The evangelistic mandate of Christianity and the very nature of Jehovah God encompasses all ethnic groups on the planet. And the tendency of Africans to use colonial languages as a medium of communication with God makes me wonder if indeed they will be praying to their rightful God. I don’t blame them because they will be visualising a white God who created them in his own white image. So that’s the first big difference between the African world-view and world-views that we are familiar … Often they blend together either Christianity or Islam with their traditional beliefs, creating a hybrid religion that is distinctly African. … Christians base their entire faith on the existence of life beyond the physical. In the African context, the wall doesn’t exist. Existence is lived in wholeness of those two realities. Hence, it cannot be avoided in the interaction between Christianity and African Traditional Religion. Religion is closely bound up with the traditional way of African life; therefore, religion has shaped the lives of Africans, at the same time life has shaped religion as well. Difference between Religion and Christianity. I am yet to see mupositori akapfeka a black gown. Some years ago l attempted to compare African Traditional Religion, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and it can be a good food . While in Zimbabwe in May this year, I engaged in a discussion about the effects of Christianity and colonialism on the country, only to be told by a close friend that Christianity and colonisation were God’s way of linking Africa (technology) with the rest of the world because without it, my friend reasoned, Africans would be hiding in caves each time aeroplanes (from Europe) passed over us as they would not understand what would be happening. The Bible was used as a tool to pacify Africans and to make them docile. The Christian message calls people out of earthly kingdoms into the Kingdom of God. African traditional religion was in line with the taboos while in Christianity worship is in line with the ten commandments. it also include a new ethical reference point, Christ’s own love ethics as his new commandment. Instead of God keeping his distance from man, He, throughout history and today reaches down in love to draw humans toward him. For this reason I believe that if Zimbabwe had been colonised by the Chinese or Indians, we would probably be practising Buddhism, Sikh, or Hindu etc, and not Christianity. The paper bore that title, but when later the speech found its way into the International Christian Digest, it bore the title "Ways to Confront Africa's Primal Religions." The nature of the two classes of religions are very different from each other. The Christian message calls people out of earthly kingdoms into the Kingdom of God. As the crew read the Bible and prayed, in the ship’s deck, thousands of black people were chained to each other, starved and beaten while women and young girls were raped. The Christian message calls people out of earthly kingdoms into the Kingdom of God. Existence is lived in wholeness of those two realities. The growth in interest for this is also because many are hungry to pursue spirituality beyond the confines of traditional religion (which in the West happens to be Christianity) in search for something diverse, mysterious, cultural, expressive, and foreign. In African Traditional Religion when a spirit possesses a person there are negative consequences. It is not brought from outside. While Christianity (Catholic) in Zimbabwe was first introduced by the Portuguese, in particular Goncalo da Silveira in the 16th century to the Munhumutapa Empire, it was short-lived and Goncalo da Silveira was later strangled to death in … The original religions of Africa “are not static”; according to Mayo, “contacts with Christian and Islamic traditions have brought about transformations and syncretism of all three” a perfect example of … African Traditional Religion has grown out of the African soil. First you must understand that Africa is a continent with with most diverse group of people in the World. Text is available under the Creative … Judaism is true revelation, but, with incomplete revelation. In African Traditional Religion one can be possessed in order to gain some privileged knowledge. It is best distinguished as ATR. “In the name of Jesus and my living God of Abraham, I pray for the day you will come beg me woooooo to pray for you…!” In 1976 I was baptised in the Methodist Church (John Wesley) so that I would get a place to commence primary school education at a Methodist run school in then Sabi North Tribal Trust Land (TTL). Today, it has more than 1.7 billion followers, making it the second largest religious belief after Christianity. Seeing encounters between Christianity and African traditional religions as valuable, rather than hostile, is a complicated process, but Mbiti in the book says it is taking place. This attempt to destroy African religion … practices long cherished by the African for example the killing of the enemy, an eye for an eye, immorality, idol worship, etc. They believe that black people are the descendants of Ham (Canaan’s father), who, after seeing his father (Noah) naked, did nothing to cover him. 10 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Therefore, Christianity is not a religion. The second major difference between Christianity and traditional Greek religion is the conduct of the gods. Since Christianity came in contact with the traditional religion, there has always been a sharp conflict between traditionalists and Christians. However, after living in the UK (and experiencing racism), I realised how colonialism had affected my mentality, and to emancipate myself from mental slavery, I picked up my African name from the dustbin, dusted it and embraced it again. Christ Jesus, God's own son, takes the "groaning" of humans to God. Seeing encounters between Christianity and African traditional religions as valuable, rather than hostile, is a complicated process, but Mbiti in the book says it is taking place. Christianity in Africa and in most parts of Africa (even in India) was a precursor of colonisation. The London Missionary Society, through Robert and Mary Moffat and their son-in-law David Livingstone were successful in bringing protestant faith to Zimbabwe, which was immediately followed by colonisation. The missionary version of Christianity accepted by Africans can be described as hypocritical In both religions the personalities in the seen and unseen realms interact with each other. In 1986 I was invited to speak at an American college on "The Role of African Traditional Religion in the Development of Christian Theology." The Biblical teaching of a single judgment and then everlasting rest or punishment of the soul. Points of Contrast between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. There are many forms of spirits that can live in people in various African Traditional Religions. Christ is the Mediator between Humans and God Many forms of African Traditional Religion teach that after death, humans can be born back into the realm of the living. In addition most churches, if not all, have a tendency to hang portraits of a white Jesus Christ (blue eyed and straight nose) and a white Mary (his mother). The original religions of Africa “are not static”; according to Mayo, “contacts with Christian and Islamic traditions have brought about transformations and syncretism of all three” a perfect example of the triple heritage of Africa[5]. “Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave. While Mormons and Christians believe in many of the same things, and both require great faith to keep those beliefs, there are differences between what I believe is Mormonism and other Christians. The evangelistic mandate of Christianity and the very nature of Jehovah God encompasses all ethnic groups on the planet. He was tempted in all the ways men were so is a sympathetic mediator. African Traditional Religions are specific to each ethnic group on the continent. African Traditional Religions are specific to each ethnic group on the continent. Noah then cursed Ham, saying: “Cursed be Canaan; A slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers. BY: ONWUEGBUCHULAM, SUNDAY PAUL CHINAZO Name: Mr Onwuegbuchulam, Sunday Paul Chinazo Email: sageugoh@gmail.com ABSTRACT Modern African Christians are often faced with a dilemma as regards how to respond to the issue of conflict between Christianity and Traditional African Cultures. Christianity Vs. Igbo Religion Christianity No Written Works Polytheistic Worship idols (objects) Imperfections are Evil Spirits Igbo Written Works Monotheistic God is Head of church There is no Fear through God Citations • Achebe, Chinua. African traditional religion and Christianity in a changing world: issues in comparative religion by Joseph S. Gbenda, 1997; African Traditional Religion in South Africa: An Annotated Bibliography by David Chidester This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 03:55 (UTC). The paper bore that title, but when later the speech found its way into the International Christian Digest, it bore the title "Ways to Confront Africa's Primal Religions." …religious practices and customs were referred to as superstations.”4 For Biko this is the real wrong colonialism did to African traditional religion and the sad reality is that the people who helped to impart the Christian religion “steadfastly refuse to get rid of … African Traditional Religions are specific to each ethnic group on the continent. The nature of the two classes of religions are very different from each other. Christianity was, and is used to oppress and exploit black people by those who base African enslavements on Genesis Chapter 9: 20-27. Islam and Baha'i are wrong, because they follow men who claim to have been greater than the Christ. None of them hold that the spirit of the Creator God indwells humans. Different fathers played a role in the development of this religion. 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