Elements to admire in
African Traditional Religions

IN THE RELIGIOUS SPHERE

• There is widespread belief in a supreme God, unique and transcendent.

• Africans have a sense of the sacred and a sense of mystery; there is high reverence for sacred places, persons and objects; 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 and the intentions of these spirits can be ascertained; care is taken to ascertain the will of the spirit to whom sacrifices may be due or from whom protection may be sought.

• Religion enfolds the whole of life, there is no dichotomy between life and religion.

• Ancestors mediate between God and man.

• Belief in the efficacy of intercessory prayer is widespread.

• Bodily purification is required before one may approach to offer sacrifice to God; there are nevertheless provisions for spiritual purification also.

• It is believed that sin harms the public good, hence there are periodical purification rites in order to promote public welfare.

• Worship requires a fundamental attitude of strict discipline and reverence.

• Pardon is final and acknowledged by all: an offence, once forgiven, is never recalled.
  

IN THE RITUAL SPHERE

• Rites form an essential part of social life.
  

• Ancestors and the dead are invoked by rites.
  

• The seasonal cycles and the stages of life are sanctified by ritual action. Ritual attention is given to crisis situations.
  

• The whole person, body and soul, is totally involved in worship.
  

• In worship and sacrifice there is co-responsibility each person contributes his share in a spirit of participation.
  

• Symbols bridge the spheres of the sacred and secular and so make possible a balanced and 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 which involve their families and the community.
  

• Religious sacredness is preserved in ritual, in dress and the arrangements of the places of worship.
  

• Some of the traditional blessings are rich and very meaningful.
  

IN THE RELIGIO-MORAL SPHERE:

• There is respect for life: children are treasured, abortion is an abomination.
  

• 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.
  

• That life makes moral demands is accepted, and this is shown among other things by the sense of the person and attachment to life itself.
  

• Sin is perceived in both its personal and communal dimensions.
  

• Moderation in the use of alcohol is inculcated: only adults may drink. Drunkenness is shameful. Indeed moderation is required in every aspect of human behaviour.
  
  

IN THE RELIGIO-CULTURAL SPHERE:

• 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, riddles and art.
  

• The whole community is involved in the training of the young, and education itself has a necessary community and social aspect.
  

• 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, that is, as able to give direction for living in the circumstances of the present day.
  

• Silence is treasured as a value.
  

• Marriage is an alliance between families and persons; cultural provisions are made to uphold its stability.
  

• Youth is give a gradual initiation to life and society.
  

• Blood alliances bind with a bond that is rarely broken.
  

IN THE RELIGIO-SOCIAL SPHERE:

• Hospitality is a duty and is the most common value in African Traditional Religion all over Africa.
  

• Between kith and kin and 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.
  

• The poor and the sick are taken care of, widows and orphans are looked after.
  

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