Marriage in african indigenous religion pdf

Opinionby godwills masimirembwa in my article titled traditional leaders should be designated marriage officers published in the herald of march 27, 2017, i submitted that the provisions of the law make it difficult for indigenous marriages to be solemnised. The simple underlying fact is that for the african approaching marriage, children are more important than compatibility. Dada adelowo introduction this paper is motiated by the need. Some years ago l attempted to compare african traditional religion, judaism, christianity and islam, and it can be a good food. In traditional thinking, ancestors are an essential link in a hierarchical chain of powers stretching from this world to the spirit world. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by the forebears of the present africans, and which is being practised today in various forms and. Some indigenous australians share the religious beliefs and values of religions introduced into australia from other cultures around the world, particularly europe. Marriage marriage is sacred and a married woman is treated with respect, in fact the desired destination of most shona women is marriage. The forms and practices of traditional indigenous religions have been profoundly influenced by the impact of colonialism, both past and present. The role of women in african religion the sunday mail. In marriage, the husband can have as many wives as he wants and can have extramarital affairs as a bonus.

Western civilisation and culture began to creep into african sociocultural milieu, first, with the contact of europeans with africa, a consequence of berlin conference in the quest for imperial pilfering of african resources and, later, consolidated by the unstoppable wave of globalisation. The importance of women in african society is portrayed in a ghanaian proverb which says, a woman is a flower in a garden, her husband is the fence around. So if africa has to put the falling apart together, her original values must be re. An array of practices integral to indigenous livelihoodsuch as a societys religion, subsistence methods, marriage practices, and healing techniquesprovides threads of fabric that weave together. This is a 3hour summary lecture on the basic components of african traditional religions. Learn about our beginnings, ongoing connections, and mission today.

The lausanne movement connects influencers and ideas for global mission, with a vision of the gospel for every person, an evangelical church for every people, christlike leaders for every church, and kingdom impact in every sphere of society. The place of african traditional religion in interreligious encounters in sierra leone since the advent of islam and christianity is my own work and that all the sources that i have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. It is necessary to have the perception of the basic concept of the word conflict before exploring the extensive area of conflicts between african traditional religion and christianity. It is not possible to speak of one aboriginal and torres strait islander religion, as there were many. Box 4384400100, nairobi, kenya abstract it is the opinion consensuses of a few scholars that the institution of marriage has continued to. Christian counselling an african indigenous perspective. Its study has to go handinhand with the study of the people who practise the religion. 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 supreme being nor worship him. African traditional religions religion in zimbabwe. Atr african traditional religion introduction three religions dominates african continent.

Among the baganda and and africans, some priests and priestrasses lived a celibate life just like the roman catholic church and partly by. Indigenous african religions are by nature plural, varied, and usually informed by ones ethnic identity, where ones family came from in africa. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the africans. Research assessing the role of tradition and religion. The effects of traditional and religious practices of. It does not exist in a vacuum or up there in the blues but among humans. With africa subjugated and dominated, the western culture and european mode of civilisation began to thrive and outgrow african cultural heritage. Families can sell their daughters to survive off of the bride price.

Traditional african cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as africans became fully westernised. Concepts and theories on women in yoruba religious sphere3 religion, for it is the venue for contact and interaction between the living, the dead, and the yet unborn. Conflicts between african traditional religion and. Religion differs from one geographical area to the next. African traditional religions articles about traditional religions in zimbabwe in shona and ndebele religion, god, or the supreme being, is seen as the creator and sustainer of the universe in much the same manner as within christianity. It is believed that marriage in african traditional religion is a communal rather than an individual affair, this is because the role of relations created affect the whole family and not individuals. African traditional religion african studies oxford. That is a beautiful picture of women in african society. Tabona shoko analyses the traditional karanga views of the causes of illness and disease, mechanisms of diagnosis at their disposal and the methods they use to restore health, shoko discusses the views of a specific african independent church of the apostolic tradition. African traditional religion is a thriving scholarly business, but a serious disconnect exists between contributions that celebrate a generalized african traditional religion and those that describe particular religions and aspects of religion on the basis of ethnographic and archival research.

Many indigenous peoples refer to spirituality rather than religion and for most aboriginal people, religious beliefs are derived from a sense of belonging to the land, the sea and nature. It is the religion that has been handed down from generation to generation by the forbears of the present generation of africans. Religion enters into every aspect of the life of the africans and it cannot be studied in isolation. Men are more willing to work at raising cash rather than traditional subsis.

Concepts and theories on women in yoruba religious sphere. The role of women in african traditional religion introduction a proverb from ghana declares that. Paul kyalo school of humanities and social sciences mount kenya university p. In discussing african culture and values, we are not presupposing that all african societies have the same. In authorising ministers of religion to be marriage officers and giving them power to refuse to solemnise a marriage if it does not accord with that.

In some cases the womans purpose is to be pregnant, nursing, or both. One area of the impacts of these is on the marriage system in africa. There are other indigenous beliefs and practices in abia. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Atr relates to indigenous african religions covering a diverse landscape impacted upon by ethnic groups that inform the customs, characteristics. Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions. Marriage can be defined as a union of two or more people of the opposite sex. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of former generations. Westernization, modernization and christianity have all affected african culture. Marriage is a universal institution, but defining it adequately presents a challenge. The spirituality of africa harvard divinity school.

African religions this entry presents a brief, general picture of africas traditional religious heritage, focusing on the major beliefs because these underlie the general attitudes of individuals and society and shape their worldview. In african religion, the highly recognised spirits possess more women than men. Healing and communal reconstruction in african communities herbert moyo abstract this article is of the view that current research and scholarship in pastoral theology in africa is influenced by western knowledge systems wks and. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of. Here again the writer made mention of the various ceremonies which accompany puberty and its significance in african traditional religion.

The religious beliefs, practices and the provision of social services of these immigrant religions have impacted on the religious and cultural life of the traditional communities. It will deal with a comprehensive interpretation of ritual and their meaning or meanings. Indigenous conflict resolution in africa by birgit brockutne university of oslo a draft presented to the weekend seminar on indigenous solutions to conflicts held at the university of oslo, institute for educational research 23 24 of february 2001. A totem ojibwe doodem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe while the term totem is derived from the north american ojibwe language, belief in tutelary spirits and deities is not limited to indigenous peoples of the americas but common to a number of cultures worldwide. Indigenous marriage institutions and divorce in nigeria 166 obtains in one society, to a large extent influences that in another society 3,4. Women and ecology in shona religion 12isabel mukonyora, the fulfilment of african religious needs through the bible, in rewriting the bible.

African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil. Unlike the indigenous religion, yoruba christianity is an offshoot of early christianity introduced by missionaries around 1842. Yet, the indigenous religious beliefs and cultural values have. Whereas it is believed erroneously among many people that polygamy implies the art of a man being married to more than one wife, the true definition of polygamy implies the. Spirituality for indigenous australians takes many forms. In this paper i wish to examine the place and the role of women according to african religion. God, divinities and spirits in african traditional religious. In another chapter, puberty rites were mentioned as another rites of passage. The african women have inherited knowledge from other religions. Th is religious map of africa is the result of the encounters, over centuries, between the indigenous religions of. Womens role in african traditional religion the sunday mail. African indigenous churches articles about the aic in zimbabwe.

This paper seeks to examine how africans conceive of the supreme being, divinities and spirits. He is the author of numerous articles on diola religion, african religions, indigenous religions, and the comparative study of prophetic movements. African marriage systems unl digital commons university of. In contemporary discussions of ways to attain sustainable and authentic human development, there is a reluctance to consider the influence of african traditional religion. Indigenous african religions refer to the indigenous or native religious beliefs of the african people before the christian and islamic colonization of africa. Yet the fact is that many of these marriages worked, and so the spouse or the spouses may, in the end, have remained grateful for pressure which had helped them to find a solid marriage and home. When we speak of african traditional religion we mean the indigenous religion of the africans. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage. Apr 04, 20 when christianity was declared by emperor constantine as a state religion in the 4th century a. This is the complete text of what is african traditional religion. The main objective of this paper is to examine african culture and values. Insofar as african traditional religion can be defined by specific religious actions, the cult of the ancestors is its most common and essential activity. O box 3420, thika kenya abstract this essay is an analysis of the rituals in african cosmology. Family and religious studies questions and answers the.

God, divinities and spirits in african traditional. African religions and philosophy is a systematic study of the attitudes of mind and belief that have evolved in the many societies of africa. Oct 07, 2015 religion informs everything in traditional african society, including political art, marriage, health, diet, dress, economics, and death. The failure of nigeria to sustained indigenous moral values for the formation of the citizenry, particularly the young people, accounts for the decline of moral values in national development. Sex refers to a persons biological characteristics. The rites and disciplines obtaining in african marriages arose from the patrilineal nature of african societies, with the family being at the heart. Unfortunately, colonialism largely affected the value of african womens roles and responsibilities in the communities. Cultural and religious traditions among the shona, ndebele and smaller groups of tonga, shangaan and venda have similarities in regard to marriage practices and the belief in supernatural ancestors. The type, functions, and characteristics of marriage vary from culture to culture, and can change over time. African indigenous religion 1989, ejizu berates scholars of african indigenous religion, who according to him, now tend to depend more on secondary sources seem unaware of the vast potentials of oral materials as well as their implications for methodology in the subject 1989.

Marriage in the african traditional religion is a communal rather than individual affair. Various terms are used to refer to the indigenous religious heritage, including african religion, african tradition. This is not to say that indigenous african spirituality represents a form of theocracy or religious totalitarianismnot at all. Traditional african approaches in the light of natural values, and of. Concurrent with making it difficult to register indigenous marriages, the law does not recognise unregistered indigenous. The religious beliefs, practices and thehuman characteristics such as love, power, knowledge are transferred to anspeak of african traditional religion we mean the indigenous religion of the africans. This study examined the role of traditional african.

These rituals are often associated with important events, such as planting or harvesting crops, as well as with birth, marriage, and death. These possessed african women share information in health, agriculture and remedies to african problems. Gender refers to the different roles that are assigned to males and females. Likewise, east african coast, and much of west african was also muslimised. It is not a fossil religion a thing of the past but a religion that africans today have made theirs by. Some anthropologists have also sought to read a trial approach into a different african phenomenon which is the gradualness of the african marriage process. Its study has to go handin hand with the study of the people who practise the religion. It expects that society including christianity will be able to learn from the traditional system, that indeed not for nostalgic reasons, the core of marriage is to be. In the african traditional religion there is an idea of marriage. D department of religious studies olabisi onabanjo university, agoiwoye ogun state, nigeria abstract. It is in the light of the foregoing glimpse that attempts shall be made to define african traditional religion as well as acquaint ourselves with the place of a woman in the practice of such religion.

All those groups called on the support of the spirit world in the struggle. Different cultures have different rituals and beliefs about marriage. The main characteristics of african traditional religion. This paper examines the principles and structure of marriage institutions in nigeria. Culture of zimbabwe history, people, traditions, women.

Throughout africa, religious and traditional leaders can. Marriage is an important step in the life of every human on earth. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa. Marriage rituals in zimbabwe marriage rituals marriage cont. Western culture now is regarded as frontline civilisation. Before we examine the role of women in african traditional religion, certain methodological issues have to be resolved. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and. Religion and african indigenous knowledge systems 209 the thesis for this paper is that research in practical theology should focus on inculturation to develop contextual relevant religious practices that will be based on african indigenous knowledge systems that are inherent in the african cultural practices. The attitude of these two indigenous african missionaries obviously differ from their earlier. Some marriages are arranged while others are out of love. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage and sexuality dr. Initiation rites and rituals in african cosmology prof. Marriage rituals in zimbabwe by kara warren on prezi. As in other religions, african indigenous religions recognize the importance of ritual, which is a way of carrying out a ceremony or event.

This page on african indigenous churches surveys those churches which are aimed almost exclusively at african converts, use local traditions more extensively, and have a healing focus on african. Polygamy and christianity in africa t a falaye, ph. In traditional african societies, a firm stress is placed on the performance of rituals as customary, standardized, and symbolic social communication that is repeatable according to fixed patterns. 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. The traditional marriage institution was a vital link and bond that sustained and. For instance, infidelity, infertility, laziness and unhygienic behaviours are some of the major causes of divorce in many societies and women with these attributes are usually returned to their parents.

Omosade awolalu, in his work sin and its removal in african traditional religion writes when we speak of african traditional religion we mean the indigenous religion of the africans. African traditional religion in a globalizing world. African rites rituals in africa, just as in other parts of the world, utilize symbols to express and convey meanings, verbally and nonverbally. In african religion, most spiritual processes such as the brewing of beer for rituals, burials and other such functions are conducted by women. The role of women in african traditional religion by john. Also in 2014, the au appointed a goodwill ambassador for ending child marriage and the african committee of experts on. These spirits will be in charge of different tribes. As in most of subsaharan africa, atr is the indigenous religion. This was probably the case with many european arranged marriages of the past and with the great majority of traditional arranged african marriages.