mixing of christianity and traditional african religions apush

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. The council made me aware, perhaps even frightfully so, of the problems of our world. They have also fostered a greater feeling of individual self-worth by acknowledging important milestones in ones life, including becoming an adult or an elder. 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 missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries. 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. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. Indigenous African religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in Africa. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . While Islam and Christianity tend to . X0#J++?U;_3_gmx9[F\"{,Um1yu 9 ?ce%9EG`N: &U0EHC$p4=$'=DlX6M_7,--" Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. (back to text), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA Yet . They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. 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. 817-820. OLUPONA: One of the basic reasons is that indigenous African spiritual beliefs are not bound by a written text, like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There are also other parallels in social, political and cultural areas, just as there are some significant differences. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. Anthropologica This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. Holding or maintaining to a uniform doctrine is not the essence of indigenous African religions. Olupona earned his bachelor of arts degree in religious studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1975. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. Black Americans who identify with a religion are most likely to say belief in God is essential to what their faith means to them (84%), while large majorities say the same about opposing racism (76%) and sexism (71%). And in Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia, the survey finds that 5% or less identify as Muslim. Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa are the only countries surveyed where a significant number of people (roughly one-in-ten) describe their religion as atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular. In all the other countries, the figure is closer to zero. 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. African diaspora religions, also described as Afro-American religions, are a number of related beliefs that developed in the Americas in various nations of the Caribbean, Latin America and the Southern United States. 0000003641 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. The theological horizon continues to expand. Animism is a common feature of African religions, and misfortune is often attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. Vodou ritual activity (e.g., prayer, song, dance, and gesture) is aimed at refining and restoring balance and energy in relationships between people and between people and the spirits of the unseen world. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. At many points I see intriguing parallels between the biblical record and African religiosity. The award allows Olupona a year of study and research in Germany; he is on leave this year (201516). In addition, roughly a quarter or more of the population in 11 countries say they believe in the protective power of juju (charms or amulets), shrines and other sacred objects. v6 -j>,>Or%I&!To !{vgrh7xxDs}d[!$8k1zX+@}~ I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. Jacob 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. C'est l'poque de la colonisation belge que les premiers missionnaires catholiques et protestants sont arrivs dans cette rgion du Zare. The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). For over 200 years, Africans, largely from the west coast of Africa, were brought to the United States in the slave trade. In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. 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. Wendy Sherman, who was the lead U.S. negotiator in the nuclear deal with Iran, was welcomed by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. mixing of Christianity and traditional African religions What were maroon communities? In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). Prayers and sacrificial offerings are usually directed toward secondary divinities, who are intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. L'interdiction de pratiquer le culte des anctres est l'unique domaine dans lequel la mission chrtienne a triomph de la vie religieuse traditionnelle des Biras. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. 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. Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. While some African cosmologies have a clear idea of a supreme being, other cosmologies do not. Today, the country claims about 80 million of each . startxref This massive expansion within a short time is unprecedented in the history of Christianity. 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]. trailer The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). OLUPONA: If we lose traditional African religions, we would also lose or continue to seriously undermine the African practice of rites of passage such as the much cherished age-grade initiations, which have for so long integrated and bought Africans together under a common understanding, or worldview. They were names of one and the same God, the creator of the world, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. A calendar of ritual feasts, syncretized with the Roman Catholic calendar, provides the yearly rhythm of religious practice. 0000005714 00000 n Anthony Chiorazzi, who has an M.Phil. That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. 0000005005 00000 n They are not mutually exclusive. But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. 0000003217 00000 n 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. Alternate titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon, Elizabeth McAlister Associate Professor of Religion, Weslyan University. 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. 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. Some scholars choose to call it the African Traditional Religion, while others prefer to name it the African traditional Religions. In its place there emerged the word "also." Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa, Next: Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 2: Commitment to Christianity and Islam, Chapter 3: Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices, 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. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. 0000000676 00000 n 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). Y.91sC@o9sJL9@XMw`7\`1%nRjBS %U=a{N>. But whatever the shortcomings of these and my other publications, the materials that went into these two have raised extremely important issues for me that have continued to engage my reflection. "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. 0000002026 00000 n Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. GAZETTE: What is the state of indigenous African religions today? 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. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." It will keep me chewing for a long time, and it will most certainly feed my theological development. But after braving that first blizzard in a land far from his native Nigeria, Olupona stuck it out and earned his Ph.D. Spirit possession plays an important role in Afro-Haitian religion, as it does in many other world religions. Nigeria, the most populous country in all of Africa, has the largest number of Muslims as well as the largest number of Christians in the region.3. 300 ce). In February 1974 a group of 120 anthropologists launched the Canadian Ethnology Society/socit canadienne d'ethnologie (CESCE), because they felt there was room for an association of anthropologists separate from the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association (CSAA) which was dominated by sociologists. 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. I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main GAZETTE: What will Africa lose if it loses its African indigenous worldview? In 1900 there were an estimated 9 million Christians (accounting for about 7 per cent of the population of Africa). For instance, in a few years time, I pray that I will be participating in an age-grade festival for men around 70 years of age called Ero in my native Nigerian community in Ute, in Ondo state. But upon my return to work in Africa, and upon careful study of the religious background of our people, there emerged gradually the demand to examine this issue and to form my own judgment. Take em with a grain of salt. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. I also celebrate and honor the kings festivals and ceremonies in my hometown and other places where I live and do research. Rituals are aimed at maintaining a harmonious relationship with cosmic powers, and many have associated myths that explain their significance. A close geographical correlation exists between the location of African religion and the rapid expansion of the Christian faith. Omissions? The introduced religions of Islam (in northern Africa) and Christianity (in southern Africa) are now the continents major religions, but traditional religions still play an important role, especially in the interior of sub-Saharan Africa. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. 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. 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. Again, it doesnt reflect the multiplicity of ways that traditional African spirituality has conceived of deities, gods, and spirit beings. Indigenous African practices tend to be strongest in the central states of Africa, but some form of their practices and beliefs can be found almost anywhere in Africa. "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. African spirituality simply acknowledges that beliefs and practices touch on and inform every facet of human life, and therefore African religion cannot be separated from the everyday or mundane. This is, obviously, a general statement, one which needs detailed elaboration. A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. Some African diasporans are returning to the continent to reconnect with their ancestral traditions, and they are encouraging and organizing the local African communities to reclaim this heritage. 43. Authoring or editing more than half a dozen books on religion and African culture (including the recent African Religions: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press), Olupona has researched topics ranging from the indigenous religions of Africa to the religious practices of Africans who have settled in America. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. OLUPONA: Thats a mixed bag. These were not empty names. But for many Africans, religion can never be separated from all these. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions 0000008365 00000 n As the map also shows, the ratio of Christians to Muslims increases the further south one goes in the continent. I have seen the quest more sharply. 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. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. <>stream They derive from traditional African religions with some influence from other religious traditions, notably Christianity and Islam . It is a way of life, and it can never be separated from the public sphere. Its aim is to develop an extensive library of resources, representing many different points of view, but all written from the perspective of sound scholarship. GAZETTE: How have ancestors played a role in traditional societies? Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. Its about getting tangible results. ), In addition to expressing high levels of belief in the protective power of sacrificial offerings and sacred objects, upwards of one-in-five people in every country say they believe in the evil eye, or the ability of certain people to cast malevolent curses or spells. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." Diviners who go through a long educational and apprenticeship program hold the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African people. 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 . A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. (1981) and Ph.D. (1983) in the history of religions from Boston University. The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. The church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. interaction between the Christian churches and West African religious culture. I want to see his healing hand, to hear his word that exorcises evil spirits. One important task, then, is to see the nature, the method and the implications of Gods revelation among African peoples, in the light of the biblical record of the same revelation. 0000001198 00000 n GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. The bottom line then is that Africans who still wholly practice African indigenous religions are only about 10 percent of the African population, a fraction of what it used to be only a century ago, when indigenous religions dominated most of the continent.