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. Each of these has its peculiar characteristics. They tend to propagate peaceful coexistence, and they promote good relations with members of other religious traditions that surround them. Religions of the African diaspora are of particular note and importance to the comparative study of African religions because of their resilience and the characteristic formations leading to their performance and expression. On the other hand, countries like South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia sometimes experience snowfalls. Here Are the Top Ten African Volunteer Programs, 9 Traditional African Music Instruments And Their Origin, 8 Traditional African Sports That Should Be In the Olympics, economic forecasts predict the rapid growth in the African Market, 10 Traditional African Hairstyles And Their Origin. Perhaps, it was a deliberate attempt to make Africans feel inferior about themselves. In my view, these common misconceptions are due to ill representation of the African culture. 3. First, there is a supreme being who created the universe and every living and nonliving thing to be found within the universe. Please follow our Commentary Guidelines when engaging in discussion on this site. All rights reserved. The cosmological structure, however, is much more defined and precise. The problem of Africa isnt wealth but the unequal distribution of wealth. Marriage customs in Africa vary from one tribe to another. African cosmogonic narratives posit the creation of a universe and the birth of a people and their indigenous religions. When I was in Israel a few years ago, I stayed in a modest bed-and-breakfast inn near the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Each has a life force but no concrete physical form. The culture believes and traditions of the people of Africa is vast and should not be oversimplified in a stereotypical way. 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. When it comes to cryptocurrencies, African countries are leading as well. Therefore for these people, twins were treasures. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The west, by trying to learn more about the African tradition will avoid the bias and ignorance of being misinformed. South Africa, Tunisia, and Kenya rank among the top countries with the best health care system in Africa. Africans are eager to learn new skills and embrace new technologies. Introduction. They counteracted various derogatory names given to AIR. 14. Required fields are marked *, Hello my question is how can I find a list of African countries that offers citizenship. However, some African nations have become addicted to these aids and seem unable to function without them. The term "African Traditional Religion" is used in two complementary senses. Most are watered-down versions of what was truly a thriving civilization. In most African cultures, history and beliefs have been explained and passed on through oral traditions and storytelling. Abstract. Most of these aids go into building infrastructures like schools and hospitals. Common misconceptions of Africa include the idea that it is behind the rest of the world, lacking in innovative technology. Significant as these studies are, there seems to be no systematic exploration of African traditions in African American culture.21. The most difficult task I face in characterizing African indigenous spiritual traditions is accounting for their diversity and complexity. No. Temperature varies from one country to another depending on the climate type. African scholars in the United States are paying increasing attention to African images in African American culture and religion.20 Some scholars, especially literary critics, now scout African American novels such as Toni Morrisons and Alice Walkers works, for glimpses of African traditions. Paperback. Today as a minority tradition, indigenous African religions have suffered immensely from human rights abuses. Such dismissal has been based on the misconception and assumption that indigenous Bapedi . However, the missionaries of the two foreign religions succeeded in converting some African people to the new religions. Africans combine a belief in the existence of a omnipresent and omnipotent supreme god, with multitudes of subordinate deities. Narratives about the creation of the universe (cosmogony) and the nature and structure of the world (cosmology) provide a useful entry to understanding African religious life and worldviews. African leaders are also investing heavily in diversifying the economy. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. Whether these words carry weight or simply make for a good quote, the fact remains that Africans are unique. 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. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. Similarly, there are others like Henry Louis Gates who has appropriated images of the Yoruba deity of Esu in his own work. Its almost as if pre-colonial Africa never existed. 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. A proper ongoing study of Ifa in West Africa would enable us to understand how one groupthe Yoruba of West Africaencounters transcendence and the sacred in practicing their tradition in ways radically different from Western constructions of religion. Representation matters, and as scholars we have a responsibility to advocate for religions in their contexts. They held the view that twins were a symbol of excessive fertility which is a characteristic of animals. Voodoo has no scripture or world authority. The African tradition of female circumcision is the ritual of the rite of passage from girlhood into the realm of womanhood. It was through this encounter that the Yoruba system of banking money in traditional pots kept underground in farms and forests began. African religions command their own cultural ingenuity, integral logic, and authoritative force. Even the word religion, used in reference to these traditions, is in itself problematic for many Africans, because it suggests that religion is separate from other aspects of ones culture, society, and environment. Thus, many practitioners of African religion, particularly in the shrines of goddesses, are women, indicating the parity with which African religion treats gender and gender-related issues. Most importantly, the rite itself should not be condemned together with circumcision or female genital mutilation. Women play a key role in the practice of these traditions, and the internal gender relations and dynamics are very profound. So, while Africans easily adopt Western traditions, will the West also be willing to adopt African traditions? For African-American parents, transmitting an awareness of cultural values and norms . 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. When I told him I am a twin (Ibeji) in Yoruba traditionand in principle a sacred being myselfhe almost fell on the floor to pay homage! The story of Mary Slessor and the killing of twins is popular. have recognized the important ways in which "African" and "religion" are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion (Ray:2000). Igbo religion is traditional according to Mbiti (1970), in the sense that it is rooted in their culture.It is received by oral authority by one generation and transmitted by the same process to subsequent generations and, thus, has effect of being widely diffused among its adherents and of deeply coloring their consciousness. Indeed indigenous African religions have provided the blueprint for robust conversations and thinking about community relations, interfaith dialogue, civil society, and civil religion. Before colonization, marriages were strictly traditional and depends on the customs, traditions, and believes of, Africa is a beautiful continent. Published. Many people have bought into the narrative of African traditional religious beliefs as something untrue and based on delusions, but they have also forgotten that all religions have the same thing in common. The ability of the Black community to call on the spirits and ways of its ancestors is crucial to its continu The concerns for health, wealth, and procreation are very central to the core of African religions. The Ndembu tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared a similar belief. My earlier scholarship was propelled by the insight that the ideology and rituals of Yoruba sacred kingship are what define Yoruba civil religion and, indeed, the center of Yoruba identity.15 Sociologist Robert Bellah understands civil religion as the sacred principle and central ethic that unites a people, without which societies cannot function.16 Civil religion incorporates common myths, history, values, and symbols that relate to a societys sense of collective identity. 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. Correcting Misconceptions About African Traditional Religions. While those who identify as practitioners of traditional African religions are often in the minority, many who identify as Muslims or Christians are involved in traditional religions to one degree or another. 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. 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. 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. Africa is poor. 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. 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. It was just the belief of a few groups of people known as Efik people, the predominant tribe in Calabar. These narratives come to us in the form of myths. Unlike its popular usage, in scholarly language myths are sacred stories believed to be true by those who hold on to them. . That is the case concerning issues 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. 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. Esu was represented as a stone mound in the front yard of ancient Yoruba compounds. Nature spirits are associated with objects seen in nature, such as mountains, the sun, or trees, or natural forces such as wind and rain. The orthodox Easternize it. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the practice, it is important to note that not all female initiations involve circumcision, and that the rituals associated with initiation are crucial to ensuring that an individuals social position is affirmed by both family and community. However, since Africans are known for their excellent craftsmanship, these artifacts do tell the story of the ancient African empires. God is the first Initiator of a people's way of Life, its tradition. Will OAthers Follow Suit? Most Africans at home and in the diaspora have made a name for themselves and praised for their contributions to society. 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. Many foreign nations and organizations do send aid to African countries. 4.8 out of 5 stars. Myth: Slavery in the non-Western world was a mild, benign, and non-economic institution. 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. This statement isnt true. 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. Also, poverty is mostly concentrated among few nations in Africa or within few regions of each Nation. the belief that natural objects and natural phenomenon possess souls or spiritual beings. The African roots of Voodoo may stretch back over 6000 years, making it one of the world's oldest ancestral traditions. Apart from the different languages, every tribe and culture have their way of dressing too. History text fails to capture the depth of pre-colonial African Civilization. This view wasnt held in many other tribes in Nigeria. Fact: One-third of Moroccans and one-quarter of Algerians do not speak Arabic as their first language. 2,269. This inaccurate assessment of African belief even affects the definition of African religion. African religions should be studied on their own terms, examined through their own frames rather than set in a Judeo-Christian framework. 4. Unique Beliefs, and Too Many Misconceptions Traditional native sweat lodge with hot stones inside . Ceremonies of naming, rites of passage, death, and other calendrical rites embody, enact, and reinforce the sacred values communicated in myths. Traditional African religion is based on oral traditions, which means that the basic values and way of life are passed from elders to younger generation. The unending political banditry and fraudulent activities by some individuals are the foundation of this stereotype. 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. 13. This is based on misconceptions that these religions are antithetical to modernity. Whatever it is, the assumption that Africa is lacking innovation is laughable. .pagination {display: none !important} Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. Thank you for this interesting essay on African religion. The African religion was condemned by the Early European scholars, travelers, investigators and missionaries. Please confirm you want to block this member. 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. Lilith Dorsey. They are known as upstanding citizens and have been entrusted with sensitive positions in society. 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. About | Commentary Guidelines | Harvard University Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright Infringements While scholars have often argued that African indigenous accounts of creation were ex nihilo (created out of nothing), as the biblical account of creation is often portrayed,12 African cosmological narratives generally indicate that there is never one pattern governing how creation happens. The reason for this is quite simply the misunderstanding of the relevance and foundation of the African tradition. Therefore, this article will explore African spirituality, traditional religion, culture and the present way of life. 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. Without relevant knowledge, stereotypes are unavoidable. However, this was never a generally accepted idea. ao Ajima OM, Ubana EU (2018) The Concept . Because it enables us to theorize questions of syncretism and hybridization and, more importantly, raises the issue of why African religion is flowering and spreading in the Americas, especially in the United States, while it is declining in Africaa phenomenon that we need to understand. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete. Traditional African religions are not stagnant but highly dynamic and constantly reacting to various shifting influences such as old age, modernity, and technological advances. Again, this isnt true. 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. The diviner, therefore, is also a counselor, psychologist, medicine man or woman, and the spiritual guardian of villages and towns. 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. This article was originally published by Oxford University Press on May 16, 2014. That is the ultimate and absolute being who originated and gives meaning to all existence.9 III. The challenge is to study faith, proverbs, traditions and mythology across Africa to identify the fragments of religion passed down as oral traditions and mythology in the great . The stoning of the devil in the Kaba in Mecca was a disguise for rejecting the local Esu, the Yoruba god of fate and messenger of the gods. Since growth and innovation come as a pair, it is impossible to say that African countries are growing without being innovative. Acceptably, this was a cruel act of ignorance, but like many other stories about African countries, this story is often generalized. . It is also the most diversified continent in the world. As with myths the world over, African mythology includes multiple, often contradictory, versions of the same event. Yet in the scholarship on the history of religions, indigenous African religions were never considered a substantive part of the worlds religious traditions, because they failed to fulfill certain criteria defined by axial age civilization. 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