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Christian roots in African traditional religions
One of the central insights of scholarship about forty years ago, was that ‘ATR’, as it has sometimes been described did not exist. However, E. B. Idowu in his African Traditional Religion: A Definition; J.S. Mbiti in his African Traditional Religions and Philosophy as well as J. Parrinder in his African Traditional Religions, argued against this view (Isichei 1995:96). This disputed view was based on a wide range of exclusivist tendencies, which the history of missions bear witness to, the most glaring being the tabula raza doctrine. It maintained that the culture of those evangelised cannot be looked upon in any way as a basis upon which to build; for Christianity to establish roots among the people, their culture, according to this doctrine, must give way altogether (Dickson 1991:124). Bediako (2000:21), points out that the common Western missionary view of traditional religion was that it formed ‘the religious beliefs of more or less backward and degraded peoples all over the world’, and held no ‘preparation for Christianity.’ This was certainly, a poor view of such religions, because, in more recent years, it has been shown that Christianity has spread most rapidly in ‘societies with primal religious systems’ – those akin to African Traditional Religions.
Bediako (1995:95), points out that these societies were, according to Turner, the Mediterranean world of the early Christian centuries, and tribal peoples of Northern and Western Europe and finally the primal societies of Africa, the Pacific and parts of Asia.
African worldview
Kraft (1996:52) defines worldview as the culturally structured assumptions, values, and commitments and/or allegiances underlying a people’s perception of reality and their responses to those perceptions. He indicates that worldview is not separate from culture. It is included in culture, he says, as the structuring of the deepest-level presuppositions on the basis of which people live their lives. In other words, it provides the cultural bases and part of the structuring for people’s actions (Kraft 1996 52).
In agreement with Kraft, Vumisa states that “the term worldview means culturally structured assumptions, values, and beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or a group” (Vumisa 2012:45). Following Kraft and Vumisa, the term worldview as used in this section and the rest of this dissertation shall mean culturally structured assumptions, values, and beliefs about life and the universe held by African people and others as the case may be. Vumisa (2012:47) identifies five characteristics of African worldview, which seems necessary to note:
First, Africans lay emphasis on community life, being with others of the same family and clan, linking to the ancestors and on to the descendants. In other words, Africans know no individualism, one is because others are. Simply put, ‘I am because we are; and since we are, therefore, I am’ (Mbiti 1989:123). Second, the community of the living is bound up with the living dead. Almost all African societies have beliefs in the ancestors. They continue to exist and influence the lives of their
descendants, as they are involved in important decisions. Third, there is strong awareness of the spirit world in Africa. Africans hold to the existence of God without any contention. Fourth, Africans tend to view life holistically rather than fragmenting into politics, religion, social, etc. Everything is seen to belong together with no dichotomy. Finally, as far as time is concerned, Africans focus on the event and not on a linear approach as in the Western world.
General Revelation as preparation for the Gospel
Vumisa (20012:61) holds that the general revelation the Africans received about God should be understood as God’s preparation for people to receive the gospel. This view is supported by Richardson in the following words: “the God who prepared the gospel for the world also prepared the world for the gospel” (quoted in Vumisa 2012:61). The shift of the centre of gravity of Christianity to Africa, and the willingness of non-Christians in Africa to receive the gospel, proves that God prepared the Gentile world to receive the gospel. Mbiti is said to agree with this type of interpretation by attributing the massive statistical expansion of Christianity in Africa to the African religiosity (Vumisa 2012:61). This acceptance of the gospel by Africans further serves as a fulfilment of what is written in Psalm 68:31, in which God says: “Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.” Hence, God’s ultimate plan for Africa is that Africans will submit themselves to God (Vumisa 2012:61). In view of the shift of the centre of gravity of chrictianity to Africa, one could be right to say that Africans are already submitting to God.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
1.2 Research problem
1.3 Aims/objectives of the study
1.4 Relevance of the study
1.5 Conceptual and theoretical frameworks
1.6 Literature review
1.7 Research gap
1.8 Research methodology
1.9 Definition of terms
1.10 Reasons for using Cameroon as a prototype for Africa
1.11 Reasons for choosing Nso’ as a case study
1.12 Limitation of the study
1.13 Research motivation and position of the researcher
1.14 Organisation of the study
CHAPTER 2: EARLY CHRISTIAN MISSIONS IN EGYPT, ETHIOPIA AND NUBIA
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Ancient knowledge of Africa
2.3 Exploration of Africa
2.4 Christianity in Africa in the apostolic age
2.5 The beginning of Christian missions in North Africa
2.6 The environment in which Christianity developed in Egypt
2.7 Factors that facilitated the Growth of Christianity in Egypt
2.8 Factors that retarded the Growth of Christianity in Egypt
2.9 Missionary enterprise beyond Egypt
2.10 Conclusion
CHAPTER 3: AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION, CHRISTIANITY AND SYNCRETISM: AN OVERVIEW
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Christian roots in African traditional religions
3.3 Missiological implications of the African worldview
3.4 Missionary motives
3.5 A General view of missionary encounter with various cultures
3.6 Syncretism
3.7 Translatability and Critical contextualisation as checks against syncretism
3.8 Conclusion
CHAPTER 4: MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: CAMEROON
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Missionary enterprise in Africa: A brief overview
4.3 Pre-Missionary Cameroon
4.4 Missionary enterprise in Cameroon
4.5 Missionary motives for mission in Cameroon
4.6 Roman Catholic Church: Historical overview
4.7 The Basel Mission (Presbyterian Church in Cameroon)
4.8 Missionary attitudes towards Cameroonian cultures
4.9 Conclusion
CHAPTER 5: CHRISTIAN MISSIONS ENCOUNTER NSO’ TRADITIONAL RELIGION
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Historical overview of the Roman Catholic Mission in Nso’
5.3 Historical overview of the Basel Mission in Nso’
5.4 The role of the Fons in the planting of Christianity in Nso’land
5.5 Christian missions encounter Nso’ worldview and traditional religion
5.6 Rituals of cleansing
5.7 Rituals of naming
5.8 God as Nso’ people know Him
5.9 Nso’ socio-political system
5.10 Economic, educational and health systems
5.11 Conclusion
CHAPTER 6: CHRISTIAN MISSIONS ENCOUNTER NSO’ TRADITIONAL SOCIAL ASSOCIATIONS
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Missionary attitudes towards ‘secret societies’: A brief overview
6. 3 Traditional Social Associations in Nso’
6.4 The main traditional social associations: ngwerong and ngiri
6.5 Christian missions encounter Nso’ traditional social association: ngwerong
6.6 Activities of ngwerong and ngiri considered compatible with Christianity
6.7 Activities of ngwerong and ngiri considered incompatible with Christianity
6.8 Conclusion
CHAPTER 7: RESEARCH FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1 Research findings: A summary
7.2 Conclusion
7.3 Recommendations BIBLIOGRAPHY
