Many of the World Religions are more known than ATR in many parts of Africa (Adedeji, 2012). Bible and they have been a truly religious people. Religious traditions of Africa. 1. New York, 1991. To efficiently study the African Traditional Religion (ATR), one must also study the people who practice this religion. From inside the book . John S. Mbiti explains that though the knowledge of God as the Supreme Being is not It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. RELIGION FROM AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE . Of course, a lot of people from other parts of the world like and often buy the traditional outfits from Africa. According to him, the belief in spirits and ancestors is the most important element of African religions. ... African traditional religions also place great importance on the community. African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous religions of the African people. Pula Press , 2002 - Botswana - 459 pages. This book presents a portrait of African religious history framed in the religious themes common to the rest of the world. For Shiite Muslims the Nahjul Balagha is a sacred scripture second only to the Qur'an. The semisacred books that were excluded were labeled by Christians the Apocrypha (Greek: “Hidden Away”). Traditional African medicine is also directly linked to traditional African religions. Religion in Igbo traditional society partakes fully of all the features of world traditional religion, including its beliefs, sacred myths, oral qualities, strong appeal to the hearts of adherents, high degree of ritualization, and possession of numerous participatory personages such as officiating elders, kings, priests, and diviners. 59 – 73. Acacia trees growing on the savanna of Tanzania. Everyone is in fact a religious carrier. These oldest religions of the world,have had their history and traditions handed down orally and preserved in the culture and religious artifacts of the African people. ATR is the original religious belief and practice of the Africans. The Africans are known to be intensely religious people. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the African people. Scripture - Scripture - Scriptures in Western religions: The most precisely fixed canons are those that have been defined by official religious bodies. The Bible and Christian theology have to address this dominant influence and impact upon the traditional African life. And that’s alright – it helps to grow African economy and fight the poverty. Members of the same village or community are expected to help each other and share each other's burdens, as social solidarity is the norm. African Traditional Religion is not essentially idolatrous, but it has a tendency to become so if the cult and the symbols of the divinities are so emphasized as to exclude the Supreme Being. Like all human cultures, African folklore and religion is diverse and varied. In various ways some African biblical scholars have demonstrated that the African continent contributed in more than one way towards the development of the history of the Bible. African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of Africa.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.In fact, Africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. For sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit. According to Clemmont E. Vontress, the various religious traditions of Africa are united by a basic Animism. These beliefs have passed a long history in seclusion from the whole world, they are connected with the African traditions passed on by the tribes from generation to generation. To the successors of the apostles, sacred Tradition hands on in its full purity God’s word, which was entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. Most traditional African religions have, for most of their existence, been orally/spiritually (rather than scripturally) transmitted or practiced. London, 1969; 2d ed., Oxford, 1990. 0 Reviews. Even in the 21st century, many African folk costumes or garments are still in use by the locals. 19-30), lists rituals, sacred places, art and symbol, proverbs, names, myths and customs and then mentions Africa south of the Saharah where, even among converts to Islam or Christianity, may be found elements of traditional African spirituality. Chapter Three, Where African Religion is Found (pp. Mbiti, John. African traditional religions is a term referring to a variety of religions indigenous to the continent of Africa.. Contents. portrayed in African religions. Due to the pluralistic nature of African-traditional religions, African spirituality has always been able to adapt to change and allow itself to absorb the wisdom and views of other religions. It looks at the traditional religions that provided the philosophical, religious, and ethical basis of African culture. Facing Mount Kenya, he raises the calabashes and addresses God with the following prayer. The various divinities that are represented are in fact technically representatives or servants of the Supreme Being. These places often become the focus of com African Traditional Religions and Culture in Botswana: A Comprehensive Textbook. Actually the Religion is said to have no founder and has no sacred books such as the Bible for the Christians. AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION: ITS RELEVANCE IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD A few years ago Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia wrote these revealing words: The coming of Christianity had a complex effect on the African world view, partly disrupting and pardy enlarging it. What people are saying - Write a review. For example, an African amulet might have inside of it a written verse from either the Koran or Christian Bible. James Amanze. Roman Catholics put a great deal of emphasis on their, so-called, sacred tradition which the Roman Catholic church asserts is equal to Scripture. In my dealings with Roman Catholics, the subject of tradition invariably comes up. The Jewish canon, known to Christians as the Old Testament, was fixed by a synod of rabbis held at Yavneh, Palestine, about 90 ce. Mernissi, Fatima. "The Role of Women in African Religion." The beliefs and practices of African Traditional Religion are said to have been handed down from generation to generation by both verbally and as well as by the practical performances as narrated earlier on. Background . African Religions and Philosophy. They differ from literary texts by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual practices, commandments or laws, ethical conduct, spiritual aspirations, and for creating or fostering a religious community. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. Religious texts are texts related to a religious tradition. In traditional African societies, nature was regarded as a gift by a supreme Creator God for the benefit of humanity who believed that mankind was created at the centre of the universe. 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. Traditional African religions Despite the popularity of world-famous churches, the traditional religions of Africa are still in demand and used, as they were centuries ago. The juggernaut was in motion; it may take time, but eventually it would happen. Translations of Shayhi, Babi, and Baha'i Texts. 1: Theories concerning the origin of religion . Baha'i Library Online. The fact that there are no written scriptures by the votaries of African traditional religion, does not in any way mean that the concept of the Supreme Being does not exist in their ontology. So Fisher’s idea was that, once Christianity came into the African Traditional Religion context –or Islam, either one, because both of them represented superior religious structures -- he believed that the demise of African religion was inevitable. It is most difficult to properly understand a religion if you do not know it’s history. sacred tree, the leading elder takes the calabashes from the chil-dren. While Islam and Christianity tend to be overtly resistant to adopting traditional African religious ideas or practices, indigenous African religions have always accommodated other beliefs. A large collection of primary and secondary source materials and resource tools. African traditional religions are difficult to research, as there is an absence of scriptures or the written word. We haven't found any reviews in the usual places. Traditional African concepts of reality and destiny are deeply rooted in the spirit world. Ifa is a system of divination in traditional African religions that has emerged as a semi-independent religious theology. I don't want to get bogged down in all that business though. The extensive spirit world of African religion includes spirit guardians that reside in natural landmarks such as rivers, mountains, or trees. African traditional religion towards other religious beliefs and practices wi ll alwa ys serve as an example for Christians and Muslims as they struggle for mutual co-ex istence. Culture and spirituality share space and are deeply intertwined in most African cultures, which have been heavily influenced by the introduction of Christianity and Islam during the era of European colonization. sanctuaries: Consecrated (or sacred) areas of a church or temple. The Impact of African Traditional Religious Beliefs and Cultural Values on Christian- Muslim Relations in Ghana from 1920 through the Present: A Case Study of Nkusukum-Ekumfi-Enyan area of the Central Region. Traditional African Religious Beliefs and Practices % exhibiting high levels of belief and practice Q51c, f-k/Q68f-i. The continued influence of traditional African religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. A submission on the components of African philosophy and sense of time. In African Traditional Religion in Contemporary Society, edited by Jacob Kehinde Olupona, pp. African Traditional Religions Baha'i Buddhism ... African Religion (Internet Sacred Text Archive) "This section has texts on the traditional spirituality of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as their descendants in the New World." No longer was reference made to African culture, it became barbarism. Practitioners of Ifa mainly live in Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and some parts of the Americas. This includes five countries (Cameroon, Chad, Guinea Bissau, Mali and Senegal) where more than half the population … What is the influence and impact of this dominant religious belief in spirit beings upon the whole of traditional African life? They use their sacred text, the Odu Ifa, to complete their divinations. 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