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African Traditional Religion

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Mugambi J. (1990) states that, "religion may be described as a system of belief and practice directed towards the ultimate concern of a society. " In other words, religion is understood as that which explains and expresses the value of society. John S Mbiti (2003 p 2) states that "Africa has a very rich heritage of what past generations of African peoples thought, did, experienced and passed on to their children". In another word the Ancestors passed to their children their believes, their ways of relating to the Supreme Being. One writer affirmed that "descendants are needed to fulfill the ultimate responsibility of maintaining the cult of the ancestors. " The cult of the ancestors is so dear to the African people. It is a heritage that the …show more content…

Africa is a home to numerous religions that come across to the continent. The title African Traditional Religion is given to the religion which are founded and practiced in Africa before the advent of Islam, Christianity and other minor religions which came later on in Africa, Kibicho (1978). He however stressed that the variations in African Traditional religions as it is witnessed from one ethnic group to the other, has made it very appropriate to call these, African Traditional religions, with a plural, to bring out the differences in these various religions, even though they may be minute.
With all this high sense of spirituality among Africans in the early times, it is very unfortunate, inconceivable, and senseless in a way to find out that Europeans had labeled our continent as “Dark” and called its people primitive, savages and uncivilized in the 18th and 19th Centuries. As result of that Africa has lost her own heritages. The culture and religion of the so called Muzungu were imposed to the Africans as whole. K. Stephen (1997,p20) gave an example of Malawi as he said that "In Malawi people have left their old religion, this being a step that was required of them in order for them to receive Christ the …show more content…

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