FOUNDATIONS OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION AND WORLDVIEW Revised Edition 2019

By Professor Yusufu Turaki

This book is an introduction to the foundations of African traditional religions and worldview. The theological basis of the traditional belief- in (1) gods, (2) divinities and (3) spirits are examined. These beliefs are defined and&nbsp

• Language: English
• Publisher: Midas Touch GEMS
• Release date: Jun 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088175330

Book preview

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FOUNDATIONS OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL

Yusufu Turaki Foundation and Otakada.org Publishing

RELIGION AND WORLDVIEW

Revised Edition 2019

YUSUFU TURAKI

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DEDICATION

To

Pioneering Missionaries and African First Converts to

Christianity

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yusufu Turaki is a Professor of Theology and Social Ethics. He teaches Theology and Social Ethics at the Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS) since 1980. He studied Theology at Igbaja Theological Seminary, Nigeria (Th.B.); Theology and Ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, USA (MATS); and Social Ethics at Boston University, USA (Ph.D.). He was a Research Scholar with the Research Enablement Program sponsored by the PEW Charitable Trusts and administered by the Overseas Ministry Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School, Yale University, USA. He is currently the Regional Director of the International Bible Society Nigeria. He is married to Deborah and they have four children: Nyela, Yimi, Iyakachi and Ladi.

ABOUT THE BOOK

This book is an introduction to the foundations of African traditional religions and worldview. The theological basis of the traditional belief- in (1) gods, (2) divinities and (3) spirits are examined. These beliefs are defined and interpreted in the light of (1) the traditional religious worldview and (2) with some clarifications from the Biblical and Christian theology. The theological implications of these traditional beliefs and worldview are essential for developing and formulating a relevant Biblical and Christian theology in Africa. The traditional theological, philosophical and moral and ethical foundations and the nature and meaning of man are analysed and examined.

RELIGION AND SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY

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ABOUT YUSUFU TURAKI FOUNDATION AND OTAKADA.ORG DIGITAL PUBLISHING

This book is published and distributed in partnership with Yusufu Turaki Foundation and Otakada.org

Yusufu Turaki Foundation is an organization owned by the author Professor Yusufu Turaki in Jos, Plateau, Nigeria. Otakada.org is a digital and paperback publishing and distribution of Christian confused contents company based in USA and Nigeria.

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PREFACE

I have received several requests from those who have read my earlier book Christianity and African Gods: A Method in Theology. They have specifically requested that I write a shorter book on the foundations of African traditional religions and worldview. This book is an answer to that. 1 have selected three key chapters in that book and edited them to suit the request. This book examines the foundations of African traditional religions and worldview. The first chapter defines religion in general terms and then examines the foundations of African traditional religions and worldview from (1) the theological; (2) philosophical; and (3) moral and ethical perspectives. Traditional religious beliefs and religious practices and behavior are presented and discussed. Philosophical foundations, that is, the traditional conception of the world, how the traditional worldview sees, understands, interprets and applies life in general are presented and discussed. This is to show how the traditional worldview exerts a powerful and pervasive influence upon African religious beliefs, practices and behavior. Moral and ethical foundations are also presented and discussed. This is to show how African ethics and morality are influenced by religious beliefs and practices and worldview.

The second chapter examines the theological basis of the traditional beliefs in the mystical, mysterious, unseen powers and forces. The third chapter further examines the same spirit world but specifically in terms of its mystical, mysterious, unseen powers and forces. The study seeks to show how the two theological and religious phenomena of the spirit world are related. Chapter two discusses all categories of the spirit beings, while in the third chapter that of the impersonal mystical, mysterious, unseen powers and forces.

The place of man in traditional Africa is defined. This is to show how man in traditional Africa approaches and responds to African beliefs in the Supreme Being, gods, divinities and spirit beings and supernatural powers and how these beliefs influence his religious practices and religious and social behavior.

This book seeks to define the foundations of African traditional religions and worldview. It is an introduction to the study of the foundations of African traditional religions and worldview.

Yusufu Turaki

International Bible Society, Enugu 2001

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Table of Contents

FOUNDATIONS OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL 1 RELIGION AND WORLDVIEW 1 Revised Edition 2019 1 DEDICATION 2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 3 ABOUT THE BOOK 3 ABOUT YUSUFU TURAKI FOUNDATION AND OTAKADA.ORG DIGITAL PUBLISHING 4 PREFACE 6 CHAPTER 1 - TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS SYSTEM 9 1. A Definition of Religion 11 2. Functions and Place of the Religious System 18 18 20 20 21 3. Theological Foundations 22 24 37 41 41 41 42 4. Philosophical Foundations 44 45 47 5. Moral and Ethical Foundations 82 83 85 87 87 88 6. Summary 111 Chapter II BELIEF IN GODS, DIVINITIES, SPIRITS 112 1. Belief in the Supreme Being (God) 115 115 2. Belief in Gods, Divinities and Spirits 130 136 137 139 139 CHAPTER III BELIEF IN MYSTICAL, MYSTERIOUS, 145 UNSEEN POWERS 145 1. Mysterium Tremendum 146 148 153 159 170 177 185 2. Mystery and Secret Cults 186 187 3. Summary 188 CHAPTER IV MAN AND THE MEANING OF LIFE 190 1. Definition of Human Nature 190 190 2. Meaning of Life in Community 200 3. Meaning of Life in the Cosmos 202 CHAPTER V – CONCLUSION 204 BIBLIOGRAPHY 206

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CHAPTER 1 - TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS SYSTEM

This chapter defines and interprets the African traditional religious system and worldview. It is divided into four major parts. The first gives a general functional definition of religion; the second defines and interprets the theological foundations of the traditional religious system and worldview; the third defines and interprets the philosophical foundations of the traditional religious system and worldview and the fourth defines and interprets the moral and ethical foundations of the traditional religious system and worldview.

One of the major difficulties faced in this study, was the choice of literature. Anyone who is familiar with the amount of literature and the general terrain of the African traditional religions knows that not much has gone beyond the classics of the pioneers. Creative and innovative studies and works have not gone that much beyond the Idowu’s and the Mbiti’s. The comparative, anthropological, phenomenological, historical and the descriptive methods have dominated the scene.

The few works on the theological and Biblical methods are in themselves not comprehensive, systematic and coherent. Much of the approach from Biblical theology has remained stunted at the level of perspectives. Such studies do set out to study the traditional religions and cultures from the Biblical Perspectives. The valuable knowledge gained in such studies has yet to be given a serious theological and methodological formulation and development.

It was difficult to find relevant literature in our area of study. However, we have found a few useful books that relate to our subject. They are: (1) Philip M. Steyne, Gods of Power; a Study of the Beliefs and Practices of Animists (1990); (2) Richard J. Gehman, African Traditional

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Religion in Biblical Perspectives (1989); (3) Wilbour O'Donovan, Biblical Christianity in African Perspective (1992); (4) Lenard Nyirongo, The Gods of Africa or The God of the Bible? the Snares of African Traditional Religion in Biblical Perspective (1997); (5) Kwame Bediako, Christianity in Africa; the Renewal of a Non-Western Religion (1995) and (6) Emefie Ikenga-Metuh, Comparative Studies of African Traditional Religions (1987).

The most helpful of all, is Philip M. Steyne. This chapter and the subsequent ones are constructed and based upon his comprehensive, systematic and coherent theological approach to the study of animism. We have restructured our theological study, interpretation and understanding of the African traditional religions and worldview in the light of this study. Religious and theological themes and categories developed by Steyne are redefined, restructured and formulated within the context of the traditional religions of Africa into a systematic and coherent religious system and worldview. This makes it possible for us to define and interpret the traditional religions of Africa in a new way. Our primary objective is to establish the theological, philosophical and moral and ethical foundations for African traditional religions and worldview. On account of this, Steyne's definition and interpretation of animism will be used extensively as they are related to the traditional religions of Africa. Our study of African traditional religions and worldview will be approached from the theological, philosophical and moral and ethical perspectives.

This study seeks to go beyond the classical comparative, anthropological, phenomenological, historical and the descriptive methods, which have dominated the scene and have studied extensively traditional beliefs, practices and worldview. We have such materials in abundance and do not want to repeat the same methodology or study the same kind of materials. Our intention is to develop a systematic and comprehensive system of African traditional religions and worldview. African traditional religions

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and worldviews have (1) theological; (2) philosophical and (3) moral and ethical foundations. The entire study focuses on our identification, understanding, interpretation and the application of these foundations for modem Africans, Christians and non-Africans. These traditional foundations are to serve as a guide to helping modem Africans, Christians and non-Africans on how they can relate in their own way to traditional Africa and Africans. Knowledge of the traditional religious beliefs and practices of Africans and they way Africans of old see, understand, interpret and apply life in general are to be brought to this study as means of enriching and deepening our knowledge and understanding of the traditional religions and worldview. Herein lies our limitation for we may not be able to bring every knowledge, variable and fact to bear on this study. This we acknowledge with humble hearts.

A Definition of Religion

In this section, we present a functional definition of religion. This is to meet the need of applying the theological method to the study of the African traditional religions and worldview. We need to restructure and formulate the traditional African religions into a theological system and world view.

The understandings and approaches to the study of African traditional religions have varied among African scholars. The nature, form and status of the traditional religions have been viewed and understood differently by various African scholars. In the pioneering period, the term primitive was used by the anthropologists and scholars to describe African traditional religions. This was a reference to religion in its earliest forms among mankind - assuming an evolutionary trend. This idea was soon laid to rest by the more disciplined anthropologists (Cole, 1989:3). Other terms, such as, fetishism, animism, paganism were variously used to describe African traditional religions.

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However, the studies of both African religions and cultures have matured and there have emerged various classifications of African religions. Most scholars have a fourfold classification of African religions:

(1) belief in the Supreme Being, God;

(2) belief in the lesser spirit beings or divinities;

(3) the cult of ancestors and

(4) the use of magic, charms, amulets and spiritual forces.

On account of this classification, some scholars define African religions as polytheism, the worship of many gods. African scholars, such as Professor Idowu, have rejected some aspects of this classification and preferred the term diffused monotheism. The debate surrounding the use of the concepts of polytheism or monotheism in reference to African religions is still on as new insights are being added.

What is most essential here is to have a definition of religion, which is relevant to our understanding of the African traditional religions? Benjamin C. Ray, after studying the nature and form of African religions, suggested how best to approach and understand African religions. He developed three concepts: archetypal symbols, ritual and community. By archetypal symbols, he means sacred images, whether they be gods, ancestors, sacred actions, or things, which make up the traditional universe. He further states, Such images, enshrined and communicated in myth and ritual, provide a network of symbolic forms, uniting social, ecological and conceptual elements into locally bounded cultural systems. They give order to experience by framing the world in terms of sacred figures and patterns. Thus encapsulated within a local universe of archetypal form, traditional African thought tends to abolish both time and chance by shaping experience to interrelated moral and ritual patterns (Ray, 1976:17).

Ray gives to the archetypal symbols the role of being models for behavior as well as modes of thought. By this, the religious practitioners can re-enact the deeds of the gods, to become possessed by divinities, to manipulate sacred objects, to speak sacred words. By so doing, the

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religious practitioners can conform experience to normative patterns of meaning and thereby to control and renew the shape and destiny of the world.

Ray describes the role of ritual thus: The ritual sphere is the sphere par excellence where the world as lived and the world as imagined become fused together, transformed into one reality. Through ritual, man transcends himself and communicates directly with the divine. The coming of the divine to man and of man to divinity happens repeatedly with equal validity on almost every ritual occasion. The experience of salvation is thus a present reality, not a future event. The passage from the profane to the sacred, from man to divinity, from moral conflict to moral unity occurs Here and Now. In short, almost every African ritual is a salvation event in which human experience is re-created and renewed in the all important ritual Present (Ray, 1976:17).

Ray's concept of community is defined in the following way: Archetypal symbols express a community's past and they structure collective rites for corporate benefit. In the traditional context religion cannot be a purely personal affair; the relation to the sacred is, first of all, a communal one. Ritual specialists, priests, prophets, diviners and kings are the servants of the community and their role is to mediate the sacred to the people. The life of priests and kings is bound up with the life of the societies they serve; rites, which 'strengthen' them 'strengthen' the people as a whole. African ritual has a specifically social-functional character and this is clearly recognised by the participants themselves. Every sacrifice is a re­ creation of the group's solidarity, every rite of passage a reforging of the corporate life (Ray, 1976:17).

Ray defines African religion from the perspective of seeing religion as a meaning system. This view sees man as a symbolizing, conceptualizing, meaning-seeking animal (Morgan, 1977:363). From this conception, religion is a theory of meaning. The chief advocate of this is Clifford

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Geertz. He defines religion thus: "Religion is (1) a system of symbols which acts to (2) establish powerful, pervasive and long-lasting moods and motivations in men (3) by formulating conceptions of general order of existence and (4) clothing these conceptions with such