african traditional religion kenya
Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African medicine. 1komma5grad-quellen – Matthias Ziemer Photography says: Earth’s Crisis and Evolution Series- Part 1 Finding Commonality in Religious and Spiritual Pathways – SacredFireofKnowledge says: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Persecution of traditional African religion, 1komma5grad-quellen – Matthias Ziemer Photography, ... [Trackback] [...] Read More Infos here: slife.org/ethics-in-religion/ [...], […] https://www.discovermongolia.mn/about-mongolia/culture-art-history/religion-in-mongolia https://slife.org/mongolian-shamanism/ https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-religions-are-practiced-in-mongolia.html […], ... [Trackback] [...] Find More Informations here: slife.org/western-slang-lingo-and-phrases/ [...], ... [Trackback] [...] Read More: slife.org/mens-rights-movement/ [...]. The Central Regional Chairperson of the Psychic and Traditional Healers Association Limited, Nana Kojo Owonae who is also the Chief Priest of the Santrofi Shrine at Asebu has said the African Traditional Religion is the best. (Worship of the vodun is the original source of the Haitian religion of Vodou, which emerged as a syncretism of African, Roman Catholic, and Caribbean religious traditions by African slaves in Haiti.) Some of the African traditional religions are those of the Serer of Senegal, the Yoruba and Igbo of Nigeria, and the Akan of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. General Overviews. 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. Traditional Religions The religions practiced by the majority of people living in Africa are Christianity and Islam. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. [32], Followers of traditional African religions pray to various spirits as well as to their ancestors. However the most dominant ones in Ghana and Africa are Islam and Christianity, both accounting for more than 90% of religious adherents, with the rest, including traditional beliefs, having less than 10% of adherents. In traditional African societies, many people seek out diviners on a regular basis. About 10 per cent of the African population is still practicing some form of traditional religion today. In this state, depending upon the region, drumming or instrumental rhythms played by respected musicians (each of which is unique to a given deity or ancestor), participants embody a deity or ancestor, energy or state of mind by performing distinct ritual movements or dances which further enhance their elevated consciousness. Introduction to African religion. Such separation and subsequent contemplation of the nature and sources of pure energy or feelings serves to help participants manage and accept them when they arise in mundane contexts. To efficiently study the African Traditional Religion (ATR), one must also study the people who practice this religion. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs Ancestors (ancestral ghosts/spirits) are an integral part of reality. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic, and traditional medicine. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. Traditional/Indigenous African religions are the traditional beliefs and practices of African people including the various traditional religions and customs. They have replaced indigenous African religions, but are often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the Africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. See also: Divination, Early-20th-century Yoruba divination board. Rites of Passage – In the rites of passage, African traditional religions played a significant role. Virtue in traditional African religion is often connected with carrying out obligations of the communal aspect of life. There are more similarities than differences in all traditional African religions. constantly liable to misunderstand the African worldview and beliefs. All Rights Reserved. Religious persecution. There are more similarities than differences in all traditional African religions. [39], For example, in the Serer religion, one of the most sacred stars in the cosmos is called Yoonir (the Star of Sirius). There are generally no prohibitions against the practice. 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 … In some traditional African religions, morality is associated with obedience or disobedience to God regarding the way a person or a community lives. They have replaced indigenous African religions, but are often adapted to African cultural contexts and belief systems. History of African traditional religion. Ancestors can offer advice and bestow good fortune and honor to their living dependents, but they can also make demands, such as insisting that their shrines be properly maintained and propitiated. In traditional African societies, many people seek out diviners on a regular basis. The traditional African religions (or traditional beliefs and practices of African people) are a set of highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions. ), are excited to the point of going into meditative trance in response to rhythmic or driving drumming or singing. This facilitates better control and transformation of these energies into positive, culturally appropriate behavior, thought, and speech. There are common beliefs in Africa although the continent is a large with many different … Diverse traditional beliefs and practices of African people, Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009). Other religions found in Africa have their origins in other parts of the world.”. [15], Followers of traditional African religions are also found around the world. [6][1] The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonizing nature with the supernatural. All aspects of weather, thunder, lightning, rain, day, moon, sun, stars, and so on may become amenable to control through the cosmology of African people. Most African societies believe in several “high gods” and a large amount of lower gods and spirits. For example, within the Samburu tribe of Kenya, a bride lives with her husband until her pregnancy.… [35], Traditional African religions generally believe in an afterlife, one or more Spirit worlds, and Ancestor worship is an important basic concept in mostly all African religions. Today, Christianity and Islam are religions practiced by the majority of people living in Africa. Umewaen: Journal of Benin & Edoid Studies: Osweego, NY. The practice of casting may be done with small objects, such as bones, cowrie shells, stones, strips of leather, or flat pieces of wood. Also, this practice can also give rise to those in these trances uttering words which, when interpreted by a culturally educated initiate or diviner, can provide insight into appropriate directions which the community (or individual) might take in accomplishing its goal. Abstract. He then took the first man, Gikuyu, to the top to point out the beauty of the land he was giving him.In traditional African religions, such as the Azande religion, a person is said to have a good or bad conscience, depending on whether he does the bidding of God or malevolent spirits. Today, around 10 percent of the African population still practice some form of traditional religion. ATR is the original religious belief and practice of the Africans. Traditional African beliefs and cultural practices cannot be fully discussed without the subject of religion being highlighted. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." 3 And similar to this was the dialogue that took place between Edwin Smith, who had gone out as a missionary to Africa, and Emil Ludwig, an eminent biographer. Olupona rejects the western/islamic definition of Monotheism or Polytheism and says that such concepts could not reflect the complex African traditions and are simplistic. 1. [31], When this trance-like state is witnessed and understood, adherents are privy to a way of contemplating the pure or symbolic embodiment of a particular mindset or frame of reference. The defining line between deities and ancestors is often contested, but overall, ancestors are believed to occupy a higher level of existence than living human beings and are believed to be able to bestow either blessings or illness upon their living descendants. In recent times, traditional religions, such as the Yoruba religion, are on the rise. Africa is a vast continent, with many races, but in religion as in other matters it is helpful for study to divide the continent at the Sahara Desert. where one’s family came from. Diviner (also known as priest) are also sought for their wisdom as counselors in life and for their knowledge of herbal medicine. The role of humanity is generally seen as one of harmonising nature with the supernatural. [25], Some researchers, including historical ethnolinguist Christopher Ehret, suggest that certain monotheistic concepts, such as the belief in a creator god or force (next to other gods, deities and spirits) are ancient and indigenous among peoples of the Niger-Congo ethnolinguistic family (of much of West Africa and Central Africa) and date to the beginning of their history, in a form substantially different from the monotheism found in Abrahamic religions. Followers of traditional African religions pray to various spirits as well as to their ancestors. Magic – Many of the African traditional religions believe in mysterious forces and magic.Priests (sometimes known as witchdoctors) may cast spells or … While some religions adopted a pantheistic worldview, most follow a polytheistic system with various gods, spirits and other supernatural beings. Rites of Passage – In the rites of passage, African traditional religions played a significant role.These included marriage rituals which entered adulthood, birth and death. All aspects of weather, thunder, lightning, rain, day, moon, sun, stars, and so on may become amenable to control through the cosmology of African people. INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_religions Examples include social behaviors such as the respect for parents and elders, raising children appropriately, providing hospitality, and being honest, trustworthy, and courageous. 1, Hutchison, 1913, p.xll. Culture A deeper look into the different cultures of the African continent, its food, people, music, art, language and more. African religions also share many ideas with world religions such as Judaism and Buddhism. Encyclopædia Britannica, (2003), Index of African mythology and creation narratives, List of African deities and mythical figures, Traditional African Religion and other religions, Persecution of traditional African religion, "The world of spirits and the respect for nature: towards a new appreciation of animism", "Animism: Foundation of Traditional Healing in Sub-Saharan Africa", What is religion? [37] The deities and spirits are honored through libation or sacrifice (of animals, vegetables, cooked food, flowers, semi-precious stones and precious metals). The ancestors are generally believed to reside in an ancestral realm (spiritworld), while some believe that the ancestors became equal in power to deities.[29]. Some sacred or holy locations for traditional religions include Nri-Igbo, the Point of Sangomar, Yaboyabo, Fatick, Ife, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin City, Ouidah, Nsukka, Kanem-Bornu, Igbo-Ukwu, and Tulwap Kipsigis, among others. Ngai, says one legend, made the mountain his resting place while on an inspection tour of earth. It is the opposite... […] Quran was written in the 7th century CE. This is largely because cosmology and beliefs are intricately intertwined with the natural phenomena and environment. The two Abrahamic religions are widespread across Africa, though mostly concentrated in different areas. African traditional religion refers to the indigenous or autochthonous religions of the African people. Among Afro-Asiatic-speakers is henotheism, the belief in one's own gods but accepting the existence of other gods; evil here is caused by malevolent spirits. In the United States Vudon is more predominant in the states along the Gulf of Mexico. These secondary spirits serve as intermediaries between humans and the primary God, also referred to as the Supreme Deity. [8][9], Although the majority of Africans today are adherents of Christianity or Islam, African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. [21][22] New world religions such as Santería, Vodun, and Candomblé, would be derived from this world. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. In the village of Eshowe in the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa, a Zulu Isangoma (diviner), with a puff adder in his mouth, practices soothsaying, or predicting, with snakes. S. Mbiti, John (1991). This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 15:48. If you have any suggestions, questions or need help please feel free to contact us. Westerners, and even most misinformed Africans, are wont to use derogatory words such as primitive, idolatry, paganism etc. When he comes he rests on Mount Kenya and four other sacred mountains. When this trance-like state is witnessed and understood, adherents are privy to a way of contemplating the pure or symbolic embodiment of a particular mindset or frame of reference. Ancestor veneration has always played a "significant" part in the traditional African cultures and may be considered as central to the African worldview. To live here and now is the most important concern of African religious activities and beliefs. They are folk religions, and combine different beliefs.In general, people in the cities confess to either Christianity or Islam. Raleigh, NC: SI. The Kenyan scholar John Mbiti writes that a belief in the continuation of life after death for African peoples "does not constitute a hope for a future and better life. Africa is a massive continent with diverse religious traditions, to the extent that within the same tradition there have been variations. According to Lugira, “it is the only religion that can claim to have originated in Africa. . "Kings, Magic & Medicine". Thunder is interpreted to be the movement of God, and lightning is God’s weapon by means of which he clears the way when moving from one sacred place to another. He also notes that most modern African folk religions were strongly influenced by non-African religions, mostly Christianity and Islam and thus may differ from the ancient forms. to tag the traditional religion of Africans and believe […] [16], Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions, this includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife. This is part of democracy. According to Clemmont E. Vontress, the various religious traditions of Africa are united by a basic Animism. The three main religious traditions—African traditional religion, Christianity, and Islam—constitute the triple religious heritage of the African continent. Gods and Spirits. Its study has to go hand-in-hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. There are common beliefs in Africa although the continent is a large with many different cultures and [33] This includes also nature, elementary and animal spirits. Universality must surely be one key we have to the verity of any doctrine. ), are excited to the point of going into meditative trance in response to rhythmic or driving drumming or singing. In many cases, Africans who have converted to other religions have still kept up their traditional customs and practices, combining them in a syncretic way.[42]. A belief in ancestors also testifies to the inclusive nature of traditional African spirituality by positing that deceased progenitors still play a role in the lives of their living descendants. In many traditional African religions, there is a belief in a cyclical nature of reality. Also, this practice can also give rise to those in these trances uttering words which, when interpreted by a culturally educated initiate or diviner, can provide insight into appropriate directions which the community (or individual) might take in accomplishing its goal. Main article: African divination Study Guide MSR203. [30], West and Central African religious practices generally manifest themselves in communal ceremonies or divinatory rites in which members of the community, overcome by force (or ashe, nyama, etc. This Ghanaian Adinkra symbol means \"except for God\" and symbolizes the supremacy of God. While some traditions have a supreme being (next to other deities), others have not. With a long farming tradition, the Serer high priests and priestesses (Saltigue) deliver yearly sermons at the Xoy Ceremony (divination ceremony) in Fatick before Yoonir’s phase in order to predict winter months and enable farmers to start planting. The word, is related to the Maasai word Enkai, and was borrowed by both the Kikuyu and Kamba. For centuries the barriers of desert, tropical forest, and sea prevented religions from spreading south. "Religions of South Africa" pp. Traditionally, as now, the Kikuyu were monotheists, believing in a unique and omnipotent God whom they called Ngai. The historiography of African religions and religions in Africa presents a remarkable shift from the study of 'Africa as Object' to 'Africa as Subject', thus translating the subject from obscurity into the global community of the academic study of religion. Gods were either self-created or evolved from spirits or ancestors which got worshiped by the people. In this state, depending upon the region, drumming or instrumental rhythms played by respected musicians (each of which is unique to a given deity or ancestor), participants embody a deity or ancestor, energy or state of mind by performing distinct ritual movements or dances which further enhance their elevated consciousness. For the Kikuyu, according to their primary supreme creator, Ngai, acting through the lesser deities, is believed to speak to and be capable of guiding the virtuous person as one's conscience. The practice of casting may be done with small objects, such as bones, cowrie shells, stones, strips of leather, or flat pieces of wood. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. Traditional Africa religions. Such separation and subsequent contemplation of the nature and sources of pure energy or feelings serves to help participants manage and accept them when they arise in mundane contexts. In many cases, Africans who have converted to other religions have still kept up their traditional customs and practices, combining them in a syncretic way. Peavy, D., (2016). Traditional African religions embrace natural phenomena – ebb and tide, waxing and waning moon, rain and drought – and the rhythmic pattern of agriculture. The Traditional Religions of Africa. There are many adherents of traditional religions, who came from long ago and are associated with a long autonomous historical development. Often, the supreme Deity is worshiped through consultation or communion with lesser deities and ancestral spirits. Natural phenomena are responsible for providing people with their daily needs. Among Niger–Congo-speakers is a belief in a creator God, force or higher deity, which is considered by some to be a widespread and ancient feature of Niger-Congo-cultures,[19][20][21] along with other more specialized deities, ancestor spirits, territorial spirits, and beings, as well as evil caused by human ill will and neglecting ancestor spirits, and priests of territorial spirits. The difference between powerful spirits and gods is often minimal. Most Africans are Christians, but is Christianity an African religion? When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. Main article: Persecution of traditional African religion. . He noted that it is where Africans and for that matter Ghanaians belong. Peavy, D., (2009). West and Central African religious practices generally manifest themselves in communal ceremonies or divinatory rites in which members of the community, overcome by force (or ashe, nyama, etc. Traditional Niger-Congo religion also included polytheistic and animistic elements. This is a 3-hour summary lecture on the basic components of African Traditional Religions. This list is limited to a few well-known traditions. The living stand between their ancestors and the unborn. [1] Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural and passed down from one generation to another through folk tales, songs and festivals,[2][3] include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator or force, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional African medicine. The major faiths practiced in South Africa are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, traditional African religions and Judaism. Ethiopia was the first countryto adopt Christianity as a doctrine. The quest for health and healing, which is basic to all cultures and people, is also a central need of the African population. 1. Most African societies believe in a single Supreme being (Chukwu, Nyame, Olodumare, Ngai, Roog, etc.). African elders offering a bull as sacrifice to God. Traditional healers are common in most areas, and their practices include a religious element to varying degrees. It is impossible to generalize about concepts in African religions because they are ethno-religions, being determined by each ethnic group in the continent. Some castings are done using sacred divination plates made of wood or performed on the ground (often within a circle). Welcome to the summary lecture of African Traditional Religions. He summarizes that traditional African religions are not only religions, but a worldview, a way of life. In some traditional African religions, morality is associated with obedience or disobedience to God regarding the way a person or a community lives. According to Gottlieb and Mbiti: The environment and nature are infused in every aspect of traditional African religions and culture. These figures represent peo-ple who primarily follow African traditional religion; however, 3 Leo Frobenius, The Voice of Africa, Vol. Most African religions acknowledge the existence of a supreme deity who created the world and then, in most cases, retired from dealing with earthly affairs. Main article: Persecution … The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of Africa. Gods and Spirits. There are generally no prohibitions against the practice. That is the case concerning issues about Africa and its religious beliefs. Yet certain aspects of African faiths differ from those of most world religions. [40] With a long farming tradition, the Serer high priests and priestesses (Saltigue) deliver yearly sermons at the Xooy Ceremony (divination ceremony) in Fatick before Yoonir's phase in order to predict winter months and enable farmers to start planting.[41]. 17–19, Parrinder, Geoffrey. Most African religions acknowledge the existence of a supreme deity who created the world and then, in most cases, retired from dealing with earthly affairs. The three main religious traditions—African traditional religion, Christianity, and Islam—constitute the triple religious heritage of the African continent. Traditional healer of South Africa performing a divination by reading the bones. Some castings are done using sacred divination plates made of wood or performed on the ground (often within a circle). Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [23][24][20] San religion is generally non-theistic but a belief in a Spirit or Power of existence which can be tapped in a trance-dance; trance-healers. All Christians are listed in one category regardless of their denominations. Welcome to the summary lecture of African Traditional Religions. The Spiritual Life © 2020. Some sacred or holy locations for traditional religions include Nri-Igbo, the Point of Sangomar, Yaboyabo, Fatick, Ife, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin City, Ouidah, Nsukka, Kanem-Bornu, Igbo-Ukwu, and Tulwap Kipsigis, among others. Virtue in traditional African religion is often connected with carrying out obligations of the communal aspect of life. Traditional religion and beliefs of the Kikuyu. When Ludwig got to Although the majority of Africans are adherents of Christianity or Islam, African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. The Semitic Abrahamic religion of Judaism is comparable to the latter world view. Keywords: Africa, Kenyan Experience, African Traditional Religion, Justice, Reconciliation and Peace. Today, the countries of Africa contain a wide variety of religious beliefs, and statistics on religious affiliation are difficult to come by. Among Nilo-Saharan speakers is the belief in Divinity; evil is caused by divine judgement and retribution; prophets as middlemen between Divinity and man. Modern Religion. African Traditional Religion is referred to the diverse beliefs that are included in various ethnic regions in Africa.The religion is characterized mainly by: 1.Supreme Being The African societies and ethnic communities believed in a supreme being who had different names for different communities.The people worshiped this God through singing,offering sacrifices,dancing,dedications … Among the believers of Christ, ther… Britannica Book of the Year 2003. The country straddles the equator, covering a total of 224,961 square miles (582,600 square kilometers; roughly twice the size of the state of Nevada). [18], Traditional African religions can be broken down into linguistic cultural groups, with common themes. An Egungun masquerade dance garment in the permanent collection of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Man generally is given to misconception, especially in the midst of conflicting ideas or contending issues. One religious ceremony practiced in Gabon and Cameroon is the Okuyi, practiced by several Bantu ethnic groups. God is also known as Mungu, Murungu, or Mulungu (a variant of a word meaning God, which is found as far south as the Zambesi of Zambia), and is sometimes given the title Mwathani or Mwathi (the greatest ruler), which comes from the word gwatha, meaning to rule or reign with authority. Yet Ngai is not the distant God that we know in the West. "Traditional Religion", in his. [28], Nigerian American professor of indigenous African religions at Harvard University, Jacob Olupona summarized the many traditional African religions as complex animistic religious traditions and beliefs of the African people before the Christian and Islamic "colonization" of Africa. Today, Christianity and Islam are religions practiced by the majority of people living in Africa. Some sacred or holy locations for traditional religions include Nri-Igbo, the Point of Sangomar, Yaboyabo, Fatick, Ife, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin City, Ouidah, Nsukka, Kanem-Bornu, Igbo-Ukwu, and Tulwap Kipsigis, among others. Some religious and non-religious scholars alike have always highlighted that of all the races in the world that God created the African is said to be the most notoriously religious. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. [17] Traditional African religions also have elements of fetishism, shamanism and veneration of relics. 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