African Traditional Religion
Africa encompasses a wide variety of traditional beliefs. Although religious customs are sometimes shared by many local societies, they are usually unique to specific populations or geographic regions. According to Dr J Omosade Awolalu, The "traditional" in this context means indigenous, that which is foundational, handed down from generation to generation, meant as to be upheld and practised today and forevermore. A heritage from the past, yet not treated as a thing of the past but that which connects the past with the present and the present with eternity.
Often spoken of in the terms of a singularity, deliberate; yet conscious of the fact that Africa is a large continent with multitudes of nations who have complexed cultures, innumerable languages and myriads of dialects. The essence of this school of thought is based mainly on oral transmission; that which is written in people's hearts, minds, oral history, customs, temples and religious functions. It has no founders or leaders like Gautama the Buddha, Christos, Ashoka, Christ or Muhammed. It has no missionaries or the intent to propagate or to proselytise. Some of the African traditional religions include Yoruba, Serer and Igbo religion.
Read more about this topic: Religion In Africa
Famous quotes containing the words african, traditional and/or religion:
“Kitsch ... is one of the major categories of the modern object. Knick-knacks, rustic odds-and-ends, souvenirs, lampshades, and African masks: the kitsch-object is collectively this whole plethora of trashy, sham or faked objects, this whole museum of junk which proliferates everywhere.... Kitsch is the equivalent to the cliché in discourse.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)
“What Mrs. Thatcher did for women was to demonstrate that if a woman had enough desire she could do what she wanted, do anything a man could do.... Mrs. Thatcher did not have one traditional feminine cell in her body.”
—Julie Burchill (b. 1960)
“By 1879, seven churches of various denominations were holding services, which led the local Chronicle to comment, All have but one religion and one God in common; it is the Crucified Carbonate.”
—Administration in the State of Colo, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)