There are two major differences between the God of the Bible and the African concepts of God, which I will discuss. Consequently, the family model has very enriching theocentric, trinitarian, christological, sacramental, ecclesiogenetic, pastoral, and communitarian imcations to the life and mission of the Church in Africa during the third millennium. (vii) God is All-understanding and knows everything. This personhood is not seen to be manifested physically, but to exist spiritually. Africa Christian press. Cape Town, South Africa: Potchefstroom University. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers. The critical understanding of God in Zinza tribe: Perception of Waha on God, Mode of worship, Position of women in worship, Weakness of their worship and Criticisms on worship. The encounter of Christian faith and African religion. God is seldom charged with wrong doing in Africa”. Instead, they address lesser gods, many of whom have distinct functions. The invisible world is the residing place of God, the ancestors and all the spirits and powers. In African Traditional Religion creator God is distant from man. The difference between the Western and African idea of God may be understood as a difference of names due to languages. God created the tortoise (turtle), men and stones. God was the creator of the universe. Is their continuity or discontinuity greater, or more significant? 2001. The biblical God says that sin is against him personally (Psalm 51:4), and causes him great offense (Hosea 9:15). 1985. Also that he continues to speak to all the tribes of Africa who have not heard the Gospel can also not be denied. Moreover, he is good, eternal and omnipresent. Tozer (1994:11) famously suggests that “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”. So the question needs to be posed, “Are there any differences between the God of the Bible and the gods of Africa? The tortoise, however, wished to have children, and went to God. "African Religions and Philosophy" is a systematic study of the attitudes of mind and belief that have evolved in the many societies of Africa. OLUPONA: If we lose traditional African religions, we would also lose or continue to seriously undermine the African practice of rites of passage such as the much cherished age-grade initiations, which have for so long integrated and bought Africans together under a common understanding, or worldview. The Seven African Powers of Creation The Philosophy of Physics, Astronomy & Khemistry unuwubu~ ~, low, So n ~ The Law of Creation ~As above, so it is below~ They say the purpose of creation is for God to increase. I have opted to include fewer differences not because there are not many, but because more explanation is required. I care about Jesus, people, my country and what being a Christian means in relation to each of these. In chapter 4, Mbiti’s understanding of God is scrutinized in relation to his methodology, the African concept of time, his understanding of revelation and of salvation. If we had an infinite and completely comprehensive understanding of God, we, too, would be God, having omniscience. We can help. As Christians we must believe that if Africa is to have any hope in God her God must be the God of the Bible. Secondly, the God of the Bible is holy and just. Moreover, the Supreme Being sustains this world; that in the sense that he keeps everything which he made in existence at every given moment, and in the sense that he is seen to be the one who provides and protects this world³ (Mbiti, 1991: 49, 52). Like Greek, Middle Eastern, and Indian mythologies, the West African mythology offers a sophisticated understanding of creation and humanity. “So for our understanding of God, it is more the mystery, the greatness of God,” said the theologian of St Augustine College in Johannesburg, the country’s only Catholic university. The fundamental problem with constructing an African religious cosmology is to understand how the one god and the many gods or lesser deities can co-exist in the African context. Write my Essay | I need help with my School Assignment, A photo posted by Writemyclassessay (@writemyclassessay). Most practitioners of African Traditional Religion have an understanding of a creator God, but this normally refined and broaden when one becomes a Christian. This chapter concludes that it is not possible to presume a homogenous or one unified concept of God in Africa. It was expressed by wearing various charms and believing in their power and through proverbs, folktales and myths. Christian South Africans thinking in the open about culture, ethics, literature, Scripture and God in our context. I ordered two works on Economics and I scored an A and B. When do you want our writer to submit your order? God is experienced as an all-pervading reality. 1975. How, then, are we to think about the Supreme Being as Christians? 1950. 'The Afri-can attitude to God is perhaps understood least' (Sawyer, 1970, p. ix). Secondly, Africans have distorted their knowledge of God. Return to essay, ⁶ It is worth quoting Nyirongo (1997: 16) on this point at length: “That God revealed Himself to the pre-Christian African generations cannot be denied. This is what one finds when you walk into Africa, and this is what the anthropologists discovered early on, and the missionaries. The Supreme Being is likewise good (Mbiti, 1991: 55). The snares of African traditional religion in perspective. Using Readings 5 , 6 and 7 summarize the African understanding of God and his/her characteristics, as well as the set of moral and spiritual values used by Africans to define a genuine human being and a genuine man/woman of God Taking elements from the known African intellectual framework, this book argues that for African Christians, the respective pre-Christian African understanding of God and the Ntu-metaphysics, in particular, function as conceptual gates for an attempt towards articulating the Trinity for African Christian audiences. Key words: Myths, communalistic, african philosophy, earth and God. The South African reimaging of God revolved around ridding themselves of the patriarchal model that supports the hierarchy, domination, and sexism of their experience under apartheid. MBITI, J. Byang Kato (1985: 32) states this point with great clarity when he says, “Whatever rationalization we may try to make, the worship of gods in Africa is idolatry”⁶. centre (Introduction to African Religions, 41, 42). I have to say that you have exceeded my expectations. African religion centres on belief and practices. African Journal of Evangelical Theology, 21(2): 109-126. Answers (i) God is a Spirit. The African Traditional Religion is now seen as a possible model for interpreting some of the very difficult issues in Christology. Its beliefs cannot be separated from a person’s external factors. The Yoruba of Olorun and the Mozambique legend of Nyambi both illustrate which typical African understanding of the High God? Instead of positively responding to it in faith, he resorted to idols”. By this I am not suggesting that God has not revealed himself through what is commonly referred to as ‘general revelation’⁴. Firstly, the God of the Bible is different to the African gods in that he is knowable and relational. Since the beginning of time the biblical God has revealed himself through communicating verbally with human beings; in fact, he has done so finally through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-4). These five basic beliefs that make up the African traditional religion are corroborated by the work of Vincent Okungu, who argued that a slight difference might be observed in these component elements with different people groups in Africa to demonstrate the peoples’ understanding of God in their locality. What are the attributes of God according to the African traditional understanding? GEHMAN, R.J. African traditional religion in biblical perspective. I am suggesting, however, that verbal communication and personal relationship with the Supreme Being are not a reality for the African. That is the law of creation. Enter your email to calculate the total cost. The most significant similarity between the African God and the Biblical God is the fundamental belief in a deity. In spite of thephilosophical inquiries or analyses undertaken by individualmoralphilosophers regarding morality … 2nd ed. Describe the African concept of his/her religion b. These similarities are seen in the belief in the existence of a personal and spiritual deity who is the almighty creator, and the all-knowing, protecting provider. “God saw what he had made, and saw that it was good” (Gn 1:31). The African understanding of morality is based on a cosmological understanding. Whoever does the good—even if he does not yet recognize God explicitly—is a mediator of the goodness of God. Indeed, we must affirm that the Bible is correct when it asserts that God’s divinity and power have been plain since the creation of the world (Romans 1:19-20). http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1746, « Worth Hearing: Showbread - Matthias Replaces Judas. The S… Part 1. Human understanding of God is further limited by the finite faculties that man has been created with. In so doing make a list of 5 to 10 quotations you found interesting in these readings and explain why you found them interesting. The universe has a specific order of created beings, with God the creator occupying the highest rank. Explain the attributes of God according to the African traditional understanding. In many respects he is a pioueer, one of the first to attempt to systematize and analyze, from an insider's perspective, the African understanding of the world in which we live and bow that understanding affects the Africans' view of Christianity. Although Christian orthodoxy defines the doctrine of the Trinity, the intellectual tools used to capture it significantly vary. Thus, the God of the Bible is different to the Supreme Being of Africa in that he is knowable and relational. O’DONOVAN, W. 1995. This is the meaning of the doctrine of the Trinity in Christian thought. He has no physical form and is invisible. So I read on and on, and conducted field research to learn more and more. African theologian alive today. Furthermore, due to the nature of the evidence, its scope must be universal; and so we cannot exclude Africans from this knowledge. Explain the attributes of God according to the African traditional understanding. At a pilgrimage prayer service dedicated to the “God Beyond all Names”, Dr Nontando Hadebe reflected that in most African languages there are no pronouns. Return to essay, ⁷ It is worth bearing this in mind when examining Mbiti’s (1980) statement, “When we identify the God of the Bible as the same God who is known through African religion ... we must also take it that God has had a historical relationship with African peoples. Africans believed in existence of a supreme being who lived in mountains, clouds and the sky. Hands down the best site so far. For example, farming activities involved God, spirits and ancestors. & SPENCER, W.D. The problem with the African concepts of God is that they go no further than speculation. By this label serious damage was done to the gospel in Africa. native-born African is unaware of God’s existence (O’Donovan 1996:41). African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of Africa.It should be noted that any attempt to generalize about the nature of “African religions” risks wrongly implying that there is homogeneity among all African cultures.In fact, Africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. In the African traditional religions, ancestors were never considered demonic or as part of evil spirits (2007;383). This is why African theology beleives both that God is spirit and that God's presence can be felt and experienced physically. critical understanding of African worldview, the place of African philosophy and the significance of myths in the reflection of African experience. Key words: Myths, communalistic, african philosophy, earth and God. I believe this assertion to be correct and so the question, “How do African concepts of God relate to the God of the Bible?” is most worthy of our consideration. It seems that we need to heed Turaki’s (1999: 149-150) warning to not violate Africa’s holistic view of the world by interpreting the Supreme Being’s transcendence in absolute terms. The global God: multicultural evangelical views of God. Theological pitfalls in Africa. Complimenting this power, the Supreme Being is seen to have complete knowledge (Mbiti, 1991: 56), to be present everywhere (O’Donovan, 1995: 41), and to be eternal (Nyirongo, 1997: 11). In so doing explain the notion of the Egyptian problem and the “Greek miracle.”, Finally explain the most important thing you learned from this assignment and how it helped you achieve the educational goals of our course. God has not left himself without a witness in Africa; no, he has clearly spoken through what has been made. Definitely a huge help for me, I appreciate everything and everyone there. (v) God is a provider, giver of life and provider of His creation. God is the Supreme entity to the adherents of the traditional religions of Africa and is considered to be the origin of everything in this universe. Either way, however, the world as we see it today is a direct result of the activities of the Supreme Being and so it is legitimate to say that he created this world. What are the attributes of God according to the African traditional understanding? This Supreme Being, God, is believed to be the Creator of everything and Sustainer of life. Of each he created male and female. Seemingly, the theological view of God who sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to save us, needs to be further developed in the African understanding of God (Supreme Being) (cf. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. However, the origin of God is generally a mystery; different myths exist in different African cultures trying to explain God’s origin. I recommend this source. For Blacks, a God who does not care does not count, and they believe that the sovereign God continues to intervene in history in very concrete ways on their behalf. In African Traditional Religion creator God is distant from man. Rather, it seems that there is less of a chasm between God and the other spirit beings, and that the category used to understand the remoteness of the Supreme Being is not transcendence but differing communal responsibilities (Turaki, 1999: 156). Most practitioners of African Traditional Religion have an understanding of a creator God, but this normally refined and broaden when one becomes a Christian. By this Africans understand that God is not only kind, but that he does not do wrong. Write my Class essay delivers high quality work and I am happy to be a repeat customer. Neith, goddess sometimes associated with wisdom; Thoth, originally a moon deity, later became the god of knowledge and wisdom and the scribe of the gods; Sia, the deification of wisdom; Isis, goddess of wisdom, magic and kingship.She was said to be "more clever than a million gods". O’Donovan (1995: 41) goes as far as suggesting that “there is probably no native-born African who is not aware of the existence of God”. The difference between the Western and African idea of God may be understood as a difference of names due to languages. Our knowledge of God cannot be exhaustive, for the finite is attempting to understand the Infinite who has revealed Himself. Is the African concept of God an effective praeparateo evangelica for African Christianity? He has no physical form and is invisible. Oneness of God joined its moral vision with the traditional activities, which have opened the way to the triumph of the African traditional religious followers in their expectations of life and spiritual satisfactions. Return to essay, ² There is some argument about whether the Supreme Being created ex nihilo or merely organised some type of existing matter. African mythology permeates Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Ghana, Gambia, and it has been transported through slavery to Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad, Guyana, Haiti and other South American and Caribbean countries. Introduction to African religion. African peoples do not consider God to be a man, but in order to express certain concepts, they employ languages and images about God as an aid to their conceptualization of him whom they have not seen and about whom they confess to know little or nothing. God gave life to the tortoises and men, but not to the stones. 1994. African theology: its history, dynamics, scope and future. (ii) God is everlasting / eternal. African turn to God when in trouble and seeking peace, happiness, and security. In light of the above it seems that we should affirm the similarities between the biblical God and the African God. The Doctrine of God in African Christian Thought. This belief, just as in the case of the previous one, has a theological basis – the plurality of divinities ( polytheism ). Using Readings 5 , 6 and 7 summarize the African understanding of God and his/her characteristics, as well as the set of moral and spiritual values used by Africans to define a genuine human being and a genuine man/woman of God, Part 2. vehicle for Christian missionary work and the authority for Christological understanding and interpretation, Africa has become a very fascinating region due to its growing Christian populations. Thus, at the point where revelation from the deity becomes re-creation into a new deity, it becomes impossible to see the biblical God as a continuity of the African God⁷ (Turaki, 1999: 160). NYIRONGO, L. 1997. (x) God is Spirit and is invisible. God’s omnipotence is particularly recognized in the powers of nature. My findings were used in teaching, but eventually I put them together in a book, Concepts of God in Africa, published by the British publisher SPCK (1970). If so, what are they?”. Indeed, they can go no further because, although humans can pray to the Supreme Being in certain situations (O’Donovan, 1995: 42), he never interacts with, or personally reveals himself to, the people of Africa (Turaki, 1999: 160). In addition to the belief in deity, the Supreme Being of Africa largely overlaps conceptually with the identity and work of the biblical God. Even thoughmorality is the subject matter of ethics, it is most often usedinterchangeably with ‘ethics’. Noen could have children, and when they became old they did not die but became young again! The number of gods and goddesses varies from culture to culture. Thank you! Thus, in this essay, the only plausible approach is to consider the views which hold a majority. Notice that his argument is built on a fundamental continuity between the biblical God and the African God, and thus it is basically flawed. INTRODUCTION Philosophy as a discipline is the reflection of mankind on the ideas and institutions guiding their existence. We handle assignments in a multiplicity of subject areas including Admission Essays, General Essays, Case Studies, Coursework, Dissertations, Editing, Research Papers, and Research proposals, A photo posted by Writemyclassessay (@writemyclassessay) on Oct 13, 2016 at 11:26pm PDT, We handle papers in a multiplicity of subject areas including Admission Essays, General Essays, Case Studies, Coursework, Dissertations, Editing, Research Papers, and Research proposals. Will definitely come back again.nCheers!!! Here is a 20% discount for our Academic Research Writing service. Answers (i) God is a Spirit. Return to essay. Return to essay, ⁵ It is worth noting that most conceive sin to be originally against the Supreme Being, and that is what plunged the world into its current state (Nyirongo, 1997: 61). Yet, these are surface cracks which reveal to us the much greater underlying problem of idolatry. LESSON ONE: AFRICAN CONCEPT OF GOD, SPIRITS AND ANCESTORS Learning outcomes. The Yoruba people of Nigeria, for example, worship a storm god, Shango, who controls thunder and lightning. KATO, B. African ideas of God: a symposium. ... God in Africa, Cape Cod, MA: Claude Stark. Examples of where this difference is manifested are, amongst others, holiness, justice, knowledge and relationship. He does not interfere with man who is the … O’Donovan (1995: 41) goes as far as suggesting that “there is probably no native-born African who is not aware of the existence of God”. SMITH, E.W. During various rituals, such as naming, marriage, burial rites that were performed in sacred places, people gained religious understanding of life in traditional Africa. Traditional African belief is … I have opted to not include the concept of transcendence under similarities for I believe it to be an area where African theologians have fundamentally misrepresented African religion, by “‘baptising’ the data in order to project a traditional religion that is compatible with Christianity” (Bowers, 2002: 118). Very outstanding. Obviously you will find tribes subscribing to both sides of this argument. critical understanding of African worldview, the place of African philosophy and the significance of myths in the reflection of African experience. Therefore, we need to be aware of this idolatry and proclaim with great boldness the God of the Bible throughout Africa. The gods of Africa or the God of the Bible? I have never trusted online activities but this is outstanding!!!! In South Africa, God has been experienced as freedom and truth, as comrade and friend in the struggle for freedom. Instead, the two go hand and hand and influence a person’s everyday behavior. Kisumu, Kenya: Evangel Publishing House. From this verse two things are evident. (vi) He is the creator who created the world and everything in it. Enter your name and email below and I'll send it to you. Carlisle, UK : Paternoster Press. These basic beliefs are: 1. 1980. It is clear that there is much in common between the biblical view of God and the African concept of the Supreme Being. Return to essay, ³ However, the dual activities of providing and protecting are not undertaken directly by the Supreme Being. In contemplating this point Gehman (2005: 320) helpfully states, “Whatever tragedy is experienced is blamed on witchcraft or the living-dead. African mythology covers a vast area. In this communication he has told people what he is like and he has offered them the possibility of relationship. Understood as the such, African Christian theology has been In light of the two points above, there do seem to be major differences between the African conception of the Supreme Being and the Christian conception of God. Attempting to distill the religious beliefs of about 1 billion people is no small task; especially when these people are at no point static in their beliefs. The African understanding of immortality is tied to remembrance after death. Pretty good site, excellent writers and staff! Most Africans are in agreement that the traditional Africans do not actively worship this Supreme Being. Yoruba, West Africa god of war and iron Olorun Yoruba, West Africa sky god and supreme deity deity. This entry is intended to make some contribution to the understanding of African ethical thinking. Click continue to fill in your Assignment details and make an order. Biblical Christianity in Africa: a collection of papers and addresses. The entry makes the African moral language its point of departure, for the language of morality gives insight into the moral thinking or ideas of the society. Get the best essays delivered by experienced UK & US essay writers at affordable prices. This is an estimate of how much your order will cost. Oxford, United Kingdom: Heinemann Educational Publishers. These signify a transcendent, almighty and theophaneous God. African spirituality is a way of life. The African continent includes so many countries, regions, languages, tribes, cultures and crossovers that the sheer diversity of prevailing Gods would seem overwhelming if there weren’t a few handy shortcuts. 1991. Seshat, goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing. TURAKI, Y. A.W. We can work on The Impact of Nursing Informatics on Patient Outcomes and Patient Care Efficiencies, We can work on Managerial economics – week 3 assignment – Assignment Help, We can work on A Firm’s Capital Structure, We can work on Teamwork in the Work Place, We can work on University of California Irvine North Korea Nuclear Program Discussion – Assignment Help, Egyptian origin of Monotheism (by Jan Assmann, German Egyptologist). The Supreme Being is furthermore perceived as being the creator of the world. Return to essay, ⁴ In fact, Nyirongo (1997: 16) states, “That God revealed Himself to the pre-Christian African generations cannot be denied. The works of African scholars for the past three decades have established the fact that Africans have a concept of an universal God and the Creator (Idowu, 1962; Mbiti, 1975). The tortoise, however, wished to have children, and went to God. The traditional African religions or traditional beliefs and practices of African people are a set of highly diverse beliefs that includes various ethnic religions. challenge experienced that has helped prepare some way in a professional provider of health care. Quick feedback and perfect papers. Yet God is immanent. {"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"20","openAnimation":"tada","exitAnimation":"bounceOutUp","timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"30","cookieDomain":"writemyclassessay.com","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":true}, Header Button Label: View writing samples. ... Their history has a theological meaning. The Christian faith knows and worships one God, who is revealed in the Son and in the Holy Spirit. God gave life to the tortoises and men, but not to the stones. Atheistic tendencies in Africa are minimal. From these two beliefs it naturally follows that the Supreme Being is seen as almighty; for he has the power to do anything he desires (O’Donovan, 1995: 41). Using readings 1 to 4 explain African contribution to humanity, to world civilization and world spirituality, and specifically to Judaism, Christianity and the Bible. African mythology covers a vast area.
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