The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), myst (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. Today most Zairians belong to either the Catholic or Protestant church, and the Bira themselves are predominantly Catholic. A follower of African diaspora religions has many choices in terms of seeking spiritual help or succor. The Church in Africa, 1450-1950. A subscription to Anthropologica is included in CASCA's annual membership fee. This article appeared in the Christian Century, August 27- September 3, 1980, pp. One African theologian, Gabriel Setiloane, has even argued that the concept of God which the missionaries presented to the Sotho-Tswana peoples was a devaluation of the traditional currency of Modimo (God) among the Sotho-Tswana. The first African captives entered England's North American colonies through Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. 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. 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 church is composed largely of people who come out of the African religious background. 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. But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. Abstract. In 1988 the society changed its name to the Canadian Anthropology Society to clarify its identity and emphasize its role as an anthropology association. This was an extremely liberating word in my theological thinking. 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. Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB), Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis, Part of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA This rapid spreading of the Christian faith where people have been predominantly followers of African religion provokes interesting questions. 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. I want to reflect and write on this topic, but somehow it makes me feel frightened. 93 0 obj They include the work of missionaries (of whom there are about 40,000 today, without counting their family members); the work of African Christians in evangelism and pastoral care (their numbers are infinitely greater than those of overseas missionaries, and include men, women and children, both lay and ordained); the role of Christian schools; the translation and distribution of the Bible (which is now available in full or in part in nearly 600 of Africas 1,000 languages); and the ending of the colonial era during the decades 1960-1980. I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. 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). That testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. This is not to say that indigenous African spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianism not at all. Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvardnews. Ethiopia's Christian population, at 6 million in 1900, will grow to a projected 100 million in 2050. But, it has been a sorrowful, disappointment to me to experience the fact that some individuals who exercise great power in the council are not angels: they sometimes practice the exact contrary of those values and goals to which the council is committed. startxref Liberia is the only country where more than one-in-ten (12%) identify primarily with an African traditional religion. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. But today that is not the case due to more exclusive-minded types of Christianity and Islam that see patronizing indigenous African beliefs and practices as violating the integrity of their Christian or Muslim principles, but I believe that one can maintain ones religious integrity and also embrace an African worldview. At first, Christianity made few inroads into the African slave population, which had its own religious traditions. 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. There is no room to describe them, and I can mention only two or three of them briefly. 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. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | Gender. 817-820. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock. While Islam and Christianity tend to . Indigenous African religions are pragmatic. An old African adage says: The sky is large enough for birds to fly around without one having to bump into the other.. My interpretation of Israels history demands a new look at the history of African peoples, among whom this same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has indeed been at work. 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. Indigenous African spirituality today is increasingly falling out of favor. 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 . Spiritual activities like prayer, thanksgiving, and the making of sacrifices were well-established facts of life for the existence and continuation of the community. Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. That which had been seen as the enemy of the gospel turns out (to me) to be indeed a very welcoming friend. %PDF-1.7 % Did he then reveal himself only in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samuel and other personalities of the Bible? OLUPONA: My father, a faithful Anglican priest, was a good example. Current articles and subscription information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. I cannot claim that I have witnessed much progress in that quest at the organizational level, but perhaps I had expected too much. Christianity is more dominant in the south, while Islam is more dominant in the north. 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. 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. The concept of the church as the body of Christ in the whole world is another growing development for me. Yet . As a resident fellow, Sherman will teach a study group on negotiation and diplomacy this semester. 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. Updates? I wont pray to an orisa, but I will affirm the importance of my connection with members of my age group. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. If they are two wavelengths, they make sense only when they move toward a convergence. Copyright by The Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. 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. I have seen the quest more sharply. They proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ. Instead, God brought them. 1996 Canadian Anthropology Society 0000001519 00000 n In four countries, for instance, half or more of the population believes that sacrifices to ancestors or spirits can protect them from harm. That finished the interview. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. These were not empty names. African Traditional Religion in the Context of increasing Christian and Islamic Encounter . Christianity has scored a triumph over the traditional religious life of the Bira. 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. I simply and honestly answered him that "for us in Africa, God is not dead." There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. (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. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Some of these African diaspora religions include Cuban Regla de Ocha, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. One of the things these diaspora African religions testify to is the beauty of African religions to engage a devotee on many spiritual levels. I feel deeply the value of biblical studies in this exercise, and the contribution of biblical insights in this development. But the basic truth seems to be that Gods revelation is not confined to the biblical record. 0000003217 00000 n 0000001019 00000 n 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. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Below is the article summary. 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. Amen. He must have been active among African peoples as he was among the Jewish people. But I am grateful for that one step I may be taking under the light of this vision. 0000002026 00000 n 75 0 obj I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. He later earned both an M.A. Of course, behind all these factors is the Holy Spirit working through them. According to all the major surveys, Christianity and Islam each represent approximately 40 percent of the African population. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994. This re-ligion is found in almost all the activities of the African man. African spirituality is truly holistic. But Gods dealings with the African people are recorded, nevertheless, in living form -- oral communication, rituals, symbols, ceremonies, community faith. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. Subscriptions are available to libraries and individuals who are not members of CASCA. As discussed elsewhere in this report, many Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa retain beliefs and rituals that are characteristic of traditional African religions. x\u}4`P}E#(9q"%LCl'KLb)Sfgdq 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 . Most people in sub-Saharan Africa now identify with either Christianity or Islam. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. We have already noted that the overseas missionaries did not bring God to Africa. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main degree at Harvard Divinity School. In most countries, however, less than one-in-twenty say this is their primary religious affiliation. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. For this reason, some African theologians take African religiosity to be one of the sources of theological reflection (besides the Bible, Christian heritage, etc.). Theological development in Africa must inevitably grow within this religious setting. What factors are responsible for it? Orthodox Christianity, although influenced by other religions, generally looked negatively upon these syncretistic movements. The rural Bira of northeastern Zaire have been exposed to the Christian message for well over half a century. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. In respect and honor of my culture, I also dress in my traditional Nigerian attire when Im in my country. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 0000005005 00000 n So, "Lord, help Thou my unbelief!" In Nigeria, the population in 1900 included 4.2 million Muslims and 180,000 Christians. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition of the region about 100 years ago, when, according to a Pew Forum analysis of historical information from the World Religion Database, less than a quarter of the population identified as either Christian or Muslim. GAZETTE: In trying to understand African spirituality, is it helpful to refer to it as polytheistic or monotheistic? 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. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). xref The original constitution defined the organization's mandate as providing a forum for the exchange of ideas among ethnologists. 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. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. 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. They constitute an important channel of the churchs prophetic witness today. 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. And if these shrines are not properly cared for by the designated descendant, then misfortune in the form of illness might befall the caretaker. 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. This is not a biblical distinction. 9_r'v>#z2"syiBm?mry8%;m8v L,WNHitMJk#RZwEl+M3N1n[nt4]C$i2y]_6Iasrt OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. No doubt there still remain much research and reflection to be done in order to work out a consistent theological understanding of the issues entailed here. That is anathema to the fundamentalist faith movements that have been gaining momentum in recent decades. This is in sharp contrast with the religious composition . Author of. A prominent European New Testament professor visited Makerere University and interviewed me on what I thought about the "death of God" discussion. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. But in practical terms, there is a Christian Yes to African religiosity. Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. 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 these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Nevertheless, since 1900, Christians in Africa have grown from approximately 7 million to over 450 million today. It may be, and needs to be, a qualified and critical Yes. My doctoral studies in New Testament eschatology led me also to the field of Christology. in social anthropology from Oxford University, is studying for a master of theological studies (M.T.S.) In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. Robinson, came out. These initiation rituals are already not as common in Africa as they were only 50 years ago, yet age-grade initiations have always helped young Africans feel connected to their community and their past. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. 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.