Since people are so intimately bound up with their religious life and outlook, their history constitutes the history of their religion. Mbiti declared that african religions and african history were inseparable, suggesting further that. Other major religious groups are hindus, muslims and jews. Basic education rights handbook education rights in south. Kiernan, on the other hand, prefers to speak of african traditional religions in the plural, thereby denoting all the indigenous religions in south africa, and not only the faiths of the various black african, bantuspeaking peoples, but also the faiths of people like the san and the khoikhoi. A critical and appreciative perspective 3 these questions, we will first seek to develop a better grasp of religion as a major constituent of the worldview of african people. African traditional religion in a globalizing world.
While the political activities of the saccrelated churches get most of. The earliest reference of religion in africa can be made in egypt. The zion faith is the religion of the black people in south africa. Mysticism in african traditional religion and in the bahai. Bushiris church has branches in south africa and nigeria. The people follow many spiritual traditions and religious faiths. Towards southern africa, the kushites seemed to have their own religion and worshipped their own gods.
People are also encouraged to learn about and respect different spiritual practices. Pdf religion, literature and identity in south africa. Religion and culture in public education in south africa basic education rights handbook education rights in south africa chapter 10. This paper examines the concept and philosophy of african traditional religion from the viewpoint of africans.
In south africa the constitution protects freedom of religion. It is described as the product of thinking and experience of african forefathers and mothers of. The south african religious landscape is diverse and has a profound effect on the role that faith communities and. The sacrrf is the first such charter developed in south. African origins of the major western religions by yosef. Almost 80% of south african population adheres to the christian faith. Nearly all south africans will tell you that they belong to a church and practice a faith, although their thinking when it comes to religion and religious beliefs differ widely. It all depends on the emphasis that one is making, either on its unity or plurality. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what air and its essential characteristics is. The dutch reformed church is still popular with the dutch ancestry while the large south african indian population, practices hinduism, as well as its own branch of the dutch reform church. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the africans.
The system is independent and indigenous taking a 23. For the first time, all religions in south africa were guaranteed freedom of religion. Protestantism across several denominations is the largest belief set in south africa, with irreligious south africans being a significant proportion of the population. Mbiti, african religions and philosophy, heineman, 1969, p.
Callaway s219, 404 7278671 129e candler library, 404 7272541. The traditional african religions or traditional beliefs and practices of african people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. It was to be separated entirely from education itself. Professor of public law, university of cape town, south africa. Box 43844 00100 nairobi kenya michael katola department of philosophy and religious studies kenyatta university. Atr african traditional religion introduction three religions dominates african continent. Scholars have argued and continue to debate on this issue. The south african constitution of 1996 brought about what can be called a paradigm change for religions in south africa. The african indigenous church gatherings tend to be smaller, but the total number of different african independent church groups has multiplied well beyond 3,000, representing millions of blacks. Religions in south africa, south africa religion overview. Table 3 to table 11 are compiled from ghs 20 data received from statistics south africa.
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 also shows that the worship of god in african traditional religion is through sacrifices, offerings, singing, dancing and prayers. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, 2 3 include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator, belief in spirits. The role of african traditional religion, culture and worldview in the context of postwar healing among the dinka community of southern sudan alex kamwaria department of philosophy and religious studies kenyatta university p. Basic education rights handbook education rights in. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in an amount of higher and lower gods, sometimes including a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic and traditional. The role of african traditional religion, culture and.
Here, with longtime collaborator mazama also of temple univ. Hindus, muslims, jews, buddhists, and adherents of traditional african beliefs. Welcome to the summary lecture of african traditional religions. Celebration of the hindu festival of holi in south africa, a secular and multicultural country in africa.
Religion without belief and community in africa mdpi. No single denomination predominates, with mainstream protestant churches, pentecostal churches, african initiated churches, and the catholic church all having significant numbers of adherents. In his classic study, african religions and philosophy 1970, john s. With more than 68 books and 300 articles to his credit, asante temple univ. African religion, we are not stressing its primitive nature as some opine nor are we stressing that it is a fossil religion a religion that is incapable of adapting to changes. This is a high school text book, and, as such, a very good basic introduction to the topic of traditional african religion. Christianity is the dominant religion in south africa, with almost 80% of the population in 2001 professing to be christian. It focuses on the diversity of ethnic groups, languages, cultures, and worldviews, emphasizing the continents regional diversity. 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. Both approaches assumed that african religious beliefs. If we talk about the traditional african religions when have to associate it with the indigenous people. Religion in africa is multifaceted and has been a major influence on art, culture and philosophy. This critical examination of the history, beliefs and myths, remains instructive and fresh.
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. Precolonial history of southern africa south african. However, african traditional religion, as a concept, can be employed in two complementary senses. The societal imperative regarding the relationship between education and religion in south africa as embedded in the policy sa, 2003 against the backdrop of the sa constitution section 1 which founded south africa as a sovereign, democratic state based on the values of human dignity, the achievement of. African religions understand the sup reme being to be the being who controls the universe, as well as the origin and ultimate source o f life s vital force. The main religions in africa include hinduism, islam, christianity, judaism and traditional african religion. Marks anglican cathedral, george, south africa mosque in the bokaap suburb of cape town.
It presents the worldview, philosophical nature and foundation of african traditional religion. African traditional religion south african history online. Truth commissions based more or less on the south african model have been created in nigeria, ghana and sierra leone, where they had a mixed record, and. Learners had to go to school only for three hours a day, two shifts of learners. The charter expresses what freedom of religion means to those of religious belief and religious. The most popular religions in south africa businesstech. The rapid growth of many religions in africa and the revival of air in postcolonial africa have made interreligious dialogue an urgent necessity. Christianity and the african traditional religions. The major faiths practiced in south africa are christianity, islam, hinduism, traditional african religions and judaism. Many religions are represented in the ethnic and regional diversity of the population.
The latest government census 2001 estimated 80 percent of the population is christian. 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. Religions in south africa, south africa religion overview nearly 40% of the black colored south africans are members of the african independent churches, commonly known as the zionist christian churches, which include no less than 4,000 congregations. Professor dianne stewart professor bobbi patterson. The black african population is in the majority 47,4 million and constitutes approximately 81% of the total south african population.
This is the area in which bantu languages are spoken, and there is a link, though no absolute coincidence, between language family and religious symbolism. A very short introduction answers this question by examining primarily indigenous religious traditions on the african continent, as well as exploring christianity and islam. Full text of encyclopedia of african religion see other formats. The book begins with a reference to the richness, variety and influence of african heritage. It also offers a useful and uptodate list of books for more advanced reading, questions for. Religion and culture in public education in south africa 185. Capital pretoria population 2010 50,000 annual population growth rate 20002010 1. Ndzovu is a senior lecturer of religious studies at moi university. The women sit in a circle around a fire and clap the rhythm of the. The wide variety of religions in south africa is a reflection of the cultural diversity in south africas rainbow society. African traditional religion has grown out of the african soil.
South african scientists have been actively involved in the study of human origins since 1925 when raymond dart identified the taung child as an infant halfway between apes and humans. Constitution, charter and religions in south africa. Written expressly for the middle grade struggling reader, the series does not contain strong language, edgy themes, or dysfunctional families. The bahai faith, like all other divine religions, is thus fundamentally mystic in character.
Kenya, with a phd degree from the university of kwazulu natal, south africa. Dart called the remains australopithecus africanus, southern apeman, and his work ultimately changed the focus of human evolution from europe and asia to africa. Ancestral or traditional african religions are practised by 5 % 1. The wide variety of religions in south africa is a reflection of the cultural diversity in south africa s rainbow society. Adherents of other world religions include at least 350,000 hindus, perhaps 400,000 muslims, more than 100,000 jews, and smaller numbers of buddhists, confucians, and bahais. Importantly, there is significant and sustained syncretism with african. This revision of a standard text lj 775 provides an excellent overview of native religion in africa. This article is concerned with traditional african religions, in particular. Round about 1800 a period started in which religious pluralism was allowed to develop.
Table 4 gives a description of the distribution of the different religions in the nine provinces. It is the religion which resulted from the sustaining faith held by. Christian 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional african religions 5. African religion is traditional for the following reasons. Traditional african religion encompasses all the religious beliefs of the indigenous african people. The drc again gained influence in caesars household.
Outside egypt, more in west africa, people seemed to worship one single god like the sky god or the rain god. Get facts about african religion in the following post below. The freedoms of religion and culture under the south african. The study of african spirituality in its own right is a recent phenomenon. Christianity, especially in its protestant forms, predominates. This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. It is a constitution for every citizen of the country, and includes a bill of rights. South africa is a secular state with a diverse religious population. Contemporary south africa is largely composed of christian religions including anglican, methodist, catholic, and charismatic christian movements. In 1990, it is not difficult to locate the religious action in south africa.
Writing in 1978, famed historian albert raboteau suggested that in british north america, the slaves african religious heritage was lost. They believe there is a great god who is powerful and good and they either pray to him by themselves or else they pray through a healer who is known as a shaman one of the most important religious rituals in san religion is the trance dance. Mbiti, introduction to african religion by michael mckenny, 1220 august 2002. The white population is estimated at 4,7 million, the. The apartheid period was a disruption of this process towards pluralism. European and other foreign settlers brought most of these religions. South africa society religion jyvaskylan yliopisto. The purpose of this is to help to orient a person who would like to work in the context of africa. This is a 3hour summary lecture on the basic components of african traditional religions. Their religions involve with the arts, societies, ritual practice, cosmology and symbols. An overview there is a basic similarity in religious practice, symbols, and ideas throughout southern africa, from uganda to the southern sea, from the east coast to cameroon. Most of africas organized religions were brought to the country from europeans and other foreign settlers. African traditional religion and the religion of the san people come africa, but other religions such as judaism, christianity, islam, hinduism and buddhism, were brought to south africa by people from europe and asia. African religions in the early south journal of southern.
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. Dec 07, 2019 christian 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional african religions 5. For the first time, all religions in south africa were guaranteed freedom of. As the topic implies, the object of this paper is to classify the concepts and practices of mysticism in both. About half of african buddhists are now living in south africa, while mauritius has the highest. African origins of the major western religions first published in 1970, continues to be one of dr. In 3000 bc, people were worshipping gods like isis, horus, osiris, ra, and hapi. A minority of south african population does not belong to any of the major religions, but regard themselves as traditionalists or of no specific religious affiliation.
1006 280 604 1364 802 1180 174 126 6 979 424 814 206 1039 1178 72 281 918 148 1600 38 930 824 1262 286 680 336 1064 487 1187 1212 1412 432 1235