two other traditions into its cosmology and narrative accounts and practices. As in the Muslim pilgrimage, it is a solemn journey to the hilltop. 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. The expression is also used almost as a technical term for a particular reading of such beliefs and practices, one that purports . Representation matters, and as scholars we have a responsibility to advocate for religions in their contexts. 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 . Similarly, although ancestors dwell inside the earth, their activities also interject into human life, which is why they are referred to as the living dead.13 African cosmologies, therefore, portray the universe as a fluid, active, and impressionable space, with agents from each realm bearing the capabilities of traveling from one realm to another at will. Africans are eager to learn new skills and embrace new technologies. That is the case concerning issues No. What we know as African history today is mostly based on the interpretations of our colonial masters. The Bambara and Malinke people of Mali believed that the primordial beings were twins. The terms 'traditional' and 'religion' (in its singular form) have each been targets of criticism. Yes, poverty is an issue in Africa. Myth: Slavery in the non-Western world was a mild, benign, and non-economic institution. Earlier researchers and missionaries portrayed them often as primitive and barbaric and ridiculed them [I give many examples in my book: White Fathers in Colonial Central Africa - a Critical Examination of V.Y. A porous border exists between the human realm and the sky, which belongs to the gods. During the colonial era, most of these traditional believes became a target of the colonial religion. Religious contexts are shaped and determined by the identity of these religions. 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"). My essay Om ptadran, an Africanist Griot: Toni Morrison and African Epistemology, Myths, and Literary Culture, in. These are also stories about how the world was put into place by a divine power, usually a supreme god, but in collaboration with other lesser supernatural beings or deities, who act on his behalf or aid in the creative process.11 The mechanisms and techniques of creation vary from story to story and from one tradition to another. As scholars of the comparative study of religions in Africa, we must begin to rethink the study of African religion in the twenty-first century in order to avoid the continuous mis-assessment of the resilience of indigenous traditions. Loosely, it encompasses all African beliefs and practices that are considered religious but neither Christian nor Islamic. Using the qualitative historical research . Information was passed down mostly by oral communication in the form of folk tales. 6. 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. the belief that natural objects and natural phenomenon possess souls or spiritual beings. Africa is the second-largest continent in the world. This inaccurate assessment of African belief even affects the definition of African religion. The reason is partly that they want a time when, Your email address will not be published. The oral nature of these traditions allows for a great deal of adaptability and variation within and between indigenous African religions. 11. African traditional religious beliefs in East Africa. Thus, it is easy to see why it seems that Africa needs help. Corrupt government officials also capitalize on the generosity of the westerners to the point of looking like a panhandler. In modern-day Christianity, Pentecostalism has become a major force to reckon with, indicating a sharp growth by adapting to local [] Get it as soon as Wednesday, Oct 26. The term "African Traditional Religion" is used in two complementary senses. The African religion was condemned by the Early European scholars, travelers, investigators and missionaries. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Your email address will not be published. In the Americas and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of various African, Catholic and Native American traditions. The problem is, this number is often collated for the whole of Africa, instead of each country of Africa. A classic example is how the Ifa divination text of the Yoruba provides deep commentary on the practice of Islam by the Yoruba people, such as the hajj tradition. 15. A frica has 54 countries and more than a billion people. The diversity of Native American religions could fill whole libraries with descriptions of belief, tales of lore, definitions, explanations, and insights into spiritual practices and ceremonies. Africans who follow a traditional religion rely on no scriptures, canonical texts, or holy books to guide them. Due to the centrality of ancestral tradition to the African lifeworld, death itself is a significant transition from the current life to the afterlife and marks a continuity in life for those living and those to come. In African traditional religions guidance is provided through myths, which are handed down orally. African religions should be studied on their own terms, examined through their own frames rather than set in a Judeo-Christian framework. What is the implication of indigenous hermeneutics for scholars today? This article analyses the legal processes of recognising customary and religious (Muslim) marriages in South Africa's constitutional democracy. Based on the understanding that even in 21 st century Africa, religion plays a vital role in gender construction, for effective Sexuality is This corrective scholarship and critical intervention helped to redefine African worldviews and spirituality and, as such, showed how African religion is pivotal to the individual and communal existence of the people. Many foreigners who come to Africa become fascinated by ancestral spirits and spirits in general, as if the mystique of African religions is the only aspect of African spirituality that can hold scholarly interest.4 There are several common features of African indigenous religions that suggest similar origins and allow African religions to be treated as a single religious tradition, just as Christianity and Islam are. African indigenous religions provide strong linkages between the life of humans and the world of the ancestors. These stages characterized European perceptions of human evolution. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. 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. A primary goal of parenting is to transmit values, beliefs and ideas around lifestyles based on cultural knowledge of the adult tasks and competencies needed for appropriate functioning in society (Gershoff, 2002; Harrison, Wilson, Pine, Chon & Buriel, 1990). Scholarship has since proved, however, that the tenacity of indigenous religion is evident in all spheres of African life. There are few religions as globally misunderstood as African traditional religions. 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. Let's begun by saying that ATR, refer to the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of Africans. Furthermore, many in places like the US and the UK have converted to various traditional African religions, and the importance of the diaspora for these religions is growing rapidly. 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. Acceptably, this was a cruel act of ignorance, but like many other stories about African countries, this story is often generalized. Though many Africans have converted to Islam and Christianity, traditional religions still inform the social, economic, and political life in African societies. 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. As the late African historian Cheikh Anta Diop argued, matriarchy was embedded in the African way of life. Such dismissal has been based on the misconception and assumption that indigenous Bapedi . It argues that the best interpretation of the Constitution requires laws that address cross-cutting issues of recognition and redistribution relating to religion/culture and gender, and that the best . Every life stage is important in African religions, from birth and naming, to betrothal/marriage, elderhood, and eventually death. traditional African takes the character of critical reflection of the African understanding of reality and world view. ao Ajima OM, Ubana EU (2018) The Concept . African Traditional Religion: A Definition (1973), Omosade Awolalu in Yoruba Belief and Sacrificial Rites and John Mbiti in The Concept of God in Africa (1970) are a few examples of postcolonial scholars of religion who have resisted and denounced colonial idea that Africans do not know God. African cosmogonic narratives posit the creation of a universe and the birth of a people and their indigenous religions. These 11 Traditional African Clothing Will Help You Identify Ethnic Groups At A Glance, 10 Facts And Myths About African Traditional Religion - African Vibes, 10 Prominent Ways Africans Showcase Their Culture, 10 Traditional African Dances That Showcase Africa’s Rich Culture, more than 3000 ethnic groups, and 2100 unique languages, the most diversified continent in the world, 30 % of the earths remaining mineral resources, Thinking Of Volunteering? Investors are moving to take advantage of the African market. 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