ipl-logo

Similarities Between African And Native American God

424 Words2 Pages

Belief in a Supreme High God, who created the world and then withdrew from active participation in it, is common in polytheistic religions around the world. Beyond all minor gods, goddesses, spirits and ancestors, there exists one High God, who created and in some sense still governs the universe. Most believe that this God is too distant and has limited contact with daily operation of human life. Native Americans and Africans have similar concepts of the high god. African and Native American religions recognize the presence of one supreme deity as well as the existence of God in multiple aspects.
Both Africans and Native Americans believe that the high god is responsible for bringing the universe or the world into existence and after creating …show more content…

For example, the Yoruba tribe of West Africa is that Olorun (High God) assigned creation to his eldest son, Obatala, who failed to complete the task so he passed it on to his younger son, Odudua, but he failed too. Olorun oversaw creation himself by assigning smaller tasks to various orisha, lesser deities. Olorun then retired to the heavens and has little contact with people, though he may be appealed to at time of great crisis.
Some Native American’s have a different view of the Great Spirit. For example, the Dakota tribes consider the high god Wakan Tanka, a Sioux name. They offer reverence to this spirit, which is displayed when the people honor the four directions, the Sun, Mother Earth, and their fellow man because these are Wakan Tanka's creation (Wakan, n.d.). They also do not attempt to describe this Great Power that created all because they say that no one can describe such a vast mystery (Wakan, n.d.). According to Dakota tribe, Wakan Tanka felt lonely so he created this world.
Thus, it can be concluded that the African and Native American idea of the high god is quite similar with few differences in different tribes. But the main concept of both is similar because both were immensely influenced by Christianity. Christianity, being a monotheist religion, when influenced both these religions it brought in the concept of the high

Show More
Related

David Ruvolo Native American Religion Analysis

1052 Words | 5 Pages

The Sioux were a less developed society of Native Americans than the Iroquois. They didn’t normally establish permanent settlements because their lives revolved around hunting buffalo and following their herds everywhere they went. The Sioux had an interesting perspective of the supernatural world – they believed it was not separate from the physical world and that it was simply too complex of a thing for humans to comprehend. There was not necessarily an all-powerful being, but there was something they referred to as the “animating force,” called Wakan Tanka, which was responsible for the existence of all things, and that all things were not “real,” but instead “manifestations” that appeared real, yet everything had a living, spiritual value, and all things were connected. The Sioux held a strong belief that they and the buffalo shared a special relationship in the grand scheme of things and for this reason, though they hunted them for food, they held a deep respect for the animals.

Read More

Similarities Between Mesopotamia And China

700 Words | 3 Pages

Polytheism is when people religiously believe in more than one god. The two civilizations believed that they had gods for everything, such as gods of sunlight, gods of food, and gods of rain. China believed that their gods were their ancestors, and Mesopotamia believed that their gods were central forces. Adding to their religious beliefs, the two civilizations also believed in an afterlife. China and Mesopotamia both believed that how they lived their current life would affect their future afterlife.

Read More

Summary Of Love Medicine By Louise Erdrich

1165 Words | 5 Pages

There's two types of Gods that can coexist. Erdrich offers a rare and thoughtful view inside the motivations of Native America’s most accomplished writer. She explores the interactions between her culture, tracing themes of separation and loss. This aspect is important as a whole because the special insight she offered into the lives of the Native Americans make the readers better grasp the oral tradition and the customs of their culture as the author is determined to break with

Read More

A Comparison Of The European Views Of Africans And Native Americans

216 Words | 1 Pages

The Europeans also looked down on the Africans and Native Americans religious beliefs. The Africans and Native Americans both believed that objects and nature held sacred

Read More

Comparing Gods In Genesis And Popol Vuh

1114 Words | 5 Pages

Being able to create the world means God has a lot of power. God also just said what he wanted to happened and it happened. “And God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light ” ( Genesis, pg. 65 ) In Popol Vuh they also had an all powerful gods archetype.

Read More

How Did Life Before California

602 Words | 3 Pages

Life before the arrival of the Spanish in California for us Native Americans was free because we lived within nature, our traditions, and beliefs. But, most importantly we lived life how we inspired. And we enjoyed of many things we can no longer enjoy ever again, since the arrival of the Spanish. Our life in California now does not resemble or compare to how we lived before. Before nature and wilderness was full of life like we were once.

Read More

Similarities Between Genesis And The Memphite Myth Of Genesis

1265 Words | 6 Pages

Each culture establishes their own story of creation, as well as their own portrayal of who is “the supreme creator”.

Read More

Explain What Was Religion Like For The Zuni

419 Words | 2 Pages

What was religion like for the Zuni? In religion for the Zuni tribe, they found that everything in it was very sacred. They were very religious and they prayed numerously. They believed in multiple gods like The Sun Father, and the Moon Mother.

Read More

Hel And Hades Similarities

1414 Words | 6 Pages

Citizens of both cultures could personally depict that these were almighty gods solely on their use of

Read More

Beowulf And Gilgamesh Comparison

499 Words | 2 Pages

Although they both rely on higher powers for guidance and protection, they gods they pray to

Read More

Comparative Essay On Christianity

1363 Words | 6 Pages

This allows for diverse religious practices and beliefs that are specifically catered to individual followers’ spiritual needs. It is up to an individual to choose the deities to worship, having specific devotional practices, rituals, and ceremonies dedicated to them. The polytheistic nature of this religion promotes a multifaceted nature of the divine; believing that different deities can promote guidance, protection, and blessing in a follower’s life. The belief in multiple gods and goddesses shows a principal concept of Hinduism, interconnectedness. This is acknowledging that all beings, and elements are interconnected and work with a greater cosmic order.

Read More

Cosmological Dualism Essay

556 Words | 3 Pages

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors would look up at the stars glowing in the night sky wondering what lies beyond our small, self-contained little world and to this day “Few people realise the immensity of vacancy in which the dust of the material universe swims” (Wells n.p.). Many people did not understand the world during that time period so they tried to make an understanding of the world through religion. During this time period, religion shows resemblance to early cosmology as “Both dialectical dualism and eschatological dualism have a basically cosmological function - explanation of the structure of the universe” (Dualism n.p.). Many civilizations all across the world worshiped gods that came from the sky or stars. What if these gods were actually

Read More

Similarities Between The Epic Of Gilgamesh And Genesis

768 Words | 4 Pages

After all, the only God affects every part in Genesis, but lots of the gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh perform separate

Read More

Ancient Near East Divine Creation

1443 Words | 6 Pages

Amongst the countries of the ancient Near East divine creation was not a notion or belief originating with the Hebrew people. Within the sociopolitical context of the Ancient Near East there existed differing creation cosmologies all of which intended to explain and define existence by having and understanding function within an ordered and created system. This holds true for the Genesis creation narrative as well. When the first chapters of Genesis are read, we begin to understand how God wanted Israel to relate to himself, their neighboring cultures as well as understand who and what they were created to be.

Read More

Religion Thesis Statement

594 Words | 3 Pages

Ancient people being unaware about the outside world created for themselves the hierarchy of Gods to ask for protection and support. Example: Paganism had a tendency to be polytheistic. People worshipped a variety of gods and goddesses, spirits representing national and local heroes, as well as natural phenomena. Pagans also honored their ancestry and ancestors.

Read More

More about Similarities Between African And Native American God

Related Topics

Open Document