Relationship between African Traditional Religion and Christian Religion in the understanding and ... 4.2.3. (v) In traditional African community marriage is a duty of the corporate society whereas Christianity does not insist on everyone getting married. 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. The African Traditional Religion is the oldest religion in Zambia and Africa as a whole. Popularity: 12% Differences 39 4.3.1. between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. Traditional African Religion • 1. 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. Traditional Africans believe that the cosmos was created by a Supreme Being, God. The early European missionaries brought Christianity to Africa and the religion was embraced by Africans. 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: african traditional religion vs christianity pdf, The African Traditional Religious view on religion is not an influence from Christianity, but rather enrichment to it. take more objective view, seeing some value in social functions of African religions • 3. The ... salvation by Africans through their traditional religion. Traditional African religion still has notable traces in northern Africa. TABLE 3: N % The central figure in worshipping 39 4.3.2. Inter-religious relations, especially, among African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers, Muslims and Christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. (Turner 1994a:129). 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. While both Christianity and African religion have a concept of a Supreme Being, Christians believe in a God who exists in three persons. Kofi Johnson Fayetteville State University ... they maintain that the traditional religions are the foundation upon which Christianity gained roots in Africa. African religions have been remarkably successful in confronting modernity. Since independence, religions has also played a role in various armed confl icts, e.g. Other factors include lack of indebt study of African religion leading to hasty conclusion. [81] IN CONCLUSION Today the study of African religion and religions is a neglected aspect of Religious Studies. Roman close interplay between religion and worldview is very critical to mission as it implies that we ... religions such as Christianity, Islam, etc. African Religion and its Influence on Christianity and Islam Traditional African religion has been the basis of spirituality for the people of Africa. Africa's influential university departments of religion have usually approached the theme in terms of establishing correlations between Christianity and Africa's traditional religions. population. In a later post I will discuss some of the differences or contrast between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. Man quickly broke the covenants and that is what has caused a separation Creator God and humans. Missiologists have worked more broadly on a correlation of Christianity with African culture as a whole, speaking in terms of an ethnotheology. This supreme being is viewed in different forms and dwelling places, yet he is the almighty. Differences between Christianity and traditional African beliefs and customs (Exodus 20:3-5,Hebrews 10:8-10) 1. Understanding African Traditional Religion. for this, i praise you. 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 and Christianity agree that God has made covenants with humans. 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. The latter confirms that African culture is predominently patriarchal. Followers of African religion in Muslim dominated areas can be found, adhering their beliefs, rituals, magic, medicines. Adherence to Animism and Folk African Religions in Zambia is … This is because African Traditional Religion is a natural religion while Islam and Christianity are salvation religions. The difference between the Western and African idea of God may be understood as a difference of names due to languages. Religion is human experience found in all societies in various forms. Most feasts are observed to mark important religious and social Belief in the Trinity . 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. 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. African Traditional Religions are still practiced today, along with Christianity and Islam. Faso more than 33 percent follow African religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. 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. Its study has to go hand-in-hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. 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. (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). When we speak of African Traditional Religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs PDF | This paper focuses on the conicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. – either by traditional religions or Islam. 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. you are right my friend, you seem to have the insight and the knowledge of understanding matters. 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. God’s Grace 37 4.2.4. In things purely spiritual, they appear to have enjoyed equal privileges; but their relationship, as masters and slaves, was not dissolved. Foreign anthropologists from late 19thc. Most of those who came to study the religions of Africa were armchair scholars who depended on data from missionaries who The traditional religion focuses its belief in the spirits, a Creator, the dead, ancestors, sacred places, and magic among other faiths. Another thing that is common between all three religions is that they all believe that religion should be all embracing. Native African historians and scholars, from mid-20th c. 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]. Religion is 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. 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 Ancestral or traditional African religions are practised by 5 % South Africa. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. However, African Traditional Religion is very essential in that it is universal, unifies and disunites and diverse in nature. The difference between that type of polytheism and the structure of African Traditional Religion is that in Africa the Supreme … This paper focuses on the conflicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. European Christian missionaries from 16th century onwards see African religions as demonic, primitive, evil & stupid • 2. 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. There is a slight difference in how African Traditional Religion advocates it than Islam and Christianity. They are highly creative and contain elements which appeal to many people in modern society. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the Africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. in West Africa. For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in … Belief in powers 40 4.3.3. 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). constantly liable to misunderstand the African worldview and beliefs. Although there are other religions in Africa such as Islam and Judaism, this study concentrates on African Traditional Religion and Christianity. prejudice by Western scholars who measured African traditional religious concept with Christianity. This is called the Trinity. 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