African Religion and its Influence on Christianity and Islam Traditional African religion has been the basis of spirituality for the people of Africa. Thus, the advent of colonial masters led to the introduction of a new religion, Christianity, which is added to the two available religions, African traditional religion already exiting then. West African Christianity: The Religious Impact. Abstract: The inception, evangelization and missionary activities of Christianity and Islam in The central characteristic of African Christianity is that it is experience-based. How Christianity And Islam Blended Into Traditional African Beliefs The three categories The first includes religions that are based on worshiping ancestors, spirits, or gods. I am not saying that converts to Christianity from African traditional beliefs practice polygamy, I am presuming your original purpose is to clarify what is acceptable and workable within Christianity for … They believe different things about life after we die on earth, they believe that different things are and are not God, and they believe different types of people are and are not prophets and priests. In Africa the traditional religions are a major source for the study of the African experience of God. Religion in Africa. For centuries, African Traditional Religion in its myriad of forms was practiced by the majority of Africans, but in the last fifty years Christianity and Islam have become more prominent. Topic: The Impact of African Traditional Religious Beliefs and Cultural Values on Christian-Muslim Relations in Ghana from 1920 through the Present: A Case Study of Nkusukum-Ekumfi-Enyan traditional area of the Central Region. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. The Gnosticism concept of divine in duality within African Christianity was rejected by the Roman government before the Nicaea Council (Gilbert 93). ... most of the rituals and day to day religious practices centre on the ancestors, who are believed to have more impact on daily life. African Traditional Religion in the singular to refer to the whole African religious phenomena, even if we are, in fact, dealing with multiplicity of theologies. The belief in the impersonal (mystical) power is dominant and pervasive in traditional African religious thought. The focus is ... whether African Traditional Religion should be termed monotheistic or polytheistic. The beliefs and practices of the traditional religions in Africa can enrich Christian theology and spirituality." African Religions and Beliefs. The Bible and Christian theology have to address this foundational and dominant influence and impact upon the traditional African life. The coming of colonialism and its concomitant Christianity helps to … African Traditional Religions in Egypt gave birth to one of the first resurrection and trinity stories later seen in Christianity (V. Lewis). Differences between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. E-mail Citation » This text by a notable scholar of both Christianity and Islam concentrates on the religious dimensions of West African Christianity and the roles of both missionaries and Africans in its spread and development. London: Hurst, 1983. The traditional African religion is part of our culture and traditions and there is very little we can do about it. 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