Traditional African Religion
Before one starts to outline the traditional religion in Africa, one must first explain the way Africa is as a whole. Without the knowledge of the past combined with knowledge of culture, one would have a very vague, if any, understanding of traditional religion.
Out of all of the continents, Africa is the most central. It is told that the first man was found in Africa, so with this, many feel that Africa is the birthplace of human culture. Within this continent, there are many different lifestyles, which are lived. Many blame the variety of lifestyles on western influence, but the truth is that different lifestyles began thousands of years before the west had influence on Africa. African’s lifestyles revolve mostly around what is called “triple heritage.” Triple heritage consists of traditional African beliefs, Islam beliefs, and the beliefs of western cultures. Due to different heritages, the African people speak Swahili, Arabic, and English. Today, the people of Africa have little interest in what is going on outside of Africa.
With three different heritages found in one area, it is rather easy to see why different lifestyles can be found. One of the major differences within these cultures is the argument between being monotheistic or polytheistic. Monotheistic is the belief in one and only one god, while polytheistic is the belief of having multiple gods. For example, some people of Africa worship many aspects of nature believing that a god is in charge of every aspect of nature. Another difference is the role of women. Within traditional African beliefs, the women are full of diversity and very important to the men, while in other cultures, they may not have as much respect. Even within the African beliefs you can find some tribes in which the woman do not receive the respect deserved.
Another matter that must be understood is that of time. The concept of time is a key factor to the interpretation and understanding of African religion. The question of time is of little or no academic concern for the African people. For them, time is merely a composition of events that have occurred, those that are taking place, and those which will occur. With this belief, time falls into three sub-categories. These include; potential time, actual time, and no time. Potential time is defined as what is certain to ha...
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...ners, as the name implies, are concerned primarily with divination. As a rule, this is done as part of a broader function, especially of a medical or even priestly nature. They are the agents that reveal the mysteries of human life. This is done through the use of mediums, oracles, being possessed, divination objects, common sense, intuitive knowledge, hypnotism, and other secret knowledge.
There are other specialists in the village as well. These specialists include the medicine man, the rainmaker, the kings, queens and rulers. There are also priests, prophets and religious founders. Duties of these people range from running a society, to making rain, even warding off evil spirits. All of these people have different duties, which are important to the community. All of these people, in one way or another, are needed for society to function.
With the many different beliefs and functions of society, it is easy to understand why people have trouble understanding traditional African religion. It has some western influence, but it is so different. The difference is why people have trouble understanding, but it is also the difference that makes this religion so interesting.
The perceptions that European had toward Africa is that of an empty space with people with primitive culture because people lived in huts, they were naked, practiced polygamy, and some tribes even practiced cannibalism.
Many African cultures see life as a cycle we are born, we grow and mature, enter adulthood, and one day we will eventually die but the cycle continues long after death. In Africa art is used as a way to express many things in their society, in this paper I will focus on different ways traditional African art are used to describe the cycle of one’s life. Since Africa is such a large continent it is important to keep in mind that every country and tribe has different rituals and views when it comes to the cycle of life. It is estimated to be well over a thousand different ethnic groups and cultures in Africa today. Thousands of cultures in Africa see the stages of life bound together in a continuous cycle; a cycle of birth, growth, maturity,
Many African religions have common tenets. They share a belief in a community of deities, the idea that ancestors serve as a way to communicate with these deities. They also share the belief that society as a whole is organized around values and traditions drawn from a common origin, which was created by one Supreme Being.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Religion was and remains a vital part of the lives of most Africans. For some it encompassed their entire existence. It substantiated and explained their place in the universe, their culture, and their relationship to nature and humankind. It also dictated their roles in the community and society at large. Religion among most African ethnic groups was not simply a faith or worship system, it was a way of life, a system of social control, a provider of medicine, and an organizing mechanism.
Five myths from throughout Africa will be mentioned throughout this essay. They are from the Boshongo, Mande, Shilluk, Egyptian, and Yoruba peoples. For a brief description of these myths please see the appendix. Please remember that these myths do not represent the beliefs and stories of all of Africa.
In sub-Saharan Africa, thousands of languages, cultures, and geographical regions helped influence our African society. The ways in which we produce our artwork, spiritual ideals, and ritual performances are organic and raw. From the tropical regions of Congo and Ghana, to the arid regions of Mali; I pass through the global gateway into a domain where the Western world lost its roots and artistic imagination and grandeur. Africa appeals most to me for its ability to create a realm where the living, dead, and artistic ideals come into a single unit of tranquil philosophy.
Chad is an ethnically diverse African country that also happens to be one of the poorest countries in Africa. Chad gained its independence from France in 1960 after a sixty year rule. There are several national cultures in Chad that are based on ethnoregional and religious affiliations. There are more than 200 ethnic groups in Chad, and those in the north and east are typically Muslim; most southerners are Animists and Christians. Through their long religious and commercial relationships with Sudan and Egypt, many of the people in Chad's eastern and central regions have become more or less Arabized, speaking Arabic and engaging in many other Arab cultural practices as well (Azevedo, Graham, and Nnadozie, 1997). The people who reside in southern Chad took more readily to European culture during the French colonial period.
What is culture, one might ask? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, culture is the “customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group or the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by people in a place or time” (Culture). Five major characteristics that define a culture include culture is learned, culture is shared, culture is symbolic, culture is all-encompassing, and culture is integrated. Culture depends on the human capacity for cultural learning that encompasses shared rules for conduct and that are dependent upon symbols. Cultures can be integrated by using “social and economic forces, core values, and key symbols” (Mirror for Humanity, 2002). This essay will elaborate on the physical geography and military history of Sub-Saharan Africa, an analysis of its weather, and an overview of the ASCOPE acronym.
Shawn Mark. The Kingdom of God in Africa:: A Short History of Africa Christianity,(Grand Rapids: Baker
Traditional African Religion The Religious Sphere There is widespread belief in a supreme God, unique and transcendent. Africans have a sense of the sacred and a sense of mystery; there is high reverence for sacred places, persons and objects; sacred times are celebrated. Belief in the afterlife is incorporated in myths and in funeral ceremonies. Religion enfolds the whole of life; there is a difference between life and religion.
...’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements. In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
...African culture encompassed food as a part of their traditions and way of life not only as a source of nutrition but also as a source for medicine to heal common ailments and seek favor from God through offerings. Modern day African culture has however been permeated and has incorporated many other traditions and methods of preparation from other countries. This does not however mean that it has been completely eroded, and many parts of Africa still consume indigenous foods that they get through subsistence farming for their individual nutritional needs.
Kaduna: Baraka Press, 2004. Magesa, Laurenti. A. African Religion: The Moral Tradition of Abundant Life. Nairobi: Pauline Pub., Africa, 1998. Mbiti, John S. Introduction to African Religion.
Before the Western world had an influence on them, Africa, like the other continents had stable systems that differed, but resembled other civilizations around the world. Ibn, Battuta, Visit from Mombasa
South Africa is a nation with a wonderful and varied culture. This country has been called “The Rainbow Nation”, a name that reflects the diversity of such amazing place. The different ethnic and cultural groups of the South Africa do, however, appreciate their own beliefs and customs. Many of these traditions, besides African culture, are influenced by European and Western heritage. The complex and diverse population of the country has made a strong impact to the various cultures. There are forty-five million people; about thirty million are black, five million white, three million coloured and one million Indians. The black population has a large number of rural people living in poverty. It is among these inhabitants that cultural customs are preserve the most.