Christianity and African Indigenous Religion

Resumo
Este artigo analisa o lugar da religião sobretudo dos actores cristãos e muçulmanos organizados no discurso político moçambicano contemporâneo. Parte-se da hipótese de que a invocação de Deus e das instituições religiosas tem servido, por diferentes actores e em distintos momentos históricos, como recurso simbólico e prático para mobilizar apoio social, legitimar estratégias e negociar poder. Propõe-se uma leitura que combina ciência política e comunicação política e apresentam-se também notas pessoais resultantes da observação e do trabalho.

Abstract

This article examines the role of religion—particularly organized Christian and Muslim actors—in contemporary Mozambican political discourse. It starts from the hypothesis that the invocation of God and religious institutions has, at different historical moments and by various actors, served as both a symbolic and practical resource to mobilize social support, legitimize strategies, and negotiate power. The article proposes an analysis that combines political science and political communication perspectives and also includes personal notes derived from observation and fieldwork.

The violent dispossession of land in South Africa disrupted more than just homes-it severed Black South Africans from a sacred, ancestral connection to land as a source of identity, belonging, and spiritual dwelling. This article examines how forced removals displaced not only bodies but also histories, memories, and the deep-rooted sense of ikhaya (home). Rooted in the concept of endleleni (being on the road/along the road), this study explores how amaXhosa navigate the in-between journey of landlessness and homecoming. Using indigenous storytelling methodology, it reveals how land is not merely for shelter or sustenance but is intricately tied to birth, the umbilical cord, and death, making its reclamation a fight for existence itself.

In the twentieth century, God raised many faith giants among Africans for Africans and the whole world. These faith heroes contributed immensely to the decolonization, indigenization, and expansion of Christianity in Africa and the Global South. Among these highly spiritually invested Africans was a Beninese-Nigerian carpenter, Samuel Biléou Joseph Oschoffa (1909-1985). He was educated in the Methodist tradition before the Lord called him to lead one of the most significant African prophetic-charismatic indigenous movements, the Celestial Church of Christ. This article explores his life, ministerial legacies, and theology.

Introduction

The concept of the Heavenly Holy Spirit is central to Christian theology, serving as the divine presence that empowers, guides, and transforms believers. In 1 Peter 1:12 (NIV), the Apostle Peter emphasises the significance of the God’s Holy Spirit from Heaven in the life of the believer, asserting that those who are filled with the Holy Spirit are called to reflect the holiness of God. This paper aims to explore the implications of this passage, particularly in the context of spiritual authenticity and the discernment of spirits.

The Nature of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is often described as the third person of the Trinity, embodying the essence of God and acting as a divine agent in the world. According to Peter, the Holy Spirit is not merely a force but a transformative presence that sanctifies believers, making them "holy as [God] is holy" (1 Peter 1:16, NIV). This holiness is not an inherent quality of the individual but a reflection of God's character, imparted through the Holy Spirit.

The Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit

The transformative power of the Holy Spirit is a recurring theme in Christian doctrine. As Rev. Mokgosi T. (2025) notes, the Holy Spirit changes individuals from the inside out, enabling them to embody the character of Christ. This transformation is essential for authentic Christian living, as it equips believers to fulfill their God-given mission. The Holy Spirit reveals God's will and directs believers toward areas where divine intervention is needed, aligning their actions with God's purposes.

The Turkana people of Kenya are primarily oral learners, processing information
in oral ways. Oral learners are completely reliant on what they hear, see, and experience
because they cannot or choose not to read.1 Missionaries from highly literate western
cultures unwittingly burdened these oral learners with literacy dependent teaching
methods and discipleship practices. This has particularly left Turkana Christian leaders
with few options for deepening their own Christian spirituality or leading others in
discipleship. Additionally, a cultural disconnect between western spiritual categories
taught by the missionaries and Turkana spiritual categories have left several Turkana
spiritual needs unmet.

The Turkana Christians clearly need a culturally appropriate oral education by
missionaries instead of the current systems. These systems created a crippling deficit in
Turkana Christian spiritual formation and discipleship practices. This deficit creates an
opportunity to design a discipleship model that will meet the culturally specific needs
among the Turkana people, equipping and empowering them to make disciples and grow
spiritually. This model includes: small community discipleship and accountability
groups, oral telling of Bible stories connected to the overarching story of the Bible, robust
discussion around the story told, applications discovered with the guiding of the Holy
Spirit, and the use of culturally appropriate oral arts to help participants remember and
share what they have learned.

Chapter one explores the ministry problem and the nature of oral learning.
Chapter two examines the use of orality in the Bible. Chapter three traces orality through
church history and into recent uses. Chapter four decodes the learning preferences and
cultural worldview of the Turkana. Chapter five presents the proposed discipleship
model. Chapter six considers opportunities for further research, ministry challenges, and
the conclusion.

1 W. J. Moon, "Fad or Renaissance? Misconceptions of the Orality Movement," International
Bulletin of Mission Research 40, no. 1 (2016): 12, https://doi.org/10.1177/2396939315625979.
Find this dissertation at https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/660/

The paper critically examined the multifaceted role of religion or religious education in shaping contemporary national security strategies, with a specific focus on its dynamic intersections with the four primary instruments of national power: information, diplomacy, military, and economics. The study advanced the argument that deliberate integration of religious education and religious institutions into national security policymaking can serve as a catalyst for enhanced stability, social cohesion, and the promotion of universal rights, particularly religious freedom. The paper demonstrated how religious education and religious institutions function as critical elements in security ecosystems. This influence extends from grassroots conflict mediation to shaping transnational ideological narratives. The research highlighted three key mechanisms through which religion intersects with security paradigms: as a normative framework influencing just war doctrines and ethical combat principles, as a network infrastructure enabling both radicalization and peace building, and as a socio-political force that can either challenge or legitimize state authority. The study further investigated the strategic value of engaging religious leaders and faithbased organizations in security architecture. The paper concluded with a set of actionable policy recommendations, emphasizing the need for developing religious literacy programmes within security agencies, establishing formalized channels for faith-based civil society participations in security policymaking, and implementing metrics to assess the impact of religious freedom on national stability indices.

This study examined the roles and cultural significance of Dagomba praise singers, praise singing, and praise naming in Northern Ghana. Central to the socio-cultural fabric of Dagomba society, these oral traditions preserve cultural identity, perpetuate historical narratives, and promote communal values. Guided by performance theory, the research investigated the nature of praise singing among the Dagomba people and the role of the praise singer within their cultural context. The study adopted a qualitative approach, utilizing purposive sampling methods to select bards, chiefs, and community members connected to royalty, who are primary targets of praise singing, and field notes, enabling a comprehensive understanding of these traditions. Findings revealed that Dagomba praise singing is deeply rooted in the community's oral heritage, serving as a medium for the praise singer's role as a reservoir of history, honoring achievements, and reinforcing social cohesion. The praise singer emerged as a cultural custodian, mediator, and performer, whose roles extend beyond entertainment to include preserving heritage and adapting traditional practices to contemporary contexts. The interplay between singing, naming, and the roles of praise singers underscored their collective contribution to the enduring relevance of Dagomba traditions. This study highlights the intricate connection between oral traditions and cultural identity and sheds light on their significance in preserving the Dagomba heritage amidst evolving societal dynamics.

The shifting relationship between state and religion has historically been a contested space, and the focus of much scholarship. It is important for observers to understand this unstable boundary, so that neither political nor religious actors undermine democratic freedoms. Calvin D. Ullrich, a theologian and philosopher of religion, examines the evolution of the state-religion context in South Africa.

The study analyses Henry Venn's Three-Self Mission Model's influence on the Vision 3000 church planting initiative of the Assemblies of God Ghana (2015-2019). Rooted in AOGG's historical commitment to the 3S mission model, also applied to Vision 3000's operation. Through in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and thorough archival analysis, the study examines how the principles of self-governance, self-propagation, and self-support shaped both the achievements and limitations of this church planting program. The research reveals that the model facilitated significant growth with 2117 new churches established (70% of the target) of the initial target of 3000 churches. It also highlighted the complex tension between centralised oversight and local autonomy. The study demonstrates that Venn's model effectiveness varied significantly across different socioeconomic contexts, with resource disparities and leadership development emerging as critical challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic's impact further exposed vulnerabilities in the 3S mission framework, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions. This research contributes to ongoing discussions about contextualising mission models in African Christianity, suggesting the need for hybrid approaches that balance Indigenous empowerment with flexible support mechanisms. The findings provide insights for church planting initiatives in similar contexts, emphasising the importance of adaptive implementation strategies that consider local economic and social realities. Keywords Three-self mission model, assemblies of god Ghana, vision 3000, church growth, indigenous church development

The study analyses Henry Venn's Three-Self Mission Model's influence on the Vision 3000 church planting initiative of the Assemblies of God Ghana (2015–2019). Rooted in AOGG's historical commitment to the 3S mission model, also applied to Vision 3000's operation. Through in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and thorough archival analysis, the study examines how the principles of self-governance, self-propagation, and self-support shaped both the achievements and limitations of this church planting program. The research reveals that the model facilitated significant growth with 2117 new churches established (70% of the target) of the initial target of 3000 churches. It also highlighted the complex tension between centralised oversight and local autonomy. The study demonstrates that Venn's model effectiveness varied significantly across different socio-economic contexts, with resource disparities and leadership development emerging as critical challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic's impact further exposed vulnerabilities in the 3S mission framework, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions. This research contributes to ongoing discussions about contextualising mission models in African Christianity, suggesting the need for hybrid approaches that balance Indigenous empowerment with flexible support mechanisms. The findings provide insights for church planting initiatives in similar contexts, emphasising the importance of adaptive implementation strategies that consider local economic and social realities.

A community's conception of God is the central point for much of the rest of its belief. It might even be thought of as supplying the whole framework within which the community is constructed, lives its life, conducts its activities, and relates to non-human forms of life. Looking at the human and non-human forms of life relations from this perspective, the current environmental crisis may be seen as a theological problem. Our perceptions of who God is and who we are shape our actions in the direction of a just and sustainable society. Thus, how Akan Christians relate to non-human forms of life may largely depend on their social construction of God-nature relations. If one sees oneself as superior to nonhuman forms of life, then one will act in ways that support this position and therefore maintain one's superiority. This suggests the importance of communities' conception of God-nature relations in our effort to address the current environmental crisis. This contribution offers reflection on the Akan concept of God and its implications for justice, peace, and sustainability.

This article explores the cultural, social, and political significance of Nigerian female drummers who challenge long-standing gender norms and reclaim traditionally male-dominated musical spaces. Focusing on Aralola Olamuyiwa (Ara) and Blessing Ibrahim (Starblessing), the study highlights how these women navigate cultural expectations, religious restrictions, and institutional barriers to establish themselves as respected drummers within Nigerian music traditions. Drawing on theories of gender performativity (Butler), cultural entrepreneurship (Swedberg, Gehman), and embodiment (Merleau-Ponty, Csordas), the article positions drumming not only as a musical act but also as a site of resistance, identity-making, and social transformation. Through ethnographic methods including interviews, digital ethnography, and performance analysis, the article uncovers the strategies used by these drummers to assert their presence, build their personal brands, and engage in cultural advocacy. Ara's mastery of the talking drum disrupts the Yorùbá cultural belief systems that have historically excluded women from drumming due to spiritual taboos and patriarchal ideologies. Her innovation in blending traditional rhythms with contemporary styles has created a genre she terms "Gangan Fusion." Starblessing, on the other hand, has leveraged digital platforms to build a global following, utilizing her technical skill on the drum set to assert authority and visibility in genres like gospel, Fuji, and Afrobeats. The article situates these drummers within broader transnational movements that include women percussionists from Latin America and West Africa. It argues that their careers exemplify the potential of cultural entrepreneurship to drive both cultural preservation and social change. By reframing musical spaces through performance and innovation, Ara and Starblessing demonstrate how embodied musical practices can become powerful tools of resistance and empowerment. Their work not only challenges the hegemonic masculinization of rhythm but also contributes to global conversations on gender equity in music and the dynamic evolution of African musical traditions.

Objective: to understand health practices of black, elderly people in a terreiro community (community of followers of traditional African-Brazilian religions). Method: qualitative descriptive study under the Black-African paradigm of civilization constituted by the Black-African cultural complex and the structuring elements of the African cosmovision. Semi-structured interviews were carried out from July to September 2013, with six black older people from a terreiro community in Porto Alegre, RS. Results: thematic content analysis resulted in the following categories: Ancestry; Belonging: the way to know and practice health; Health knowledge and practices in terreiro communities; and Complementarity: promoting health in the terreiro and traditional medicine and its respective subcategories. Conclusion: the study understood the importance of having a knowledge of the practices of African traditions in both the lifestyle and health of the older black population to help with nursing planning and interventions in response to their needs. Descriptors: Aged; Health; African Continental Ancestry Group; Nursing; Culture. RESUMO Objetivo: compreender as práticas de saúde na ótica do idoso negro em uma comunidade de terreiro. Método: estudo qualitativo, descritivo, sob o referencial do paradigma civilizatório negro-africano constituído pelo complexo cultural negroafricano e pelos elementos estruturantes da cosmovisão africana. Realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas, de julho a setembro de 2013, com seis idosos negros que pertenciam a uma comunidade de terreiro em Porto Alegre, RS. Resultados: da análise de conteúdo temática emergiram as categorias: Ancestralidade; O caminho para saber e fazer saúde; Saberes e práticas em saúde na comunidade de terreiro; e Complementaridade: fazer saúde no terreiro e medicina tradicional e suas respectivas subcategorias. Conclusão: compreendeu-se a importância dos saberes e práticas das tradições de matriz africana no modo de viver e na forma de produção de saúde sob a ótica do idoso negro o que contribui para o planejamento e intervenções de enfermagem adequadas às necessidades dessa população idosa. Descritores: Idoso; Saúde; Grupo com Ancestrais do Continente Africano; Enfermagem; Cultura. Objetivo: comprender las prácticas de salud en la visión del anciano negro en una comunidad religiosa afrobrasileña. Método: estudio cualitativo, descriptivo, utilizando referencial del paradigma civilizatorio negro-africano, constituido por el complejo cultural negro-africano y por elementos estructurales de la cosmovisión africana. Entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas de julio a setiembre de 2013 con seis ancianos negros pertenecientes a comunidad religiosa afrobrasileña de Porto Alegre-RS. Resultados: del análisis de contenido temático emergieron las categorías: Ascendencia; Camino para saber y hacer salud; Health practices: the view of the black elderly population in a terreiro community Práticas em saúde: ótica do idoso negro em uma comunidade de terreiro Prácticas en salud: visión del anciano negro en una comunidad religiosa afrobrasileña Health practices: the view of the black elderly population in a terreiro community Farias KP, et al.

Objective: to understand health practices of black, elderly people in a terreiro community (community of followers of traditional African-Brazilian religions). Method: qualitative descriptive study under the Black-African paradigm of civilization constituted by the Black-African cultural complex and the structuring elements of the African cosmovision. Semi-structured interviews were carried out from July to September 2013, with six black older people from a terreiro community in Porto Alegre, RS. Results: thematic content analysis resulted in the following categories: Ancestry; Belonging: the way to know and practice health; Health knowledge and practices in terreiro communities; and Complementarity: promoting health in the terreiro and traditional medicine and its respective subcategories. Conclusion: the study understood the importance of having a knowledge of the practices of African traditions in both the lifestyle and health of the older black population to help with nursing planning and interventions in response to their needs. Descriptors: Aged; Health; African Continental Ancestry Group; Nursing; Culture. RESUMO Objetivo: compreender as práticas de saúde na ótica do idoso negro em uma comunidade de terreiro. Método: estudo qualitativo, descritivo, sob o referencial do paradigma civilizatório negro-africano constituído pelo complexo cultural negroafricano e pelos elementos estruturantes da cosmovisão africana. Realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas, de julho a setembro de 2013, com seis idosos negros que pertenciam a uma comunidade de terreiro em Porto Alegre, RS. Resultados: da análise de conteúdo temática emergiram as categorias: Ancestralidade; O caminho para saber e fazer saúde; Saberes e práticas em saúde na comunidade de terreiro; e Complementaridade: fazer saúde no terreiro e medicina tradicional e suas respectivas subcategorias. Conclusão: compreendeu-se a importância dos saberes e práticas das tradições de matriz africana no modo de viver e na forma de produção de saúde sob a ótica do idoso negro o que contribui para o planejamento e intervenções de enfermagem adequadas às necessidades dessa população idosa. Descritores: Idoso; Saúde; Grupo com Ancestrais do Continente Africano; Enfermagem; Cultura. Objetivo: comprender las prácticas de salud en la visión del anciano negro en una comunidad religiosa afrobrasileña. Método: estudio cualitativo, descriptivo, utilizando referencial del paradigma civilizatorio negro-africano, constituido por el complejo cultural negro-africano y por elementos estructurales de la cosmovisión africana. Entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas de julio a setiembre de 2013 con seis ancianos negros pertenecientes a comunidad religiosa afrobrasileña de Porto Alegre-RS. Resultados: del análisis de contenido temático emergieron las categorías: Ascendencia; Camino para saber y hacer salud; Health practices: the view of the black elderly population in a terreiro community Práticas em saúde: ótica do idoso negro em uma comunidade de terreiro Prácticas en salud: visión del anciano negro en una comunidad religiosa afrobrasileña Health practices: the view of the black elderly population in a terreiro community Farias KP, et al.

In Ubuntu  Pentecostalism1,  Mzondi  engages  two  angular  concepts  in  the  South  African  church experience  with  apt  detail.  He  uses  the  explicit  conversation  of  ubuntu  and  Pentecostalism  not  to conceal his furtive shibboleth but as his way of self-identification, signalling his loyalty and affinity. He,  therefore,  maintains  traditional  segregation  and  protects  his  valuable  religious  tradition  from ecclesiastical or academic threats

The advent of Christian religion and western civilization no doubt had a great impact on the socio-economic life of people living in the geographical area called Igbo land. Despite the much talked about positive impact of Christianity and activities of the European Christian missionaries on the socio-cultural wellbeing of the Igbo, the coming of Christianity arguably led to an unprecedented steady decline of Igbo Traditional Religion. Many beliefs and practices in Igbo religion were condemned with all manner of derogatory terminologies. The belief and the cult of many Igbo deities were termed idolatrous and evil. The identity and character of Ekwensu were demonized and distorted; a deity which was found to be a heroic Igbo deity of war and patron spirit of ancient Igbo warriors was mistranslated as the conceptual and ontological equivalent of the Christian Devil. The existence of shrines dedicated to Ekwensu, the ritual or cultic activities alive in these shrines, the honour and celebration of Ekwensu in cultural festivals and naming of natural objects and phenomenon after Ekwensu, are all proofs that the ancient Igbo never conceived Ekwensu as an evil deity. The study further observes that in Igbo trado-religious thought, contrary to what is obtainable in Christian worldview, the presence of evil in the world is attributed to man and not to any evil spirit whose mission, vision and activities are antithetical to God.

Before the year 2000, Africa was conspicuously absent in bibliographic reviews in the field of media, religion and culture. Within the past decade, however, many African and international scholars have focused more attention on the cultural interface between religion and the media on the continent. This article attempts to sketch a general overview of this research: a presentation of the scholars involved in the field of religion and media in Africa; their major findings; the theoretical grounds for the study of media and religion within the African landscape; and a road map for future areas of study of the interface between media, religion and culture in Africa. The present work also intends to initiate a clearinghouse for researchers in this field within Africa, especially for the younger scholars just entering the field.

This article explores the significance of the Yoruba cultural deity Orisha Aje-a spiritual embodiment of wealth, economic empowerment, and feminine energy-and its implications for the Christian faith, particularly among Yoruba Christians in Nigeria. Rooted in the cosmology of the Yoruba people, Aje represents not merely material wealth but a sacred structure for communal prosperity and social ethics. The paper examines the theological tensions and syncretic integrations between traditional Yoruba belief systems and Christian doctrine. Using both historical and contemporary sources, this article argues that understanding and engaging Orisha Aje within the context of Yoruba Christianity offers a deeper appreciation of African spiritual identity and religious coexistence. The findings reveal both challenges and opportunities in fostering interreligious dialogue, indigenizing Christianity, and preserving cultural heritage without compromising core Christian values.

Th is paper explores a specific metaphor, (ungalichameli iqolomba), shedding light on its meaning, dissecting its layers, and developing theoretical insights into the profound interrelationships and connections it encapsulates. Furthermore, it seeks to investigate the extent to which this metaphor can enrich eco-Christian or practical theology. This exploration is facilitated by utilising indigenous storytelling methodology, with a primary question in mind: How can African indigenous religion enhance eco-Christian theology? This research aims to uncover the untapped potential of African wisdom for addressing contemporary environmental and intercultural challenges while honouring the interconnectedness of life, the environment, and spirituality. A social community caregiving perspective will be adopted. This paper contributes to the expanding field of eco-Christian theology by introducing and examining the metaphor ungalichameli iqolomba through an indigenous storytelling methodology, offering new theoretical insights derived from African indigenous religion. In doing so, it aims to bridge African wisdom with eco-Christian theology, providing practical solutions to contemporary environmental and intercultural challenges from a social community caregiving perspective.

The study discussed Akan-Ewe Christological Constructs in Post-Missionary Christianity and Theology in Africa. The objective was to assess their capacity to provide the right frameworks for conceptualising the relevance and significance of Jesus and the gospel in Africa and his Christology. Using the ethnographic and phenomenological approaches, the study established that Akan-Ewe socioreligiocultures and spirituality provide a tapestry of frameworks that offer competitive alternatives to the Christological conceptualisation in postmissionary Christianity and Theology in Africa. The names Onyankopɔn, or Twereduampɔn and Mawu Sogbo Lisa, or Mawu Kitikata for instance, indicate how they conceive, or perceive God (Jesus) who is not a figure of imagination but the "Supreme Being". He is the first of all, has no equals, the ultimate authority and power over all, and is held in the highest positions in sovereignty, knowledge, and goodness. He is infinitely powerful and superior. The study contributes to the decolonisation of the hegemony of Western/European (Missionary) Christian frameworks for Christianity and Theology in Africa and a search for alternatives that possess the capacity and competitiveness of epistemology or nomenclatures beyond the West/Europe.

The interaction between traditional African religions and Christianity has been a subject of theological and sociocultural debate. Traditional religious beliefs often encompass practices such as divination, ancestral veneration, and herbal medicine, while Christianity promotes faith-based healing, prayer, and reliance on scripture. However, tensions arise in areas such as superstition, witchcraft, the use of drugs in spiritual practices, and approaches to healing, as some African Christian communities still engage in elements of traditional spirituality despite professing Christian faith. This study is grounded in comparative religious studies and draws on inculturation theology, which examines how Christian teachings interact with indigenous cultures. Additionally, it employs functionalism theory to understand the societal roles of both traditional religion and Christianity, and biblical hermeneutics to evaluate scriptural responses to traditional religious practices. While various studies have explored African traditional religions and Christianity separately, limited research has been conducted on their direct comparisons and points of convergence or divergence, particularly in relation to superstition, witchcraft, drugs, and healing. This study seeks to fill this gap by critically examining how these elements manifest in both religious traditions and their implications for African Christian identity. The study aims to analyze the similarities and differences between traditional African religion and Christianity, focusing on perspectives on superstition, witchcraft, the use of drugs in spiritual practices, and healing approaches. Objectives of the Study includes : to examine traditional African religious beliefs and practices concerning superstition, witchcraft, drug use, and healing; explore Christian perspectives on these concepts based on biblical teachings and church doctrines; analyze areas of conflict, integration, and syncretism between traditional religion and Christianity; and provide recommendations on how African Christian communities can navigate these religious tensions while maintaining biblical orthodoxy. The study reveals that while Christianity condemns witchcraft and superstition as incompatible with biblical faith, some African Christian communities continue to blend traditional beliefs with Christian teachings. The use of herbal medicine and traditional healing is often seen as a gray area, with some Christians distinguishing between medicinal and spiritual applications. Superstition remains prevalent in both religious frameworks, though it manifests differently. The study also finds that Christianity promotes divine healing through prayer and faith, whereas traditional religion often incorporates rituals and herbal remedies. Both traditional religion and Christianity address existential human concerns such as health, misfortune, and the supernatural. However, their approaches differ significantly, with Christianity emphasizing faith in Christ and biblical authority, while traditional religion relies on ancestral wisdom and spiritual intermediaries. The study highlights the need for theological clarity in African churches to prevent doctrinal syncretism while appreciating cultural heritage. Recommendation is that theological institutions should provide training on contextual theology to help African Christians reconcile faith with cultural identity; African churches should engage in doctrinal teaching to counter superstition and unbiblical practices; Scholars should foster dialogue between Christianity and African traditional religion to understand cultural expressions in faith practices; and the church should differentiate between traditional healing as medicinal knowledge and its spiritual dimensions to avoid confusion in pastoral care.

This paper examines how a local Ghanaian Pentecostal church mediates global mobility and structural immigration barriers for alienated persons through ritual performance. Imperial alienating immigration processes for 'undesired' persons on the move to the Global North engender a religious ritual performance designed to confront the alienating structures, negotiate imposed dominant labels, and reconstruct belonging. In the ritual process, passports become sacred tools for mediating travel, while prophecies reveal travel constraints and future events. The ritual empowers and emboldens participants to pursue their travels as an orchestrated success program divinely prepared for them. The ritualization of travel is a symbolic performance of contestations of the imperial travel barriers and alienations. Using data from ethnographic fieldwork at the Power Cathedral in Kumasi, popular for its innovative 'Token of Passports' (ToP) rituals, the article offers an account of the phenomenon in Ghana's Pentecostal space to show how local religions mediate mobility for alienated groups.

Illnesses are perennial challenges that have confronted human society from time immemorial. Humankind does not take sicknesses for granted. They sought healing anywhere they can get it, when people are sick, they pursue healing by all means and at all cost to get relief from sickness, not minding whether the source of healing is biblical or not; all they want is healing. The methods of achieving wholeness does not matter to them once they get healing they are satisfied. Some Christians condemn other sources of healing aside from prayer and faith in God's word. They engage those that sought healing from other sources as unscriptural and fake, unspiritual, carnal and faithless individuals. This becomes a challenge. This is paper tackles the challenge posed by Yoruba trado-medical practices to the church in Africa. It discusses various implications of these and then look at the challenge of integrating orthodox and traditional medicine in the concluding part. The methodology adopted is eclectic. Where the writer combines participation and observation techniques with interview and literary methods. He uses the tools of intercultural hermeneutics to investigate various healing methods and their implications to the church in Africa. This study recommends that since the use of material objects is paramount in these practices and the Bible did not condemn the use of means to achieving wholeness, it is wrong for any Christian to cast aspersion or stigmatize any user of means as carnal and unspiritual. This paper encourages the church in Africa to make use of natural herbs and products around them for therapeutic purposes, for they are cheap and available at all times.

This article is a review of the voices of scholars about trado-medical practices and miracles and science in Africa. Scholars from the humanities and study of Religions across the globe have lent their voices on the usefulness of trado-medical practices, miracles and science in Africa. The African traditional medicines have attracted some degree of scholarly attention in the last four decades. Erudite scholars like Idowu, Awolalu, Ayoade, Akinjogbin, Abimbola, Dopamu, Parrinder, Ojo, D F Strauss, Bloomberg, Hume, Barth and Ajayi from various Departments of religious studies and contemporary ecclesiastical historians and anthropologists have conducted researches in the field of miracles, science, trado-medical practices and have done comparative discourses on various facets of miracles, science and religions. They have conducted investigations into some specific issues in the field. The scope of traditional religion is wide and it forbids an exhaustive treatment in any singular work. There is no gain-saying the fact that, affinities abound in terms of the historical emergence, theology, rituals and symbolism of the traditional religion of Africa, yet each religion and religious groups have their own specific religious dynamics. Therefore, to be able to appreciate the specific dynamic contribution-a religion has made to the overall growth of the society, that religion must pay close attention to the contribution of scholars in the field. The area of interest this paper is focused on is on tradomedical practices, miracles and science. I have divided this paper into three sections. Section one discusses African voices on tradomedical practices, section two views miracle and science from the western and African scholars while the last section conclude the essay.

Recently, there have been paradigm shifts in the spirituality of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. One major factor responsible for the spiritual transformation is the influence of Neo-Pentecostalism or the Charismatic movement. This new wave affects the Baptist heritage of the denomination. This study reflects on the spiritual transformation in the Nigerian Baptist denomination from the 1980s to 2022. The study is significant because it gives insight into the causes of the spiritual transformation in the Convention over the years and encourages the Convention to assess her spiritual activities to retain her identity continuously. It examines notable spiritual transformations in the history of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, highlighting the factors that were responsible for them and isolating some of the noticeable spiritual transformations. The paper utilises the historical-analytical method.

Much has been written about the deep interactions between Ifa and Islam, particularly the “Odu Imale” Otura Meji which draws heavily from Islamic sources. The often-quoted saying, “Aye la bafa, aye la bamale, ọsan gangan nigbagbọ wole de” stresses the closer relation between the two traditions, but far less is known about how Ifa incorporated parts of Christian sacred scripture and constructed its own response to Christianity. Drawing relevant comparisons to Ifa’s reactions to Islam, this chapter analyzes the similarly ambivalent perspective Ifa orature provides on Christianity. Beginning with some Ifa verses that likely draw on biblical themes or have incorporated isolated Biblical traditions, the chapter draws out important theological commentary from the ways they have been reinterpreted and deployed. Next, it analyzes narratives from both Yorubaland and the diaspora that have been lifted from the Bible but rearticulated within a distinctly Ifa-centric and traditional cosmology, offering support to and critiquing Christianity. Finally, through a close analysis of specific verses that address Christianity but not biblical narratives, it provides a broader overview of a theological appraisal of and response to Christianity, drawing together two traditions that have previously featured prominently but independently in Prof. Jacob Olupona’s monumental corpus of work.

This  study  investigates  the  sociopolitical  and  historical underpinnings  of  conflict  in  Nigeria, focusing on how religious education exacerbates tensions. Using a descriptive survey research design and thematic analysis of Nigeria's religious education curricula, it highlights deep-rooted ethnic, regional, and religious divisions, particularly in the northern regions, where mistrust and violence  hinder  peaceful  coexistence.  A  central  finding  is  the  inadequacy  of  existing  religious education frameworks, particularly in Christianity and Islam, which fail to engage meaningfully with  religious  "Others,"  thereby  deepening  societal  divides.  To  address  this,  the  research advocates  for  integrating  interreligious  education  into  Nigeria’s  national  curriculum.  Key recommendations include introducing interreligious education atthe primary level to foster early appreciation for diversity and  unity, training educators to effectively teach these subjects,  and developing  inclusive  curricula  that  promote  dialogue  without  bias  or  proselytization.  These reforms  aim  to  instill  values  of  tolerance,  mutual  respect,  and  social  cohesion,  empowering students  to  engage  with  diverse  perspectives  while  preserving  their  own  beliefs.  This  study addresses  a  critical  research  gap  by  highlighting  the  transformative  potential  of  interreligious education, an area often overlooked in favor of general peace education. Given the absence of empirical studies in the Nigerian context, this research bridges theoretical insights with practical recommendations.  However,  future  studies  are  essential  to  evaluate the  long-term  impacts  of interreligious education on fostering peace and transforming interfaith relationships, providing valuable evidence to guide sustainable policy reforms.

Religious persistence in different parts of the world, especially in Africa is a phenomenon that experts are trying to make sense of. The decision of any individual regarding which religious organisation to affiliate with is informed by the perceived benefits he or she stands to gain from the said religion. Using a purposive sampling technique, a total of 80 research participants were engaged in an interview to elicit their views regarding the persistence and plausibility of healing in the Pentecostal churches. The findings revealed that Pentecostal healing activities are persisting because their activities are tied to the belief structure of the local people. More so, some of the activities the churches allegedly undertake are usually confirmed and reconfirmed positively through testimonies by people whose credibility are not in doubt. The paper thus concludes that Pentecostalism as a religious faith remains the same, but its forms and strategies continue to change in response to s...

Pentecostalism in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, has brought a new chapter in the history of Christianity. However, one of the conspicuous peculiarities of the kind of Pentecostalism that has emerged, especially in Nigeria, is the spiritual warfare and rituals of the movement. There is also the dawning fear and the use of prayer as performative acts that disarticulate visible and invisible political hegemony. contextual and close-reading methodologies are employed for the study to discuss these peculiarities of Pentecostal doctrine and practices notably practiced by the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Pentecostalism in Nigeria has been at the forefront of teaching and employing the doctrinal teachings and practices that deal with local satanic technologies. he contextual approach concentrates on a critical study of the literature produced by Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) on ‘satanic technologies’. In contrast, the close-reading approach relies on the Bible interpretation of selected Biblical texts on which the ideology of satanic technologies is built. The argument here is that the theological praxis of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries, especially in ‘satanic technologies’, undermines the basis of classical Pentecostal theologies and the Reformation theological orientation that interprets exposition of Biblical passages in their contexts for salvation and transformation to a ‘cacophonous’ phenomenon.

Pentecostalism in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, has brought a new chapter in the
history of Christianity. However, one of the conspicuous peculiarities of the kind of
Pentecostalism that has emerged, especially in Nigeria, is the spiritual warfare and
rituals of the movement. There is also the dawning fear and the use of prayer as
performative acts that disarticulate visible and invisible political hegemony. Contextual
and close-reading methodologies are employed for the study to discuss these
peculiarities of Pentecostal doctrine and practices. As notably practiced by the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Pentecostalism in Nigeria has been at the forefront of teaching and employing the doctrinal teachings and practices that deal with local satanic technologies. The contextual approach concentrates on a critical study of the literature produced by Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) on ‘Satanic technologies.’ In contrast, the close-reading approach relies on the Bible interpretation of selected Biblical texts on which the ideology of satanic technologies is built. The argument here is that the theological praxis of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries,  especially in ‘Satanic technologies,’ undermines the basis of classical Pentecostal theologies and the Reformation theological orientation that interprets the exposition of  Biblical passages in their contexts for salvation and transformation to a ‘cacophonous’  phenomenon.

ABSTRACT
Within the historical formation of Jamaica, Christian rhetoric and rhetorical practices ritually exiled African Diaspora/Black Atlantic women and their bodies from essential human and feminine value systems. However, there were other scripts brought to the island in the bodies of African peoples who arrived as captives in a pernicious Christian project. These scripts promote, value and affirm the bodies of African peoples as sacred and divine. This article presents an ethnographic exploration of Jamaican Catholic women’s bodily presence and performance at the Liturgy of the Eucharist, highlighting critical spiritual practices around the notion of body as temple. In the enlivened space of contemporary Jamaican Catholic Christianity, Jamaican women participate in ongoing rituals of body reverence, the claiming, re-claiming and repossessing of body-selves, in order to become dynamic crossroads spaces where human and divine regularly encounter and intermingle.

This paper is an inter-textual exegesis of two passages from both Old Testament and New Testament Corpuses, namely Deuteronomy 8:18 and Luke 12: 16-21. While this approach aims at the original intended meaning of the texts, the interpretation and application of both passages in an African experience contextually palpable. The ethical and theological undertone of both passages as it relates to social interaction challenge the paradigm shift from a love- bond-African society to apathy that seems to have overwhelmed the contemporary African social milieu through the exhibition of greed and injustice by the rich against the poor. Therefore, a re-reading of both passages in this regard is germane. Through this exegetical endeavour the findings reveal that, in times of plenty, often, credit is taken by certain individuals-corrupt and greedy leaders who are by natural laws Supposed to manage God's resources as stewards. Although, it is God who bestows wealth and riches on them and made them custodians of His endowment, they are overwhelmed in mismanagement of resources to the detriment of a larger society.

Nigerian culture has its creation story. These stories are considered myths. Gods and goddesses have played prominent roles. The Yorubas' understanding of the universe , including the beliefs about creation, the afterlife, and the interconnectedness of all things. The Yorubas' understanding is deeply rooted in mythology and spiritual practices.

This essay, featuring the upcoming UNESCO World Philosophy Day 2024 celebration at Strathmore University (Kenya), takes you behind the scenes of how philosophers, scholars, and students will discuss critical issues like ethics, technology, and the environment, and will explore how philosophy can drive positive change. It reviews the role of philosophy in shaping societies, particularly in Africa, and traces its origins from ancient gatherings under the African sky to its modern-day impact on global development. The essay also highlights how philosophy has guided the growth of nations like China and the United States and argues that Africa must embrace philosophical inquiry to overcome its challenges and achieve sustainable development. This piece invites readers to reflect on the power of philosophy in building a better future for both Africa and the world.

This essay, featuring the upcoming UNESCO World Philosophy Day 2024 celebration at Strathmore University (Kenya), takes you behind the scenes of how philosophers, scholars, and students will discuss critical issues like ethics, technology, and the environment, and will explore how philosophy can drive positive change. It reviews the role of philosophy in shaping societies, particularly in Africa, and traces its origins from ancient gatherings under the African sky to its modern-day impact on global development. The essay also highlights how philosophy has guided the growth of nations like China and the United States, and argues that Africa must embrace philosophical inquiry to overcome its challenges and achieve sustainable development. This piece invites readers to reflect on the power of philosophy in building a better future for both Africa and the world.

African Theological Journal for Church and Society, vol. 5, no. 2 (2024):  25–51

While climate change is not a ‘settled science’ (it is not the nature of scientific inquiry to be ‘settled’), the fact of climate change is incontrovertibly obvious and its real effects on real communities (perhaps especially in the majority world) are devastating, including in East Africa. For Christians, environmental stewardship (also known as ‘Creation Care’ or ‘Earth Keeping’) should be an automatic part of Christian ethos and praxis. Failure to steward the earth or to ‘care for creation’ represents both a failure to keep the second ‘greatest commandment’ and also theological irresponsibility. Examining local evidence in East Africa in the contexts of biblical theology, Christian witness, and Maasai indigenous knowledge, this paper proposes approaches for Creation Care for world Christianity. In keeping with the author’s positionality amidst African orality, the article attempts to maintain the styles of oral communication.

In 2016, three years after completing my Ph.D., I embarked on my first attempt to translate my ethnographic research conducted in Maputo, among the Zion communities, into a graphic language. Through a series of single illustrations, I aimed to visually condense key stages of the Zion healing path, synthesizing various stories and testimonies into individual images. This approach sought to encapsulate the symbolic and material universe of Zion within a graphic framework.

Over the past few years, I have periodically revisited and refined these drawings in a cyclical process of creation and reflection. The illustrations presented in this article thus serve as a retrospective of this journey – an artistic exploration that emerged following the completion of my ethnographic dissertation. These drawings were created as a post-fieldwork representational language, reflecting memories from the field, testimonies collected, and personal experiences lived in between.

For centuries, the Western narrative has dominated the story of human knowledge, obscuring Africa's significant contributions. This study challenges that dominance, seeking to recenter African perspectives and experiences. By exploring indigenous knowledge systems, we reveal the historical and ongoing erasures that have marginalized African intellectual traditions. This research examines the intersection of knowledge, culture, and power, exposing how colonialism and its legacy have perpetuated a Westerncentric paradigm. Through a multidisciplinary approach, combining historical research, ethnographic studies, and collaboration with African scholars, the researcher investigates the erasure of African intellectual histories, the appropriation of African knowledge, and the resilience of African epistemological systems. The research goals are to recover erased intellectual histories, challenge Western epistemological dominance, and foster epistemic diversity and justice. Ultimately, this study redefines knowledge ownership, recognizing Africa's integral role in shaping human understanding. By reclaiming epistemological sovereignty, the study creates a more inclusive and equitable global knowledge landscape, promoting a nuanced understanding of Africa's contributions to human knowledge and fostering a more representative and just global intellectual community.

Esta obra coletiva constitui o legado da Conferência Internacional "Sociedades Africanas: Religiosidades, Identidades e Conexões Globais", realizada de forma online de 22 a 25 de novembro de 2021 como parte da programação do Novembro Negro na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) e do ciclo de celebrações dos 35 anos do Programa de Pós-Graduação em História da UFRGS (PPGH-UFRGS). O referido evento nasceu da proposta de partilhar conhecimentos de forma gratuita e qualificada a respeito da história do continente africano, estabelecendo diálogos acerca de estudos recentes de pesquisadoras e pesquisadores de África, Europa e do Brasil cujos trabalhos dão a conhecer o papel desempenhado pelas sociedades africanas em suas conexões com o mundo. Como principal eixo analítico, tomou-se por foco a questão dos fenômenos e formas religiosas no continente africano, sua constituição, suas configurações e reconfigurações ao longo do tempo entre a Espiritualidade Tradicional Africana e os grandes monoteísmos abraâmicos: Cristianismo, Judaísmo e Islã; entre proximidades, expansões e retrações, relações de poder e conflitos. A partir destas bases, a Conferência buscou constituir debates que centralizassem experiências, pontos de vista e a agência histórica das sociedades de África nas relações intra- e extracontinentais estabelecidas nos diferentes tempos históricos - considerando a diversidade étnico-cultural e geográfica do continente africano. Nesta perspectiva, o evento também visou ampliar o conhecimento sobre a África para além do eixo Ocidental-Atlântico, indo além da tendência historiográfica dos estudos africanos no Brasil em focalizar as sociedades do Oeste africano - uma tendência natural, dada sua conexão à experiência histórica da diáspora afro-brasileira.

The focus of indigenous knowledge is on how to maintain harmonious coexistence between the members of the community, between the community and the forces it is confronted with in its environment, and, as well, maintaining a harmonious balance between tradition and modernizing. The author then explains that education in this sense is not only of a formal, nonformal, and alternative nature but a living experience occurring between individuals and elders, individuals and designated guides, and individuals and nature (i.e., including the forces shaping the nature of existence).  Therefore, education for the tribal cultures of Northeast India is akin to a treasure house of knowledge, wisdom, and intricate cultural narratives, resilient social structures, and insightful systems for human growth and development that have stood the test of time.

This paper is a comment to S. Engler and M. Gardiner's article “(Re)defining Esotericism. Fluid Definitions, Property Clusters and the Cross-Cultural Debate” published in: Aries (24/2024).
Using arguments from my paper written with dr L. Nthoi “Esotericism in Botswana. Shamanism, Ancestral Reverence and New Age”, Engler and Gardiner included southern African shamanism and African Initiated Christian Churches in the new broad definition of  esotericism.

Ludwig Adzaklo was an outstanding, competent, mother-tongue Ewe Bible translator and a dedicated teacher and catechist of the North German Missionary Society (also known as the Bremen Mission) in former German Togoland (present-day southeast of Ghana and Togo).