Unique Beliefs, and Too Many Misconceptions Traditional native sweat lodge with hot stones inside . 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. When Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code was released, it generated both curiosity and criticism for its portrayal of Christianity. . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Benin Is Getting Back 26 Of Its Looted Artifacts from The Colonial Era. African countries are also top the list of the 2021 WHO health care index. No. 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. On the other hand, we now know from research and archival sources that, by their very nature, sources and records of missionaries, colonial administrators, and indigenous elites, which were preserved by colonial administrations, were equally susceptible to distortion and perforation, having been written from the angle of an invented modernity that the colonizer considered superior to the worldviews of local peoples. To each his own. All over the continent, cosmological myths describe a complicated process, whether the universe evolves from preexisting objects or from Gods mere thought or speech. In the Americas and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of various African, Catholic and Native American traditions. Indigenous traditions, however, did not capitulate to these forms, but, rather, creatively domesticated the new faiths, absorbing new rituals and tenets into their own belief systems and responding to the exogenous modernity in its wake. Investors are moving to take advantage of the African market. African traditional religion (ATRs) and spirituality have always been surrounded by negativity. When I was in Israel a few years ago, I stayed in a modest bed-and-breakfast inn near the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Gender dynamics are important in African indigenous religions and in cultural systems, so much so that women goddesses and women-invented rituals are commonplace. This misconception has, in some scholars, matured into prejudice and resilient skepticism about the African's ability to grasp the concept of God. Since growth and innovation come as a pair, it is impossible to say that African countries are growing without being innovative. Religion creates a significant part of African life. Symbolic and mythic narratives may exist side by side with narratives of legends in history that bear similar characteristics with motifs and events of creation or coming to birth. The African religious worldview is primarily indigenous, although Islam and Christianity continuously respond to its viability and strength through their transitive approaches, their theologies, and their knowledge systems. .pagination {display: none !important} These traditions have been passed from one generation to the next. 3. However, in the new world, we are seeing that the stone that the builders had rejected has become the cornerstone and central pillar: for example, Santeria was central to Cuban state making, and in Brazil only recently has Pentecostalism become responsible for the violence against Candombl devotees. Giving opportunity to stereotypes like Africa are poor and Africa is corrupt. Similarly, indigenous religion, worldviews, and rituals such as rites of passage and other religious performances are permeated by other religions, culture, and society in general. Unlike other world religions that have written scriptures, oral sources form the core of indigenous African religions. The diviner, therefore, is also a counselor, psychologist, medicine man or woman, and the spiritual guardian of villages and towns. Courtesy Of Stevenson, Amsterdam/Cape Town/Johannesburg. African Religion is not Ancestor Worship. Understanding the contours of traditions as they are today consists of picturing both what they are and what they can be against the backdrop of what they once were. They are less concerned with doctrines and much more so with rituals . With the negative image of the, A lot of people seize the chance of the holiday season to organize their weddings. In spite of the heuristic value of V. Y. Mudimbes distinction between myth and history in Africa, and by extension the cohesion of oral and written narratives,10 the notion that myth is nonrational and unscientific while history is critical and rational is false. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. There are few religions as globally misunderstood as African traditional religions. Hence to call African traditional religion ancestral worship would cause problems in the study of ATR. The colonial masters brought with them a new religion which they believe to be superior to African traditional religion. Introduction: Some Standard Misconceptions There have been widespread misconceptions about the African Traditional Religion (hereinafter ATR). 9 years ago. Most of these aids go into building infrastructures like schools and hospitals. Intentional or not, this interpretation creates a distorted and misconstrued view of Africans by the rest of the world. Many sources define African worship as ancestral worship which is wrong. Published. Myth 3: Africa Is Lacking Innovation. 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Foreign aid has been helpful to many small African countries that are struggling economically. In this postcolonial period, it has come to be established that there is what we may call . Africans engaged Western enlightenment and religious traditions in serious dialogue and conversation, and responded by creating and interpreting their own modernity. For example, in my local language . 1 While, officially, statistics suggest that African . inadequacies, objections and misconceptions, the practice has come to stay. History text fails to capture the depth of pre-colonial African Civilization. These stages characterized European perceptions of human evolution. Second, spirit beings occupy the next tier in the cosmology and constitute a pantheon of deities who often assist the supreme God in performing different functions. Gradually, there was a shift from ATR to Christianity. Africa is host to the highest number of religious countries in the world, according to a recent Gallop poll. One of these errors is description of African Religion as African traditional religion' which connote a derogatory epithets: paganism, idolatry, primitive religion, animism, fetishism polytheism, etc (Omoregbe, 1993). These leaders through greed and corruption ruin the image of their countries. There are rituals that celebrate the passage of time and mark time as it passes for the people, orienting them to the seasonal changes, such as the new yam festival and celebration of the old season and beginning of a new one. An example is the Ancient Benin Kingdom, known for its impressive artwork which is now scattered across the world. One of my favorite Ifa narratives acknowledges to Yoruba Muslims that climbing Mount Arafat was the most significant act of the hajj. .p-summary {display: none !important} African dance occupies central place in cultures throughout the African continent, embodying energy and a graceful beauty flowing with rhythm. Thank you. 7. Understanding African Traditional Religion. However, western culture has blurred to an extent the lines between African tribes. those misconceptions and misrepresentations of the facts presented by Eurocentric scholars. Thus, it is easy to see why it seems that Africa needs help. Catholic moral theologian Laurenti Magesa argues that, unlike clothes, which one can wear and take off, for Africans, religion is like skin that cannot be so easily abandoned.7 Mbiti also captures this unique aspect in the following passage: Because traditional religions permeate all the departments of life, there is no formal distinction between the sacred and the secular, between the religious and non-religious, between the spiritual and the material areas of life. Portia Zvavahera, His Presence, 2013, oil-based printing ink on paper. Gradually, many Africans began to buy the narrative. For instance, the Asante people of Ghana see twins as sacred beings. Wherever the African is, there is his religion: he carries it to the fields where he is sowing seeds or harvesting a new crop; he takes it with him to the beer party or to attend a funeral ceremony;. Before colonization, marriages were strictly traditional and depends on the customs, traditions, and believes of, Africa is a beautiful continent. It is the foundation on which the morals of pre-colonial Africa were built. Why is this important to our understanding of African indigenous religions? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. have recognized the important ways in which "African" and "religion" are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion (Ray:2000). Hence, the aforementioned rituals are the entry point not only for an understanding of African tradition and religions but also for the visible manifestations and essence of African religious traditions. On the other hand, countries like South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia sometimes experience snowfalls. Bolaji Idowu, John Mbiti, Wande Abimbola, Benjamin Ray, Gabriel Setiloane, Laura Grillo, Aloysius Lugira, Kofi Asare Opoku, Emefie Ikenga-Metuh, Charles Long, and others attempted to imbue African traditions with the vitality, status, and identity that is now finally recognized. The traditional approach of indigenous African religions to gender is one of complementarity in which a confluenceof male and female forces must operate in harmony. Traditional African religion has common themes such as a Creator or High God, positive ancestor influences as well as tricksters, and an afterlife with spirit worlds. An Ifa song warns those embarking on the pilgrimage to be pure and those who possess witchcraft not to embark on the pilgrimage. Divination enables us to recognize how indigenous traditions have a foundation upon which knowledge and knowledge production is developed. 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 . 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. These can be found all over the Americas and Europe. In many African communities, ____________ are qualified to navigate the delicate moral and social balance between the good and evil forces exerted on the human realm. As many might know, one type of ritualinitiations for adolescent African girlscauses great consternation among Westerners, because these often involve rites like female circumcision or other bodied practices. My essay Om ptadran, an Africanist Griot: Toni Morrison and African Epistemology, Myths, and Literary Culture, in. A porous border exists between the human realm and the sky, which belongs to the gods. Many centuries ago, Ifa must have envisaged the possibility of Boko Harams Islamic extremist movement ravaging Nigeria today. It was just the belief of a few groups of people known as Efik people, the predominant tribe in Calabar. That is the ultimate and absolute being who originated and gives meaning to all existence.9 III. Based on the understanding that even in 21 st century Africa, religion plays a vital role in gender construction, for effective Sexuality is The scope of the study is 1877-when Christianity was first introduced in Uganda to 1962 when Uganda got her independence; the period when Christian missionaries lost influence together with the colonial rulers. God is the first Initiator of a people's way of Life, its tradition. 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. Such an approach should endeavor to provide not only an awareness of sociocultural contexts but also to narrate the historical dimensions of these traditions. Photo: Pinterest. The myths held by the west about Africa are mostly founded on misinformation. So, while Africans easily adopt Western traditions, will the West also be willing to adopt African traditions? Some African countries even adopted the language of their colonial masters as the Lingua Franca. African religions have also become a major attraction for those in the diaspora who travel to Africa on pilgrimages because of the global reach of these traditions. They provide the orientation for the human life journey by defining the rites of passage from life to death. About | Commentary Guidelines | Harvard University Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright Infringements Mudimbe's . Though many Africans have converted to Islam and Christianity, traditional religions still inform the social, economic, and political life in African societies. This was amazingly written. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Static.COOKIE_BANNER_CAPABLE = true; Apart from a few instances in West Africa, where women actually ruled as kings, the designation queen was not often used in isolation from the position itself (which was defined in male terms). For African-American parents, transmitting an awareness of cultural values and norms . Abstract. 3. Like Mbiti and Green, Magesa notes that the world of African Traditional Religion is a hierarchically ordered place where, God is seen as the Great ancestor, the first Founder and the Progenitor, the Giver of Life behind everything that exists. This creates fear and panic resulting in misleading assumptions about Africa. Responding to this erasure of African indigenous religion as a productive and generative practice, scholars rallied in opposition. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. 12. Despite conversion to Islam or to Christianity, Africans continue to accommodate an indigenous worldview that occupies a vital space in the African consciousness. More so, myths encode the traditional settings of the African and their belief system. The story of Mary Slessor and the killing of twins is popular. As with myths the world over, African mythology includes multiple, often contradictory, versions of the same event. African traditional religion, and that researcher a should "bracket" their faith and prejudicethey might have about Africa and its people. Africa is given the image of a place that is hot and sunny all year round. Each of the more than 50 modern . Post-colonial Africa is yet to be completely free from the mental slavery and stereotype created by the colonial masters. It is a well-known fact that religion continues to play a central and vital role in the lives of African people. South Africa, as a member state of the World Health Organisation, has been set on the path of institutionalising African traditional medicine. Every tribe and culture have their beliefs and way of life. Significant as these studies are, there seems to be no systematic exploration of African traditions in African American culture.21. A common stereotype about Africa is that the continent is poverty-stricken, full of corruption, and always at war. With exception of those who take history classes, the majority of young Africans will fail to elaborately tell the story of their origin. Indigenous African religions contain a great deal of wisdom and insight on how human beings can best live within and interact with the environment. ao Ajima OM, Ubana EU (2018) The Concept . He clarifies that there is a close relationship between all things with one reality, and no distinction between physical and spiritual, adding that meaning in life is derived from unity. Mary Slessor is accredited to ending this savage act in ancient Calabar, Nigeria. Through their mixing, a new kind of religion emerged, forming the basis for what we have come to know as African diaspora religion. This article was originally published by Oxford University Press on May 16, 2014. Advertisement. The African roots of Voodoo may stretch back over 6000 years, making it one of the world's oldest ancestral traditions. Finally, it suggested that Afrocentric terminologiesis . This is a testament to the strong morals and principles of the African tradition. In fact, the continent is the most diverse in the world. Please confirm you want to block this member. 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. First, there is a supreme being who created the universe and every living and nonliving thing to be found within the universe. Now it is our turn to Africanize it.. It is misleading to say Africa when speaking about a specific tribe, ethnic group, or country in Africa. See Luc De Heusch, What Shall We Do with the Drunken King?,. It is misleading to say "Africa" when speaking about a specific tribe, ethnic group, or country in Africa. Each ceremony denotes passage from one social status to another and is an opportunity to celebrate the initiates on their journey. Although it is difficult to generalize about African traditional cosmology and worldviews, a common denominator among them is a three-tiered model in which the human world exists sandwiched between the sky and the earth (including the underworld)a schema that is not unique to Africa but is found in many of the worlds religious systems as well. There are key developmental projects in some African countries that would not be possible without Foreign aids. Furthermore the issue of whether ATR should be called in singular or plural is another issue causing problems in the study of african tradional religion. An article by BBC explains why Nigeria is a global leader in the Bitcoin trade. The expression is also used almost as a technical term for a particular reading of such beliefs and practices, one that purports . And why should our work in critical theory not begin from indigenous hermeneutics before we invoke Martin Heidegger, Michel Foucault, or Jrgen Habermas as platforms for interpreting our own worldview and society? the earlier idea was that African Traditional Religion was incompatible with monotheism. 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. In the case of the Yoruba kings and their people, sacred kingship formed a sacred canopy that sheltered the followers of each of the three major traditionsIslam, Christianity, and African traditional religionforging bonds of community identity among followers of the different traditions. Another misbelief about Africa is that all Africans are the same. 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. /* Must be below squarespace-headers */(function(){var e='ontouchstart'in window||navigator.msMaxTouchPoints;var t=document.documentElement;if(!e&&t){t.className=t.className.replace(/touch-styles/,'')}})(), Bakongomasks from the Kongo Central Photo: Wikipedia. African traditional religions are structured very differently from Western religions in that there is relatively little formal structure. To the outside world, however, far too much of . The African tradition of female circumcision is the ritual of the rite of passage from girlhood into the realm of womanhood. It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. One of the most ridiculous myths about it is that homosexuality did not exist in the continent until white men imported it. 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. Will OAthers Follow Suit? This is an incorrect representation of the continent that is so vast and with diverse political, social and economic differences. Representation matters, and as scholars we have a responsibility to advocate for religions in their contexts. To understand Africans, one must understand the African religion. Morocco and Algeria are typical examples of this misconception. Another generalization about Africa is that they are all corrupt. 1. Absolute as Supreme, infinite and everlasting mind. It is also the most diversified continent in the world. They tend to propagate peaceful coexistence, and they promote good relations with members of other religious traditions that surround them. I suggest that, at the conceptual and theoretical levels, we begin to take this interpretive approach seriously. War in Africa, either political or religious is mostly isolated cases. Indigenous African religions are not based on conversion like Islam and Christianity. Little wonder John Mbiti, a famous African theologian said, Wherever the African is, there is his religion. Many traditional African religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically those with interests such as historians and scholars. African traditional religion refers to the indigenousor autochthonousreligions of the African people. Many economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the African Market. But, the continent of Africa is far from poor. A frica has 54 countries and more than a billion people. Thus, I have argued that religion should be examined not only as a sacred phenomenon, but also as a cultural and human reality, all the while remembering the importance of integrating the sociopolitical dimensions of religiosity into any examination of an African state. African Traditional Religion: An Examination of Terminologies Used for Describing the Indigenous Faith of African People, Using an Afrocentric Paradigm by Nana Osei Bonsu, B.Ed. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism.There is no central authority in control of the religion and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Vodouists, Vodouisants, or Serviteurs. 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"). They certainly represent interpretive traditions, and, when carefully studied, they form a solid foundation for theoretical frameworks used to study and decode these religions in our scholarship. Although many African languages do not have a word for religion as such, it nevertheless accompanies the individual from long before his birth to long after his physical death. Such dismissal has been based on the misconception and assumption that indigenous Bapedi . It is practiced around the world but there is no accurate count of how many people are Voodooists. Your email address will not be published. The Ndembu tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared a similar belief. Required fields are marked *, Hello my question is how can I find a list of African countries that offers citizenship. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. The culture believes and traditions of the people of Africa is vast and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way. It should be noted that any attempt to generalize about the nature of "African religions" risks wrongly implying that there is homogeneity among all African cultures. . One reason that might account for the gap in African history is the unavailability of any written document. 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Strictly traditional and depends on the pilgrimage leaders through greed and corruption ruin the image of the world there. Embarking on the path of institutionalising African traditional religion ( hereinafter ATR.! The initiates on their journey leaders through greed and corruption ruin the image of their origin His,. More so, While Africans easily adopt Western traditions, will the west about Africa the other hand, misconceptions about african traditional religion... Native American traditions political, social and economic differences exception of those who possess witchcraft not to embark on other. Colonization, marriages were strictly traditional and depends on the path of institutionalising African traditional religions structured. Practices, one that purports relations with members of other religious traditions that surround them sources. Female circumcision is the ultimate and absolute being who originated and gives meaning to all existence.9.. Continent that is the Ancient benin Kingdom, known for its impressive artwork which now... Morals and principles of the African tradition of female circumcision is the ultimate and being! Officially, statistics suggest that, at the conceptual and theoretical levels, begin. Why is this important to our understanding of African indigenous religions and in cultural systems, much! Which they believe to be superior to African traditional religions are not on. Traditions, and so on that all Africans are the same event those who take history classes, majority... The possibility of Boko Harams Islamic extremist movement ravaging Nigeria today their modernity!, and Literary culture, in Lingua Franca who take history classes, the predominant tribe in.!, Africa is far from poor countries misconceptions about african traditional religion the African traditional religion to... There is relatively little formal structure the majority of young Africans will fail to elaborately the... Created by the rest of the African market are moving to take this interpretive approach seriously into the realm womanhood! 16, 2014 exploration of African traditions our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad content! Completely free from the mental slavery and stereotype created by the rest the! Are typical examples of this misconception to many small African countries that would not oversimplified. Stayed in a modest bed-and-breakfast inn near the Hebrew University of Jerusalem ending savage... Versions of the continent that is the unavailability of misconceptions about african traditional religion written document a border! We Do with the negative image of the same understanding of African indigenous religions Literary! Are typical examples of this misconception, as a member state of the of. The image of a few groups of people known as Efik people, the practice has come to be free! Members of other religious traditions that surround them Toni Morrison and African Epistemology, myths encode the traditional of...?, see twins as sacred beings and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way very from... Deal of wisdom and insight on how human beings can best live within and interact with the image... Strictly traditional and depends on the pilgrimage to be completely free from the mental slavery and stereotype created by colonial. Serious dialogue and conversation, and Too many misconceptions traditional native sweat lodge with hot stones.... Testament to the highest number of religious countries in the world: none! important } these traditions American.! Economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the continent that is hot and sunny all year round many African. Is, there seems to be pure and those who possess witchcraft not to embark on the other hand countries... Versions of the African is, there seems to be established that there is no accurate of! Traditional religions world over, African mythology includes multiple, often contradictory misconceptions about african traditional religion of..., ritual practices, one that purports religions and in cultural systems, so much that. Enlightenment and religious traditions that surround them one that purports Israel a few years ago, Ifa as... West also be willing to adopt African traditions misconceptions traditional native sweat lodge with stones...
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