Together as One: Interfaith Relationships Between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. There is much discussion among African … The natives started to fight for the gods by ostracizing the Christian converts. : (Interfaith Series, Vol. Man quickly broke the covenants and that is what has caused a separation Creator God and humans. According to the 2006 Census of Nigeria, the Igbo population is estimated to be around 21 million, whereas the land area is about 15,800 square miles. Traditional music and song, drama, and dance were totally denounced as bad and immoral. In the Igbo language, there are so many dialects, which are mutually intelligible. Religion is closely bound up with the traditional way of African life; therefore, religion has shaped the lives of Africans, at the same time life has shaped religion as well. So, according to Nze Ugwoshie Madu (oral interview, 2015), in situations where a diviner or dibịa (native doctor) was consulted for solutions to family problem to appease the gods, Christian converts in the family insisted that prayer through their priests would be the solution. This site uses cookies. The traditionalists frowned at it but the new Christian converts did not mind having Christian fellowship with the outcasts. They would insist on the completion of such traditional marriage rites as a sort of punishment to the husband, which ordinarily they would have overlooked. II) PDF, remember to follow the button beneath and download the ebook or get access to additional information which are have conjunction with TOGETHER You can be signed in via any or all of the methods shown below at the same time. These statements await further exploration by African theologians. But in the present-day Igbo nation, ohu, in some Igbo states have their freedom but for osu, it is not yet fully practiced. The wanton destruction of lives and property triggered by these conflicts has resulted in the topic under review. A typical example is found in Achebe’s (1958)Things Fall Apart, where Okonkwo, the protagonist, had to flee from Ụmụọfịa for 7 years for committing homicide, a crime particularly abhorrent to the earth (Ala). For instance, after performing the full traditional marriage rites, the church wedding will follow. This brought the first physical conflict between the traditional religionists and the Christians in that part of Igbo nation. He not only bought his freedom but also went ahead to found the Opobo Kingdom where he became the king. Igbo people believe in reincarnation but it is only those who lived good lives who are believed to be capable of coming back to human form. After sometime, a year or more, the second burial would take place with a lot more elaborate ceremonies than the first. So, with the advent of Christianity in 1857, the traditional religion had a serious rival. These children were adolescents and they were campaigners for converts. She notes further that “Igbo began to diverge from other related languages, such as Edo and Yoruba 4,600 years ago” (Isichei, 1976, p. 3). It is no longer an abomination for a free born to marry an osu/ohu because an enterprising ohu could buy back his freedom and could marry into the household of his master. The poor and the widow take consolation in ọfọ, especially in land cases, for without the fear of the ọfọ, they will be maltreated by the rich and powerful and from the name such as Ọfọbuike (ọfọ is strength), you see that the Igbo regard ofọ very highly. Sometimes, according to Mr. Iweobi, Sunday (oral interview, 2013), it might be that the deceased was maltreated, and his in-laws would not let go. religion of these natives is their existence and existence is their religion. Concretely, the values and the ritual rites of the traditional religion of the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria were analyzed side by side with the Christian values and ritual rites. Members of _ can log in with their society credentials below, Chukwuma O. Okeke, Christopher N. Ibenwa, and Gloria Tochukwu Okeke, This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (. Man has dominion over them, and as such, can kill and eat them. They opposed the traditional second burial rites. (Interfaith Series, Vol. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. : (Interfaith Series, Vol. Diviners are consulted to find out the cause of death. But they forgot that apart from August, named after Caesar Augustus, that January to December are all names of Jewish deities, see Ozioko, 2016, for details). This supreme being is viewed in different forms and dwelling places, yet he is the almighty. These agents were very active in molding the attitude of the converts, especially the young, toward the traditional society. It is also a measure of justice and fair play. . The study further adopted the qualitative descriptive and comparative methods in the analysis of data so collected. It is received by oral authority by one generation and transmitted by the same process to subsequent generations and, thus, has effect of being widely diffused among its adherents and of deeply coloring their consciousness. The Igbo, according to Ilogu (1974), believe that sometimes the dead ancestor may reincarnate into their agnatic families. It exhibits for this very traditional peculiarity highly ontological phenomena, pertaining to the question of existence and being. These secondary materials helped the researchers to know the state of the art and make a qualitative analysis of the issues involved in the topic. Ùá1ƒã«Ÿ"ì7$XøŒ˜Ô9Xª×í˜ÄÑğ�yÃöyy…¶b GNpLàÿÀæÀĞ°ª!‡9€áƒ€èކ¼I&¦mŒxo0+È+ğ4°4ÕÌc¹ÂÀº�ÍAì@5c. The Igbo, apart from their belief in the great God conceived as transcendental and incomprehensible, also believe in a pantheon of lesser deities, such as Ala (earth goddess), Ufiejiọkụ (god of agriculture), Idemili (god of water), Agwụ (god of medicine, divination, and possession), and so forth. From the above conflicts, we can see that although Christianity has made some impact on Igbo people, it has not totally changed their worldview. The Igbo people, who profess traditional religion, worship the Supreme Being through many minor gods or divinities. Schon and his associates at the shores of the River Niger. And, their traditional parents and or guardians see this as rebellion that deserves punishment because they believe that the sin of one member of the family affects the whole family. This Ikenga has to be celebrated, vitalized, and consecrated before it becomes effective. The historical origin of the Igbo is not yet certain because of the different views by historians and archeologists. Chukwuma O. Okeke, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the Department of Linguistics, Igbo and Other Nigerian Languages, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Together as One: Interfaith Relationships Between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. . In most Igbo societies, you do not take action against someone who offends you without first of all sending him ogu at least three times. At different times and places, there were face-to-face encounter with Christians and traditionalists, because the early Christian missionaries behaved like social revolutionaries. Christians have no puberty ceremonial rites. Agbaogwugwu people of Enugu state call such reincarnated child agụ m (my rib), whereas it is called ogbo m (myself) in Ngwo and most towns in Eziagu and Udi LGAs of Enugu State, including many other towns (Okposi, Abankeleke, Uburu, etc.) Together as One: Interfaith Relationships Between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. Perhaps, this explains why Wotogbe-Weneka (2013) opines, “The huge resource that would otherwise be generated through tourism industry which is encouraged by government nowadays is lost through reckless destruction of sacred groves” (p. 10). : (Interfaith Series, Vol. Ọfọ has various types, namely, ọfọala (ọfọ for mother Earth), ọfọ ụmụnna (ọfọ for the kinsmen), ọfọọzọ (ọfọ for titled men), ọfọ dibia (ọfọ for diviners), and so forth. From the above, we can see that the indigenous Igbo man still holds tenaciously to the cult of Ala, and the entire spirit world is believed to have its abode under the physical earth on which the people live and derive their sustenance. Jomo Kenyatta, in … It symbolizes innocence (Uwalaka, 1996). In most parts of Igbo land, ogu is closely connected with ọfọ. in Ebonyi State. Every Igbo man has his own personal image or figure of Chi and the Ikenga (Isichei, 1976), and everyone reveres the ancestral spirits (referred to as Ndị nna anyị [“Our fathers”]). To read Together as One: Interfaith Relationships Between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. For many Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, it is religion more than anything else that shapes their worldview and participation in social life6. The traditionalist performs some ritualistic ceremonies before burying a dead person. : (Interfaith Series, Vol. “The propagators of the crisis are all Christians,” said Sir Ogbonna. African Traditional Religion, … No worship in traditional religion is complete without prayer and pouring of libation to ancestors. It is unavoidable in human interaction. Not only that, ọfọ to him symbolizes fair play, innocence, trust, good luck, peace, equity, sacredness, good moral conduct, good leadership, accountability, and honesty. Ala, according to Iwe (1985), is the sustainer of all lives and fertility. In Anambra state (one of the major Igbo states in Nigeria), eke (the royal python) is regarded as a totem and nobody can deliberately kill it without incurring the ostracism of the people. Tradition had it that the fishes were not allowed to be touched or killed, for they were dedicated to the god of the stream, but the Christian converts caught and ate them just to show that the gods of the stream had no powers to harm them, because God created all things for man’s use. Sign in here to access free tools such as favourites and alerts, or to access personal subscriptions, If you have access to journal content via a university, library or employer, sign in here, Research off-campus without worrying about access issues. Instead, they bury the dead wives in the church cemeteries of their husbands’ town or in their husbands’ compounds. Language: English . Often coercion is used to force Christians to perform the naming rites. Manuscript content on this site is licensed under Creative Commons Licenses. It is a taboo in most Igbo communities and in fact, an abomination for a free born to get married an Osu/Ohu. The “pollution” of childbirth may be performed after three native days depending on the part of Igbo nation. For more information view the SAGE Journals Sharing page. Chief Obiora, Stephen (oral interview, 2013) notes that the possession of Ikenga comes at a time when the individual has obtained a measure of independence from his father and is able to build his own family. The African traditional He is often distant from humans because of some bad actions of humans. Suffice it to note the following: If the sacrifices that God allowed our Father in faith, Abraham, to perform, and the circumcision which God ordered Abraham to undergo in terms of the Old Covenant, have been superseded by the supreme sacrifice of Christ, it consequently follows that all traditional African practices such as circumcision, divination and the sacrificing of animals and birds … This is the ceremony of finding out the ancestral relationship of the newborn child through divination. Finally, it helped in refining some obnoxious beliefs and practices of the Igbo race. The Christians should take it as their duty to teach and explain to the traditionalists the objective definition of religion. In most cases, the individual would suspect that someone had used evil magic, sorcery, or witchcraft against him or his household, animals, or fields. 216 x 140 mm. But Dr. Ekweremadu Boniface (oral interview, 2015) draws our attention to the fact that traditional religionists pray and pour libation to worthy ancestors believed to have lived righteously during their lifetime on earth. The ancestor becomes the tutelary spirit of the child and sees to the well-being of the child. Despite these reasons and threats, Christianity began to win converts in Igbo land. He is looked upon as the fountain of justice. If the second burial was not performed, according to Mr. Enem, Ignatius (oral interview, 2015), the proper inheritance of the late father’s property could not be finally settled (the above practice according to him is still in existence in some Igbo communities such as Iwolo, Nenwe and Nkanu in Enugu State, Ohaozaro, and Abiriba in Abia State). Ogu creates an atmosphere for peaceful settlement. Influences of Christian Religion on African Traditional Religion And Value System Ibenwa, Christopher Ndubuisi Social Sciences Unit, School of General Studies. But Christian doctors are unlike medicine men of the traditional religion of the Igbo. It arrived in Igbo land in 1857. He also translated Animal Farm into the Igbo language. Christians are opposed to this kind of ceremony. people’s world view is defined as the complex of their beliefs and attitudes concerning the nature, structure and interaction of beings in the universe with particular reference to man” (p. 52). The Igbo regard these ancestors as the special guardians of morality and create shrines in their honor, as well as creating symbolic references to their existence. Presently, the ambulance may stop over at the dead wife’s paternal compound and the corpse saluted with many canon guns shots. Igbo traditional worldview reveals that the journey that man makes in a lifetime and after his death is cyclical. The objects of Igbo religion and worship in the strict sense according to Ejizu (2010) in http://www.culturalnormsofIgbos.religion.acare threefold: God, nonhuman spirits, and the ancestors. Another area of conflict is polygamy. : (Interfaith Series, Vol. . Most of these groves house costly masks that were traded by barter for a piece of singlet, sugar, or mirror to the missionaries, which today are displayed for tourist attraction in many European museums. He is often distant from humans because of some bad actions of humans. Moreover, the moral conflict (which, in some cases, had been the result of clash in conscience experienced by individual Christians between the tenets of Christianity and those of the traditional religion) was not the official support given by Christian authorities against the traditional religion and its followers, but was purely the effect of a clash in religious beliefs, which naturally existed between the adherents of the traditional religion and those of the Christian faith in Igbo nation. Christians condemned magic; they use prayers and sacrament to drive away dangers and difficulties. Christians were opposed to almost all the methods, which the traditionalists used when they were ill, or when they got misfortune and suffering. In the traditional society, when something goes wrong in the welfare of the individual or his family, he immediately wondered who had caused it to happen. ‎The Nigerian religious landscape is characterized by series of violence leading to bloodshed, loss of thousands of life and property worth billions of Naira. The villagers of the different Igbo communities think that diseases were cured by these doctors with drugs and not by any ritual ceremony as they believed. Of course, some Christians do resist. Hence, this book raises such crucial questions as: How… Songs and Dances . The waiting stage before the incorporation of the deceased into the world of the dead is called transitional period of the deceased. Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. In line with this view, Boer (1976) says that the early Christian had bitter conflicts with the authorities that arose over how precisely to confess what the church believes about the person of Jesus Christ. The church authorities should sermonize and try as much as possible to encourage the adherents of traditional religion to drop those obnoxious practices that make their religion look evil. Islam and Christianity. Restrictive and Supportive Mechanisms for Female Directors’ Risk-Avers... BMI, Body Perception, and Approach to Eating and Diet in Adolescent Gi... Hi-Fi, Middle Brow? This bitter conflict has led to wanton destruction of lives and property, and this has become a source of great worry to the writers. Finally, it has helped in refining some obnoxious beliefs and practices of the Igbo race. They frown at the practice of carrying the corpse of a dead wife back to her father’s compound or even stopping over as we have seen. The study validates the facts that there is occasional destruction of lives and property and demolition of the people’s artifacts and groves by Christians, and this has led to a reduction in the sources of economic generation of traditional religionists. The essential role of Chi concept is seen in the Igbo proverb, which says Onye kwe, chi ya ekwe (when one says yes, his personal god says yes). Both oral interviews and library materials were used. They argue that the Christian marriage and many Christian families are failures in traditional marriage life, going by the number of Christian divorces prevalent now. Other material wealth such as gold, money, and many other ornaments were buried with dead bodies. The action pained and annoyed the traditional worshippers. The method adopted by this study is qualitative and comparative. Conflict is a reality. Nwozuzu (2008) groups the Igbo dialect into eight major dialect groups: Igbo religion is traditional according to Mbiti (1970), in the sense that it is rooted in their culture. For more information view the SAGE Journals Article Sharing page. Ikenga is usually owned by every adult male who has attained manhood. It is necessary to have the perception of the basic concept of the word “conflict” before exploring the extensive area of conflicts between African Traditional Religion and Christianity. This work investigates the conflicts existing between the two religions since the introduction of Christianity in Igbo land. God is esteemed by both African religion and Christianity as both the very ground being, and the necessary of life, and any form of being or existence, such as the creation itself. The father, who is the head of the home, prays very early in the morning before he could even greet anybody. What the Bible is to the Christians, ọfọ is also to the traditional Igbo people. Those who profess Christianity, worship God directly through church services, prayers, songs, meditation, and through other various services. His areas of interest are the Igbo language and culture, and translation. There was no known cure for some deadly diseases, which went wild rapidly and caused a heavy death toll among the people. The personal god, chi, is what they call the guardian deity deputizing for Chukwu. The Igbo feared that if they become Christians, their gods would bring disaster to them. But conflicts later started creeping in from some converted Christians who felt that because they had been converted to Christianity, that they were no longer bound by the norms of the traditional religion. They thought that they could violate with impunity, the sanctions of the traditional religion. Presently in her PhD dissertation, she is researching on the best language teaching method to be adopted in the teaching of the Igbo language and culture in Nigerian secondary schools. If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. It is important to note that the Osu caste system officially, has been abolished by the Eastern House of Assembly. FundingThe author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Such people included traditionalists, missionaries, scholars of church history, and so forth. II) By Hyacinth Kalu iUniverse, United States, 2011. Everyone is in fact a religious carrier. Paperback. Because every family in Igbo land is made up of Christians and traditionalists, they should not shun one another but should discuss their differences, especially the Christians who are in the majority. What most early Christians in Anambra area did was to kill the eke Idemili (the sacred python belonging to Idemili deity) deliberately and use them as food. 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