Box 4384400100, nairobi, kenya abstract it is the opinion consensuses of a few scholars that the institution of marriage has continued to. The first is that this is a reliable way to decolonize both african and nonafrican minds about the. 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. The author establishes a relation between african traditional religions, african history, christology, natural moral law, moral autonomy debate, the encyclical veritatis splendor, and politicalliberation theological ethics. Conflicts between african traditional religion and christianity article pdf available in international journal of the humanities 62. We would not know how to think, or walk, or speak, or behave as human beings unless we learned it from other human beings. A person must be born in a particular african people in order to be able to follow african religion.
It also shows that the worship of god in african traditional religion is through sacrifices, offerings, singing, dancing and prayers. African traditional religion religion is a difficult subject to inquiry including attempts at definition and conception. African traditional religion is very pragmatic and apply to the need as it arises. Traditional african environmental ethics and colonial. Ikuenobe1 abstract concerns have been raised about environmental problems in africa. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage. Material in this training manual is largely based on information from the impact of religion on womens rights in africa workshop, held in zimbabwe, 1. A central aspect of ethics is the good life, the life worth living or life that is simply satisfying, which is held by many philosophers to be more important than traditional moral conduct most religions have an ethical component, often derived from purported supernatural revelation or guidance. The traditional african religions or traditional beliefs and practices of african people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. Conflicts between african traditional religion and. 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. Not being a revealed religion, traditional african religion can be characterized as a natural religion, a religion that derives from the peoples own reflections on this complex world and their experiences in it. A definition 1973, omosade awolalu in yoruba belief and sacrificial rites and john mbiti in the concept of god in africa 1970 are a few examples of postcolonial scholars of religion who have resisted and denounced colonial idea that africans do not know god.
When immanuel kant claimed, almost two centuries ago, that there is a rational moral basis to religiona religion of reason at the core of historical religious faithshe was. Based on the assumption that christianity is the only legitimate religion, the state has suppressed african indigenous religion at every level of society, but especially in the schools. The rebirth of african moral traditions as key to the. This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis the plurality of divinities polytheism. Indiesbased secularist philosopher john bewaji gives religion a decid. What is the relation between philosophy and religion in africa today. Western culture now is regarded as frontline civilisation. They counteracted various derogatory names given to air. Africa is a massive continent with diverse religious traditions, to the extent that within the same tradition there have been variations. However, african morality is not necessarily based on religion or faith, but on. 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. African religions and philosophy is a systematic study of the attitudes of mind and belief that have evolved in the many societies of africa. The justification for advocating societycentred journalism in africa is being sought in the foundations of african ethics afriethics.
One should be aware that acquisition and construction of moral knowledge may be based on performance. Traditional african cultural practices paved the way for foreign way of doing things as africans became fully westernised. Pdf morality and religion in african thought researchgate. Furthermore, african traditional ethical consciousness cannot but be a religious one magesa 59. The foundations of african ethics afriethics and the. The characterization of traditional african religion would, thus, lead me to.
Advancing an environmental ethics through the african worldview from the submissions so far available in our work it can be deduced that urgency for an environmental ethics based on african worldview is no longer in doubt for the following reasons. The purpose of the article is to present and discuss african concepts of health, disease, and treatment within the framework of african traditional medicine atm. Egwu 2001 observes religion not only because of the problem of objectivity one encounters in defining but is emotion laden, even more so because of the difficulty of penetrating the inner essence of religion. The importance of the african ethics of ubuntu and traditional african healing systems for black south african womens health in. It is significantly broader than the common conception of analyzing right and wrong. For example, christian ethics, islamic ethics and african traditional religious ethics are mainly permeate in nigerian society. But this may not necessarily be the modes of acquisition of moral knowledge in indigenous societies with less emphasis on instruction in verbal linguistic modes. This is also the goal of african traditional ethics. Ethics, which is a major branch of philosophy, encompasses right conduct and good life. I argue that these environmental problems did not exist prior to colonialism because traditional africans had conservationist values, moral attitudes, practices, and ways of life. African concepts of health, disease, and treatment. In traditional african society, there is implied and widespread belief in a supreme being, god. 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. The paper attempts to demonstrate the vast potentials of oral tradition as a vehicular access to understanding african beliefs and practices.
Peoples values are largely based upon traditional religious and moral principles that they cling to. The thesis examines the indigenous beliefs and practices of the black people in south africa which were suppressed by western culture and christianity. However, african morality is not necessarily based on. Exploring the african traditional belief systems in. African ways of doing things became primitive, archaic and regrettably unacceptable in public domain. It shows how traditional ethical principles helped to maintain and ensure social order and stability in traditional african societies.
The main objective of this paper is to examine african culture and values. An african child growing in this environment will uphold african culture, norms. Pdf african ethics and african political communication. Morality in african traditional religion pdf, that faith or religion is the foundation of african morality can only be partially. A longstanding debate has been whether ethics plays a role in religion.
The paper provides a clear understanding of african ethics and morality. The concept of ethics in african traditional society. The traditional african understanding and the interpretation of christianity have deep roots in these fundamental beliefs of the african traditional religions. It does not exist in a vacuum or up there in the blues but among humans. After all, journalism should be based on the sociopolitical and ethical tenets of the society it serves. An anthology on problematics of an african philosophy. When we speak of african traditional religion, we mean the indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the africans. It is religion that influences the africans understanding of the universe and the individuals participation.
Religion is that set of beliefs andor institutions, behaviors and emotions which binds human beings to something beyond their individual selves and fosters in its adherents a sense of humility and gratitude that, in turn, sets the tone of ones worldview and requires certain. Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior. African traditional religion atr and cultural practices in most parts of african communities are environmentally friendly and sustainable, contributing so. Traditional african environmental ethics and colonial legacy polycarp a. Christianity and the african traditional religions. It sees traditional religion and morality as correlative values and. The choice of zimbabwe as a case study is premised on the fact that. 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 manual was tested at a workshop of african journalists convened by ips in july 2001. It then highlights the urgent need, in the face of a rapidly changing world, where values are shifting fast, to document for posterity a religion whose tenets have been.
These traditional reads are brimming with spirited characters and positive valuesbut with a little extra excitement and bite, so hold on to your hats. The impact of african traditional religious beliefs and. The justification for a characterbased ethics is not far to seek. The three main religious traditionsafrican traditional religion, christianity, and islamconstitute the triple religious heritage of the african continent. African tribal societies are rich in the awareness of a supreme being to the extent that no nativeborn african is unaware of gods existence odonovan 1996.
The african traditional religion is an integral part of black africans everyday life. Ethics deals with ideas such as right, good and duty and. Each facet of a black africans life is bound to his traditional religious way of life or culture. A reflection on the african traditional values of marriage and sexuality dr. In discussing african culture and values, we are not. The golden rule principle in an african ethics, and kants categorical imperative a comparative study on the foundation of morality 1 by godwin azenabor abstract. Nel morality and religion in african thought 34 promises of reward. It xrays the effects of western civilization and culture on the smooth functioning of traditional ethics. Written expressly for the middle grade struggling reader, the series does not contain strong language, edgy themes, or dysfunctional families. A question that must be asked at the outset is whether there is such a thing as african spirituality. It therefore goes as far as affirming that african traditional ethics and african traditional religion are intertwined and cannot be divorced from each other. The african ubuntu philosophy a person is a person through other persons.
The golden rule principle in an african ethics, and kants categorical imperative. Traditional african societies also observe environmental ethics that help in regulating their interactions with the natural environment shastri et al. University of kwazulunatal, pietermaritzburg, 2007. Journal of religion in africa xiv, 1 1983 religion and morality in the african traditional setting by ronald m.
Therefore, traditional african life is dominated by religion, morals, and ethics. Different strands of opinions have characterised it. Culture, tradition, custom, law and gender equality mj maluleke culture is like an umbrella under which some people like to hide from rain, and also to shade themselves from the sun. This paper is based on the authors fieldwork experience in edo state, nigeria. The paper also considers the concept of evil, ethics, justice and time in african traditional religion. Download pdf africanchristianethics free online new. The african metaphysic, to be sure, is a theistic metaphysic. The twofold notion of disease and treatment within the african context is also addressed. The people from europe, america, and asia cannot be converted to african religion as it is more removed from their geographical and cultural setting. The golden rule principle in an african ethics, and kants. The divine command makes the human ethical standards is punished directly by the divine authorities and may be punished also by a religious ethics.
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