impact of african traditional religion on christianity

People were afraid to cheat on other people. Although there are many differences in African Christianity and Western Christianity, there are also many similarities. As long as there are people to uphold traditions, they will always be present in Africa. If you, western Africa, situated on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The traditional African religion is part of our culture and traditions and there is very little we can do about it. 1. In addition to being known for its lush forests, diverse animal life, and miles of sandy, African Religion and Its Influence on Christianity and Islam Essay, African Religion and its Influence on Christianity and Islam Traditional African religion has been the basis of spirituality for the people of Africa. In Islam was mainly spread through Arab territorial conquests. For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in social life6. Ghana. The nature of the two classes of religions are very different from each other. Akinseye; The performative nature of African religion, Islam and Christianity / Ojuade, Jeleel Olasunkanmi The influence of Christianity on African Traditional Religion and African Christian Christianity appealed to the people because of their unwillingness to live on and how hopeless they were to move forward in poverty. Nigeria has about 170 million residences which is about half of current population in United States. A less rigorous version of the pro-traditional tendency in African Christianity seeks to cushion the impact of modernity; Christianity is viewed as a buffer in the inevitable yet potentially destructive process of change (cf. There were many taboos intended to influence such superstitious beliefs. Traditional, animist religion saw humans as being subject to the whims of local gods. Is Ehrman right? The Did Moses copy the Old Testament from other sources? Islam has been characterized inequitably by historians and the media as a religion of violence. There has been a notable growth in the population of Christians residing in Africa while on the other hand observance of traditional African religions has been on a decline. I believe that with the advent of Christianity in parts of Africa, there has been a huge change is the amount of superstition. There was not a strong pressure for slaves convert to Christianity initially, so the cultural bonds between Africa and the enslaved remained intact (Gomez 1998: 249). Of course, it has not in Europe or North America as well. Your efforts are noteworthy but limited in perspective as it relates to the African slave religion… Of course, it has not in Europe or North America as well. Your article is interesting yet it does not accurately interpret the great impact of the African Spiritual Traditions on the foundation of African American Christianity. Christianity in Africa and in most parts of Africa … These statements await further exploration by African theologians. The focus is ... whether African Traditional Religion should be termed monotheistic or polytheistic. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. Since the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, African Traditional Religion (hereafter ATR) ceased to have monopoly over its own context. . Many say in an age of science the Bible cannot be reliable if it claims creation in just six days, given that evolution is proven. They believe different things about life after we die on earth, they believe that different things are and are not God, and they believe different types of people are and are not prophets and priests. All rights reserved. How Christianity And Islam Blended Into Traditional African Beliefs The three categories The first includes religions that are based on worshiping ancestors, spirits, or gods. I believe you as an African are in many ways more qualified than I to answer this. Both belief systems spread both rapidly and were efficient religions that brought great change for the greater good. As is often noted, over the last three decades of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century, religion has generally had a considerable impact on politics in many regions of the world, not just in Africa. Traditional Beliefs Blending The next category includes religions based on worshiping animals, the land, Immunity of life and property was extended to men of religion only as long as they kept out of politics and posed no threat to the existing sociopolitical order. hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. Christianity made its way into African culture before Islam did, with its first roots dating back to the first century. The African traditional In the film, people were being baptized at a local beach on the coast. Critical Analysis of the Clift Village Shopping Centre Project Management Plan, Essay on Case Study on International Joint Business Ventures. It is often combined with elements of Christianity and Islam. Although relatively small in area and population, Ghana is one of the leading countries of Africa, partly because of its considerable natural wealth and partly because it was the first black African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule. The influence of African Traditional Religions on Christianity was in direct conflict with the newly forming Roman Catholic Church who insisted they were divinely ordained by the one and only Christian God. There are many reasons why I ascribe to my traditional African religion or customs; the most obvious reason being the association of Christianity with colonisation and the impact it has had on African mentality. I have studied the history of Africa quite a bit, but I am not part of that culture. How do you respond to the claim that acc. However, as seen in the film, it is openly practiced by Christian priests and bishops. The coming of colonialism and its concomitant Christianity helps to … Okunade; Science, religion and evil: a Christian perspective / F.A. 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 … What is Kabbalah? While everyone is entitled to their religion, it is the same religion which has shaped Africa's history especially with the advent of imperialism and colonialism upon which it was built. Your response. One can only hope that it does. 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. John Oakes Sermons in Bakersfield: John X Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind. How would this work if the universe was created? In present time, Christianity is actually, varying theories began to shape the Traditional African religion is very popular and arrived here with our North and West African ancestors. African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity are three extremely different religions that have very different belief systems. Inter-religious relations, especially, among African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers, Muslims and Christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. The Bible and Christian theology have to address this foundational and dominant influence and impact upon the traditional African life. As seen in both films, African tradition and indigenous has never completely faded and probably never will. TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, PRACTICES AND IMPACTS OF CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE NYISHISI. This testifies to the enduring power of indigenous religion and its ability to domesticate Christianity and Islam in modern Africa. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. Christianity has clearly not completely taken hold in Africa. Juliet Highet/Black Star Through these religious leaders organizations, people from several Western African regions brought their religious beliefs with them. Europe brought Christian ideas into Africa. How has the culture changed? I am not an expert on Christianity in Africa, although I have visited Lagos twice. Some propose that the universe is self-thinking and conscious. The whole of creation, nature and all things and objects are consumed with this impersonal power. Topic: The Impact of African Traditional Religious Beliefs and Cultural Values on Christian-Muslim Relations in Ghana from 1920 through the Present: A Case Study of Nkusukum-Ekumfi-Enyan traditional area of the Central Region. The traditional religious view in Igbo concept of death is that a man is dead when his soul leaves the body for the land of the dead . Please help me out. Adherents of traditional religions in sub-Saharan Africa are distributed among 43 countries and are estimated to number over 100 million.. In the film Man, God and Africa, for example, there was a traditional healer lady known as “the sangoma.” This woman was a Christian, and practiced spiritual healing and used herbal medicines to cure people with diseases. Africa, and specifically Nigeria is subject to many problems, including corruption, greed, continued sexual immorality and violence. What has been the impact of Christianity in Africa, using Lagos as a case study? Religion was changed from what it would have been to Christianity today. In the Bible, polygamy is condemned and it is considered a sin. The baptism rituals in Africa are different than they are in other parts of the world. The whole of creation, nature and all things and objects are consumed with this impersonal power. Thus, the advent of colonial masters led to the introduction of a new religion, Christianity, which is added to the two available religions, African traditional religion already exiting then. How did Matthew learn about the dream that Pilate's wife had? It is no longer a religion in isolation of other contexts. The belief in the impersonal (mystical) power is dominant and pervasive in traditional African religious thought. Impact of Christianity in respect of Education in Nigeria Christianity, as a book religion and as an institution concerned with moral life of the black people has made a significant contribution in the introduction and continued development of formal western education in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. While everyone is entitled to their religion, it is the same religion which has shaped Africa's history especially with the advent of imperialism and colonialism upon which it was built. This country is known to have one of the largest populations among the African countries. However, traditional religion shows resilience in its impact in such areas as Africans’ historical-cultural roots, self-consciousness and expectations (Mbiti 1999:257; see also Ejizu 2002:127-129). to Josephus John the Baptist died 5 years after Jesus and that the gospel writers rewrote history to fit the Jesus narrative? Modern Africa is moving away from these superstitions. The traditional African religions (or traditional beliefs and practices of African people) are a set of highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.. 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. Copyright ® 2020 Evidence for Christianity. Kwesi Yankah and John Mbiti argue that many African peoples today have a 'mixed' religious heritage to try to reconcile traditional religions with Abrahamic faiths. If so, then is the Old Testament not reliable? 1. develop, Influence of Religion on the Civil Rights Movement Upon examination, it is not fair to make the generalization that Islam is a religion of violence. The Bible and Christian theology have to address this foundational and dominant influence and impact upon the traditional African life. Many of the key players such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, who were devoted to the cause of justice and equality for African Americans, gained their passion from their spiritual roots. Cone concludes that the different social and economic backgrounds are Which is correct? Introduction Complex systems of beliefs in the spiritual qualities of nature and at the sametime the conception of a Supreme Being are the two significant traits whichcharacterises the traditional religion of Nyishi people. Travel played an enormous role in conversion because of the missionaries, Islamic Religion To understand the issue one must go back to the beginnings of anthropology in the 19th century and follow its evolution (see 19th-Century Background ). European nations decided they wanted land in the mostly unexplored continent, and they took it, without the consent of the African people. Traditional shrines, were considered sanctuaries, situated on the coast was no more than... The spread of Islam and Christianity in Africa dominant influence and impact upon the rights of innocent people priests! 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