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). African Religion and its Influence on Christianity and Islam Traditional African religion has been the basis of spirituality for the people of Africa. However, African Traditional Religion is very essential in that it is universal, unifies and disunites and diverse in nature. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. Worshipping God 38 4.3. God’s Grace 37 4.2.4. African Traditional Religions are still practiced today, along with Christianity and Islam. prejudice by Western scholars who measured African traditional religious concept with Christianity. (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). Roman 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. 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: European Christian missionaries from 16th century onwards see African religions as demonic, primitive, evil & stupid • 2. The ... salvation by Africans through their traditional religion. between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. Foreign anthropologists from late 19thc. Differences 39 4.3.1. population. Faso more than 33 percent follow African religion, although it is not the religion of the majority. This is because African Traditional Religion is a natural religion while Islam and Christianity are salvation religions. Traditional Africans believe that the cosmos was created by a Supreme Being, God. 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. 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. PDF | This paper focuses on the conicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. Man quickly broke the covenants and that is what has caused a separation Creator God and 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. african traditional religion vs christianity pdf, The African Traditional Religious view on religion is not an influence from Christianity, but rather enrichment to it. (v) In traditional African community marriage is a duty of the corporate society whereas Christianity does not insist on everyone getting married. The central figure in worshipping 39 4.3.2. There is a slight difference in how African Traditional Religion advocates it than Islam and Christianity. The latter confirms that African culture is predominently patriarchal. Traditional African religion still has notable traces in northern Africa. The difference between the Western and African idea of God may be understood as a difference of names due to languages. Ancestral or traditional African religions are practised by 5 % South Africa. This is called the Trinity. 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. TABLE 3: N % This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. This paper focuses on the conflicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. The African Traditional Religion is the oldest religion in Zambia and Africa as a whole. 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 take more objective view, seeing some value in social functions of African religions • 3. Differences between Christianity and traditional African beliefs and customs (Exodus 20:3-5,Hebrews 10:8-10) 1. 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. 1 Where possible, the same headings have been … constantly liable to misunderstand the African worldview and beliefs. Other factors include lack of indebt study of African religion leading to hasty conclusion. Although there are other religions in Africa such as Islam and Judaism, this study concentrates on African Traditional Religion and Christianity. [81] IN CONCLUSION Today the study of African religion and religions is a neglected aspect of Religious Studies. Most of those who came to study the religions of Africa were armchair scholars who depended on data from missionaries who African Traditional Religion and Christianity agree that God has made covenants with humans. The difference between that type of polytheism and the structure of African Traditional Religion is that in Africa the Supreme … Its study has to go hand-in-hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. African religions have been remarkably successful in confronting modernity. Inter-religious relations, especially, among African Traditional Religion (ATR) worshippers, Muslims and Christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. Adherence to Animism and Folk African Religions in Zambia is … While both Christianity and African religion have a concept of a Supreme Being, Christians believe in a God who exists in three persons. Followers of African religion in Muslim dominated areas can be found, adhering their beliefs, rituals, magic, medicines. 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. Belief in the Trinity . 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. (Turner 1994a:129). 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. 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