misconceptions about african traditional religionbyron morris obituary

Lets take the killing of twins as a case study. Just as rituals are an expression of this . It is incorrect to assume that conversion to Islam or to Christianity dealt a deathblow to indigenous traditions. South Africa, Tunisia, and Kenya rank among the top countries with the best health care system in Africa. John Mbiti in his book African Religion and Philosophy, argued that African Religion deserves the same respect as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. Africa is poor. Therefore for these people, twins were treasures. The debate regarding the continuity between African traditional religion and Christianity has been raging since the early 19th century. By Jacob K. Olupona. Another false impression often given about African religions is that women do not play any central or leadership roles in the performance of African religious traditions. Symbolic and mythic narratives may exist side by side with narratives of legends in history that bear similar characteristics with motifs and events of creation or coming to birth. However, the so-called white wedding is Western culture. This is far from the truth. African traditional medicine (ATM) has been used by African populations for the treatment of diseases long before the advent of orthodox medicine and continues to carry a part of the burden of health for the majority of the population. Africans engaged Western enlightenment and religious traditions in serious dialogue and conversation, and responded by creating and interpreting their own modernity. Investors are moving to take advantage of the African market. These traditions are not religious principles, but a cultural identity that is passed on through stories, myths and tales. a. newly birthed babies. .p-summary {display: none !important} So, why was it the negative stories about killing of twins that were promoted? War in Africa, either political or religious is mostly isolated cases. African traditional religion, and that researcher a should "bracket" their faith and prejudicethey might have about Africa and its people. However, since Africans are known for their excellent craftsmanship, these artifacts do tell the story of the ancient African empires. These stages characterized European perceptions of human evolution. For example, James George Frazer (18541941) and Edward B. Tylor (18321917) classified indigenous religious practices of natives not as universally religious or generative of religious cultures but as forms of primitive religion or magic arising from the lower of three stages of human progress. Jul 26, 2007 #1. This inaccurate assessment of African belief even affects the definition of African religion. Africa is given the image of a place that is hot and sunny all year round. Indeed indigenous African religions have provided the blueprint for robust conversations and thinking about community relations, interfaith dialogue, civil society, and civil religion. Absolute as Supreme, infinite and everlasting mind. It was just the belief of a few groups of people known as Efik people, the predominant tribe in Calabar. .sqs-featured-posts-gallery .title-desc-wrapper .view-post Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Thus, many practitioners of African religion, particularly in the shrines of goddesses, are women, indicating the parity with which African religion treats gender and gender-related issues. African religions do not rely on a single individual to be a religious leader, but rather depend on an entire community to make the religion work. Post-colonial Africa is yet to be completely free from the mental slavery and stereotype created by the colonial masters. Traditional African religions are less of faith traditions and more of lived traditions. On the other hand, the Yoruba people encountered Europeans in dialogue rather than monologue. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism.There is no central authority in control of the religion and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Vodouists, Vodouisants, or Serviteurs. Voodoo is a religion that originates in Africa. 2,269. They are less concerned with doctrines and much more so with rituals, ceremonies, and lived practices. 3. Africa is a Continent Full of Corruption, Poverty and War. The reason for this is quite simply the misunderstanding of the relevance and foundation of the African tradition. Slavery and World History. In African traditional religions guidance is provided through myths, which are handed down orally. 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Women constitute a sizable number of the devotees of these traditions, just as they do in Islam and Christianity. As the late African historian Cheikh Anta Diop argued, matriarchy was embedded in the African way of life. In many African countries a range of beliefs and attitudes underpin these alternative explanations. Each has a life force but no concrete physical form. . In most African cultures, history and beliefs have been explained and passed on through oral traditions and storytelling. Static.COOKIE_BANNER_CAPABLE = true; The story of Mary Slessor and the killing of twins is popular. Religions of the African diaspora are of particular note and importance to the comparative study of African religions because of their resilience and the characteristic formations leading to their performance and expression. Today, several myths are mixed with facts in describing African traditional religion. 5.3.2 Intolerance and misconceptions about African traditional religion and Culture As already alluded, the stories told in Europe about Africa, the notion of racial and cultural superiority, and the notion of salvation, led to the western missionaries having a negative attitude toward African traditional religion and culture. religions are considered: African Traditional Religions (ATRs) especially that which is found in sub-Saharan Africa, and Christianity, sometimes referred to under the umbrella of faith-based communities. Voodoo, however, is a dynamic religion with no standardized dogma. The Ndembu tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo shared a similar belief. These one-sided stories or reports are among the major roots of stereotypes and myths about Africa. Since growth and innovation come as a pair, it is impossible to say that African countries are growing without being innovative. Reclaim the Ancestral Traditions of African Religion! As with myths the world over, African mythology includes multiple, often contradictory, versions of the same event. To each his own. Paperback. Voodoo has no scripture or world authority. Such scholars stereotyped African religionand African peoples themselvesas primitive social forms, part of a lower social order. Myth #2. on. Advocating for civil religion in a religiously pluralistic society does not require the erasure of conventional religious traditions. Because it enables us to theorize questions of syncretism and hybridization and, more importantly, raises the issue of why African religion is flowering and spreading in the Americas, especially in the United States, while it is declining in Africaa phenomenon that we need to understand. So it is the responsibility of the religious leaders in these . When I told him I am a twin (Ibeji) in Yoruba traditionand in principle a sacred being myselfhe almost fell on the floor to pay homage! Compared to most patriarchal traditions, where womens participation and roles are curtailed, African religions attitude toward gender inclusion is unique. 5. All rights reserved. Theres a globally shared perspective of Africa being full of diseases. These countries are often very hot. While scholars have often argued that African indigenous accounts of creation were ex nihilo (created out of nothing), as the biblical account of creation is often portrayed,12 African cosmological narratives generally indicate that there is never one pattern governing how creation happens. Here are some 10 myths about Africa and Africans that are either an exaggeration of the fact or based on misguided information. Inasmuch as androcentric authority is more prominent within social structures and systems and patriarchy is more pronounced in the social order, women are considered the cornerstone of the African family system.19 The African mother is a vibrant life force, central to African religious understandings of the interrelatedness between the human and the divine, as she embodies the production and sustaining of life. Each transition has a function within the society. b. certain clan outsiders. Your email address will not be published. Please note: About | Commentary Guidelines | Harvard University Privacy | Accessibility | Digital Accessibility | Trademark Notice | Reporting Copyright Infringements Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL The most common African history begins with the colonial era. Please follow our Commentary Guidelines when engaging in discussion on this site. For example, in my local language . Depending on the kind of religious activity being performed, different religious authorities can be leaders for specific events. Another misbelief about Africa is that all Africans are the same. Perhaps its the abundant wildlife, scorching deserts, or the vast uninhabited plainlands. This is a testament to the strong morals and principles of the African tradition. Temperature varies from one country to another depending on the climate type. Acceptably, this was a cruel act of ignorance, but like many other stories about African countries, this story is often generalized. One of my favorite Ifa narratives acknowledges to Yoruba Muslims that climbing Mount Arafat was the most significant act of the hajj. As in the Muslim pilgrimage, it is a solemn journey to the hilltop. African leaders are also investing heavily in diversifying the economy. Many sources define African worship as ancestral worship which is wrong. Elders, priests, and priestesses have served as guardians of the sacred traditions. Loosely, it encompasses all African beliefs and practices that are considered religious but neither Christian nor Islamic. Thank you. An Ifa song warns those embarking on the pilgrimage to be pure and those who possess witchcraft not to embark on the pilgrimage. .title-desc-wrapper .post-title {display: none !important} The west, by trying to learn more about the African tradition will avoid the bias and ignorance of being misinformed. Will OAthers Follow Suit? A classic example is how the Ifa divination text of the Yoruba provides deep commentary on the practice of Islam by the Yoruba people, such as the hajj tradition. This article analyses the legal processes of recognising customary and religious (Muslim) marriages in South Africa's constitutional democracy. The battle between the African traditional religion and western civilization has been raging on for years. 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