African Belief Systems Research Articles

Understanding Christian translation and its missiological relevance

Christian translation is integral to Christian missions that benefit the ingenious people and the gospel. Among early missionary activities, translations of the Bible to vernacular language have tremendous implications for the gospel propagation. Its roots are well spelt out in the early church, which endorsed Christianity as a universal faith. The researchers observe the historical and missiological perspective of Bible translation. They used library materials and internet sources to explain the meaning of translation, such as explaining a text language in the context of the recipients. This article contains a biblical basis for Bible translations, as it was from the early scriptures, and it concludes by explaining the relevance of Christian translation in terms of literacy, preservation of culture and freedom from slavery, among others. Christian translation has helped to create different versions of the Bible; the New Testament alone is available in 1551 languages out of over 7100 languages worldwide. Christian translation shows that Christian missionaries are not another form of a colonising agency because their activities resulted in actions that led to the end of colonisation in many parts of Africa. The author used a descriptive research method for this article.Contribution: From the analysis, Christian translation is a vital part of Christian missions that has many benefits for the ingenious people by preserving their cultural practices and language, among others. It also made Christianity not to be perceived as a foreign religion that has no link with the African Belief system. Christians are to seek to translate more materials, especially the Bible, into other peoples’ languages to have a lasting impact on the indigenous people.

Black Music Aesthetics in General Music Part 1: Exploring Black Musics

Black Music Aesthetics (BMA), guided by conceptual approaches grounded in African belief systems, are found in the structure and performance practices of Black musics. Music education in American society leans strongly toward Western European aesthetics, which includes: the centrality of rhythm, pitch, and harmony to musical understanding; a reliance on written notation for preserving and sharing musical ideas; and a primary focus on sounds. While Black music and musicality can be explored using Western European aesthetics, they cannot be thoroughly explored in this way. In this series of articles, I draw on the work of ethnomusicologists to define BMA and provide concrete examples for incorporating them in general music. The first article in this series provides a historical foundation and definition for BMA and offers examples of how it can be centered in the study of Black musics.

African Belief Systems and Gendering of Eco-Justice

The African belief system appears to outline concerns and care for the environment, which can form a basis for sustainability. This system also seems to speak to gender roles and responsibilities. The taboo system, for instance, has clear gendered guidelines for human and environmental responsibilities and rights, that appear to be interconnected. A reflection on the African belief system may therefore allow us interrogate and explain the roles of men and women, girls and boys, on climate change, and their response thereto. Since these beliefs and practices are lived side-by-side with modernity, an exploration of gender roles within the belief system may be useful in the overall mainstreaming of the work of men and women in climate change. The article draws from gender perspectives of a few African communities, to show how these perspectives provide varying platforms for addressing or neglecting effects of climate change in the continent, but also how the system affects livelihoods of men and women. Further, the paper explores ways in which the positive approaches can be mainstreamed in state-led approaches to eco-justice for sustainability. Keywords: Africa Belief System, Climate Change, Eco-Justice, Gender, Intersectionality, Modernity, Sustainability

Istwa across the Water: Haitian History, Memory, and the Cultural Imagination by Toni Pressley-Sanon

Reviewed by: Istwa across the Water: Haitian History, Memory, and the Cultural Imagination by Toni Pressley-Sanon Angela Watkins Istwa across the Water: Haitian History, Memory, and the Cultural Imagination. By Toni Pressley-Sanon. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2017. ISBN 0-8130-5440-7. 192 pp. $74.95 hardcover. In Istwa across the Water: Haitian History, Memory, and the Cultural Imagination, Toni Pressley-Sanon foregrounds her examination of cultural production and cultural memory in the African diaspora within three theoretical concepts: tidalectics (the figurative ebb and flow of water that symbolizes the transatlantic dispersal of enslaved Africans and the resulting physical/metaphysical displacement), La Marassa (the sacred twins in Haitian Vodou), and istwa (history, story, and memory).1 Tracing the origins of enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue (Haiti) to Dahomey (present-day Benin) and the Kongo, Pressley-Sanon explores how African belief systems were sustained and redefined in the New World despite the attempted erasure by slave owners and colonists. At times poetic in her explanation of the African diaspora as both fractured and reinvented in an attempt to be made whole, Pressley-Sanon reimagines the capture and survival of enslaved Africans and the transformation of cultural practices that preceded slavery. Beginning with the significance of Haiti's bicolor flag, legendarily created by removing the French flag's white stripe—which, according to Patrick Bellegarde-Smith, had once symbolized the white, slave-owning population of Saint-Domingue (1–2)—Pressley-Sanon contextualizes the fight for independence during the Haitian Revolution as the reclamation of African roots among free and enslaved people of color and the (re)invention of Haitian identity. According to the author, the blue and red of the Haitian flag, which represent the Black and mulatto populations, respectively, also symbolize "two lwa who were invoked most strongly during the Haitian Revolution: Èzili Dantò and Ogou Feray" (1). Bolstered by faith in the African deities from whom they sought guidance and protection, the insurgents defeated their oppressors. [End Page 208] In her book, Pressley-Sanon examines storytelling as an integral part of African and African diasporic culture. She recalls the story of Bokofio, which Melville Herskovits writes about in Dahomey: An Ancient West African Kingdom (1938) after an anthropological field study in the 1930s. Bokofio is taken on a treacherous journey before he is freed and allowed to return home. Pressley-Sanon presents three scenarios through which the story may be understood. She reinscribes the protagonist as someone uprooted from his homeland as a result of the transatlantic slave trade, who is taken to new lands and forced to adapt to a new way of life. Alternatively, she interprets Bokofio's "return" as the physical return to Africa after the end of slavery, in reference to documented cases in which newly freed people were sent back to their native land. Finally, she suggests that Bokofio's return to his homeland is an allusion to the belief that after death the souls of enslaved Africans return to Ginen, the spiritual underworld. She argues that both the oral tradition and the material culture specific to certain regions of the African continent and its diaspora reveal a deeper understanding of how enslaved people "died to one way of being as a result of their contact with the transatlantic slave trade [and] were also reborn to another" (11). According to Pressley-Sanon, the forced assimilation involved the act of forgetting (due to the passage of time or as a survival technique) or maintaining one's cultural beliefs by adopting Western religions and practices as a guise. Pressley-Sanon focuses on material culture in explaining tidalectics in terms of the cyclical nature of history, specifically focusing on how the past informs the present and the recognition of contemporary iterations of bondage and racial oppression. She also explores how these ruptures, as a consequence of chattel slavery, led to a fusion and reinterpretation of various African cultural practices. For example, she refers both to a performance group in Haiti whose costumes consist of cords that represent the power of bociọ, sculptures crafted "to 'work' for their owners to shield them against harm and function in conjunction with vodun [sic] energies to protect humans and...

Factors associated with male partner involvement in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus in the Gokwe North District, Zimbabwe: A qualitative study

Male partners’ involvement in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) intervention programmes is crucial in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. However, male partner involvement in PMTCT is low in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring the major factors associated with male partner involvement in PMTCT of HIV programmes in the Gokwe North District of Zimbabwe. The study utilised qualitative methods. Data was collected using a pretested interview guide. Purposive sampling methods were used to select participants of focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Interviews were conducted from May to September 2015. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The study revealed that local traditional leaders played a role in mobilising men in communities. Awareness campaigns enhanced communities’ knowledge about PMTCT. Couple communication proved to be vital in promoting male involvement. However, stigmatisation against men utilising antenatal-care services, fear of HIV results and a lack of knowledge of the practices surrounding PMTCT of HIV programmes were hindrances to male partner involvement. Collaboration and engagement amongst stakeholders especially with traditional leadership can be essential in increasing male partner participation in PMTCT. Education has proved to be a catalyst in the de-stigmatisation of men in PMTCT programmes. Moreover, HIV counselling can illuminate an understanding on the implications of HIV test results. The significant contribution of this article is its demonstration of the role of African traditional leadership and belief systems in curbing HIV infections, particularly in terms of male partners’ involvement in PMTCT initiatives.Contribution: The significant contribution of this article is its demonstration of the role of African traditional leadership and belief systems in curbing HIV infections, particularly in terms of male partners’ involvement in PMTCT initiatives.

Sub-Saharan African cultural belief system and entrepreneurial activities: A Ghanaian perspective

This article seeks to advance our understanding of the culture-entrepreneurship relationship from an African perspective by examining how six African traditional beliefs either promote or hinder entrepreneurial activities. These six traditional Ghanaian cultural beliefs (i.e. belief in godliness, belief in paranormal activities, belief in a social hierarchical structure, belief in familism, belief in communal social orientation, and belief in patriarchism) are directly linked to entrepreneurial behavior. We argue that this belief system differs from those of other cultural contexts and provides the underpinnings for understanding African culture and entrepreneurship. We derive propositions of how this belief system relates to the entrepreneurial eco-system. These propositions suggest the following: Belief in familism, belief in communal social orientation and belief in patriarchism are likely to have, depending on the circumstances, a positive or a negative relationship with entrepreneurship. Belief in paranormal activities and belief in a social hierarchical structure are bound to influence entrepreneurial behavior negatively. At the same time, belief in godliness will influence entrepreneurial activities positively. Following these inferences, the article concludes that Ghanaian culture, and African culture as a whole, frame entrepreneurial activities. However, the cultural belief system suggests that the culture-entrepreneurship relationship is more complex than previously envisaged.

Madukaku as the Basis of Being Human in (Igbo) African Worldview; A Critical Reflection

Critical understanding of Western idea of human personality reveals a lot of weaknesses. It reveals individualistic and anthropocentric tendency which is the reason for unpleasant relationship between man and fellow man and man and the environment. This kind of thinking has led Western environmental ethicist to now propound theories towards communitarian stand, for instance; deep ecology, land ethic, eco-feminism to mention a few. Enyimba, Maduka holds a radical point of view from many African communal philosophers. Maduka holds that a person is human because he/she is worth more in quality and essence than other beings and things. Such thinking has been the underlying rationale behind man’s overexploitation of nature. The thrust of the essay is to look at the basic tenets of Madukakism as the philosophy of being human in Africa. This paper agrees with the idea of Madukaku that humanity is at the centre of the universe, but differs from its individualist assumptions. In African ontology, the hierarchy of beings, God, lesser deities and ancestors are above human, If this is the case then man is not supreme and cannot be ‘the measure of all things’. Hence this paper rejects Maduka’s postulation of human being as supreme, because even within African environment there are some trees, rivers, mountains etc that are considered sacred and its therefore considered a taboo to toy with them. To this, no matter how highly placed man is, he is not allowed to touch nor exploit them, without dare consequence, which clearly shows that man is not the measure of all things but is in a complimentary state with other beings in African belief system.

Conceptualisation of African primal health care within mental health care.

BackgroundIt is believed by western education systems that the first contact should be with the nurse in primary health care. However, it is not the case. Therefore, the researcher attempts to correct this misconception by conceptualising the correct beginning of health seeking behaviour in an indigenous African community, namely African Primal Health Care (APHC). ‘Primal’ was coined during a colloquium by Dr Mbulawa and Seboka team members; however no formal conceptualisation took place, only operational definition. Due to the study scope, conceptualisation is narrowed to mental health, but this concept is applicable in the broader health context. The research purpose was to contribute to the body of indigenous knowledge systems to advocate towards co-existence of primal health care and mental health care.AimFormulate APHC within a mental health care context.ObjectivesTo explore philosophical grounding of APHC and describe epistemology of APHC. To analyse and crystallise the exploration to establish understanding within mental health and conceptualise APHC within mental health care to enhance co-existence.MethodologyNarrative synthesis, concept analysis (qualitative design). Lekgotla was used as a method of data collection and data were analysed using Leedy and Ormrod’s five steps of data analysis.ResultsAPHC is a health care system that existed in Africa prior to the introduction of the western health care system. It is based on the African belief system and practices. The practices come from the community, for the community and are authenticated by the community. APHC uses a holistic approach and the family and community are involved in the healing process.

The African Belief System and the Patient’s Choice of Treatment from Existing Health Models-the Case of Ghana

This paper presents a narrative review including a case study of the African Belief System. A strong belief in supernatural powers is deeply rooted in the African culture. In Ghana, there is a spiritual involvement in the treatment of illness and healthcare. The new health model in the African culture therefore can be considered to be the Biopsychosocial(s) model-with the s representing spiritual practice-compared to the biopsychosocial model in Western culture. The case study on dissociative amnesia illustrates that Africans consider spiritual causes of illness when a diagnosis of an illness is very challenging. The causes of mental health conditions in particular seem challenging to Africans, and therefore are easily attributed to spiritual powers. The spiritual belief in African clients should not be rejected but should be used by caregivers to guide and facilitate clients’ recovery from illness. The spiritual belief provides hope. Therefore when combined with Western treatment, this belief can quicken illness recovery.

Doro Rekufa and Tsvitsa: Beer, Animals and Death Rituals among the Ndau of South Eastern Zimbabwe

Despite Westernization and particularly the advent of Christianity and its widespread entrenchment on the African continent, traditional indigenous rituals continue to constitute an integral part of African religious belief systems and practices. This article presents the results of an ethnoarchaeological study of two death rituals that are conducted by the Ndau people of south eastern Zimbabwe. The rituals are a demonstration of attitudes towards death and beliefs about the role of the dead among the living. The Ndau do not believe that death signals and represents the end of life. In the same vein and perhaps more importantly, the Ndau do not believe that death just happens. It is caused by human agency out of jealousies, hatred and conflict among the living. These beliefs are central to the two rituals presented and discussed here: the first ritual is conducted to ascertain cause of death and the second to bring back the spirit of the deceased from a temporary state of limbo immediately after death. Meat and beer are central to these rituals, firstly as offerings to the deceased and secondly as an important part of the living celebration of the rituals. The paper then explores some interpretive implications of the rituals from an archaeological perspective.

“The Devil Slapped on the Genitals”: Religion and Spirituality in Queer South Africans’ Lives

SummaryUniquely among African countries, South Africa's Bill of Rights offers civil protection to individuals on the basis of vectors of identity including sexuality, gender and religion. Public opinion, however, lags behind the ideals of the Constitution. Against this historical background, a range of books has recently appeared, giving expression to the interface between sexuality, culture and religion from the viewpoint of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. These texts include autobiographical accounts in three books: Reclaiming the L-Word: Sappho's Daughters out in Africa (Diesel 2011a); Yes I Am!: Writing by South African Gay Men (Malan & Johaardien 2010); and Trans: Transgender Life Stories from South Africa (Morgan, Marais & Wellbeloved 2009). In this article I analyse the effects of autobiographical representations of spirituality and sexuality within different cultural contexts as represented in these books. I show the ways in which religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and African traditional belief systems, can constrain the individual rights of sexually nonconforming believers, and I also reveal ways in which believers establish meaningful spiritual and intimate lives despite these tensions. Queer spiritual autobiographies validate the lives of LGBT people, and they also foster the renegotiation of public culture to permit social justice for all, regardless of sexuality or gender expression.

The perception of Africa by African Americans in the predominantly black community of East St. Louis, Illinois, USA

The dominant image of Africa in the colonial discourses of Western explorers has been persistently negative, stereotypical, and demeaning. The unauthenticated negative images are the largest influencer of Western perception of Africa because as long as the misrepresentation lingers on in Western media and film, the dominant white attitude toward African Americans as inferior could be rationalized and sustained. Moreover the real impact of such misrepresentations on how African Americans see and relate to their ancestral homeland remains grossly under studied. Through purposive sampling, this study interviewed 55 East St. Louis African Americans on the meaning of Africa to them. The results show that they had very positive perceptions of Africa and prided themselves as Africans despite centuries of negative Western portrayal of the continent. Their most important positive images included: Africa as the ancestral home of black people, African festivals and attire, African history and traditions, and African spirituality and belief systems. Through factor analysis, seven underlying dimensions that structure how African Americans construct their perceptions of Africa emerged – including: their Black African heritage, their fantasy of going back to Africa, their inerasable African identity, Connecting Africa to the world, African heroes, keeping the Black pride alive, and the failed stereotypic portrayal of Africa over the centuries.

Maduabuchi Dukor and the Legacies of Ontological Practices in African Thought System

A challenge human existence is confronted in contemporary society is the justification of a coherent social order. Most of these justifications have been grounded, over time, on natural approach to the neglect of the African ontological practice. This natural reference fails to account for the ontological practice premised on African belief system which reconciles the natural and spiritual aspects of human existence. The study adopts the analytic approach in philosophy which evolves a clarification of the ontological concept within the African context.The African ontological practice hinges on Dukor’s perspective which provides for a coherent interconnection among social structure, law and belief system towards the certitude and trust making for harmonious human well-being.Social order is enhanced by this African ontological practice and should, therefore, be incorporated into the public sphere.

Liberation as an Instrument of Self-Aggrandizement: The Nigerian “Revolutionary Masquerades” in Achebe’s There was a Country and Selected Nigerian Works of Fiction

INTRODUCTIONWe will begin this discourse by evincing contextual meaning of metaphorical creation of masquerades. Being a significant phenomenon in Igbo cosmology, can be used in many ways to interpret world. Its actions, costume, representation and social function all help to interpret drama of role of man in his society. According to Chinua Achebe, the Igbo believe that art, religion, everything, whole of life are embodied in art of masquerade (There was 59). Part of this embodiment in this context is that it can be used as an artistic and significant representation of a nation's politics. It is equally a typical phenomenon used in representing and evoking cultural and traditional values of Africans. The identity of is exclusively performed by men and a well-kept secret such as we find in egwugwu's role in Achebe's Things Fall Apart:Okonkwo's wives, and perhaps other women as well, might have noticed that second egwugwu had springy walk of Okonkwo. And they might also have noticed that Okonkwo was not among titled men and elders who sat behind row of egwugwu. But if they thought these things they kept them within themselves. The egwugwu with springy walk was one of dead ancestors of clan. He looked terrible with smoked raffia body, a huge wooden painted white except for round hollow eyes and charred teeth that were as big as a man's fingers. On his head were two powerful horns. (63-64)The above excerpt simply explains that masquerade, in this case referred to as egwugwu, is actually a respected and feared member of community who is partially or notionally accepted as a spirit or their ancestor by same people. The thought of such practice of masquerade's performance often provokes a nostalgic return to familiar pre-colonial experience through their lavish costumes and displays, to thrilling experience of laughing or frightened audience. It also reminds us of old and lost African traditional values in which reliably functions as one of defending forces in African value system. Unfortunately, in contemporary African traditional system, institution of is gradually losing its sacredness and respect before people due to its new and strange role in hands of masquerader (impersonator). This metaphor therefore becomes a platform upon which we can closely examine two faces that have been politically sub-merged in contemporary Nigerian society.There is need to investigate professed face of mask through its premeditated actions and hidden political face behind revolutionary face, through its deceptive role. As hidden personality behind former carries out what can be best described as its self-aggrandized actions through guise of its seeming revolutionary mission, Nigerian public have become trapped in a pool of confusion and diverse opinions as to believe in mission of or doubt motive behind its dance. Put in another form, due to these irreconcilable differences between and what it is believed to represent in old African belief system on one hand, and possible selfish intentions of new spirit or human forces behind mask on other hand, this exploration will investigate real identity and intentions of personality behind mask through behaviour of as a whole. This paper intends to establish that there is no hope for Nigerian masses from their Hydra or ever-evolving ethnic militants (revolutionary masquerades) and geopolitical representatives who are all garbed in revolutionary deceptions for purpose of self-aggrandizement.LIBERATION IN CHINUA ACHEBE'S BIAFRAN IDEOLOGYAccording to John Locke, the natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth (15). …

Pyschologizing Philosophy and Philosophizing Environmentalism: Seeking for a Sustainable Human Values Framework for Africa in the 21st Century

The traditional paper about the environmental decadence discusses the degradation and despoliation occasioned by consistent human abuse, misuse and exploitation. A critical examination of those negative cli- ches throws into the equation the disciplinary injections from philosophy, psychology and environmental management. In the African world, words have meanings and connotations that outweigh their daily commonalities. These words are colored by the cosmological, ontological and axiological backgrounds that are informed by African belief systems and human values. Most importantly, the mind of the African man and woman is tempered by the beliefs and value systems which form his/her attitudes towards the environment. This interpenetration and interoperationality generate a unique multidisciplinary mobilization of associated concepts and principles of philosophy and psychology that could sustain the African personality in successfully meeting up with the challenges of his environment. In coming up with human values of environmental ethical management, philosophy engages psychology adequately in empowering the mind and personality of the African man and woman to establish sustainable environmental management systems. This is the methodology of psychologizing philosophy and philosophizing environmentalism in creating new and better human attitudes towards our environment in Africa.

Understanding the causes of trauma: the Indigenous African perspective

We investigated the African Belief System on explanation of the causes of trauma. The study was conducted in the rural communities of the Vhembe District in South Africa. Seventy-five participants (female = 55; male = 20; age range = 25–60 years; mean age = 35.6 years; ethnicity: Black African) were conveniently selected for the study. Focus group discussions were conducted with the participants. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The African Belief System gives various causal reasons of trauma. The causes range from natural to witchcraft and ‘mazhuluzhulu’. Other causes include rape, road accidents, house or business breaking, murder, domestic violence and ancestral spirits. Future study with a larger sample is recommended to increase the transferability of the findings to people in similar situations.

The Influence of African American Elders' Belief Systems on Health Interactions

This qualitative article explores how African-American elders' cultural and religious belief systems informed elders' perceptions of: (a) healthcare encounters, (b) quality of healthcare received and, (c) relationships with providers. The descriptive study involved interviews with African American elders (N = 60), 60 years of age and older. Open-ended interview questions concerned elders' perceptions of how their age, gender, race, and belief systems impacted quality of healthcare interactions. Three interrelated themes linked elders' responses: (a) desire for connectedness, (b) sense of marginality, and (c) reliance on God and cultural traditions. Findings show the value of social workers designing assessments, programs, and interventions that qualitatively explore African American elders' beliefs. A qualitative exploration can use elders' own words to show the significance of their cultural and faith traditions in all aspects of their lives.

The Journey of a Healing Community in Ayi Kwei Armah'sTwo Thousand Seasons

Basing itself on the African belief system’s postulation of three dimensions of experience, this paper argues that Ayi Kwei Armah’s Two Thousand Seasons articulates the journey of a healing community from the realm of the godhead through the realm of the ancestors into the realm of the living. The journey commences with an initial stability in the realm of the godhead that is disrupted by internal and external forces. While the resulting southward migration of the people of Anoa mimics the journey through the African belief systems’ ancestral region, the crossing of the bog symbolizes the birth of a healing community.

DEATH AND DYING IN THE HISTORY OF AFRICA SINCE 1800

ABSTRACTIn this Introduction to the Special Issue on Death in African History we explore issues raised by the existing literature and suggest ways forward for future research. Death has long been a central concern of social anthropological writing on African societies, and of the extensive literature on African belief systems. Until recently, however, little attention has been paid to the history of death practices in Africa in relation to demographic change, urbanization, the interventions of the colonial and postcolonial state and the availability of new technologies. We explore the ways in which these forces have contributed to re-inventions of practices and beliefs surrounding death which are both self-evidently ‘modern’ and yet also rooted in a much longer history.

Gods, Ancestors, and Hermeneutics of Liberation in Ayi Kwei Armah’s Two Thousand Seasons

The objective of this article is to articulate the hermeneutics of liberation in Ayi Kwei Armah’s Two Thousand Seasons. Premised on an assertion that Two Thousand Seasons is divisible into three sections—the realm of the godhead, the realm of the ancestors, and the realm of the living—this article will argue that the protagonists of the novel use land, an abode of the ancestors, as a text through which they form themselves into a healing community. Reinterpreting African belief systems’ claim of connectedness of the ancestors to the gods and the godhead, this article will assert that when the protagonists have authentic relationship with each other and their world, they constitute gods or creative forces and consequently have a glimpse of the godhead. Commencing by articulating African belief systems’ concepts of godhead, gods, and ancestors, this article concludes by describing the hermeneutic project of the novel’s protagonists.