African Traditional Religions in Contemporary Society

Book Overview

Once relegated to the realm of "primitive" and stigmatized as "pagan," today there is a new acknowledgment of the importance of African traditional religions, especially in its stress on folk practices, communal values, and personal relationships.

This volume of fourteen chapters examines the nature, structure, and significance of African traditional religion(s) as dynamic, changing tradition(s). It analyzes and interprets several significant aspects of African religions and explores their possible contributions to national development and the modernization process. It also examines the impact of social change on African religion today. The contributors are scholars from several disciplines (anthropology, sociology, history of religions, theology, literature and the arts); yet, in analysis and interpretation of their data, they all take transcendence and the sacred in African thought very seriously. The newness of this approach is in treating African traditional religion not as a fossil but rather as one of the most important building blocks of modern African life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892260793
• ISBN13: 9780892260799
• Release Date: April 1991
• Publisher: Paragon House Publishers
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

ATR

Not quite what I was looking for. I was looking for more of an introductory book to African Religions, but ATR served my purpose just as well. It is agood book for more advance students.

The birth of beautiful things

This book is one of the few published titles that address traditional African cultures and debates the effects of foreign elements upon them. These include Islam, Christianity, Colonialisation, and globalalisation a.k.a. Neo-Colonialism,[read Alex Jones to know the detrimental effects of the latter]. The reviewer above is probably uncomfortable or unappreciative of the diverse research from diiferent regions, about different issues that relate universally (in many cases) to all traditional cultures on the continent. Perhaps the sophistication of the thoughts also repels those who wish to relish simple Africa. African Religion and philosophy has so much to other the world. It is part of a field still in its infancy from being the subject it shall become and the significance equated to it. This will link African thought of antiquity with the present showing the common world view, such as Karenga- Maat, (which is priceless!!!!!). What is so nice is hearing educated informed Africans speak their mind, letting their own opinions be heard. African-centred individuals need to read Mbiti books and others who deal with the sybolism of traditional art [La Gamma], in order to Free Your Mind. It got the fifth star for the very important information I gained regarding the Ila(Zambia) belief which deals with the person and the holistic interpretation of the diffent aspects of a human. Peace blessings Ready for Revolution Stokely Carmicheal