African Spirituality
Central Belief
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History
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Inspiration
If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom. ~ African proverb
In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams. ~ Nigerian proverb
The fool speaks, the wise man listens. ~ Ethiopian proverb
When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him.
~Ashanti Proverb
Wisdom is wealth. ~ Swahili
Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it. ~ Akan proverb
The fool speaks, the wise man listens.
~ Ethiopian proverb
Wisdom does not come overnight.
~ Somali proverb
The heart of the wise man lies quiet like limpid water. ~ Cameroon proverb
Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others. ~ Hema (DRC) proverb
Only a wise person can solve a difficult problem. ~ Akan proverb
Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand. ~ Guinean proverb
In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.
~ Nigerian proverb
If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom. ~ African proverb
A wise person will always find a way.
~ Tanzanian proverb
Nobody is born wise. ~ African proverb
A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning. ~Kenyan proverb
Wisdom is not like money to be tied up and hidden. ~ Akan proverb
Sacrad Text
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Special Days
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Region
Geography
Additional Information
(Please bear in mind, Africa is a large and diverse continent. There are huge lengths of history involving different beliefs rising and falling. These are only a few of the more widespread and generic beliefs of Afrocentric Religions)
Religious Beliefs
- There is widespread belief in a supreme God, unique and transcendent.
- There is a deep sense of the sacred and a sense of mystery; sacred times are celebrated.
- Belief in the afterlife is incorporated in myths and in funeral ceremonies.
- The invisible world of spirits and ancestors is always present; the intentions of these spirits can be discerned.
- Religion enfolds the whole of life.
- Ancestors mediate between God and man.
- Belief in the use of intercessory prayer is widespread.
- It is believed that sin harms public good, periodical purification rites promote public welfare.
- Worship requires a fundamental attitude of strict discipline and reverence.
- Pardon is final and acknowledged by all: an offense, once forgiven, is never recalled.
Rituals
- Rites form an essential part of social life; rich and meaningful traditions.
- Ancestors and the dead are invoked by rites.
- The seasonal cycles and the stages of life are sanctified by ritual action.
- The whole person, body and soul, is totally involved in worship.
- In worship and sacrifice there is co-responsibility; each person contributes his share.
- Symbols bridge the spheres of the sacred and secular for a balanced, unified view of reality.
- Rites of passage, of initiation and of consecration are widespread.
- There are many rites of purification of individuals and communities.
- The sick are healed in rites involving their families and the community.
- Religious sacredness is preserved in ritual, in dress and the places of worship.
Cultural Values
- Attention is given to locating man within his environment and making him feel at home in it.
- Tradition is handed down through stories, poems, hymns, proverbs, art.
- The whole community is involved in the training and education of the young.
- The moral education of youth is taken seriously.
- Life has a festive dimension and is celebrated in adequate rites.
- Old folk are held in high esteem. The community regards their wisdom as prophetic, to give direction for living in the present day.
- Silence is treasured as a value.
- Marriage is an alliance between families and persons; cultural provisions support it.
Social Values
- Hospitality is a duty and is the most common value in African Traditional Religion all over Africa.
- Between people of the same clan, there is a very strong sense of sharing and of solidarity and belonging.
- Efforts are made to secure and promote justice and peace within the community.
- The nuclear family and the extended family have been the pivots of the African social system.
- Respect for authority, sanctioned by the ancestors, is strong and represents the common will.
- Care for the poor and the sick, widows and orphans.
Moral Values
- There is respect for life: children are treasured, abortion is not condoned.
- The sacredness of human life is guarded by taboos and rituals.
- There is respect for the dignity of man; each man has his own inalienable chi (“selfhood”, “destiny”).
- To be faithful in undertakings is regarded as becoming a man.
- Sin is perceived in both its personal and communal dimensions.
- Moderation in the use of alcohol and required in every aspect of behavior; only adults may drink.
- Drunkenness is shameful.