There are four foundational religious beliefs in the traditional religions: (1) the belief in impersonal (mystical) power(s); (2) the belief in spirit beings; (3) the belief in divinities/gods and (4) the belief in the Supreme Being. Very large. In Africa, God is viewed in both immanent and transcendent dimensions. (b) Causes of conflicts (c) Effects of conflicts (d) Conflict resolution and management in West African society 19. The most significant similarity between the African God and the Biblical God is the fundamental belief in a deity. God shows mercy in times of danger, illness, difficulty or anxiety. (of authority or an office, or someone holding it) superior to all others: a unified force with a supreme commander.…, The African diaspora is a term that refers to the dispersal of African peoples to form a distinct, transnational community. It sees the divinities as beings who receive ... As we study these attributes of God in Africa, we . In the Pentecostal fold, the spirit possession in the African Traditional Religion is classified under other evil spirits which are not from God but from a satanic The most significant similarity between the African God and the Biblical God is the fundamental belief in a deity. They are seen to be … possession is noticed, the traditional doctors and . Londo. Concepts of God in the traditional African society and in Christianity . In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. In traditional African society, there is implied and widespread belief in a Supreme Being, God. (a) Afrikania Missions (Ghana) (b) Godianism (Nigeria) (c) The future of West African Traditional Religion. 4. Religion considers the dynamic interaction of various activities that take place in every African community, and it … In the traditional African society, God was given different attributes. The Role of W.A.T.R. This ambivalence of God being both transcendent and immanent among the Nuer, one of the Primal societies, is pointed out by Evans-Pritchard (2004). While the statement that the gods died at any time in African history can be challenged, it is obvious that, within the past two decades, African Traditional Religion has enjoyed some measure of resurgence or revival. 0000054958 00000 n
Traditional religion promotes respect for elders in the society. God is experienced as an all-pervading reality. Pan Afric…, God's Bible School and College: Tabular Data, God's Bible School and College: Narrative Description, God's Bible School and College: Distance Learning Programs, Goddard College: Distance Learning Programs, Cosmology, article on African Cosmologies, https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/god-african-supreme-beings. In addition to the belief in deity, the Supreme Being of Africa largely overlaps conceptually with the identity and work of the biblical God. preme / səˈprēm; soō-/ • adj. 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. God is holy. 0000002908 00000 n
In many traditional African religions God IS everything and therefore has all attributes. Explain why and how socialization took place in African traditional society. b) Write down seven teachings about God from the Traditional African myths of creation. African identity and culture are preserved in African Traditional Religion. society, which a traditional form of education seeks to achieve. %PDF-1.5
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... Love and marriage. He gives His people rich harvests and large herds of animals, which lead to a healthy population. rain, air and sunshine. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. African traditional religions have a strong foothold in contemporary Zimbabwe as an integral part of the everyday lives of many Zimbabweans. Those who obey prosper. 24. A. Fafunwa (1974:13) observes that: The aim of traditional African education is multilateral and the end objective is to produce an individual who is honest, respectful, skilled, co-operative and conforms to the social order of the day. 19. God is neither the creator nor author of evil 2) Sin comes from the disobedience of God by human beings 3) Evil and misfortune are God’s curse to man (Biblical) while the traditional African society sees evil as curses by ancestors, and elders. Most African traditional societies believe that a newborn comes from the spirit world with a message from the gods or ancestors. 0000002537 00000 n
The diversity of cultural forms and linguistic differences of Africans, notwithstanding the relationships of African supreme beings to the created order (including the human, spiritual, and other entities), reveal to a great extent a certain uniformity and similarity in the nature, attributes, and powers of the supreme beings. (ii) God is everlasting / eternal. 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. These classes depends on the different location within the African society. African communities are aware of the existence of evil in the society and the existence of evil in the society and they try to avoid it. There are so many other great attributes of God in African religious ontology which we may not expatiate in this work such as: God is the absolute controller of the universe, God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient in Africa; the Supreme Being is one in Africa; God is good and merciful, and God is Holy. The S… the case of a prophet or soothsayer. From our own study of the African Traditional Religion, we find there are unmistakably elements of animism. Must obey God’s laws and commandments. This means attributing a living soul to inanimate objects and natural phenomena. xref
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This very idea of Oneness of the Supreme Being is … 0000002502 00000 n
In traditional African societies, nature was regarded as a gift by a supreme Creator God for the benefit of humanity who believed that mankind was created at the centre of the universe. 0
This is the first among the African initiation rites. society, which a traditional form of education seeks to achieve. Failure to heed these regulations may lead to punishment. Attributes of God (Supreme Being) in Africa: Attributes of God refers to words or phrases ascribing traits, properties, qualities or characteristics to the Supreme Being. God is merciful- The Akamba refer to God as “God of pity”, the ‘merciful one’. (vi) God is merciful. The African traditional society is a homogenous and close one with its unique characteristic features that set it apart from other cultures of the world. food, air, water and fire. Such things are regarded as “divine” due to th… (a) Describe how God punished people in African Traditional Society. Hunhu/Ubuntu is also a key theme in African philosophy as it places an imperative on the importance of group or communal existence as op… He/She is both good and evil, generous and stingy, ect. the attributes of God. He is a just God. Many writers still describe the African Traditional Religion as animistic. Well, Africa is a large continent. 0000001151 00000 n
He is the giver and sustainer of life, provides necessities of life e.g. 0000005822 00000 n
Many African myths of creation point to the fact that human beings are dependent on God e.g. The subject of Hunhu/Ubuntu has generated a lot of debate within public and private intellectual discussions, especially in South Africa and Zimbabwe where the major focus has been on whether or not Hunhu/Ubuntu can compete with other philosophical world views as well as whether or not Hunhu/Ubuntu can solve the socio-political challenges facing the two countries. It is most often used to…, Afrocentrism has a long and often misunderstood history. Failure to heed these regulations may lead to punishment. God is described with many names, which are God’s attributes. 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. Contemporary Situations. Some of their beliefs and practices like Caste-system (osu-one dedicated to idol/god), and Slave (ohu) all in Igboland, killing of twins, and abinos, buring of chiefs /kings with The ability of African Traditional Religions to promote the community ideal of peaceful and harmonious co-existence in contemporary African society is in a state of progressive decline. It is used principally to aid man’s perception and concentration and to remind the worshipper of the divine presence. God (The Supreme Being)in African Traditional Religious Thought Belief in the existence of God (Supreme Being) is fundamental in African society. (a) Describe how God punished people in African Traditional Society. traditional African takes the character of critical reflection of the African understanding of reality and world view. 6. a) Identify six causes of death in the Traditional African Community b) Explain how Africans demonstrated their belief that death was not the end of life 7. protects the weak and hears the cry of those unjustly treated. 4. A. Ancestors maintain a spiritual connection with their living relatives and generally most of them are good and kind. Atheistic tendencies in Africa are minimal. The African societies and ethnic communities believed in a supreme being who had different names for different communities.The people worshiped this God through singing,offering sacrifices,dancing,dedications as well as invoking blessings. In the African philosophical-theology, God’s relationship with the smaller divinities and spirits are only a manifestation of the attributes of the Supreme God. It is found in most religions. (a) West African Traditional … Many African myths of creation point to the fact that human beings are dependent on God e.g. Explain five roles of a diviner in the Traditional African society. (vii) God is All Powerful (Omnipotent). This Ghanaian Adinkra symbol means \"except for God\" and symbolizes the supremacy of God. 2.Belief in Mystical Powers The Role of W.A.T.R. Atheistic tendencies in Africa are minimal. startxref
During sacrifices seeking forgiveness, Africans used to … Some of their beliefs and practices like Caste-system (osu-one dedicated to idol/god), and Slave (ohu) all in Igboland, killing of twins, and abinos, buring of chiefs /kings with They depend on God for the most essential requirements of life e.g. The paper shows that the concept of God is not strange to Africans but in traditional Africa there is no atheist. h�b```��,��@��Y8�D�G�1O`������E���9�,��,�LיΰT3/d������]P���{�'��1NX�|Fd�wr���`��*Wэ=��. 0000001949 00000 n
The symbol can be found throughout Ghana. This Ghanaian Adinkra symbol means \"except for God\" and symbolizes the supremacy of God. (a) Introduction - meaning/concept of conflict in West African traditional society. (iii) Good is good. African philosophy reflects belief in God, the concept of belief in God in Africa forms the bedrock of every religious worship and ceremony; it is an idea that is fundamental to African religion. ... the attributes of God in AIR and Christianity can be a great . The African traditional society is a homogenous and close one with its unique characteristic features that set it apart from other cultures of the world. The men in traditional Shona society might be said to have ... “The Fulfilment of African Religious Needs through the Bible,” in Rewriting the Bible: The Real Issues (Gweru, ... as a fertility God, Mwari’s attributes corre-spond with aspects of the culture with a woman focus. Stateless Societies. Each name has serious significance and authority to the supreme being called God. The Supreme Deity is … heals the sick. He is impartial in His judgment.
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