African indigenous religion pdf

Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions. John set out to refute some of the erroneous claims about african traditional religion. Gender refers to the different roles that are assigned to males and females. In five of these countriesbenin, mozambique, guineabissau, liberia, and the ivory coastafrican religion is the majority religion. 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. Tabona shoko analyses the traditional karanga views of the causes of illness and disease, mechanisms of diagnosis at their disposal and the methods they use to restore health, shoko discusses the views of a specific african independent church of the apostolic tradition. Varying estimates of african indigenous churches in zimbabwe can be found, ranging from 10% to 20% of the total population, in which they sometimes hold to one or. Some have pentecostal components but some do not e. Indigenous knowledge systems and environmental management.

Pdf there is no gainsaying in the importance of the need to study the religion of the indigenous african in theological institutions in africa. The role of women in african religion the sunday mail. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and cultural values on. The versions of these religions as they developed in the new world became known as african diaspora religions. This papers tries to analyse what the africans believe would happen in the afterlife. Nel morality and religion in african thought 34 promises of reward. Characteristics of african religion a supreme being. Since the indigenous african religion is not a revealed religion, there is no way by which the people would have access to the will of god that contains elaborate moral principles upon. The continent of africa has been home to hundreds of indigenous tribes speaking a wide variety of languages and believing a wide variety of different spiritual ideas. Life in african traditional religion is based on maintaining the balance between the visible and invisible world. A case study of zaka district, masvingo province, zimbabwe. In discussing african culture and values, we are not. The role of women in african traditional religion by john.

It is the religion that has been handed down from generation to generation by. African independent church origins, african independent. African women are regarded as the best in terms of influence and motivation. But this may not necessarily be the modes of acquisition of moral knowledge in indigenous societies with less emphasis on instruction in verbal linguistic modes. They use african traditional indigenous knowledge embedded in african religion to pray for rain by predicting, causing, redirecting, and controlling rain within their locality. Even those countries on the west african coast that have had a christian presence since the 15th century still have high percentages of adherents of african religion. A critical analysis on african traditional religion and the. The role of rainmaking and its effects is therefore crucial. A person must be born in a particular african people in order to be able to follow african religion.

This chapter focuses on the history of religions created by african communities and which have relied primarily on the inspiration of prophets, mediums, and elders, rather than on sacred texts. African world view, all life is religionfarrington 1998. In fact, africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. God, divinities and spirits in african traditional. They acknowledged the fact that africans had known god before the missionaries came ray, 1976. An examination of terminologies used for describing the indigenous faith of african people, using an afrocentric. The purpose of this contribution is to examine the indigenous systems of rainmaking in kenya. Ancestor spirits and their role in african traditional. Sex refers to a persons biological characteristics. These traditional belief systems are capable of protecting biodiversity species in particular and the environment in general as long as the local communities have an interest in them.

African researchers need to persist in developing and using alternative methods of studying our reality and refrain from sticking to the research pathways mapped out by western methodologies, within which many have been trained. Traditional african religious practices, such as owning sacred objects. One should be aware that acquisition and construction of moral knowledge may be based on performance. It reveals all the distortions about african religion by the outside researchers. African indigenous religion 1989, ejizu berates scholars of african indigenous religion, who according to him, now tend to depend more on secondary sources seem unaware of the vast potentials of oral materials as well as their implications for methodology in the subject 1989. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the african people. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. The continued influence of traditional african religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. African traditional religion is very pragmatic and apply to the need as it arises. African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous religions of the african people. Anthropologists, colonial administrators, and missionaries dominated the study of indigenous african religions until the 1970s and relatively few studies emphasized historical approaches. African people relate to or worship god through praying, singing and dancing, making sacrificial offerings, dedications and invoking blessings.

Pdf african traditional religions stephen zvawanda academia. Some scholars claim that african independent churches are syncretistic in that they combine indigenous african religion with christian beliefs, but the degree to which this occurs is varying. God, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology rev. Its study has to go handinhand with the study of the people who practise the religion. The main characteristics of african traditional religion. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa. Indigenous knowledge is the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. They participate in very difficult situations within their families and communities. African indigenous knowledge and research owusuansah.

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. African traditional religion in a globalizing world. 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. Exploring the african traditional belief systems in. As human beings we sometimes in one way or another become sick, and therefore go for treatment depending on our choice of treatment religious perspective or western medical treatment. The people from europe, america, and asia cannot be converted to african religion as it is more removed from their geographical and cultural setting. Life after death according to several african traditions. One certainly cannot speak of african religion as if it was a single, coherent set of beliefs. The zimbabweans and other africans described by hatch 1959. It is for this reason that this paper argues strongly for the inclusion of indigenous ghanaian religion and culture in this fight, for they have proven to be ecobiased religion and culture due to. African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of africa. A lot of leaders have emerged from the african religion.

The role of women in african traditional religion introduction a proverb from ghana declares that. It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. Pdf the concept of diseases and health care in african. 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. Omosade awolalu, in his work sin and its removal in african traditional religion writes when we speak of african traditional religion we mean the indigenous religion of the africans. African women are also the best care givers, they have a very low rate of discrimination. Worldwide, culture, religion and sacred places have contributed to environmental management. One of such numerous approaches to natural resource conservation and management is the use of indigenous belief systems of taboos and totems. African traditional medicine is the african indigenous system of health care and, therefore, cannot be an alternative. The thesis examines the indigenous beliefs and practices of the black people in south africa which were suppressed by western culture and christianity.

Although african traditional religion is not against a western. The thrust of this paper is to heighten awareness, stimulate new thoughts and generate discussion on the wealth of indigenous knowledge. A very short introduction, oxford university press, olupona has researched topics ranging from the indigenous religions of africa to the religious practices of africans who have settled in america. In so doing, we will engage important theoretical and methodological issues that have emerged in the study of african religions. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by the forebears of the present africans, and which is being practised today in various forms and. The concept of diseases and health care in african.

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. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and. Traditional african religious beliefs and practices pew. Authoring or editing more than half a dozen books on religion and african culture including the recent african religions. This study will reveal how africans within atr relate amongst themselves and with their ancestors. A morality that is founded on religion is thus a necessary concomitant of a revealed religion. The traditional african religions or traditional beliefs and practices of african people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. According to allan anderson, it is the widespread belief among many african peoples that witches and sorcerers are not admitted to the spirit world, and therefore they are refused proper burial sometimes their bodies are subjected to actions that would make such burial impossible, such as burning, chopping up, and feeding them to hyenas. Information and information policy played an important role in that respect, and in many african countries television was completely closed to the languages of indigenous peoples.