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1
Olieba, Leonard Lumumba. "A basic introduction to African traditional religion." Berlin Viademica-Verl, 2010. http://d-nb.info/100193024X/04.
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Shange, Nombulelo Tholithemba. "Shembe religion's integration of African traditional religion and Christianity : a sociological case study." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011819.
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The Shembe Church's integration of African Traditional Religion and Christianity has been met by many challenges. This merger has been rejected by both African traditionalists and Christians. The Shembe Church has been met by intolerance even though the movement in some ways creates multiculturalism between different people and cultures. This thesis documents the Shembe Church's ideas and practices; it discusses how the Shembe Church combines two ideologies that appear to be at odds with each other. In looking at Shembe ideas and practices, the thesis discusses African religion-inspired rituals like ukusina, ancestral honouring, animal sacrificing and virgin testing. The thesis also discusses the heavy Christian influence within the Shembe Church; this is done by looking at the Shembe Church's use of The Bible and Moses' Laws which play a crucial role in the Church. The challenges the Shembe Church faces are another main theme of the thesis. The thesis looks at cases of intolerance and human rights violations experienced by Shembe members. This is done in part by looking at the living conditions at eBuhleni, located at Inanda, KZN. The thesis also analyses individual Shembe member's experiences and discusses how some members of the Shembe church experience the acceptance of the Shembe religion in South African society. This thesis concludes by trying to make a distinction between intolerance and controversy. I try to highlight the idea that what many Shembe followers see as discrimination and intolerance towards them is sometimes a difference in opinion from other cultural groups. Sometimes these differences are not geared towards criticising other religious groups or perpetuating intolerance.
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Kenan, John Sarauta. "The worship of God in African traditional religion : a Nigerian perspective." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17492.
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Bibliography: pages 89-92.To date numerous works in the African traditional religion have appeared In this devoted to the description of field many have been particular religion phenomena, while some have attempted to refute the beliefs and practices of the religion. But examining the effort of various investigators who have grappled with this task, one has the impression that they may have overlooked something. This something is bringing together the beliefs and practices of African traditional religion to form the worships in other world religions. It can be said the worship of God in Africa traditional religion is the very soul of African religion. This study attempts and examines what some scholars have written about African traditional religion, its beliefs and practices, and brought it together to form what may be called the worship of God in the religion. In constructing the purpose of this study, many writers have been used. Here the writer would like to mention some scholars by name, because much of their material have been constantly used. Such scholars as John S. Mbiti, Geoffrey Parrinder and Emmanuel, Bolaji Idowu. These writers recorded careful observation of African traditional religion, its beliefs and practices. This provides useful insights into the worship of God in the religion. In achieving the study, the problem of ancestor-worship has been discussed, although a final conclusion has not been reached, because it is an ongoing debate. The practices and believes have been discussed as the starting point of the worship in religion. The study observed particular practices which constitute the worship. These includes: sacrifice, offering, prayer and the religious leaders who performed the worship. To make what constitutes the worship complete, the spiritual aspect of it has also been discussed. At the end of the study, some suggestions and recommendations have been made so as to stimulate and motivate the African students undertaking the studies of African traditional religion. It is also a challenge to the students who are studying African theology.
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Turyatunga, Vanessa. "African Traditional Religions in Mainstream Religious Studies Discourse: The Case for Inclusion Through the Lens of Yoruba Divine Conceptualizations." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/39917.
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The history of African Traditional Religions (ATRs), both inside and outside academia, is one dominated by exclusions. These exclusions were created by the colonial framing of ATRs as primitive, irrational and inferior to other religions. This colonial legacy is in danger of being preserved by the absence of ATRs from the academic study of religion, legal definitions of religion, and global and local conversations about religion. This thesis will explore the ways that a more considered and accurate examination of the understudied religious dimensions within ATRs can potentially dismantle this legacy. It will do so by demonstrating what this considered examination might look like, through an examination of Yoruba divine conceptualizations and the insights they bring to our understanding of three concepts in Religious Studies discourse: Worship, Gender, and Syncretism. This thesis will demonstrate how these concepts have the ability to challenge and contribute to a richer understanding of various concepts and debates in Religious Studies discourse. Finally, it will consider the implications beyond academia, with a focus on the self-understanding of ATR practitioners and African communities. It frames these implications under the lens of the colonial legacy of ‘monstrosity’, which relates to their perception as primitive and irrational, and concludes that a more considered examination of ATRs within the Religious Studies framework has the potential to dismantle this legacy.
5
Sogiba, Zolile Sydney. "Steve Bantu Biko: Politician, 'Historian' and 'Proponent' of African Traditional Religion." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14748.
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Bibliography: leaves 129-135.The topic is "Steve Bantu Biko: Politician, 'Historian' and 'Proponent' of African Traditional Religion". It is known by everybody that Steve Bantu Biko was a politician. This has been revealed by his teachings, what his contemporaries have written and by his commitment to the course of the struggle. He displayed a commitment to the struggle for freedom of the oppressed blacks in South Africa. His ideology was 'Black Consciousness' which was a threat to the regime and an affirmation and a creation of true humanity for the oppressed. What became clear is the fact that there is a difference between a politician and a freedom fighter. To describe him as a freedom fighter is more appropriate than a politician. He was denied free political activity by the apartheid regime which clamped down on all opponents labelling them as 'un-Christian', 'heretic', 'rebels', 'agitators' and 'terrorists'. The 'Black Consciousness' ideology was viewed by the state as subversive. The question arises, how could a person who encouraged black community programmes and black unity be regarded as a terrorist? Fear from the whites of a black majority government is the cause for such an attitude. He was indeed a man of peace, an activist and not a terrorist. It has been noticeable that politics, history and religion are inseparable. This is a response to those who wonder what politics has to do with religion.
6
Simiyu, Michael Wakhangu. "The concept of repentance in African traditional religion compared with Christianity /." Berlin : Viademica-Verl, 2007. http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=2950229&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm.
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Rakotsoane, Francis Lobiane Clement. "The Southern Sotho's ultimate object of worship : sky-divinity or water-divinity?" Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10889.
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Bibliography: leaves 231-241.This thesis is an attempt to find out how much justified the missionaries and some local authors are in identifying Molimo with their Christian God (Sky-Divinity). A critical analysis of various Basotho cultural elements and what the early Basotho told the missionaries reveal that Molimo as an ultimate object of worship in the traditional religion of the Southern Sotho, is Water-Divinity, namely, Water Snake and not a celestial being or Sky-Divinity.
8
Ondego, Joseph Odongo. "African Luo ethnic traditional religion and Bible translation mission, education and theology." Berlin Viademica-Verl, 2006. http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=2841177&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm.
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Munyai, Alidzulwi Simon. "The tenacity of African Traditional Religion in Venda Christianity : a missional investigation." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/61193.
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The approach of the missionaries towards the Vhavenda was more scholarly than
practical, and had little to do with everyday realities. It appears to have been focused
on Western ethnocentricity rather than on the propagation of the Gospel. As a result,
it could not fulfil the purpose for which it was intended.
In Africa, as everywhere else in the world, the interpretation of the Gospel message
takes place in a particular and unique context. This means that, in the practice of
theology, one should take into account not only the spirit and the Gospel message,
but also the culture of the people to whom the message is being communicated.
This research deals in depth with the failure of the missionaries to recognise factors
that either hampered or could have facilitated the acceptance of the Gospel
message in Venda culture.
Furthermore, it aims to probe into strongholds of ancestral veneration that have
helped to sustain the beliefs of the Vhavenda. Ancestors, because of their authority
and power, are said to intervene in the affairs of their descendants, and to provide
meaning, values and protection.In short, they respond to the spiritual needs of their
descendants. Ancestors appear to occupy the centre stage in lieu ofChrist.
During this research, it became clear that a large number of Vhavenda profess to be
Christians, and yet cling tenaciously to their traditional beliefs. This is evident in crisis
situations that are occurring, in terms of both individuals and families. This implies
that in the heart of an African Christian, there arises a juxtaposition, due to the fact
that African traditional religion is inseparable from daily life for these people.
Traditional beliefs, customs and practices of the Vhavenda are examined. Some of
these features pertain to attributes of God and ancestral veneration, and the African
concept of salvation. Evidence from a variety of scholars indicates that Africans
never worship ancestors, in the strict sense of the word. The cultural practices that
Africans perform aim at demonstrating their faith in God. They are symbolic in
nature. It is interesting to note that both Western missionaries and the African people
attribute the same nature to the Supreme Being, who in the case of the Vhavenda, is
known as Nwali. It may be concluded, therefore, that there is a similar conception of
the existence of a 'superpower' across the spectrum of both cultures,albeit
approached from different angles. Nwali represents the final and highest power.
Although the introduction of the Christian God received a negative response from the
Vhavenda, as a result of conflicting names and the meanings attached to those
names, there is at least a common understanding of such names today.
The prevailing idea behind the formation of the African Independent Churches was
not intended as a move to ostracise anyone. The white missionaries brought the
Gospel to the indigenous people, but some of the mainstream churches could not
satisfy the spiritual needs of the indigenous people. The African Independent
Churches do not regard these mainstream churches as standard or ideal, and do not
find their own norms in early Christianity. The African Independent Churches restore
a sense of purpose; they often say things such as'feel at home, we are in our church,
we govern ourselves'.
The church should study traditional African beliefs. Traditional African culture is not
all bad; neither is everything good. As in all cultures, there are positive factors that
have held the culture together, and there are negative factors that degrade human
dignity. It should be made clear that Christianity should be received in alignment with
one's geographical context and environment, and in accordance with one's cultural
situation.
The African concept of salvation is another feature that has been investigated in this
paper. Salvation is approached holistically, that is, the healths of the human body as
well as the spirit are perceived to be inseperable.
If the missionaries of the past had been patientand open-minded enough to study
and analyse the sacrificial rites as conducted by the Vhavenda, thiswould have acted
as a base or steppingstone towardshelping the Vhavenda to accept and embrace the
final sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ. The researcher further explains that it is therefore not surprising that some
Vhavenda regard Jesus as the prime ancestor, healer, liberator, mediator, elder
brother and master of initiation. The researcher is compelled to conclude that lufu ndi
muratho kana dambuwo (death is a bridge). To the Vhavenda, death is not a total
annihilation, but is regarded as a bridge by means of which one crosses to the next
world.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Science of Religion and Missiology
PhD
Unrestricted
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Mushishi, Clifford. "The role of African traditional religion in the promotion of human rights." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7945.
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Bibliography: leaves 104-110.This study examines the role of African traditional religion in the promotion of human rights in Africa generally and among the Shona people of Zimbabwe in particular.
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Parish, Jane Alexandra Easton. "Bodies and spaces : doubt, ambiguity and the construction of identity in Dormaa - Ahenkro (Ghana)." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.387344.
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Chukwu, Isidore-Splendour. "Christianity and African Traditional Religion (ATR): A Conundrum of Crisis in Faith in Igboland, Nigeria." Thesis, Boston College, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:108079.
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Thesis advisor: Richard LennanThesis advisor: Dominic Doyle
Religion is central and vital for an Igbo person. No Igbo person exists in isolation from his/her community. An indigenous and traditional Igbo society is communal; it does not entertain any sense of individuality. But the coming of the missionaries broke into this communal bond with a new religion that threatened the traditional society when it began to exalt the individual soul. The Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe, in his book Things Fall Apart, portrays a situation in which an African indigenous missionary (Mr. Kiaga) succeeds in separating a son (Nwoye) from his African parent (Okonkwu) so that the son can become a Christian and be saved. But alone? As the son leaves his parents’ house for the mission compound the missionary quotes the Bible, “Blessed is he who forsakes his father and mother for my sake…” Achebe’s story depicts a situation in which the family is utterly divided as a result of the parents’ or their children’s conversion to Christianity. At this point, things fall apart. The pivotal core of the traditional Igbo society cannot hold again. The majority of the missionaries saw African religion from within their Western understanding and concluded that it was heathen, anti-Christian, and repulsive. African societies started to disintegrate when traditional religion was attacked. A rift occurs between the family and the extended family. Instead of bringing reconciliation and understanding, Christianity in this case brings division. This is because converts were instructed to leave everything behind, including families, for the sake of the gospel. But the Igbo Traditional Religion looked at life in a holistic way. There was no contradiction between sacred and profane, hence many people were horrified when the first converts wanted to set themselves apart, away from other members of the community. This is why inculturation is important, as it enables the Igbo Christian to see and experience life in a holistic manner without doing needless violence to cultural values. The failure of the early missionaries to inculturate the cultural values of the people is the conundrum. The result raises some theological problems. In the attempt to ascertain a balance, most times, the Christians in Africa, particularly in Igboland, find themselves oscillating between Christianity and African Traditional Religion (ATR). The need for a reconciliation is long overdue. It is best given a lasting, concrete and a dialogical chance through inculturation
Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2018
Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry
Discipline: Sacred Theology
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Emebo, Blaise [Verfasser eines Vorworts]. "Healing and Wholeness in African Traditional Religion, African Islam and Christianity : An Historical-Comparative Approach from Christian Theological Perspective." Aachen : Shaker, 2006. http://d-nb.info/1166514218/34.
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Awuah-Nyamekye, Samuel. "Managing the environmental crisis in Ghana : the role of African traditional religion and culture : a case study of Berekum traditional area." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2013. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5780/.
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This thesis examines the connection between traditional religio-cultural beliefs and practices and environmental problems in Ghana using Berekum Traditional Society as a case study. Its primary aim is to assess the nature and the level of the environmental crisis in Ghana, and to explore the possibility of combing indigenous and modern methods to address the current environmental problems in Ghana. The methodology of this thesis is located within the framework for conducting empirical studies in Religious Studies. The qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data are utilised, and since the scope of the study falls within the field of religion and environment, a brief history of global environmentalism and religion‘s entrance into attempts to address mounting global environmental problems will be provided. It will be argued that the worldview of the Berekum people, which is underpinned by their religious mentality, has played and continues to play a key role in their local ecological practices. The traditional ways through which ecological knowledge have been and are currently imparted to the youth will be examined, together with the effectiveness of these methods within a climate of modernity and the influence of Western education and culture in the area. It will be argued that Berekum people strongly believe that indigenous ways for addressing ecological problems are still relevant, and that their methods for doing so have not been completely lost in its rural communities, or in Ghana as a whole. Although it appears that indigenous religious beliefs and practices seem to be waning, with a greater percentage of the indigenous population in the study area having either converted to Christianity or Islam, I argue that indigenous religious beliefs and practices remain covertly active in the life and thought of the people. Finally, I argue that neither modern (scientific) nor traditional modes of addressing current ecological problems are individually adequate, and therefore that a synergy of the two modes is necessary in order for such problems to be tackled fully. However, I will also argue that certain challenges need to be addressed before this integration can be made possible.
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Holmgren, E. Henry. "Signs and wonders in Africa a biblical perspective in interaction with western missions, African independent churches and African traditional religion, with particular reference to Zambia /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1989. http://www.tren.com.
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Hounguevou, Barnabé. ""Mi Na Kpa Glagla Nu Aklunon: We will Lend a Hand To God”: Challenges and Opportunities of Double Religious Belonging in Benin and Nigeria." Thesis, Boston College, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:109187.
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Thesis advisor: Catherine CornilleThesis advisor: Margaret Guider
Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2021
Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry
Discipline: Sacred Theology
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Ofosuhene, Godwin Kwame. "The concept of God in the traditional religion of the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups compared the Bible /." Berlin : Viademica, 2006. http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=2841159&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm.
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Meiring, Arnold Maurits. "Heart of Darkness a deconstruction of traditional Christian concepts of reconciliation by means of a religious studies perspective on the Christian and African religions /." Thesis, Pretoria : [s.n.], 2005. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10312005-093457/.
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Bell, Tenolian Rodney. "Factors that influence African-American church goers to seek help from their churches as opposed to traditional social service agencies /." The Ohio State University, 1997. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu14879457445735.
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Nissen, Andrew Christoffel. "An investigation into the supposed loss of the Khoikhoi traditional religious heritage amongst its descendants, namely the Coloured people with specific references to the question of religiosity of the Khoikhoi and their disintegration." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21841.
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Bibliography: pages 94-97.This study is about the Khoikhoi, known as the "Hottentots" who are today no longer to be found in their original state in South Africa. It deals with their religion nnd disintegration, especially the land issue. The author upholds that there are remnants of Khoikhoi religion and cultural elements present among the descendants of the Khoikhoi, nnmely the Coloured people, especially those in the Cape. These Khoikhoi religious and cultural elements give the Coloured people a dignified continuation with their forebearers. The author also demonstrates that the Khoikhoi were religious people in spite of misconstrued perceptions of their being, culture and traditions. These elements the author further states should be included in the discipline of African theology.
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Park, Jinho. "The saints of African Independent Churches in Namibia : empirical research from Korean missionary perpective." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/46160.
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The history of African Independent Churches (AICs) in Southern Africa goes back
for more than a hundred years. They have proliferated geographically and
demographically in Africa more than the mainline churches could ever have
imagined. They have grown to be as widespread and as influential as the African
mainline churches. The reason for this growth is that the AICs are the churches of
African indigenous people. They are launched by Africans from a background of
an African traditional and cultural frame of reference. The most significant reason
is that the founders of these churches are not Westerners, but Africans. Western
missionaries find it difficult to understand the AICs from their perspective. Thus the
Western churches describe the AICs as sectarian, separatist, syncretist, nativitist,
and so on. Nevertheless, some scholars are attempting to view the AICs in
positive ways.
The fact that these two different churches have never acknowledged each other as
true churches is a big challenge for Christian missions in Namibia. Each group has
been viewing and judging the other party through suspicious eyes from their own
perspective, each driving the other to block the channel of reconciliation before the
presence of God. With the aim of solving this problem, this thesis attempts to
answer the following questions about the AICs in Namibia:
• What are the reasons that the AICs in Namibia have been seceded from
mission churches?
• What are the activities in civil society in which the AICs in Namibia are
currently involved?
• Do the AICs engage in any activities which go against the Word of God?
• What causes other churches to be suspicious of the AICs?
• What level of enculturation is inherent to the AICs in Namibia? In other
words, what is the relationship between the liturgies of the AIC and African
traditional religion and African culture?
• What makes the AICs in Namibia regard themselves as a church?
Would it be possible for the AICs and the mainline churches in Namibia to
cooperate in Christian missionary work?
• What is a possible Korean missionary perspective on this particular
situation?
This will be dealt throughout this thesis from a Korean missionary missional
perspective.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
tm2015
Science of Religion and Missiology
PhD
Unrestricted
22
Momberg, Marthie. "Different ways of belonging to totality : traditional African and Western-Christian cosmologies in three films : an exploratory literature study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/5452.
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Thesis (MPhil (Religion and Culture) Practical Theology and Missiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study distinguishes between religion as a sense of belonging to the ultimately-real and specific religious traditions. Religion, as used here, concerns a cosmological understanding of the universe and with that which is experienced as meaningful and real on an existential level. Although differences between religious traditions are generaly known, most people‟s emotional conceptual frameworks of the universe are so deep seated that they do not even realise that far-reaching differences between people on this level too are possible. It often happens, for example, that concepts such as transcendence and redemption are incorrectly accepted as universal to all of humanity. Yet in fact, cosmological concepts (the nature and experience of the immediate world out there, the conceptual understanding of time, the role of chance versus determinism, the source of religious knowledge and so forth) can be experienced differently on a symbolic level. In the context of Religion and Media which is the field of study relevant here, as well as in a number of other contexts, it is problematic when scholars project their own views of reality and meaning experiences onto those of others – especially when they expressly articulate their intention as the opposite. John Cumpsty (1991) distinguished three ways in which a person can derive meaning from the cosmic totality and I shall discuss two of these with reference to the Western-Christian and the traditional African reality views. From this, it becomes clear that radical different patterns of cosmological understanding are possible, each with its own systemically related set of symbols. Along with Cumpsty‟s theory, I also use the theory of Castells (2005) on the construction of social identities, as well as the theory of Sen (2006) on the use of cognitive versus affective dimensions in identity formation, to indicate how cosmological symbols can be positioned differently. With these three theories in mind, I subsequently interpret the identities of the main characters in three films hermeneutically. I specifically selected this medium as a segment of life to be studied because of the increasing popularity of the medium in reflection, construction and projection of existential meaning. Another reason for my choice is the many examples where interpretors of film project their own cosmological understanding onto those of others whilst they actually intend to be pluralistic. The findings of this study surprised me. Firstly and as expected, it clarifies the nature of differences between the Western-Christian and the traditional African cosmologies, as well as how these are implemented in praxis and by symbolic interpretations. However, the integration of the three theories also afforded me the opportunity to develop a method for a religious-cosmological analyses of identities. According to this method, an interpretor of films can distinguish between his or her own paradigm and a possible other paradigm. It allows the analyst to acknowledge the own paradigm and simultaneously respect another paradigm – without projecting the own onto the other. Therefore this method diminishes the chances of using dubble-text interpretation which maintains or promotes the exclusion of others. With this method, as well as the findings of this study, one can go much wider than the field of Religion and Media, as it involves the understanding of identity and different ways of belonging to the cosmic totality.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie onderskei tussen religie as ’n manier van behoort aan die ultiem-werklike en spesifieke religieuse tradisies. Religie soos hier gebruik, het te make met ‟n kosmologiese verstaan van die heelal en met wat eksistensieel as werklik en sinvol ervaar word. Hoewel verskille tussen religieuse tradisies algemeen bekend is, is mense se emosionele verstaansraamwerke van die heelal so diep gesetel, dat die meeste nie eens besef dat daar ook op hierdie vlak ingrypende verskille is nie. So gebeur dit dikwels dat konsepte soos “transendensie” en “verlossing”verkeerdelik as universeel aan alle mense en religeuse tradisies beskou word. In der waarheid kan kosmologiese komponente (die aard en ervaring van die onmiddellike realiteit; tydsverstaan; die rol van kans teenoor determinisme; die bron van religieuse kennis; ensovoorts) egter op ’n simboliese vlak verskillend ervaar word. In die konteks van Religie en Media waarbinne hierdie studie val, asook binne vele ander kontekste, is dit problematies wanneer akademici hul eie realiteitsiening en sinservaring op dié van ander projekteer – veral wanneer hulle hulself uitdruklik voorgeneem het om die teendeel te doen. John Cumpsty (1991) het drie maniere waarop mense sin maak van die kosmiese totaliteit onderskei en ek bespreek twee daarvan met verwysing na die Westers-Christelike en die tradisionele Afrika realiteitsienings. Hieruit word dit dan duidelik dat algeheel verskillende patrone in ‟n kosmiese verstaan moontlik is, elk met ‟n eie stel simbole wat sistemies bymekaar aansluit. Saam met Cumpsty se teorie, gebruik ek ook dié van Castells (2005) oor sosiale identiteitsvorming, en dié van Sen (2006) oor die gebruik van die kognitiewe versus die affektiewe in identiteitsvorming om aan te toon hoe kosmologiese simbole verskillend geposisioneer kan word. Met hierdie drie teorieë in gedagte, ontsluit ek vervolgens die identiteite van die hoofkarakers in drie rolprente hermeneuties. Ek het spesifiek dié medium as ‟n bestudeerbare greep van die lewe gekies weens die toenemende gewildheid daarvan in die refleksie, konstruksie en projeksie van eksistensiële sin. Nog ‟n rede is die talle voorbeelde waarin interpreteerders van rolprente hul eie kosmiese verstaan op dié van andere projekteer terwyl hulle eintlik pluralisties wil wees. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie was vir my verrassend. Dit bring eerstens, soos verwag, wel helderheid oor die aard van verskille tussen die Westers-Christelike en die tradisionele Afrika kosmologieë, asook hoe dit in die praktyk kan uitspeel aan die hand van simboliese interpretasies. Die integrasie van die drie teorieë het my egter ook die kans gebied om ‟n metode vir ’n religieus-kosmologiese analise van identiteit te ontwikkel. Hiervolgens kan ‟n ontleder van rolprente op ‟n redelike, sistematiese en sistemiese manier tussen sy of haar eie, sowel as ‟n moontlike ander, paradigma onderskei. Dit laat die ontleder toe om die eie paradigma te erken, sowel as respek te betoon teenoor ’n ander paradigma – sonder om die eie op die ander te projekteer. Daarom verminder hierdie metode veral ook die kans op die gebruik van ‟n dubbele-teks interpretasie wat uitsluiting van die ander handhaaf of bevorder. Hierdie metode, sowel as die bevindinge van die studie, kan veel wyer as die veld van Religie en Media toegepas word, omdat dit te make het met die verstaan van identiteit en verskillende maniere van behoort aan die kosmiese totaliteit.
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Mabvurira, Vincent. "Influence of African Traditional Religion and spirituality in understanding chronic illnesses and its implications for social work practice:a case of Chiweshe Communal lands in Zimbabwe." Thesis, University of Limpopo, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/1770.
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Marashe, Joel. "The African Religious Landscape : an examination of Shona traditional beliefs and practices in light of HIV and AIDS, and its ramifications for mitigation and care." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/64367.
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This study examined traditional Shona beliefs and practices in light of HIV/AIDS in the rural communities of the Chipinge District in Zimbabwe. The focus of the study was to examine selected Shona traditional beliefs and practices, and evaluate how they respond to the HIV/AIDS threat. The study aimed to examine the traditional beliefs and practices that people in Chipinge rural communities still practise, have stopped practising, or have modified due to the encroachment of HIV/AIDS into the communities’ socio-moral space. It also aims to discuss the traditional beliefs and practices that are safe and those that expose people to HIV infection, in addition to the communities’ knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Grounded in the traditional Shona religious landscape, and from a phenomenological perspective, the study utilised a qualitative survey research design. Using purposive and snowball sampling procedures, 72 study participants, knowledgeable in the Shona people’s traditional beliefs and practices, were selected. The study used non-scheduled structured interviews and a questionnaire, with both closed and open-ended questions, to gather data from the participants. Most participants defined HIV/AIDS as a blend of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that take time to treat. They believed that AIDS results from ‘pollution’ caused by sexual intercourse with ‘unclean’ women, while a few attributed it to having unprotected sex with an infected partner. Results show that kuputsa (pledged or child marriage), barika (polygamy), and kugara nhaka (wife inheritance) are harmful marriage practices that expose people to HIV infection. As old habits die hard, the study suggests modifications to such marriage practices, where people willing to be involved should take an HIV antibody test. Given that information about HIV/AIDS is communicated through posters and pamphlets written in English, it would benefit the community, if the Ministry of Health and Child Care could provide information in the Ndau language.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
University of Pretoria Postgraduate Bursary
Old Testament Studies
PhD
Unrestricted
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Munyai, Alidzulwi Simon. "Understanding the Christian message in Venda a study of the traditional concepts of God and of life hereafter among the Venda, with reference to the impact of these concepts on the Christian churches /." Pretoria : [S.n.], 2007. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-01082009-161905/.
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Shabangu, Andries. "The gospel embodied in African traditional religion and culture with specific reference to the cult of ancestor veneration and the concept of salvation an inculturation hermeneutic /." Thesis, Pretoria : [S.n.], 2005. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-08312005-155649/.
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Ibewuike, Victoria O. "African Women and Religious Change: A study of the Western Igbo of Nigeria with a special focus on Asaba town." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala : Department of Theology, Uppsala University, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-6200.
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Ikebude, Chukwuemeka M. "Identity in Igbo Architecture: Ekwuru, Obi, and the African Continental Bank Building." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1250885407.
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Cardoso, Vanessa Tereza de Fátima Lima. "ENTRE MÉDICOS E VODUNS: OS CUIDADOS COM A SAÚDE EM UM TERREIRO DE TAMBOR DE MINA EM SÃO LUIS/MA." Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 2014. http://tedebc.ufma.br:8080/jspui/handle/tede/1036.
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Previous issue date: 2014-12-12The work in question focuses on the healths practices performed at a mine Drum yard of the city of Sao Luis, MA. The studied yard is on the outskirts of the city (Residential Paradise) and has a priest responsible for preparing medicines for various diseases, especially for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). However, the priest's work is not limited to the preparation of medicines, this is militant health movements for the yards of communities such as the National Network of Afro-Brazilian Health Matrix Religions (RENAFRO). The aim of this study was to investigate these practices taking into account traditional knowledge confronting them with the official medical knowledge. We used the method of qualitative research with a socio-anthropological approach from observations and interviews the yard studied the holy father and discourse analysis of this. As a result it was found that the priest seeks to dialogue with official medicine through training programs with managers of the public health system as the HIV / AIDS program, but believes it is essential to respect for their knowledge and is respected medical knowledge . Thus, it is important to recognize the importance of traditional knowledge and that it can be given autonomy in the choice of treatment for each individual without, however, gives discredit the official Western medical nature.
O trabalho em questão enfoca as práticas de saúdes realizadas em um terreiro de Tambor de Mina da cidade de São Luís-MA. O terreiro estudado está situado na periferia da cidade (Residencial Paraíso) e possui um pai de santo responsável por preparar remédios para diversas doenças, principalmente para as DSTs (doenças sexualmente transmissíveis). Porém, o trabalho do pai de santo não se limita à preparação de remédios, este é militante de movimentos de saúde em prol das comunidades de terreiros como a Rede Nacional em Saúde de Religiões de Matriz Afro-brasileiras (RENAFRO). O principal objetivo deste estudo foi fazer uma investigação destas práticas levando em consideração os conhecimentos tradicionais confrontando-os com os conhecimentos médicos oficiais. Utilizou-se o método da pesquisa qualitativa em saúde com um enfoque sócio- antropológico a partir de observações ao terreiro estudado e entrevistas ao pai de santo bem como a análise do discurso deste. Como resultado encontrou-se que o sacerdote busca dialogar com a medicina oficial através capacitações com gestores em programas do sistema de saúde pública como o Programa de HIV/AIDS, mas acredita que é imprescindível o respeito aos seus conhecimentos bem como se respeita o conhecimento médico. Desta forma, é importante reconhecer a relevância dos conhecimentos tradicionais e que se possa dá autonomia na escolha de tratamento para cada indivíduo sem, contudo, dá descredito a medicina oficial de cunho ocidental.
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Ndlovu, Caesar Maxwell Jeffrey. "Religion, tradition and custom in a Zulu male vocal idiom." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002315.
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The study is about a Zulu male vocal tradition called isicathamiya performed by 'migrants' in all night competitions called ingomabusuku. This is a performance style popularized by the award winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Isicathamiya, both in its symbolic structure and in the social and culturalpractice of its proponents has much in common with the ritual practices of Zionists. And Zionists are worshippers who integrate traditional beliefs and Christianity. This study will reveal that isicathamiya performance and Zionists are linked in three major areas:in the sqcial bases and practice of its proponents, in the structural properties of their performances and tn the meanings attached to these practices. Firstly, Zionists, who are also called a Separatist or African Independent church, and isicathamiya performers have minimal education and are employed in low income jobs in the cities. Most groups are formed with 'homeboy networks'. Furthermore, performers, unlike their brothers in the city, cling tenaciously to usiko [custom and tradition]. Although they are Christians, they still worship Umvelinqangi [The One Who Came First], by giving oblations and other forms of offerings. Amadlozi [the ancestors] are still believed to be their mediators with God. Also commonplace in this category is the practice of ukuchatha, [cleansing the stomach with some prepared medicine]; and ukuphalaza [taking out bile by spewing, which is also done as a way of warding off evil spirits]. These are rural practices that have meaning in their present domiciles. The second area of similarity consists in the structure of the nocturnal gatherings that form the core of the ritual and performance practices among isicathamiya singers and Zionists. Thus, a core of the ritual of Zionists is umlindelo [night vigil] which takes place every weekend from about 8 at night until the following day. Likewise, isicathamiya performers have competitions every Saturday evening from 8 at night until about 11 am the following day. Although Zionists night vigils are liturgical and isicathamiya competitions secular, the structures of both isicathamiya choreography and Zionists body movements appear the same. These movements are both rooted in a variety of traditional styles called ingoma. Thirdly, the meanings attached to these symbolic correspondences must be looked for in the selective appropriation of practices and beliefs taken to be traditional. Using present day commentaries in song and movement, ingoma and other rural styles performed in competitions and Zionists night vigils reflect a reconstruction of the past. Isicathamiya performers and Zionists see themselves as custodians of Zulu tradition, keeping Zulu ethnicity alive in the urban environment. This is why in this study we are going to see rural styles like ingoma, isifekezeli [war drills], ukusina [solo dancing] that were performed on the fields, now performed, sort of feigned and 'held in' as they are p~rformed in dance halls with wooden stages.
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Van, Der Meer Tony. "Spiritual Journeys: A Study of Ifá /Òrìṣà Practitioners in the United States Initiated by Nigeria." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1487938234573904.
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Stonier, Janet Elizabeth Thornhill. "Oral into written : an experiment in creating a text for African religion." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16127.
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Bibliography: pages 105-113.This study is a description, from the vantage point of a participant observer, of the development of a new, and probably unique, method of writing, teaching and learning about an oral tradition - a method which is grounded in ways of knowing, thinking and learning inherent in that tradition. It arose in the course of a co-operative venture - between two lecturers in African Religion and myself - to write a text for South African schools on African Religion (sometimes called African Traditional Religion). Wanting to be true to our subject within the obvious constraints, we endeavoured to write within an oral mode. The product, African Religion and Culture, Alive!, is a transcript of taped oral interchanges between the three authors within a simulated, dramatised format. The simulation provided the context for using the teaching and learning strategies employed in an oral tradition, but within a Western institution. We hoped in this way to mirror and mediate a situation in which many South African students find themselves: at the interface between a home underpinned by an oral tradition, and a school underpinned by a written tradition. In the book, knowledge is presented through myth, biographical and autobiographical stories, discussion, question, and comment. The choice of this mode of knowledge-presentation has been greatly influenced by the work of Karen McCarthy Brown. A further important requirement for us was to produce a text that would be acceptable to all the particular varieties of African religious practice. This need was met in a way that became the most important aspect of the method - the device of setting, as a core part of the work for students, a primary research component. Students are required to seek out traditional elders within their community and learn from them, as authorities on African religion and culture, the details of particular practice. This is a way of decentering the locus of control of knowledge and education, as well as of restoring respect for African Religion and preserving information in danger of being lost. The primary research component highlights fundamental issues relating to the 'ownership' of religion, knowledge, power, reality which are explored in the study. Also considered are the implications of writing about an oral mode while trying to preserve as much of the character of that mode - writing by means of speaking. Text as a metaphor provides a frame for examining the process and the product - in terms of text as document, as score, as performance, as intertextual event, and as monument and site of struggle. Suggestions are made for further research, both on the particular method of text-production under consideration, and also on the approach to teaching and learning about African Religion. Also considered is the relevance of this particular learning and teaching approach to the values inherent in the proposed new curriculum for education in South Africa.
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DOMINGOS, Reginaldo Ferreira. "Religiões tradicionais de base africana no Cariri cearense: educação, filosofia e movimento social." www.teses.ufc.br, 2015. http://www.repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/15712.
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DOMINGOS, Reginaldo Ferreira. Religiões tradicionais de base africana no Cariri cearense: educação, filosofia e movimento social. 2015. 256f. – Tese (Doutorado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2015.Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-03-22T18:23:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_tese_rfdomingos.pdf: 4276408 bytes, checksum: 139e29d7bb22e0410278146f7e97a664 (MD5)
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This research is a discussion about the black presence in the cities of Crato and Juazeiro and their traditional religious practices. Thus we aimed to understand the religion as a production locus of a philosophy and this, an educational act. He intended to also highlight the march for religious freedom as a social movement that aspires to act on the reality of the region. On the problems experienced by the black population in relation to history, culture, religion is what made us wake up to the following problem: as the black presence has performed in the region and how their religious spaces have been expressed and presented in the historical process with its symbolic and social relations settings? For this purpose we use as a methodology, the bibliographical studies; qualitative research; document analysis; oral history and oral tradition, through semi-structured interviews and use of digital recording equipment has been possible to collect the lines of social agents. The overall objective is to search for the historical bias, the black presence in the Cariri (Crato and Juazeiro), understanding of the African-based religious representation in analogy with philosophy, as well as analyze the walk for religious freedom as a movement social. We propose the following objectives: 1) To review studies on the region on the African history and the black population, its relation to Brazilian history and its religious representation in caririense society; 2) Investigate and make visible the black religious presence in the historical archives in the cities of Crato and Juazeiro do Norte; 3) Establish discussion analysis waging an analogy of African-based religion with philosophy; 4) To analyze the walk for religious freedom as a social movement space. Such assumptions made us realize that know the reality from history means understanding the social and historical organization of cities, ie what and how the sacred spaces contributed and the reason for non-participation in the social organization of the surveyed cities. The investigation of the role of religious communities and how they collaborated in the formation of local social realities is to note that the strength of the Afro-descendant population permeates other fields and other practices to resist the homogenization of the hegemonic culture. Therefore, the research concluded that the traditional religious practices of African-based religions and its historical-social constitution shows us a device to study when it comes to: transmission of teachings and resistance; of participation in the formation of the realities of the cities; and in enveredamento a philosophy.
Esta pesquisa faz uma discussão acerca da presença do negro nas cidades de Crato e Juazeiro do Norte e suas práticas religiosas tradicionais. Assim, teve o intuito de entender a religiosidade como locus de produção de uma filosofia e, esta, um ato educativo. Pretendeu-se também destacar a marcha pela liberdade religiosa como movimento social que aspira atuar sobre a realidade da região. Diante das problemáticas vivenciadas pela população negra no que se refere à história, cultura, religião é que se fez o despertar para o seguinte problema: como a presença negra tem se apresentado na região e como seus espaços religiosos têm se manifestado e apresentado, no processo histórico, com suas configurações simbólicas e nas relações sociais? Para tal intento recorremos, como metodologia, aos estudos bibliográficos; à pesquisa qualitativa; análise documental; história oral e oralidade, por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas e uso de equipamento digitais de gravação foi possível coletar as falas dos agentes sociais. O objetivo geral é pesquisar, pelo viés histórico, a presença negra na região do Cariri (Crato e Juazeiro do Norte), a compreensão da representação religiosa de base africana de forma análoga com a filosofia, bem como analisar a caminhada pela liberdade religiosa como movimento social. Como objetivos específicos propuseram-se: 1) Analisar estudos realizados sobre a região acerca da história africana e da população negra, sua relação com a história brasileira e sua representação religiosa na sociedade caririense; 2) Investigar e visibilizar a presença religiosa negra nos arquivos históricos nas cidades de Crato e Juazeiro do Norte; 3) Constituir análise de discussão empreendendo uma analogia da religião de base africana com a filosofia; 4) Analisar a caminhada pela liberdade religiosa como espaço de movimento social. Tais conjecturas fizeram perceber que conhecer a realidade a partir da história significa entender a organização social e histórica das cidades, ou seja, o que e como os espaços sacros contribuíram e o porquê da não participação na organização social das cidades pesquisadas. A investigação da função dos terreiros e como eles colaboraram na formação das realidades sociais locais é notar que a resistência da população afrodescendente perpassa outros campos e outras práticas de resistir à homogeneização da cultura hegemônica. Portanto, a pesquisa permitiu concluir que as práticas religiosas tradicionais de religiões de base africana e sua constituição histórico-social revelam um artifício para estudo quando se trata de: transmissão de ensinamentos e de resistência; de participação na constituição das realidades das cidades; e, no enveredamento de uma filosofia.
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Lundo, Samuel Sila. "Christianising the African." Berlin Viademica-Verl, 2010. http://d-nb.info/1001894049/04.
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Nyanungo, Martha. "Tensions and conflicts between formal and traditional sex education in Africa-sub-Sahara." Doctoral thesis, Universidade de Évora, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10174/23609.
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Esta dissertação visa estudar a influência que a educação sócio-cultural e religiosa exercem na educação sexual formal em escolas no Zimbabwe. Para a investigação, foi levantada a seguinte questão: "A educação sexual formal ministrada em escolas está a ser sublevada pela educação sexual adquirida através de normas socioculturais, religiosas das famílias Africanas?” Entretanto, se a educação sexual não é Afro-centrada e culturalmente relevante a nível do conteúdo, ela não pode ser efetiva e as mulheres jovens continuarão expostas aos maiores desafios sexuais de hoje. Ao responder a esta e outras questões da pesquisa, achámos o método qualitativo o mais apropriado para a recolha de dados culturalmente específicos e contextualmente ricos, pois, é esse o objetivo deste estudo.
Através de entrevistas etnográficas, a intenção foi a de gravar vozes de jovens mulheres Shonas que, representam todo mosaico sócio-étnico do país. Isso permitiu-me obter informações consistentes e coerentes de como a sexualidade é definida e percebida entre os Shonas, e como a referida perceção se entrelaça com a instrução formal religiosa sobre a sexualidade. Outros instrumentos de recolha de informação para o nosso estudo incluíram análise minuciosa de livros escolares e de documentos do Ministério da Educação, Desporto e Cultura do Zimbabwe.
Entre vários resultados curiosos produzidos pela pesquisa, o de maior realce revela que a educação sexual formal ministrada nas escolas no Zimbabwe não incorpora conteúdos suficientemente relevantes para os adolescentes sexualmente ativos. A inadequação baseia-se na abordagem não realista e errônea da abstinência como o método e resolução insuperável para os dilemas da sexualidade. Como desvantagem, a cultura e a religião também são vistas como desafios para a educação sexual efetiva nas escolas. Com base nesses resultados, o nosso estudo conclui com recomendações que devem ser levadas em consideração ao se elaborar um currículo de educação integral mais eficaz e operacional sobre educação sexual; ABSTRACT:
Tensions and conflicts between formal and traditional sex education in Africa sub-Sahara
This dissertation aims to investigate the interplay between the socio-religio-cultural aspects and formal sex education in schools in Zimbabwe. Because young women fall victim to most of the traditional, religio-cultural sexuality adversities, the research focuses on young Shona women. The study interrogates whether the formal sex education being taught in schools faces setbacks from sex education being instructed through African family socio-cultural and religious norms. Qualitative methodology was found to be the most appropriate for the production of culturally specific and contextually rich data that the research is aimed at. Collection of data was achieved through document analysis participant observation and ethnographic interviews.
Of the many intriguing findings of this research, a major finding is that curricula is detached from overarching philosophical worldviews, cultural traditions, and the general actualities of sexually active teenagers. Its inadequacy is based on the unrealistic and erroneous approach to abstinence as the unsurpassable resolution to sexuality dilemmas. The study evidences that the deep-rootedness of some traditional practices, mythologies, and taboos associated with sexuality as well as the tenacity of some forms of traditional modes of sexuality education continue to exert a powerful influence on formal sexuality education in schools. The findings further reveals that the prescriptive and fear-based teaching methods do not foster enough critical thinking to empower students to face sexuality and reproductive health challenges.
This viewpoint continues to play a significant role in shaping attitudes, beliefs, and values in relation to sexuality even in contemporary times. Based on these findings, the study con-cludes with recommendations for designers of sexuality education curricula to consider the convergent and divergent aspects and draw from strengths of the co-existing heritages in order to build an integrated sexuality education pedagogy that is culturally relevant for the young women in Zimbabwe.
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Adjei, Christian. "The implication of the universal priesthood of Christ to African traditional religions." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN), 1988. http://www.tren.com.
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Nyimi, Modeste Malu. "Traditional Religions and Reconciliation in Africa: Responding to the Challenges of Globalisation." Bulletin of Ecumenical Theology, 2009. http://digital.library.duq.edu/u?/bet,3318.
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Holness, Denzil D. "Renewal of worship through the discovery and recovery of the African-American liturgical tradition." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 1991. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/1048.
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The need at Central Christian Church was for the renewal of its worship life in terms of the discovery and recovery of its African-American liturgical heritage from which it had become alienated. Consequently, the goal of this project was to effect such a renewal through the process of acquiring a critical knowledge and understanding of African-American worship, our denominational worship tradition as well as a biblical and theological understanding of worship which functioned as a normative and critical guide in the process of renewal.
The Petrine understanding of the church as expounded specifi cally in the pericope, 1 Peter 2:4-10, and generally in the entire epistle, was the basis for our biblical and theological understanding of worship.
Methodologically, this project on renewal involved the use of workshop sessions designed to facilitate the acquisition of a biblical and theological understanding of worship and our worship traditions as well as to facilitate attitudinal and behavioral changes in the participants and to increase the meaningfulness of the worship experiences to them.
It also involved the planning of two types of worship services --one culturally affirming, the other non-culturally affirming. Results from the workshop experiences confirmed the hypotheses that the workshop sessions would facilitate the acquisition of a biblical and theological understanding of worship, as well as a critical knowledge and understanding of African-American worship, and worship in our denominational tradition; and that they would effect some behavioral and attitudinal changes in the participants as well as increasing the meaningfulness of the worship experiences to them. However, the results of the worship experiences did not provide support for the hypothesis that the culturally affirming worship service would have been experienced as being more meaningful, satisfying and appealing to non-members. While the recommended changes were in the direction of the recovery and affirmation of the African-American liturgical heritage, the results suggested the emergence of a bi-cultural type of worship at Central. The bi-cultural path, then, seems to be the path to a meaningful, satis fying, and appealing worship experience at Central. Although this project has provided added confirmation of the need for an ethnic group to recover and affirm its liturgical heritage, its chief contribution to attempts to renew worship in the African-American liturgical tradition seems to be its demand for a critical re-examination of the stereotypical assumptions about African-American and Euro-American liturgical traditions and worship styles.
Certain improvements are suggested in terms of data gathering relative to the workshop experiences as well as question construction relative to the evaluation of the worship service.
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Holnes, Denzel D. "Renewal of worship through the discovery and recovery of the African-American Ligturgical Tradition." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 1991. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/846.
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The need at Central Christian Church was for the renewal of its worship life in terms of the discovery and recovery of its African-American liturgical heritage from which it had become alienated. Consequently, the goal of this project was to affect such a renewal through the process of acquiring a critical knowledge and understanding of African-American worship, our denominational worship tradition as well as a biblical and theological understanding of worship which functioned as a normative and critical guide in the process of renewal. The Petrine understanding of the church as expounded specifically in the pericope, 1 Peter 2:4 10, and generally in the entire epistle, was the basis for our biblical and theological understanding of worship. Methodologically, this project on renewal involved the use of workshop sessions designed to facilitate the acquisition of a biblical and theological understanding of worship and our worship traditions as well as to facilitate attitudinal and behavioral changes in the participants and to increase the meaningfulness of the worship experiences to them. It also involved the planning of two types of worship services--one culturally affirming, the other non-culturally affirming. Results from the workshop experiences confirmed the hypotheses that the workshop sessions would facilitate the acquisition of a biblical and theological understanding of worship, as well as a critical knowledge and understanding of African-American worship, and worship in our denominational tradition; and that they would affect some behavioral and attitudinal changes in the participants as well as increasing the meaningfulness of the worship experiences to them. However, the results of the worship experiences did not provide support for the hypothesis that the culturally affirming worship service would have been experienced as being more meaningful, satisfying and appealing to non-members. While the recommended changes were in the direction of the recovery and affirmation of the African-American liturgical heritage, the results suggested the emergence of a bi-cultural type of worship at Central. The bi-cultural path, then, seems to be the path to a meaningful, satisfying, and appealing worship experience at Central. Although this project has provided added confirmation of the need for an ethnic group to recover and affirm its liturgical heritage, its chief contribution to attempts to renew worship in the African-American liturgical tradition seems to be its demand for a critical re-examination of the stereotypical assumptions about African-American and Euro-American liturgical traditions and worship styles. Certain improvements are suggested in terms of data gathering relative to the workshop experiences as well as question construction relative to the evaluation of the worship service.
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Ogunnaike, Oludamini. "Sufism and Ifa: Ways of Knowing in Two West African Intellectual Traditions." Thesis, Harvard University, 2015. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:23845406.
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This dissertation examines and compares the epistemologies of two of the most popular West African intellectual traditions: Tijani Sufism and Ifa. Employing theories native to the traditions themselves and contemporary oral and textual sources, I examine how these traditions answer the questions: What is knowledge? How is it acquired? And How is it verified? Or more simply, “What do you know?,” “How did you come to know it?,” and “How do you know that you know?” After analyzing each tradition separately, and on its own terms, I compare them to each other and to certain contemporary, Western theories.
Despite having relatively limited historical contact, I conclude that the epistemologies of both traditions are based on forms of self-knowledge in which the knowing subject and known object are one. As a result, ritual practices that transform the knowing subject are key to cultivating these modes of knowledge. Therefore I argue that like the philosophical traditions of Greek antiquity, the intellectual or philosophical dimensions of Tijani Sufism and Ifa must be understood and should be studied as a part of a larger project of ritual self-transformation designed to cultivate an ideal mode of being, or way of life, which is also an ideal mode of knowing. I further assert that both traditions offer distinct and compelling perspectives on, and approaches to, metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, psychology, and ritual practice, which I suggest and begin to develop through comparison.African and African American Studies
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Wanda, Vukani Milton. "Ucwaningo olunzulu ngenkolo yobuKrestu nenkolo yoMdabu (yesiZulu)." Thesis, University of Zululand, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10530/1197.
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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for B.A. Honours degree in the Department of African Languages at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1997.Zonke izizwe zoMdabu lapha e-Afrika zinenkolo yazo Le nkolo ihambisana nemikhuba ethize. Inkolo yalezi zizwe isemthanjeni yempilo yabantu bakhona kangangoba akulula ukuhlukanisa usikompilo nenkolo yesizwe soMdabu. Imvamisa akekho umqambi walezi nkolo yize bekhona abaqambi bezizwe ezithile. Izizwe ziqiniseka ukuthi 1e nkolo zadatshu1wa nayo nguMdali. NamaZulu nawo anenkolo yawo ayilandelayo, yize-ke isithe ukudungeka idungwa impucuko yaseNtshonalanga ihambisana nenkolo yobuKrestu.
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Mdaka, Tintswalo Sophie. "A comparative analysis of Western and African traditional churches among Vatsonga : a sociolinguistic study." Thesis, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10386/1126.
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Zenani, Vuyisile John. "Understanding the nature of sacred space from the African traditional religious perspective : challenges of spatial management." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8053.
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This study aims to explore the challenges that face land use and land management in the context of the new South Africa. Approached from the African traditional religious angle the study will propose, among others, a new approach to land management and land designation. The study draws insights from literature on religious meaning of land and interviews conducted with two African traditional healers from two different black communities. The study introduces a new concept in land management, the concept of sacred space.
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Ngugi, Michael Wainana. "Impact of Christianity among the Kikuyu people : a study of Kikuyu people religion and belief /." Berlin Viademica-Verl.***90496, 2007. http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?id=2905079&prov=M&dok_var=1&dok_ext=htm.
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Taylor, Toniesha Latrice. "A Tradition Her Own: Womanist Rhetoric and the Womanist Sermon." Bowling Green, Ohio : Bowling Green State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=bgsu1231801444.
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McClymont, John Douglas. "The emergent religiosity of post-traditional African thought." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18188.
Full textAbstract:
There exists in the modern worlda form of non-Christianised religious thought which develops the basic ideas of indigenous African religion beyond their beginnings, and is represented in authorssuch as Kamalu, Osabutey-Aguedze, etc. The spheres of interest in such authors fiJay be
analysed in terms of the following areas:
Intervening ideological conditions bearing on African life (particularr; theological and cosmological ideas):
The historical background of African life;
The roots of African life, as manifested in its traditions, and tts ethical and cultural heritage;
Means for the innovative development of African life, found in African concepts of knowledge, mysticism and magic;
The perceived destiny of African life.
The thesis concludes with an indication of areas of agreement and debate in post-traditional African thought, of problems faced by such thought; and of other possible priorities for future study.Religious Studies & Arabic
D.Th. (Religious Studies)
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Le, Roux Ina. "Net die woorde het oorgebly : 'n godsdienswetenskaplike interpretasie van Venda-volksverhale (Ngano)." Thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/17185.
Full textAbstract:
Text in AfrikaansDie eerste hoofstuk omskryf die begrip ngano, daarna volg 'n uiteensetting hoe die Venda mondelinge tradisie in die verlede gefunksioneer het en word die huidige aard en posisie van die verskynsel in die lewe van die gemeenskap gedefinieer. Veranderende sosio-ekonomiese en politieke kragte het die tradisionele lewenswyse van die Venda-mense in so 'n mate versteur dat die mondelinge tradisie en die stem van die storieverteller nie meer hoog waardeer word deur die moderne geslag nie. Die teoretiese uitgangspunt van hierdie tesis aanvaar dat religie 'n radikaal integrerend funksie het wat chaos in sinvolle patrone inkorporeer. Dialekties verbind aan die eerste beginsel van religie is die inherente drang van die mens se gees om alle gegewe limiete te transendeer. Vanuit hierdie fokus kan ngano as religieuse artikulasies interpreteer word wat chaos in sinvolle patrone uitdruk, en waarin oak opstand teen bestaande orde en tradisionele aannames uitgespreek word. In bree trekke skets die tweede hoofstuk die historiese agtergrond van die Venda-mense vanaf 800 nC tot en met die resente politieke veranderinge van 1994 in die Noordelike Provinsie. Die tweede deel van die hoofstuk bied 'n uiteensetting van hul religio-filosofiese agtergrond en tesame met die geskiedkundige gebeure dien dit as interpretatiewe konteks vir hierdie oeroue verhale wat van die een geslag na die ander oorgelewer is. In die volgende nege hoofstukke verskyn vyftig volksverhale wat in agt verskillende areas in Venda gedokumenteer is. Elke verhaal is vooraf voorsien van 'n opsomming van die inhoud van die verhaal asook 'n interpretasie van die verhaal deur die verteller self of verduidelikings van haar helpers. Die oorspronklike Venda-teks word gegee in die presiese woorde van die verteller met daarby die Afrikaanse vertaling. 'n Terna wat hehaaldelik voorkom is die opstand van die magteloses (die kind, die vrou of niksseggende persoon) teen magtiges (die koning, die man, dominerende familielede of tradisionele strukture). Ander gewilde temas is die ellende van hongersnood, die aanwending en voorkoms van toorkragte en bonatuurlike transformasies. Ten slotte is daar drie Sankambe-verhale waarin die fantastiese avonture van hasie, die aartbedrieer, wat op grand van blote vernuf oorleef, humoristies vertel word. Ofskoon daar duidelike artikulasies van verset en kritiek teen die tradisionele orde en teen magtiges is, waag ngano dit selde buite die tradisioneel religieus-filosofiese grense.
The first chapter outlines the concept ngano, thereafter the function of the Venda oral tradition in the past is described and the present nature and position of the phenomenon in community living is defined. Changing socio-economic and political forces disturbed traditional Venda life-style to such an extent that the oral tradition and the voice of the storyteller are not highly regarded by the modern generation. The theoretical point of departure of this thesis accepts the radical integrative function of religion ordering chaos into meaningful patterns. Dialectically tied to this first principle of religion is the inherent urgency of the human spirit to transcend all given limits. Viewed thus, ngano can be interpreted as religious utterances in which chaos is expressed in meaningful patterns and where resistance is articulated against existing order and traditional assumptions. Chapter two sketches the historical background of the Venda people from 800 AD up to recent political changes of 1994 in the Northern Province. The second part of this chapter presents an exposition of their religio-philosophic background which, together with the historical events provide an interpretative context for these ancient stories handed down from one generation to the next. Fifty folk tales (ngano) appear in the following nine chapters documented in eight different areas in Venda. Every narrative is introduced by a summary of the content of the story together with an interpretation by narrator and assistants. The Venda text is given first adhering as closely as possible to the original words of the narrator. Every line is followed by an Afrikaans translation. A recurring theme in ngano is the powerless (child, wife or insignificant person) resisting the powerful (king, husband/man, dominating family members or unyielding traditional structures). Other popular themes are the misery of famine, application and occurrence of witchcraft and supernatural transformations. Lastly three Sankambe-stories are documented in which the fantastic antics of the hare, the trickster in Venda folk tales who survives by sheer cunning, are humorously narrated. Although there are distinct expressions of resistance and criticism against the existing order and dominating powers, ngano seldom ventures beyond traditional religious and philosophic boundaries.
Religious Studies & Arabic
D. Litt et Phil. (Religious Studies)
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Mcetywa, Sitembile Alfred Mthomtsasa. "The interaction of African traditional religio-medical practice and western healing methods." Thesis, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/10414.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this thesis is to assess the nature of African Traditional healing system with
special reference to Mpondo culture. It is a case study of the Mpondo people of the
Eastern Cape. The focus of the study was on the historical facts, the cultural background,
the religious experiences and the traditional healing system of this people.
Stimulated by the fact that Mpondo people appear to be a marginalized group,
undermined and sometimes sidelined, the research seeks to set the record straight. A lack
of documented information about this people is the major contributing factor to their lost
identity. This stems from the fact that very little has been written about them. Even
when such writings are found, they often contain distorted information. In some books,
they are mistakenly represented as amaXhosa or a Xhosa sub-group. They are mostly
regarded as having no culture, no language or identity. In terms of language, isiXhosa is
taught at schools in Mpondoland.
This research is an attempt to raise awareness about the reality of the situation of the
Mpondo people. Without this knowledge, the Mpondo people can not regain their lost
identity, people-hood, humanity and dignity. Through this knowledge, a dehumanised
people can fight for their rights. AmaMpondo need to rediscover the spirit of
Africanness, so that they know that they belong to Africa. As T Mbeki puts it, Africa
needs to be refounded as a space that is centred neither on the market nor on the fortress,
but rather on what geographer Paul Wheatley called, its "ceremonial complex" (Mbeki,
T., 20 in Chidester).
The Mpondo people were primarily dehumanised by the Cape Colonial government. Precolonial
Mpondo culture and its post-colonial history was examined. Dehumanising
factors among Mpondo came in the form of labels and insults. Their religion was
referred to as "pagan" whilst they were at times called "kaffirs", a Malaysian term
meaning a non-believer. Now is the time for the revival of the Mpondo as a people of
Africa, 'for a country that frowns on its culture by calling us savage and barbarians is a
lost country' (Mutwa, p 22, Sunday Tribune, 16 .July 2000).
This research sought to investigate the means and ways of restoring the lost dignity of the
Mpondo people. In chapter two and three, a survey of Mpondo culture, their world view
their religion and their identification of diseases and their treatment was made. Out of
this survey it has been indicated that not all was destroyed by the encroachment of the
western civilization. "Christianity and western medicine functioned as a secularising
ferment in Africa, dethroned the traditional healer, replacing witchcraft, causation with
medical history and introducing modem hygiene" (Jansen G.) Mpondo people still
practise and believe in their healing system. This shows that although the foundations
have been shaken, the base on which to rebuild its culture is still firm. What is now
needed is to resist all forms of cultural expression.
Sound reconstruction and reconciliation is the end goal of the research. Cultural
reconstruction is the basis for sound reconciliation. Because the forces that be, broke the
basis of a reconciled and organised society, there is a need to commence with the
reconstruction of the people's culture. Cultural reconstruction becomes central
particularly in a country which is threatened by social evils, such as a high crime rate,
poverty, incurable or death threatening diseases such as HlV/AIDS and unemployment.
Without reconciling the people with their culture and African Traditional Religion, any
attempt to solve the above mentioned problems may not be easily achieved. Such a
construction should not be confused with what Chidester calls '1:he construction of an
inventory of Mrican traditional religion which recalls colonial efforts to create systematic
boundaries within which African populations were contained. Enclosed within a stable
secure and unchanging religious system" (Chidester 2000 : 15).
The point at issue here is the reconstruction of a people's culture, based on its natural
dignity. Such reconstruction should aim at the international marketing of the people's
culture. The thesis is a pointer to the seriousness of the demand for the speedy
reconstruction of religion and medical practice. ''The time is past when western medicine
was the much praised vehicle for the propagation of the gospel to foreign cultures -
missionaries are the heavy artillery of the missionary army" (Walls 1982 : 22).
Healing and African Traditional Religion should be a base of such a reconstruction
process. First and foremost, African Traditional Religious researchers who are adherents
and practice the religion, should take a lead in such a process. This refers to the people
on the ground who must be directly be involved. For, ''the non-western voices have not
spoken or intervened in this debate" (Jansen G : 09).
This may sound racial or ethnic, but the fact of the matter is that most • of the time, the
people on the ground have not as yet surfaced, conscientised and organised as a religious
group. What is needed is the democratisation of all cultural councils so that more funds
are generated for the development of African Traditional Religion standards. It should be
taught at schools. More air time on radio and television stations should also be allocated
to African Traditional Religion. As in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, studies of the
recent democratisation wave have so far tended to limit themselves to the role of the
churches and to the lesser extent to Islamic communities. ATR has not received the
attention it deserves (Schoffieers : 405).
The reconstruction of African Traditional Religion and African Traditional Healing
systems are the only positive step towards the proper representation of African culture.
This will contribute to the recent efforts to positively represent the traditional religious
heritages of South Africa. If it is motivated by Christian acculturation or even Africanist
revitalization, the process runs the risk of perpetuating the colonial legacy to the extent
that it repeats the inventory approached or abstracts the mentality of 'ubuntu' or African
humanity, from political, social and economic relations (Chidester : 2000 : 15).
Formations such as the NACATR (National Council of African Traditional Religion) and
THO (Traditional Healers Organization) are in line with the promotion of African culture
based on religion and healing just as the constitution of South Africa demands. ''The
primary objects of the commission for the promotion and protection of the rights of
cultural religious and linguistic communities are (a) to promote and respect the rights of
cultural religious and linguistic communities, (b) to promote and develop peace,
friendship, humanity, tolerance, national unity among religious and linguistic
communities on the basis of equality, non-discrimination and freedom of association, and
(c) to recommend the establishment or recognition in accordance with national legislation
of a cultural or other council or councils for a community or communities in South Africa
(The Constitution of the Re.public of South Africa 1996 Chapter 9: 101).Thesis (Ph.D)-University of Durban-Westville, 2001.
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Modiboa, Boikanyo Joel. "The confusion in understanding salvation in church religion by African Christian people as it relates to Salvation in African Traditional religion hampers the building up of the local church." Diss., 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/28846.
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"A critical comparison of the concepts of Modimo (God) in Sotho traditional religion and the concepts of the Christian God as a missiological problem." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/3032.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis states that the concepts of MODIMO [GOD] (Setiloane 1976) in Sotho Traditional Religion are different to the concepts of the Christian God. The notions of MODIMO are panentheistic (all pervading), whilst the notions of the Christian God are monotheistic. The notions of MODIMO are impersonal whilst those of the Christian God are personal. The monotheistic notions of the Christian God are Hellenized (p'Bitek 1970). The task of this thesis is to de-Hellenize
the notions of MODIMO. The Sotho Traditional Religion attributes of deities emphasize their nature and the pragmatism more than their natural and moral attributes. The notions of the Christian God, on the other hand, are conceived through their moral and natural attributes. In addition, the conceptual content of the attributes of the Christian
and Sotho Traditional Religion concepts of deities differ. This investigation seeks to present the Sotho concepts of MODIMO as Basotho would express them, to unearth the Sotho concepts of MODIMO and to present them with the concern and the consciousness of the syncretistic fusion (Kgatla 1992) that has inevitably happened due to contact with missionary Christianity and western culture. One feature of this contact was coercion and domination, as missionary-colonizers imposed their Hellenized concepts of the Christian God, as well as imposing the British capitalist mode of production on the African agrarian and pastoral communities in South Africa. The notion of the cultural superiority of western European culture, in which the missionaries and colonizers were immersed, blinded them. This was because of the 'world' from which they came from. Unfortunately, the Christian God they preached to Africans was a strange deity that had no consideration for African
people as 'full' humans. The African concepts of MODIMO have been resilient and it is possible to unearth them.Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.