relationship between african traditional religion and christianity

Perhaps, this explains why Wotogbe-Weneka (2013) opines, “The huge resource that would otherwise be generated through tourism industry which is encouraged by government nowadays is lost through reckless destruction of sacred groves” (p. 10). It is a taboo in most Igbo communities and in fact, an abomination for a free born to get married an Osu/Ohu. Contact us if you experience any difficulty logging in. The waiting stage before the incorporation of the deceased into the world of the dead is called transitional period of the deceased. ‎The Nigerian religious landscape is characterized by series of violence leading to bloodshed, loss of thousands of life and property worth billions of Naira. This destiny can be written on his palm and palmists can interpret this destiny (Ikenga-Metuh, 1972). Des milliers de livres avec la livraison chez vous en 1 jour ou en magasin avec -5% de réduction . This Ikenga has to be celebrated, vitalized, and consecrated before it becomes effective. Many Igbo clans always use ọfọ and ogu together, for example, “eji m ọfọ na ogu—I have ọfọ (justice) and ogu (innocence).” Ogu is more of a concept than of a physical object. Together as One: Interfaith Relationships Between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. 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. “This also shows that Christianity believes in intermediaries but what and who serves as the intermediary is the problem,” says Chief Raphael Ojike (oral interview, 2016). They contend that their own way of marriage is the ideal as revealed by God. are a truly religious people of whom it can be said as it has been said about the Hindus that they eat religiously, dress religiously, sin religiously . This is the question often asked by some traditionalists. This supreme being is viewed in different forms and dwelling places, yet he is the almighty. Every Igbo man has his own personal image or figure of Chi and the Ikenga (Isichei, 1976), and everyone reveres the ancestral spirits (referred to as Ndị nna anyị [“Our fathers”]). He observed that African religion has many common features with the Christian and Jewish traditions, which contributed to the rapid expansion of Christianity. This product could help you, Accessing resources off campus can be a challenge. by Aloysius M. Lugira Series Editors: Joanne O’Brien and Martin Palmer WORLD RELIGIONS AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION THIRD EDITION. The health condition of the natives before the arrival of the missionaries was so deplorable. This explains why nsọ ala (abomination against Ala) is dreaded because it has severe repercussions. Christians refused to partake in annual festivals of the ancestors, which have ceremonial rituals. The interview schedule specifically targeted people with rich knowledge of the issue under investigation. When the diviner pronounces the clan or lineage and the girl is found, all the preliminaries are finished and the bride price is paid, the girl is ready to go and settle in her new husband’s home (there may be little modification depending on the area in question). Data for this study were collected using both primary and secondary sources. Hastings (1911) has defined worship as comprising all modes of giving expression to the various feelings toward the divine power, feelings of awe, reverence, obligation, depreciation, gratitude, hope, and others. The supreme being in most African Traditional Religions is seen as the creator of humans and all other living things. II) PDF, remember to follow the button beneath and download the ebook or get access to additional information which are have conjunction with TOGETHER Create a link to share a read only version of this article with your colleagues and friends. So, according to Nze Ugwoshie Madu (oral interview, 2015), in situations where a diviner or dibịa (native doctor) was consulted for solutions to family problem to appease the gods, Christian converts in the family insisted that prayer through their priests would be the solution. 80th inaugural lecture, University of Nigeria, Department of Linguistics, Igbo and Other Nigerian Languages, University of Nigeria, The environmental, peace and conflict in Nigeria, 84th inaugural lecture, University of Nigeria, Paper presented at the 21st annual conference of the Nigeria association for the study of religion (NASR), held at the University of Nigeria. Arinze (1974), in the same vein sees this concept of Chi as a genius or spiritual double. For more information view the SAGE Journals Article Sharing page. He is often distant from humans because of some bad actions of humans. African Traditional Religion believers have no doubt that their religion is the correct one because their children are initiated into this religion as soon as they are conceived. In most parts of Igbo land, ogu is closely connected with ọfọ. When Christianity came, the missionaries condemned human sacrifice and outcast system. After the naming ceremony, there is Ịgba afa agụ (as it is called by the Obosi, Abattete, Umuoji, and Nkpor people of Idemili-North LGA of Anambra state). Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity was constantly opposed by the religious leaders of the Jews. Sign in here to access free tools such as favourites and alerts, or to access personal subscriptions, If you have access to journal content via a university, library or employer, sign in here, Research off-campus without worrying about access issues. The Christians should take it as their duty to teach and explain to the traditionalists the objective definition of religion. This assertion of the Igbo proverb is also emphasized by Madam Nwaku Anwaegbu (oral interview, 2013; see the appendix for the list of interviewees and the dates interviewed), who says that Chi is a force in Igbo social behavior, which is characterized by an attitude of man; every being is the architect of his own fortune. The number of wives often determines the number of children. Also, in some parts of Igbo land, some towns such as Ngor-Okpala in Imo state, Umuahia in Abia State, and many towns in Anambra State, when someone’s wife dies, her corpse must be carried to her father’s people before the first burial or a symbol of such corpse at the second burial ceremony will be carried to the husband’s family. The early missionaries highly frowned at the practice. Members of Alor-Uno community socially and politically marginalized their brothers in the name of osu caste system. So, with the advent of Christianity in 1857, the traditional religion had a serious rival. At first, the problem which Christianity presented to the traditional religion was not regarded as a serious matter by the people because conversion to Christianity at the initial stage was not an easy task because Christianity was a new religion and something brought to Igbo nation by European missionaries: Rev. Also in some parts of Igbo land such as Njaba LGA of Imo state, Udi and Nsukka areas of Enugu state, Awka, Nkpor, Ogidi, Aguleri, an so forth, all in Anambra state, the early Christian converts not only went out regularly to convert their heathen neighbors to Christianity but also showed their contempt for the traditional taboos: for example, eating the forbidden fish from certain streams in the towns. African Traditional Religion, … In most cases, the individual would suspect that someone had used evil magic, sorcery, or witchcraft against him or his household, animals, or fields. She is responsible for public morality and offenses against the law are against Ala. In some parts of Igbo nation, there are certain animals regarded under the traditional religion as sacred and are, therefore, not hunted or killed for food. Nwozuzu (2008) groups the Igbo dialect into eight major dialect groups: Igbo religion is traditional according to Mbiti (1970), in the sense that it is rooted in their culture. But in Christianity, according to the book of Galatians, everything created by God is pure and clean. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. Christianity preaches that there is only one God, the creator of everything and that no worship could be given to any other false god. Again African Traditional is a little different because it is a natural religion. The traditionalists believe that the number of wives a man has shows his opulence. Conflict arises in the worship of ancestors. Some society journals require you to create a personal profile, then activate your society account, You are adding the following journals to your email alerts, Did you struggle to get access to this article? After the advent of Christianity in Igbo nation, there was no town-wide conflict between traditional religion and Christianity. In the same vein, Oreh (2014) identifies the principal dehumanizing widowhood rites and practices to include the following: drinking water used in washing husband’s corpse, crawling over husband’s corpse, long mourning and restriction period, loss of right of inheritance (if she has no male child), sitting on bare floor during the period of mourning, a widow not having bath until eight market days (28 days), and so forth. The historical incident peculiar to the child’s birth or to the circumstances of the parents. Some factors determine the name given to a child, and this is where conflict arises with the Christian belief. And, the traditional religionists believe that this burial rite helps the spirit of the dead person reach the spirit world, join his ancestors, and enable him or her to reincarnate. Statues, images, and emblems of remarkable artistic work and aesthetic merit were wantonly destroyed by some of the overzealous converts as idols and works of the devil. Sometimes, to avoid conflict, many families now combine the tenets of the two religions. Conflict has been defined variously by different scholars under different ideological, historical, and cultural influences. The missionaries were not prepared to face traditional religion. You can be signed in via any or all of the methods shown below at the same time. There are cases of kinsmen and the Christians struggling for the corpses of Christian relations. If the second burial was not performed, according to Mr. Enem, Ignatius (oral interview, 2015), the proper inheritance of the late father’s property could not be finally settled (the above practice according to him is still in existence in some Igbo communities such as Iwolo, Nenwe and Nkanu in Enugu State, Ohaozaro, and Abiriba in Abia State). Igbo people hold most sacred, the Earth (Ala) on which they tread and from which they draw means of sustenance and vital resources such as food, crops, water, and so forth. Religion in Igbo traditional society partakes fully of all the features of world traditional religion, including its beliefs, sacred myths, oral qualities, strong appeal to the hearts of adherents, high degree of ritualization, and possession of numerous participatory personages such as officiating elders, kings, priests, and diviners. While both Christianity and African religion have a concept of a Supreme Being, Christians believe in a God who exists in three persons. Ugwu (2014) says that the Igbo who belong of course to the West African subregion. . Ala is so sacred that anyone who commits an abomination against it does not hope to survive. In the ancient Roman Empire, this also happened between Christianity and pagan religion of the Romans. This is called the Trinity. Conflicts Between African Traditional Religion and Christianity in Eastern Nigeria: The Igbo Example, http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/, https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage, http://www.culturalnormsofIgbos.religion.acare, http://www.culturalnormsofIgbos.religion.ac, Mamah, Ujumadu, Okoli, Nkwopara, and Okutu (2016), http://www.culturalnormsofIgbos.religion.achtml, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/osu-caste-system-dead-myth-reality/, Title, Rituals, and Land Use: The Heritage of a Nigerian Society, Community Heritage Resources and Crisis Management in Rural Nigeria, Gender Victimization: A Study of Widowhood Practices Among Ogu People of Lagos. Whereas the traditional religionists hate and fear these forces, Christians do not believe that sorcerers, witches, and charms have any effect on people or their property. Sometimes, according to Mr. Iweobi, Sunday (oral interview, 2013), it might be that the deceased was maltreated, and his in-laws would not let go. Parrinder (1975) avers that ọfọ performs three functions in Igbo land, that is, social, political, and religious but the political and religious functions are most important in that no serious rite or ceremony is performed without making use of ọfọ. Linguistically, they belong to the new Benue–Congo of the Niger–Congo Language family. These deities, they believe, protect them, control their behavior and worldview. Other material wealth such as gold, money, and many other ornaments were buried with dead bodies. The personal god, chi, is what they call the guardian deity deputizing for Chukwu. Chief Obiora, Stephen (oral interview, 2013) notes that the possession of Ikenga comes at a time when the individual has obtained a measure of independence from his father and is able to build his own family. He holds a PhD in religion and society, plus 19 years of teaching experience as a lecturer in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. When two different religious systems exist in one community, the tendencies of conflicts of socioreligious, ideological, physical, and even political characters will arise between them. In the Igbo language, there are so many dialects, which are mutually intelligible. One must then assert that the relationship between Christianity and the Igbo/African cultures should not be seen as one of “either - or” but one of “both - and”, at least to a greater degree than it is now. : (Interfaith Series, Vol. In spite of the fact that the Igbo believe that the individual is the maker of his own fortune, they also believe in predestination, for they also agree that one’s Chi refers to one’s luck, which is associated with his destiny. Conflicts Between African Traditional Religion and Christianity in Eastern Nigeria: The Igbo Example Chukwuma O. Okeke1, Christopher N. Ibenwa1, and Gloria Tochukwu Okeke1 Abstract Conflict is a universal phenomenon that is inevitable in human interaction. Together as One: Interfaith Relationships Between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. To read Together as One: Interfaith Relationships Between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in social life6. In opposition, Christians do not accept the traditional beliefs of naming ceremonies. In a later post I will discuss some of the differences or contrast between African Traditional Religion and … Traditional music and song, drama, and dance were totally denounced as bad and immoral. He is looked upon as the fountain of justice. This is done in most Igbo communities to certify that the dead wife has been brought to her own people. Ikenga is usually owned by every adult male who has attained manhood. They would insist on the completion of such traditional marriage rites as a sort of punishment to the husband, which ordinarily they would have overlooked. The primary sources include oral interviews that were collected through face-to-face interaction with the interviewees, which were aimed at eliciting firsthand information on their knowledge of the subject matter. Login failed. And, one of the major reasons of having many children according to Mr. Enem Ignatius (oral interview, 2015) is to have enough labor for farming, which is their major occupation. Other material wealth such as Chi and the Christians struggling for the corpses Christian... The Holy Spirit working together as one: Interfaith Relationships between African religion... Manager of your choice of children you, Accessing resources off campus can written... Aloysius M. 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