ATR and the Origins of Monotheism - Free Essay Example

ATR and the Origins of Monotheism

It is established that the formation of African Initiated Churches (AICs) resulted from the efforts to get a unique African culture and identity. This assumption has emerged to be a popular one even among most of the African theologians, such as Maluleke (1994) being one of them. African culture and identity are preserved in the African Traditional Religion (ATR). Ubuntu’s perspective, or rather communion in African Traditional Religion (ATR), is defined based on the judgment that African life is lived in communal settings. Therefore, establishing how African people within their African Traditional Religion (ATR) relate with each other and how they relate with their ancestors can be of significance to gain more information and so relevant knowledge for further studies. Moreover, Africans who are Christians still show respect for their ancestors to such an extent that they still worship them while at the same time trying hard to maintain their Christian identity.

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In the African setting, God was used to define the moral behaviors of many people. It was established that those who knew God were holier and so morally upright as opposed to others. As can be quoted from one source on God, “Tell me what kind of God you worship and I will tell you who you are!” (God, 2020 pp.1).

Some argue that the Christian faith is defined by the doctrine of monotheism or rather monotheism. That is to say, the Christian faith emerges as being unique among all the religions of the world in the sense that Christians believe God is one even, though there are three who are God (Erickson, 2006 pp.347). For this reason, the Christian theologists have accepted this notion of monotheism as being the heart of the Christian faith. Based on the church’s history, it has proclaimed and confessed that there is one God, thus a monotheistic perspective, yet the same God is in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In this paper, the African Traditional Religion (ATR) is analyzed, and monotheism effects and affects the Africans’ livelihoods.

For instance, according to Raimundo Panikkar, “To be a Christian as a member of Christianity amounts to belonging to one religion among many. It may be more or less pure than others. It would, however, represent not only an abuse of language but an abusive language to denounce other religions as false or incomplete.” (SUMMARY OF CRITICAL POINTS ON THE STUDY OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS, pp.38).

An African Perspective

During the missionary circles, a common notion existed that claimed Africans did not have any religion before the missionaries entered the African continent, thus defining Africa as a “dark” continent. Such a stand explains the Europeans’ dominance through their conquest of the so-called “dark” continent (Africa). This standpoint resulted in Africans’ Europeans’ use of the Christian gospel to declare the (European) superiority (Western) values. The European missionaries were said to have aimed at changing the African culture and undermining the African culture through their arrogance. The missionaries used comparisons to effect their superiority, such that they compared their own culture to the African culture in the sense that they believed their culture was superior. Correspondingly, the missionaries were not only perceived as undermining and changing the African culture but they were also regarded as agents of the colonization of the African continent, to such an extent that they were part and parcel of the same.

In the African concept, the term “bumuntu” is a famous one, which did reveal their identities as human beings. As it can be quoted, “I shall use the Bumuntu memory to retrieve such a vision and to bring into relief what in Africa is viewed as the authentic mode of being human. In so doing, I will explore the notions of historical consciousness, historical memory, and cultural memory through the analysis of traditional literature in both its oral and its written sources,” (Spencer-Walters, 2011 pp.295).

The indigenous counter-movement of the European missionaries was based on the African resistance against being dominated. The Africans offered resistance to domination, religious imperialism, and Western culture, resulting in the division between the white authorities and the Independent African Churches in the 19th century (Maimela, 1991).

However, some believed that the Western religion had not met African aspirations, such as Moila (Moila, 1991 pp.37). In his argument, Moila further claims that Western Christianity did create a severe vacuum in African lives. Moreover, he argues that Western Christianity, or rather religion, had taken away an African religion that was much more useful and functional based on their livelihoods.

African Traditional Religion (ATR)

Most African Christians continued to practice their faith in their ancestors. This practice and phenomenon is due to the African Christians intending to preserve their good relations with the death of their kin or relatives who have departed. Africans respect their ancestors to such an extent that they worship them by performing ancestral rituals, which is seen as being religiously motivated. The ancestral rituals are what reveal the worship of their ancestors. However, Seoka (1997 pp.5) contrasts with this argument and claims that the ancestral rituals and the respect Africans show to their ancestors should not be considered the worship of ancestors. According to the Roman Catholic Church, they practice veneration of the saints instead. However, some find the use of the term “ancestral veneration” strange and uncomfortable due to its foreign origin and having neo-colonial connotations.

Some African terms such as ukuhlabela, gopaasa badimo, and amadlozi are preferred, which are used in explaining the ritual of slaughtering animals. Moreover, according to Seoka (1997 pp.5), ancestors are usually serviced in African Religious customs or rather practices. Seoka does claim this because he feels ancestors are not worshipped, as many would argue. Therefore, Africans talk about umsebenzi kababa or rather umama, which means that the whole event is known as umsebenzi, a service offered to remember or thank the ancestors. However, this is done in a manner that is similar to worshipping the ancestors. Moreover, the term ‘service’ is used in another setting in a church setting to refer to a church service, famously known as a Sunday service; thus, referring to attending a church. In other practices, Africans usually communicate with their ancestors by pouring the beer down and pouring water on the floor or ground; this is aimed at an attempt to seek blessings & good fortunes from their ancestors.

On a similar note, the word “worship” does not appear to be used in many African languages. On the other hand, to worship a human being in the best use of the term ‘worship’ is a strange thing and phenomenon among Africans. Africans do not believe in worshipping a human being; this is a foreign practice to them. However, the word ancestor is used to refer to a human being. In the case of Africans, they worship God alone. Thus, the notion that Africans worship ancestors is a contrasting one, such that ancestral rituals are seen as a sign of worship for a human being (ancestors) by some people. At the same time, Africans themselves believe it is just a sign of respect and a way of asking for good fortune and seeking ancestral blessings. Such a perspective depicts the unclarity in the African Traditional Religion (ATR). For instance, according to Mbiti (1969 pp.178), the use of the term ‘worship’ is disputed even though he accepts that the worship of God, it is accompanied with offerings and sacrifices being directed to at least one of the three: the living dead (or rather, ancestors), the spirits, and God. Correspondingly, sacrifices and offerings are directed to the living dead or rather ancestors and spirits, and invocations and prayers are made.

The perception of worship is also elaborated by Chidester (1992), who states that:

“the answer to this question has turned to a large extent on what might be understood by’worship’, but some commentators argue that ancestors were not worshipped but were treated with the same kind of attention that was owed to living elders.” (p. 11).

It is also established that those who follow the African Traditional Religion (ATR) usually turn to or show respect to the so-called “lesser” beings. The term ‘lesser beings’ is used to refer to the ancestors as well as African divinities. This fact is a result of the differences between Africans and the Supreme Being. As a result of many interrelated religious beliefs from Africans to Europeans, the Jewish people did sense a difference between God and themselves. They started recognizing other gods or rather beings that were closer to God over themselves.

In unique contexts, some African terms such as abaphansi, swikwembu, izinyanya, or badimo are similar to using words that emerge to be seen as stronger than the term ancestors. For instance, anyone familiar with South African languages is aware that the term badimodoes refers to the gods. Correspondingly, a similar stand is correct as per the Shangaan language since, in this language, Xikwembu refers to God, which is in the singular. That swikwembu relates to the ancestors, which is in the plural and means “the gods.” The above terms are closely related based on Christianity in Africa and African gods, which refer to the ancestral spirits. In this case, the ancestral spirits are known to be part and parcel of the African divinities.

For instance, Africans were known to have places where they did communicate with their ancestors. For example, Chidester (1992) states that:

“It is in that room or hut where the ritual elder places a piece of fat from the slaughtered animal on the fire, to be wholly consumed for the ancestors.” (pp. 10).

African Trinity and Monotheism

The notion of the Holy Trinity among Africans is established without a definition of the position and role of Jesus Christ. In this case, the human perspective does play a significant role in the contexts of biblical studies such that sin is not determined in terms of Africans' perspective towards God, but rather viewed through the wrongs that the oppressors and colonizers perpetuate on Africans. Such a fact could be responsible for most African theologists not attempting to triune God in their discussions.

For instance, monotheism in the revolutionary monotheism of Akhenaten, the origin of monotheism is discussed. As it can be quoted:

“King Amenophis IV, who changed his name to Akhenaten and ruled Egypt for seventeen years in the middle of the fourteenth century BCE, is the founder of a monotheistic counter-religion in human history,” (Jan, 1997 pp. 169).

Furthermore, given that the African Traditional Religion (ATR) does recognize the worship of other gods, as established in the above arguments, does it not mean the same as polytheism? Based on one theologian Ogbonnaya (1994 pp.21), defines polytheism as being that which separates the divine nature into many distinct parts. He further states that polytheism is a term of Western conception. According to Ogbonnaya, polytheism and monotheism do not do justice to the African Traditional Religion (ATR). Due to the inadequacy in the terms polytheism and monotheism, another category of terms is introduced, that is “divine as a community,” which is taken as being a more acceptable and satisfying way of defining the African Traditional Religion (ATR); it also explains the conception of divinity as per the African concepts. Correspondingly, divine communalism among Africans is viewed as the divine is a community of gods.