It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and . 817-820. The previous year I had published African Religions and Philosophy (Doubleday, 1969). 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. I want to make a pilgrimage into Christ. The word Vodou means spirit or deity in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin). Of course, behind all these factors is the Holy Spirit working through them. Consequently, people are discovering that the biblical faith is not harmful to their religious sensibilities. There are also secret societies, called Bizango or Sanpwl, that perform a religio-juridical function. Par consquent, Mbali-Dieu est la rponse crative des Biras une rencontre religieuse syncrtique. Oral tradition says the first Muslims appeared while the prophet Mohammed was. In this overpowering environment, one simply accepted this stand and looked at the world from its perspectives. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Some people tried to involve Africa in the debate. OLUPONA: No, this type of binary thinking is simplistic. African religions, Indigenous religions of the African continent. 75 0 obj (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main This is not a biblical distinction. That experience gave me a face-to-face encounter with the ecumenical movement and left a lasting mark on me. 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. His research has helped to introduce and popularize new concepts in religious studies, such as the term reverse missionaries, referring to African prelates sent to Europe and the United States. I wish to apply "change of mind" here to mean theological growth, and not necessarily a rejection of or turnaround from ideas that I may have held ten years ago. 1"7$X9Xyyyb GNpL!9I&mxo0++44cA@5c. Everywhere he went in southwestern Nigeria, he never opposed or spoke out against African culture including initiation rites, festivals, and traditional Yoruba dress as long as it didnt directly conflict with Christianity. I want to walk with Jesus of Nazareth on the shores of Lake Galilee and the hillsides of Judea, through the gates of Jerusalem. Aujourd'hui, la plupart des Zariens sont soit catholiques, soit protestants; les Biras pour leur part sont principalement catholiques. In contrast, witchcraft beliefs persist. Foreign religions simply dont have that same connection to the African continent. OLUPONA: I was raised in Africa during the 1960s, when the Yoruba community never asked you to chose between your personal faith and your collective African identity. For six years I worked with the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Ritual sacrifices and witchcraft beliefs are still common. (See the glossary for more information on the evil eye.). 0000003217 00000 n Following a period of parish work in England, I went to teach at Makerere University, Uganda, where I remained for ten years until 1974. 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. 43. There is no centralized hierarchy, no single leader, and no official spokesperson, but various groups sometimes attempt to create such official structures. OLUPONA: If we lose traditional African religions, we would also lose or continue to seriously undermine the African practice of rites of passage such as the much cherished age-grade initiations, which have for so long integrated and bought Africans together under a common understanding, or worldview. A magisterial historical synthesis of the formative period of African Christianity written by one of its foremost scholars. 0000001198 00000 n This chapter includes information on: Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects Download chapter 3 in full (3-page PDF, <1MB) Photo credit: Sebastien Desarmaux/GODONG/Godong/Corbis Indeed, ten years ago I had no significant theological position. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Islam has experienced a similar rapid growth. The primary goal and activity of Vodou is to sevi lwa (serve the spirits)to offer prayers and perform various devotional rites directed at God and particular spirits in return for health, protection, and favour. 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. Religious pluralism serves peace | D+C - Development + Cooperation But it is nevertheless a working Yes and one that demands theological understanding. Updates? Regardless of the variation, it is still true that Nigeria has both the largest number of Muslims and the largest number of Christians in the region. On returning home, the learned professor wrote an article using my brief answer as his title. 0000008365 00000 n religious syncretism, the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices. Important lwa are celebrated on saints days (for example: Ogou on St. Jamess Day, July 25; Ezili Danto on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16; Danbala on St. Patricks Day, March 17; and the spirits of the ancestors on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, November 1 and November 2). It is here that I have discovered the church in Burma, in the Pacific islands, the house church in China, the basic Christian communities in Latin America, the struggling church in South Africa, plus countless other endeavors of Christians all over the world. My research into and teaching of African religion has led to another important area of development. In five countries (Tanzania, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Mali) majorities express this belief. w?0t7/Oa84P]T}T}?gHq.qsRnkc;]X*s1!E"l^~K_/|j p z|9~p uf:}[Mc|4!#"Zg!/vc _~|oyuQ'dX :?NmU)?oPSw?6#?[OUN@6oz{j;\e7nWsV~XyU4vMm4#f4c:[Wefkd&88XB|cMh6)mt<4M8}; *:7??+0:0$! (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Currently I am about to complete a book on this question of the encounter between the biblical faith and African religion. 300 ce). 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 Religious pluralism serves peace. X0#J++?U;_3_gmx9[F\"{,Um1yu 9 ?ce%9EG`N: &U0EHC$p4=$'=DlX6M_7,--" It sensitized my thinking in many areas, one of these being the quest for Christian unity. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. Instead, God brought them. It was during the Belgian colonial period that the first Catholic and Protestant missionaries came to this region of Zaire. I have concentrated these comments on the role of African background in my theological reflection. Traditional African religious beliefs, such as belief in the protective power of sacrifices to ancestors, Traditional African religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. The bottom line then is that Africans who still wholly practice African indigenous religions are only about 10 percent of the African population, a fraction of what it used to be only a century ago, when indigenous religions dominated most of the continent. In these congregations, knowledge is passed on through a ritual of initiation (kanzo) in which the body becomes the site of spiritual transformation. Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by about two-to-one. OLUPONA: Yes, and the pluralistic nature of African-tradition religion is one of the reasons for its success in the diaspora. Unlike in Europe and the United States, very few people in sub-Saharan Africa say they are unaffiliated with a particular faith. In this case, so-called "salvation history" must widen its outreach in order to embrace the horizons of other peoples histories. I have been greatly enriched by working at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, 1974-1980. Revelation is given not in a vacuum but within particular historical experiences and reflections. This is not an empty coincidence. PDF African American Christianity - Harvard University I have received much in a short period. Consequently, traditional Africans have different ideas on what role the ancestors play in the lives of living descendants. In three of the countries surveyed (Djibouti, Mali and Senegal), Muslims clearly outnumber Christians. For the full article, see, New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements, https://www.britannica.com/summary/African-religions. In its place there emerged the word "also." The book comprised ideas that I had gathered from 300 African peoples ("tribes" -- a term that today is sometimes used in derogatory ways). It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. This approach is intended to shed further light on the problem of African cultural influence and . 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.
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