World Religions TH 608

1. Chapter Three
African Religions

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Native Religions
• There is no one African religion, theology,
worldview, or ritual system
• Because many African religions began in
ancient times, few written records exist of
early origins or practices
– Most of what is known about African religion
was collected by anthropologists,
missionaries, or Africans who recalled

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Native Religions
• The High God
– The belief in a supreme High God who
created the world and then withdrew from
active participation in it was common is
polytheistic religions
– Many African religions believe that the High
God has little contact with the daily events of
the world
• Ex. Yoruba creation myth

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Native Religions
• The High God
– The Nuer of Sudan were an exception,
because they believed that God played an
active role in human affairs
– He is believed to be the guardian of moral
law, punishing the wicked and rewarding the
good
– The Nuer also believe that they can appeal to
the High God for help or blessing

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Native Religions
• The Lesser Spirits
– Most Africans were animistic, or believed that
the universe is populated with spirits as well
as human and animals
– The spirits can be beneficial or harmful
– Some African religions have temples to the
storm gods, and others worship the Earth
• Ex. Ashanti culture

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Native Religions
• The Lesser Spirits
– Water is seen as a sacred element
• When African religions use water in ceremonies, it
must be sacred, living water – it must come from
a living source like a spring or river
– Worship of the lesser spirits varies from minor
recognition to elaborate systems of worship
• Ex. Yoruba worship of Osun

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Native Religions
• Ancestors
– The most commonly recognized force in
African religion is the ancestors
– Many Africans believe that ancestors continue
to take an active interest in living people and
can do good or evil
• Because of their power, the ancestors are feared
and respected – perhaps more than any of the
gods
• Ancestors can be capricious or unpredictable

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Native Religions
• Ancestors
– Because of their fear of the ancestors,
Africans offered gifts and sacrifices to them
– The ancestors were believed to actually own
the land, so the living Africans simply enjoyed
their hospitality
– Ancestors are believed to communicate with
the living in dreams and sometimes more
directly – like causing them injury

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Native Religions
• Sacrifice
– African religions usually include rituals and
sacrifices that seek to appease the gods
• Daily offerings are the most common sacrifice and
help to maintain a good relationship with the spirits
• Animal sacrifices are used less often. A portion of
the animal is given to the ancestors, which
strengths the bond between the ancestors and the
living.

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Native Religions
• Rites of Passage
– In most societies, important moments in life
(like birth, puberty, marriage, and death) are
marked by ritual
• In many African cultures, children are not given a
name until after the first week of life
• Because so many children die in their first days in
Africa, families want to make sure that the baby is
not a “ghost child” there to trick them into loving
him or her

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Native Religions
• Rites of Passage
– Puberty
• Initiation rituals
– Harsh physical trials for boys
– Seclusion for girls
• Circumcision
– Common for boys
– Involves girls in some cultures
– Marriage
• Mostly considered to be a secular contract

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Native Religions
• Rites of Passage
– Death is surrounded by a great deal of ritual,
which is intended to make the dead more
comfortable for their journey
– Many steps are taken to prevent the dead
from returning to haunt their villages or
families
• Money, food, trinkets, tools, and weapons are
buried with the dead body

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Native Religions
• Religious Leaders
– Because many aspects of African religion can
be practiced by individuals, there is not as
great of a need for priests
– The most common religious specialist is the
spiritual curer
• The curer finds the spiritual cause of disease and
provides a cure
• Curers use a combination of herbal remedies,
spiritual powers, and prayer for healing

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Native Religions
• Religions Leaders
– Healers
• The Acholi have a healer called the ajwaka, who
attempts to draw the jok (or illness) out of the sick
person
– Diviners are almost as important as healers.
The diviner’s task is to use spiritual powers
and knowledge to find the causes of present
misfortunes, past secrets, or things to come.

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Native Religions
• Religious Leaders
– One of the most enduring leadership figures is
the chief-king
• Not all African cultures have kings, but those that
do look upon them with awe
– The chief king is regarded as the tribal
connection to the ancestors and are revered
as living symbols of the tribe
• Monarchs represent their people, so a sick
monarch means a sick land

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Non-native African Religions
• North Africa was strongly influenced by
Greek and Egyptian culture
• Christianity has played an important role,
and Judaism has also flourished
– There is a distinct branch of Judaism in
Ethiopia among the Falasha people
• Islam came to African when early
followers fled to Ethiopia to avoid
persecution

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Non-native African Religions
• Christianity
– Christianity experienced its greatest growth in
Africa in the 1950s
• Missionary work took off when the Bible became
readily available in African languages
• Other faiths
– Hinduism, Buddhism, and Baha’i also spread
through Africa in the nineteenth century

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African Religions Today
• Colonialism has taken a serious toll on
African religions
– Colonialism has caused the breakup of
traditional tribal units
– It also caused the division of many regions
into new nations
• Modernization and urbanization has also
changed African culture

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African Religions Today
• Traditional African religions are closely
linked to specific places
• Modern life has decreased the importance
of place and ethnicity for many Africans
• In many places, the belief in lesser spirits
has taken the form of Christian saints or
Muslim jinn

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African Religions Today
• Religion and Violence
– Most conflicts in Africa pit rival ethnic groups
against each other
– In countries with large Christian and Muslim
populations, there have been conflicts
between those two groups
– A 25-year civil war raged in Sudan between
the Muslim north and the Christian south,
causing millions of deaths