It then proceeds to look at east africa, where the three religious families of traditional religion, islam and christianity are all present in large numbers. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what air and its essential characteristics is. The characteristics of african traditional religions are. African traditional religion atr is one of the world religions with a great people and a great past.
Johnson, understanding african traditional religion. This paper seeks to examine how africans conceive of the supreme being, divinities and spirits. Pdf god, divinities and spirits in african traditional. The religious beliefs, practices and thehuman characteristics such as love, power, knowledge are transferred to anspeak. Gender refers to the different roles that are assigned to males and females. The rapid growth of many religions in africa and the revival of air in postcolonial africa have made interreligious dialogue an urgent necessity. Throughout most of africa there is belief of a supreme being, described by one or more names, either in terms of activities or place of abode. African traditional religions predated christianity and had a. 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. Traditional african cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as africans became fully westernised. God, divinities and spirits in african traditional. Definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems.
Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. Myths of african traditional religions linkedin slideshare. R i belief in the supreme being ii divinities, ancestors, mystical powers etc. An examination of terminologies used for describing the indigenous faith of african people, using an afrocentric paradigm. Traditional religion jstor african traditional religion is part of the category designated as primal religion momen 2009. First, it begins by a study of the meaning of religion, which itself is enigmatic and elusive. African traditional religion in a globalizing world. In fact, africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. The attribute of god in african tradition religion a term paper prepared by pst. African traditional religion is very pragmatic and apply to the need as it arises. Shona mwari literally he who is, or ndebele umlimu, is believed to be active in the everyday lives of people.
African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous religions of the african people. The african metaphysic, to be sure, is a theistic metaphysic. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs. African traditional religion is a thriving scholarly business, but a serious disconnect exists between contributions that celebrate a generalized african traditional religion and those that describe particular religions and aspects of religion on the basis of ethnographic and archival research. The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the. The people from europe, america, and asia cannot be converted to african religion as it is more removed from their geographical and cultural setting. The main characteristics of african traditional religion. African religion cannot be separated from daily life. The essential features of african traditional religion.
Christianity and the african traditional religions. African traditional religion is referred to the diverse beliefs that are included in various ethnic regions in africa. This is followed by a definition of african traditional religion. Traditional religion atr worshippers, muslims and christians are.
They counteracted various derogatory names given to air. African traditional religions perspective article pdf available in religious studies and theology 311. Serious scholarship on african religion began in the 1960s and 1970s, but this work still had problems, perceiving a number of separate african traditional religions, rather than witnessing the uniformity across the continent. Three major characteristics of african traditional education. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional. It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. Not being a revealed religion, traditional african religion can be characterized as a natural religion, a religion that derives from the peoples own reflections on this complex world and their experiences in it. What is the difference between the african traditional. African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of africa. Living in a country with free religion choice, in southamerica, i have had the chance to see african philosophy alive and moving in many religious centres, being their cosmogony sistem a fhilosophy in itself. Elements of african traditional religion elia mligo is 20% off every day at.
Its study has to go handinhand with the study of the people who practise the religion. African traditional religion s perspective article pdf available in religious studies and theology 311. A better way to explain the nature of religion is to identify basic characteristics common to religions. Traditional african religious beliefs and practices. African traditional religion african studies oxford. The advantages of african traditional education include passing on of essential values from the community as well as defining the roles of both boys and girls distinctly. A person must be born in a particular african people in order to be able to follow african religion. In another chapter, puberty rites were mentioned as another rites of passage. 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. Characteristics of african religion essay 1778 words. The main characteristics of african traditional religion as indicated above africa is a vast continent. The continued influence of traditional african religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. African religion is traditional for the following reasons.
Supreme being the african societies and ethnic communities believed in a supreme being who had different names for different communities. Western culture now is regarded as frontline civilisation. This is a difficult task because in the literature the subject of the african s religion is clouded by many diverse opinions. For example, in 14 of the 19 countries surveyed, more than threeinten people say they sometimes consult traditional healers when someone in their household is sick. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and.
The people worshiped this god through singing,offering sacrifices,dancing,dedications as well as invoking blessings. Africa traditional religious system as basis of understanding. In traditional african society, there is implied and widespread belief in a supreme being, god. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the african people. Some scholars see this religion as purely monotheistic. African traditional religions in some parts of africa, have had an elaborate pantheon of divinities. A definition 1973, omosade awolalu in yoruba belief and sacrificial rites and john mbiti in the concept of god in africa 1970 are a few examples of postcolonial scholars of religion who have resisted and denounced colonial idea that africans do not know god. Thereafter i will look at the main characteristics of african traditional religion. This thesis will operate with the following definition of african traditional religion, put forward by julius mutugi gathogo. African traditional religion is all about, basically by sampling the opinions of different scholars in this regard. Myths of african traditional religions introduction religion creates a significant part of african life. Written expressly for the middle grade struggling reader, the series does not contain strong language, edgy themes, or dysfunctional families. West african traditional religion and conservation of the environment. African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil.
Sex refers to a persons biological characteristics. The various divinities that are represented are in fact technically representatives or servants of the supreme being. African ways of doing things became primitive, archaic and regrettably unacceptable in public domain. Traditional african religious beliefs and practices pew.
There are four foundational religious beliefs in the traditional religions. Faso more than 33 percent follow african religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. These figures represent people who primarily follow african traditional religion. Certain basic characteristics mark the african traditional religion out and make it unique. African traditional religion and concepts of development. What are the main characteristics of african philosophy. Characteristics of african religion 1769 words bartleby. God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. This is a 3hour summary lecture on the basic components of african traditional religions. Its seems that people outside of africa always clump africans into a single bundle this is. What are the advantages and disadvantages of african.
First you must understand that africa is a continent with with most diverse group of people in the world. Doc the attribute of god in african tradition religion a. What were the characteristics of african traditional religion. I would like to group the essential features of atr under three headings, which may be regarded as the three principal dimensions of religion. The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the supreme being nor worship him. In general, people communicate with mwari through the vadzimu. The religious beliefs, practices and the provision of social services of these immigrant religions have impacted on the religious and cultural life of the traditional communities. African religion customs before christianity synonym. Characteristics of african religion a supreme being. Characteristics of traditional african religions1 youtube. Gelfand the medium in this article i would like to attempt an appraisal of the shona religion.
Introduction to the study of west african traditional religion nature a characteristics of w. African tribal societies are rich in the awareness of a supreme being to the extent that no nativeborn african is unaware of gods existence odonovan 1996. This paper is a trawl of literature on african traditional religion1 atr and. The religious beliefs, practices and thehuman characteristics such as love, power, knowledge are transferred to anspeak of african traditional religion we mean the indigenous religion of the africans. Yet there is a common thread that runs in indigenous values and experiences that show a kind of uniformity.
Carothers 1940, a much quoted authority on the african mind, when speaking of the religion of the. Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions. The traditional african religions or traditional beliefs and practices of african people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. Many traditional african religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically. African people relate to or worship god through praying, singing and dancing, making sacrificial offerings, dedications and invoking blessings. These traditional reads are brimming with spirited characters and positive valuesbut with a little extra excitement and bite, so hold on to your hats. Through modern changes, the traditional religion cannot remain intact but it is by no means extinct. Religion, centre for west african studies, centre for the study of global ethics. Here again the writer made mention of the various ceremonies which accompany puberty and its significance in african traditional religion.
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