Submitted by francis acquah to the university of exeter as a thesis for the degree of doctor of philosophy in theology in december 2011. Bodunrin, in his essay the question of african philosophy, writes, it is natural for the nationalist nonphilosopher colleague on a university curriculum committee to wonder why a philosophy department in an african university is not offering courses in african philosophy while there are courses on british. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by. The initial forces of globalization that hugely affected the development of african traditional. African peoples do not consider god to be a man, but in order to express certain concepts, they employ languages and images about god as an aid to their conceptualization of him whom they have not seen and about whom they confess to know little or nothing. This is a 3hour summary lecture on the basic components of african traditional religions.
By and large they had a much better perception of african traditional religion and they saw the relevance of the system of beliefs for african traditional society. African philosophy therefore is the reflection based on the experiences of ancestors. The paper attempts to demonstrate the vast potentials of oral tradition as a vehicular access to understanding african beliefs and practices. Western scholars, such as sir james frazier, had had a fascination with african religions, either from the scientific point of view, as a phenomenon to be studied, or from a missionary point of view. Notwithstanding the perceived variations in african cultures, works on african history, anthropology, archaeology, religion and philosophy are replete with. In this second edition, dr mbiti has updated his material to include the involvement of women in religion, and the potential unity to be found in what was once thought to be a mass of quite separate religions. A person must be born in a particular african people in order to be able to follow african religion. Book summary african religions and philosophy africa is unique among the continents. Introduction the question of the nature of african philosophy has engaged the minds of african philosophers for decades. A third and related scholarly strand was the growing interest in african philosophy, especially in the question of the ontology or theory of being implicit in african beliefs and practices.
One particular subject that many african philosophers have written about. African philosophy of religion in africanafricana philosophy. African traditional religion was not regarded as a true religion by missionaries, hence it was called heathenism, a religion of the uncivilised. Pdf god, divinities and spirits in african traditional.
In this second edition, dr mbiti has updated his material to include the involvement of women in religion, and the potential unity to be found in what was once thought to be a mass of quite separate. The concept of time as a key to the understanding and interpretation of african religions and philosophy. African traditional religion is a highly nondogmatic spiritual lifestyle that is practiced by millions of people around the world. For our purposes, the details of tempelss account are. African philosophy of religion bibliography philpapers. It is therefore important to attempt to describe african influences in theology and worship, as has been done for celtic spirituality. Egwu 2001 observes religion not only because of the problem of objectivity one encounters in defining but is emotion laden, even more so because of the difficulty of penetrating the inner essence of religion. It presents the worldview, philosophical nature and foundation of african traditional religion. The concept of god in african traditional religion. It is an accepted position that the african initiated churches aics were formed as a result of the search for a unique african identity and culture. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and.
Africana philosophy stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. It also shows that the worship of god in african traditional religion is through sacrifices, offerings, singing, dancing and prayers. A paper presented at the 2014 conference of the association of african traditional religion and philosophy scholars. I will address the question of religion later, but i want directly to notice an aspect of the system of. Many archeologists and other scientists argue that africa was the birthplace of mankind. The main objective of this paper is to examine african culture and values. A modern contemporary african philosopher by the name, tsenay serequeberhan teaching african philosophy at hampshire college once remarked that when he told students and the faculty there that he was teaching african philosophy, they were shocked and raised eyebrows by asking if such a thing like african philosophy ever existed at all.
Do the tools used by todays scholars of religion, their ways of gathering information, and their. In discussing african culture and values, we are not presupposing that all african societies have the same. I will also give a brief summary of the history of south africa, and the influences that. They counteracted various derogatory names given to air. Africana philosophy is the name for an emergent and still developing field of ideas and ideaspaces, intellectual endeavors, discourses, and discursive networks within and beyond academic philosophy that was recognized as such by national and international organizations of professional philosophers, including the american philosophical association, starting in the. Both approaches assumed that african religious beliefs. African traditional religion in a globalizing world. Scott moreau, a critique of john mbitis understanding. It is the intellectual development, the how and why they think in a particular. Pdf african believe that there need to communicate with those who have. Christianity and the african traditional religions. Traditional songs, poems and dances have also been integrated with traditional worship styles of western origin. We would not know how to think, or walk, or speak, or behave as human beings unless we learned it from other human beings. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa.
Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions. Mbitis introduction to african religion gives richness, boldness, and pride to africas religious heritage in the face of proselytizing religions like islam and christianity. This paper examines the concept and philosophy of african traditional religion from the viewpoint of africans. A definition 1973, omosade awolalu in yoruba belief and sacrificial rites and john mbiti in the concept of god in africa 1970 are a few examples of postcolonial scholars of religion who have resisted and denounced colonial idea that africans do not know god. Written expressly for the middle grade struggling reader, the series does not contain strong language, edgy themes, or dysfunctional families. The study of african spirituality in its own right is a recent phenomenon. For a history of the study of african traditional religions in zimbabwe see g.
A companion to african philosophy edited by kwasi wiredu. The specific concept of narrative in african philosophy and its value for crosscultural understanding will surface often and be developed in several ways throughout the book. I might mention that african philosophy consists of both a traditional and a. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the africans. African philosophers may be found in the various academic fields of philosophy, such as metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political philosophy.
African traditional religion religion is a difficult subject to inquiry including attempts at definition and conception. The people from europe, america, and asia cannot be converted to african religion as it is more removed from their geographical and cultural setting. Barclay summarizes the distinctive and characteristic nt usages of soteria and sozein as follows. Interreligious relations, especially, among african traditional religion atr worshippers, muslims and christians are becoming sources of social tension and violence. The concept of person in african and chinese philosophies. The african ubuntu philosophy a person is a person through other persons. What is here called crosscultural understanding is itself a kind of compara. The african ejournals project has digitized full text of. Some african scholars argue that it is related to the religion practiced by the african egyptians during the dynastic period. It then highlights the urgent need, in the face of a rapidly changing world, where values are shifting fast, to document for posterity a religion whose tenets have been. A critical analysis on african traditional religion and. African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil. On the basis of its supposedly heathen character, it was not included in the religion education syllabus. For many africans and ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in social life6.
A short history of african philosophy peace palace library. This is the popular assumption amongst many african theologians of which maluleke 1994 is one example. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and cultural values on christian muslim relations in ghana from 1920 through the present. The concept of god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing africans as people who did not know the.
African philosophy is the philosophical discourse produced by indigenous africans and their descendants, including african americans. Held at nnamdi azikiwe university, awka, chike okoli multipurpose hall. Africana is a more inclusive term for scholarship related to both africa and the diaspora. Toward decolonizing african philosophy and religion. I began to realize this while reading amadou hampate ba, the seminal malian bellelettrist, activist, and scholar of traditional west african culture, literature. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of former generations. African traditional religion is very pragmatic and apply to the need as it arises. Tradition and modernity in postcolonial african philosophy. This paper aims to show that in africa there are thought systems that can have equivalent value with. Mbiti, african religions and philosophy, heineman, 1969, p.
These traditional reads are brimming with spirited characters and positive valuesbut with a little extra excitement and bite, so hold on to your hats. It has the longest river nile, the biggest desert sahara, and a vast wealth of natural resources. It adequately fills the void that confronts people not just students meeting african traditional religion for the first time, and addresses the true nature of the. Nondo, african traditional religions in religious education utrecht, utrecht university, 1992, 2951. The paper shows that the concept of god is not strange to africans but in traditional africa there is no atheist. He is the constant participant in the affairs of human beings. African traditional religion towards other religious beliefs and practices wi ll alwa ys serve as an example for christians and muslims as they struggle for mutual coex istence. Hountondji, philosophy can be regarded as the most selfconscious of disciplines.
Mbitis conception of salvation in african christianity. African identity and culture are preserved in african traditional religion. Pdf god, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious ontology. Traditional yoruba philosophy and contemporary african realities.