RESEARCH BACK UP

1.0 INTRODUCTION In the previous units you have studied the general introduction to religion and a general introduction to African Traditional Religion. In this unit, you will now study the trends about the study of African Traditional Religion. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit you should be able to: discuss the trends in the study of African Traditional Religion  list some of the scholars that have been involved in the study of the religion evaluate the current trend in the study of African Traditional Religion.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Early European Christian Missionaries Early European Christian missionaries as well as colonial soldiers and administrators who worked in Africa are credited with having made the first real effort to study African Traditional Religion and culture. They were motivated largely by curiosity, personal interest and by the practical objective of gaining some knowledge about Africans in order to work and communicate with the host groups. Christian...

1.0 INTRODUCTION If you will remember that when we are talking and reading about rites of passage, we intentionally left out funeral rites because of the special attention we intend to attach to it. In this last unit, you will now study every issue related to death in African traditions and its implication to its religion. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit you should be able to: discuss the African concept of death  discuss the rites associated with funerals in African life  discuss the implications of the funeral rites  discuss the African concept of life after death  discuss the importance of ancestral cults among Africans.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Death Death is seen in Africa as the inevitable end of all human beings. It is also considered as the most disrupting phenomenon of all. Death to the Africans stands between the world of the living (human beings) and the world of the spirits or between the visible and the invisible world. The African con...

1.0 INTRODUCTION The different stages of life that human beings have to pass through in life are usually referred to as the passages of life. They involved the crossing from one stage of life to the other. Religiously among Africans, these are the stages when people are metaphysically and sociologically made into new beings. For example, the new human beings are given new roles in the society. As a result of the importance attached to these stages, the Africans attached them to religious cycles and attached important rituals to them. These rituals are the ones called the rites of passage. There are four major rites of passage among Africans and these are: the birth right, puberty or adolescence rite, marriage or procreation rite and death or funeral rite. Of all the rites of passage it is only the first three that the human being concerned participates in. No one is able to participate in his or her own death rites. The importance attached to the death and funeral rites demand that it ...

1.0 INTRODUCTION The issues of the elements that are common to African Traditional Religion are without agreement. In his survey of the various positions that have been posited by foreign authors, Idowu made an analysis of Talbot, Parrinder and Rattray. Talbot advanced four main elements: polytheism, anthropomorphism, animism and ancestor worship. In Parriender' s fourfold classification you have belief in a supreme God; the chief divinities; the divinized ancestors and the charms and the amulets. While Talbot's classifications smirks of racism that of Parrinder is close to the truth. The same goes with Rattray. We will proceed to study these structures accordingly. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able: to identify the structure of African Traditional Religion  explain and discuss the main elements in the structure of African Traditional Religion  discuss why African Traditional Religion may not be classified as polytheism.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Belief...

1.0 INTRODUCTION As we have said earlier, the African society has no demarcation between the sacred and the secular. It is as a result of this that we have to study about the secret societies in the African community because they play both religious and secular roles. In fact, most scholars agree that many of these secret societies are of religious inspiration. Some of them also have roles to play during socio-religious festivals such as the puberty initiation rites. In this unit, you will study about some of the secret societies in Africa. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit you should be able to: define secret societies  discuss any of the secret societies that will be studied in this unit  discuss the roles of the secret societies in the African society  discuss symbolism in the Ogboni society.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Secret Societies in Africa The inability of the open relationship between people to fully give confidence in every endeavour actually is the origin...

1.0 INTRODUCTION The need to understand religion in the context of African belief system and culture cannot be under-stressed. Man from its origin is born to worship God in the way his conscience and ability directs him to do. The study of religion is aimed at understanding the similarities and differences in religion, the truth in religion and its relevance to the human society. Africa with its diverse culture has religion as a factor that helps people to live in harmony and work towards corporate development of the environment and the people. Therefore an understanding of African Traditional Religion will create room for a clear understanding of the African people contextually within the framework of their belief system. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you should be able to: define religion from different perspective explain the different types of religion  explain the need for the study of religion  explain the significance of religion in society  further expla...