This thesis will operate with the following definition of african traditional religion, put forward by julius mutugi gathogo. In traditional african society, there is implied and widespread belief in a supreme being, god. 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. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what air and its essential characteristics is. African traditional religion and concepts of development. Shona mwari literally he who is, or ndebele umlimu, is believed to be active in the everyday lives of people. The attribute of god in african tradition religion a term paper prepared by pst. The traditional african religions or traditional beliefs and practices of african people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. African traditional religion is part of the category designated as primal religion momen 2009.
Characteristics of traditional african religions1 youtube. This is followed by a definition of african traditional religion. Three major characteristics of african traditional education. Myths of african traditional religions linkedin slideshare. Some scholars see this religion as purely monotheistic. The main characteristics of african traditional religion as indicated above africa is a vast continent. African religion cannot be separated from daily life. 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. Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions.
This is a 3hour summary lecture on the basic components of african traditional religions. Pdf god, divinities and spirits in african traditional. African traditional religion in a globalizing world. Western culture now is regarded as frontline civilisation. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and. Here again the writer made mention of the various ceremonies which accompany puberty and its significance in african traditional religion. African traditional religion is all about, basically by sampling the opinions of different scholars in this regard. I would like to group the essential features of atr under three headings, which may be regarded as the three principal dimensions of religion.
West african traditional religion and conservation of the environment. R i belief in the supreme being ii divinities, ancestors, mystical powers etc. 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. This paper seeks to examine how africans conceive of the supreme being, divinities and spirits. African traditional religion african studies oxford.
Characteristics of african religion a supreme being. The characteristics of african traditional religions are. The people from europe, america, and asia cannot be converted to african religion as it is more removed from their geographical and cultural setting. African traditional religion is referred to the diverse beliefs that are included in various ethnic regions in africa. 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. Gelfand the medium in this article i would like to attempt an appraisal of the shona religion.
Through modern changes, the traditional religion cannot remain intact but it is by no means extinct. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa. Traditional african religious beliefs and practices. African traditional religion s perspective article pdf available in religious studies and theology 311. Gender refers to the different roles that are assigned to males and females. 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. African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of africa.
God, divinities and spirits in african traditional. A better way to explain the nature of religion is to identify basic characteristics common to religions. 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. The african metaphysic, to be sure, is a theistic metaphysic. 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. 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. Certain basic characteristics mark the african traditional religion out and make it unique.
Elements of african traditional religion elia mligo is 20% off every day at. African ways of doing things became primitive, archaic and regrettably unacceptable in public domain. The religious beliefs, practices and thehuman characteristics such as love, power, knowledge are transferred to anspeak. African traditional religions perspective article pdf available in religious studies and theology 311. Introduction to the study of west african traditional religion nature a characteristics of w. 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 continued influence of traditional african religion is also evident in some aspects of daily life. Characteristics of african religion 1769 words bartleby. The essential features of african traditional religion. 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.
Myths of african traditional religions introduction religion creates a significant part of african life. What were the characteristics of african traditional religion. African traditional religion atr is one of the world religions with a great people and a great past. The various divinities that are represented are in fact technically representatives or servants of the supreme being. There are four foundational religious beliefs in the traditional religions. In general, people communicate with mwari through the vadzimu. 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. Traditional african religious beliefs and practices pew. African traditional religion is very pragmatic and apply to the need as it arises. Because religion is a way of life, it relates to culture and society as they affect the worldview of the african people.
A major characteristic of primal religions is the fact that they chapter 3. African people relate to or worship god through praying, singing and dancing, making sacrificial offerings, dedications and invoking blessings. 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. Africa traditional religious system as basis of understanding. The people worshiped this god through singing,offering sacrifices,dancing,dedications as well as invoking blessings. What are the main characteristics of african philosophy. Its seems that people outside of africa always clump africans into a single bundle this is. A person must be born in a particular african people in order to be able to follow african religion. Definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems.
The rapid growth of many religions in africa and the revival of air in postcolonial africa have made interreligious dialogue an urgent necessity. 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. These figures represent people who primarily follow african traditional religion. 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. They counteracted various derogatory names given to air. African religion customs before christianity synonym. African religion is traditional for the following reasons. An examination of terminologies used for describing the indigenous faith of african people, using an afrocentric paradigm.
It deals with their cosmology, ritual practices, symbols, arts, society, and so on. Carothers 1940, a much quoted authority on the african mind, when speaking of the religion of the. 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. Faso more than 33 percent follow african religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. Christianity and the african traditional religions. In fact, africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. What are the advantages and disadvantages of african. Traditional religion atr worshippers, muslims and christians are. Traditional african cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as africans became fully westernised. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs. African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil.
Religion, centre for west african studies, centre for the study of global ethics. Sex refers to a persons biological characteristics. This is a difficult task because in the literature the subject of the african s religion is clouded by many diverse opinions. Doc the attribute of god in african tradition religion a. Johnson, understanding african traditional religion. The main characteristics of african traditional religion. African traditional religions in some parts of africa, have had an elaborate pantheon of divinities.
In another chapter, puberty rites were mentioned as another rites of passage. Its study has to go handinhand with the study of the people who practise the religion. This paper is a trawl of literature on african traditional religion1 atr and. Many traditional african religions are based on guiding principles that are unfathomable to foreigners, more specifically.
African traditional religions predated christianity and had a. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. Yet there is a common thread that runs in indigenous values and experiences that show a kind of uniformity. Written expressly for the middle grade struggling reader, the series does not contain strong language, edgy themes, or dysfunctional families. African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous religions of the african people. Thereafter i will look at the main characteristics of african traditional religion. 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. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of former generations. Characteristics of african religion essay 1778 words. 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. Supreme being the african societies and ethnic communities believed in a supreme being who had different names for different communities. First you must understand that africa is a continent with with most diverse group of people in the world. 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.
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