Religion journalist Terry Mattingly devised the “TMatt Trio”: three questions, the answer to which neatly summons the divide between traditional and modern Christians in America today: Since independence, religions has also played a role in various armed confl icts, e.g. Native African historians and scholars, from mid-20th c. Traditional Africans believe that the cosmos was created by a Supreme Being, God. Belief in powers 40 4.3.3. for this, i praise you. Missiologists have worked more broadly on a correlation of Christianity with African culture as a whole, speaking in terms of an ethnotheology. population. (Turner 1994a:129). The Europeans, however, unfortunately did not take into consideration the culture of the Africans like Polygamy, mode of dressing, mode of worship and other peculiar traits of the Africans. Each divinity in Ijebuland has his or her annual festivals, which may be seen as the birthday or the occasion of some event in his or her mythology. Worshipping God 38 4.3. Understanding African Traditional Religion. Foreign anthropologists from late 19thc. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs This is called the Trinity. African Religion and its Influence on Christianity and Islam Traditional African religion has been the basis of spirituality for the people of Africa. Religion is However, African Traditional Religion is very essential in that it is universal, unifies and disunites and diverse in nature. Religion is human experience found in all societies in various forms. constantly liable to misunderstand the African worldview and beliefs. Followers of African religion in Muslim dominated areas can be found, adhering their beliefs, rituals, magic, medicines. The original religions of Africa “are not static”; according to Mayo, “contacts with Christian and Islamic traditions have brought about transformations and syncretism of all three” a perfect example of the triple heritage of Africa[5]. This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. african traditional religion vs christianity pdf, Many of these with their masters, were converted to the Christian Faith, and received, together with them into the Christian Church, while it was yet under the ministry of the inspired Apostles. enabled African traditions to co-exist alongside the dominant world religions f o Christianity and Islam, and in many cases to form a syncretistic and eclectic religious system, drawing on elements from many sources. Other factors include lack of indebt study of African religion leading to hasty conclusion. Adherence to Animism and Folk African Religions in Zambia is … Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the Africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. Differences between Christianity and traditional African beliefs and customs (Exodus 20:3-5,Hebrews 10:8-10) 1. Th e report then “zooms in” on East Africa, where the three religious “families” of traditional religion, Islam and Christianity are all present in large numbers. African Traditional Religion and Christianity agree that God has made covenants with humans. Popularity: 12% Commonalities between Christianity and Africa Traditional Religion Creator God The supreme being in most African Traditional Religions is seen as the creator of humans and all other living things. This supreme being is viewed in different forms and dwelling places, yet he is the almighty. God’s Grace 37 4.2.4. [81] IN CONCLUSION Today the study of African religion and religions is a neglected aspect of Religious Studies. The central figure in worshipping 39 4.3.2. The difference between the Western and African idea of God may be understood as a difference of names due to languages. African Traditional Religions are still practiced today, along with Christianity and Islam. The traditional religion focuses its belief in the spirits, a Creator, the dead, ancestors, sacred places, and magic among other faiths. African religions have been remarkably successful in confronting modernity. Traditional African religion still has notable traces in northern Africa. prejudice by Western scholars who measured African traditional religious concept with Christianity. Relationship between African Traditional Religion and Christian Religion in the understanding and ... 4.2.3. While both Christianity and African religion have a concept of a Supreme Being, Christians believe in a God who exists in three persons. I am not saying that converts to Christianity from African traditional beliefs practice polygamy, I am presuming your original purpose is to clarify what is acceptable and workable within Christianity for the purpose of dialogue and what is not. In a later post I will discuss some of the differences or contrast between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. The early European missionaries brought Christianity to Africa and the religion was embraced by Africans. 1 Where possible, the same headings have been … African traditinal religion has always been pushed to the backstage and has been degraded and abused by us Afrricans and its the same all ova da world where the old tolerant religions have been dropped becuz of d monotheistic fanatical islam n christianity. PDF | This paper focuses on the conicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. Ancestral or traditional African religions are practised by 5 % South Africa. The difference between that type of polytheism and the structure of African Traditional Religion is that in Africa the Supreme … Not only do many Africans believe in Abrahamic religions, like Islam or Christianity, but they also often blend in parts of the belief systems of indigenous African religions as well. Roman (v) In traditional African community marriage is a duty of the corporate society whereas Christianity does not insist on everyone getting married. african traditional religion vs christianity pdf, The African Traditional Religious view on religion is not an influence from Christianity, but rather enrichment to it. Traditional African Religion • 1. you are right my friend, you seem to have the insight and the knowledge of understanding matters. Africa's influential university departments of religion have usually approached the theme in terms of establishing correlations between Christianity and Africa's traditional religions. Another thing that is common between all three religions is that they all believe that religion should be all embracing. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. The ... salvation by Africans through their traditional religion. There is a slight difference in how African Traditional Religion advocates it than Islam and Christianity. The African Traditional Religion is the oldest religion in Zambia and Africa as a whole. 2 Rolland Green, “Religion and Morality in the African Traditional Setting”, Journal of Religion in Africa, 14: 1 (1983); Paul Gifford, Ghana’s New Christianity: Pentecostalism in Globalising African Economy (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2004). European Christian missionaries from 16th century onwards see African religions as demonic, primitive, evil & stupid • 2. Although there are other religions in Africa such as Islam and Judaism, this study concentrates on African Traditional Religion and Christianity. close interplay between religion and worldview is very critical to mission as it implies that we ... religions such as Christianity, Islam, etc. Faso more than 33 percent follow African religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. There is no one “African Traditional; Religion”, there are many, and Christianity could be said to be one of them, since it has been in Africa as long as it has been in Europe, and almost as long as it has been in Asia. Belief in the Trinity . Inter-religious relations, especially, among African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers, Muslims and Christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. Man quickly broke the covenants and that is what has caused a separation Creator God and humans. Kofi Johnson Fayetteville State University ... they maintain that the traditional religions are the foundation upon which Christianity gained roots in Africa. take more objective view, seeing some value in social functions of African religions • 3. In 2013 a majority (84.2%) of South Africans described their religious affiliation as ‘Christian’; this is an increase from the 79.8 % that was reported in the 2001 census. Its study has to go hand-in-hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. (vi) Marriage makes it possible for traditional Africans to link the three dimensions of existence together ( the living, the dead and the yet to be born). Differences 39 4.3.1. between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. – either by traditional religions or Islam. Most feasts are observed to mark important religious and social This paper focuses on the conflicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. These figures represent peo-ple who primarily follow African traditional religion; however, there are also Christians and Muslims who still practice elements of traditional African religion alongside their professed beliefs. The latter confirms that African culture is predominently patriarchal. For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in … Generally they have adopted the Muslim way of dressing but in matter of deeper subjects such as life, birth, marriage, death, they remain the followers of African religion. Most of those who came to study the religions of Africa were armchair scholars who depended on data from missionaries who Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life / Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa www.pewforum.org ii While sub-Saharan Africa has almost twice as many Christians as Muslims, on the African continent In things purely spiritual, they appear to have enjoyed equal privileges; but their relationship, as masters and slaves, was not dissolved. african traditional religion vs christianity pdf, One of the abiding features of traditional religion is the annual festival of divinities and the veneration of ancestors. TABLE 3: N % They are highly creative and contain elements which appeal to many people in modern society. in West Africa. This is because African Traditional Religion is a natural religion while Islam and Christianity are salvation religions. On the conflicts between African Traditional religion is the oldest religion in Muslim dominated areas be... 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