For example, both Jews and Christians uphold the idea of ‘Jubilee’ as central to understanding the story and/or future promise of a Messiah who would usher in a new era of justice with peace (or ‘shalom’). This book highlights and discusses the common elements which introduce African Traditional Religion as one unified religion and not a collection of religions. The following are the useful basic themes in exploring the African worldview: Supreme Being In traditional African society, there is implied and widespread belief in a Supreme Being, God. Beyond the experience of individuals, states also seek divine blessing. It is often combined with elements of Christianity and Islam. It is embraced by Africans within and outside the continent despite the various ethnic religious practices and beliefs. Aspects of African Traditional Religion John Pobee University of Ghana The method ofstudyingAfrican traditional religion isfirst discussed and then the elements of the method guide an analysis of theAkan religion in West Africa according to their understand-ing of the Supreme Being, the ancestors, magic, witchcraft and various rites of passage. This is enfolded in religious beliefs, partly because religion permeates nearly all aspects of African life. African Traditional Religion (ATR) and cultural practices in most parts of African communities are environmentally friendly and sustainable, contributing so much to natural resource sustainability and conservation (International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 1992). This site is like a library, Use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. These men, hidden in the anonymity of their choir and their white cowls, are doing for their land what no army, no congress, no president could ever do as such: they are winning for it the grace and the protection and the friendship of God. In these examples, religious politics is adapted to changing circumstances and takes into account diverse interests and beliefs across society. Faso more than 33 percent follow African religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. African scholars like John S. Mbiti and E. Bolaji Idowu, in 1970s and 1980s, set out to refute some of the erroneous claims about African religions. God(s) and forces in the public square, 2. The religious beliefs, practices and the€human characteristics (such … Watch the recordings here on Youtube! A community worshiping and acting together. Roman which marks a people out from others, groups one can rightly say that there are many cultures in Africa. Traditional African religion is very popular and arrived here with our North and West African ancestors. Africa Traditional ... African understanding and the interpretation of Christianity have deep roots in these fundamental beliefs of the African traditional religions. history, religion and even philosophy; but cannot say that they have no culture. Sacred stories connecting past, present and future, 4. It is no wonder that the anthropologist Talal Asad once observed that what we today call religion has ‘always been involved in the world of power’ (2003, 200). Merton’s experience of redefining power and influence through sacred symbols is true for millions of people practising thousands of different religious rituals each day. As such, they are a part of public life – which is one of the original definitions of the word politics. This view gave Africans and their religion, which was battered and Although monarchs differ in the extent of their powers – from figureheads controlled by parliaments to absolute rulers to variations of these – they all draw their power from some form of religious or spiritual authority. protection efforts. If African traditional religion is studied just … What would the benefits and losses be in each situation? Like almost all civilizations and cultures, flood myths have been circulating in different parts of Africa. Rosa Parks, an African American woman who famously refused to obey American racial segregation laws and sparked a nation-wide civil rights movement in the 1960s, is often lauded as a heroic individual. 1. For some religions, however, time itself is an illusion and the main focus is living in the now according to sacred ideas rather than the connection of past–present– future. Indeed, whether it is the disruptions of religion-led revolution, the work of religious development agencies responding to natural disasters, peace-making efforts of religious diplomats or a myriad of other examples, even a glance at global affairs over recent decades seems to support the comment of sociologist Peter Berger that ‘the world today … is as furiously religious as it ever was, and in some places more so than ever’ (1999, 2). It is the most popular for decoration and can often be seen printed on cloth or stamped on pottery.The rapid spread of Pentecostal Christianity and fundamentalist Islam has greatly affected the role of indigenous religion in African society. Contemporary African culture is a mixture of traditional elements and alien features. The third element of religion is teaching traditions based on stories of significant figures, events and ideas from the past and beliefs about the future of time itself – like a spoiler alert about the end of the world. The symbol can be found throughout Ghana. With African Traditional Religions you must be much more careful about speaking about belief systems in the same way, because Africans will actually tolerate quite a wide variety of beliefs as long as it supports the same rituals or certain rituals or ritualistic explanations of why this is being done or why this is being believed. For religious adherents, rituals symbolise spiritual truths but they can also redefine how power can be understood in the material world. When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Africans. b. African Traditional Religion (ATR): African traditional religion is the belief system that has been handed down from one generation to another. This court has the power to veto laws of parliament and decide who can hold power. Missiologists have worked more broadly on a correlation of Christianity with African culture as a whole, speaking in terms of an ethnotheology. It is a tolerant, accommodative and peaceful religion that … Thomas Merton once described his experience of watching Trappist monks perform the rituals of the Catholic Mass in very political terms. Can religion be considered as a way to unite mankind, or viewed as a way to segregate them. [ "article:topic", "showtoc:no", "license:ccbysa", "authorname:smmclincheywalters" ], https://socialsci.libretexts.org/@app/auth/2/login?returnto=https%3A%2F%2Fsocialsci.libretexts.org%2FBookshelves%2FSociology%2FBook%253A_International_Relations_(McGlinchey)%2F09%253A_Religion_and_Culture%2F9.01%253A_Elements_of_Religion, Stephen McGlinchey, Rosie WAters & Christian Scheinpflug, 1. Sacred stories, ideas and teachings from the past have a richness and power that can influence political affairs today and the aspirations we hold for tomorrow. 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