African Religions

African Religions
Author: Jacob K. Olupona
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2014
Genre: History
ISBN: 0199790582

This book connects traditional religions to the thriving religious activity in Africa today.

Contemporary Perspectives on Religions in Africa and the African Diaspora

Contemporary Perspectives on Religions in Africa and the African Diaspora
Author: Carolyn M. Jones Medine
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 509
Release: 2015-10-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1137498056

Contemporary Perspectives on Religions in Africa and the African Diaspora explores African derived religions in a globalized world. The volume focuses on the continent, on African identity in globalization, and on African religion in cultural change.

Religions of Africa

Religions of Africa
Author: E. Thomas Lawson
Publisher: Harper San Francisco
Total Pages: 136
Release: 1984
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

African Traditions in the Study of Religion in Africa

African Traditions in the Study of Religion in Africa
Author: Ezra Chitando
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2016-04-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1317184203

The historiography of African religions and religions in Africa presents a remarkable shift from the study of 'Africa as Object' to 'Africa as Subject', thus translating the subject from obscurity into the global community of the academic study of religion. This book presents a unique multidisciplinary exploration of African traditions in the study of religion in Africa and the new African diaspora. The book is structured under three main sections - Emerging trends in the teaching of African Religions; Indigenous Thought and Spirituality; and Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. Contributors drawn from diverse African and global contexts situate current scholarly traditions of the study of African religions within the purview of academic encounter and exchanges with non-African scholars and non-African contexts. African scholars enrich the study of religions from their respective academic and methodological orientations. Jacob Kehinde Olupona stands out as a pioneer in the socio-scientific interpretation of African indigenous religion and religions in Africa. This book is to his honour and marks his immense contribution to an emerging field of study and research.

Religious Traditions of the World

Religious Traditions of the World
Author: H. Byron Earhart
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 1724
Release: 1992-10-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780060621155

Now in one volume: the ten volumes of the outstanding Religious Traditions of the World series. Written by leading experts, these individual studies explore the richness and variety of important religions from around the world.

The Religious Traditions of Africa

The Religious Traditions of Africa
Author: Elizabeth Isichei
Publisher: Greenwood
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2004-11-23
Genre: Reference
ISBN:

This work is a first of its kind historical introduction to the major religions of Africa. The vast majorities of Africa's peoples have been Muslim, Christian, or Traditionalist for a great deal of time, making an inclusive study of these religions essential. Isichei's work gives equal attention to all three religions and balances the elements of each to construct an easily accessible overview. It is also the first book to provide a comprehensive look at the traditional religion in Africa, filling the void in the literature on African religious history. Written by a pioneering scholar in the African religious experience, this volume blends in-depth research and personnel accounts to explore the origins and effects of religion in Africa. While primarily a work of history this book also incorporates the latest findings while engaging with current issues such as the interface of neo-traditional religion and contemporary cultures. This work includes four sections, each dedicated to a separate religion, detailed maps, a glossary, and a guide to further reading.

African Traditions in the Study of Religion, Diaspora and Gendered Societies

African Traditions in the Study of Religion, Diaspora and Gendered Societies
Author: Ezra Chitando
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2016-04-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1317184173

The historiography of African religions and religions in Africa presents a remarkable shift from the study of 'Africa as Object' to 'Africa as Subject', thus translating the subject from obscurity into the global community of the academic study of religion. This book presents a unique multidisciplinary exploration of African Traditions in the Study of Religion, Diaspora, and Gendered Societies. The book is structured under two main sections. The first provides insights into the interface between Religion and Society. The second features African Diaspora together with Youth and Gender which have not yet featured prominently in studies on religion in Africa. Contributors drawn from diverse African and global contexts situate current scholarly traditions of the study of African religions within the purview of academic encounter and exchanges with non-African scholars and non-African contexts. African scholars enrich the study of religions from their respective academic and methodological orientations. Jacob Kehinde Olupona stands out as a pioneer in the socio-scientific interpretation of African indigenous religion and religions in Africa and the new African Diaspora. This book honours his immense contribution to an emerging field of study and research.

African Traditional Religion in the Modern World, 2d ed.

African Traditional Religion in the Modern World, 2d ed.
Author: Douglas E. Thomas
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2015-05-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1476620199

African traditional religion encompasses a variety of non-dogmatic, spiritual practices followed by millions around the world. Some scholars argue it is related to the Nubian religion of Egypt's Dynastic Period. In an expanded second edition, this book examines the nature of African traditional religion and describes common attributes of various cultural belief systems, with an emphasis on West Africa. Principal elements studied include sacrifice, salvation and culture, modes of revelation, divination, and African resilience in the face of invasion and colonization. The religious experiences of black people throughout the Americas are also covered. The author finds the cosmology, symbolism and rituals of the Yoruba culture to be the fundamental bases of African traditional religion, and draws similarities between the oral and written literature of West Africans and that of New World practitioners. The influence of Islam and Christianity is also discussed. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

West African Religious Traditions

West African Religious Traditions
Author: Robert B. Fisher
Publisher:
Total Pages: 224
Release: 1998
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

West African Religious Traditions provides a unique and accessible way for readers to understand the dynamics and structures of traditional African religion, and to see its resonances in African-American religious life today. Focusing on the Akan of Ghana, this book is the result of the author's lifetime of close collaboration with Ghanaians at all levels of that West African nation. West African Religious Traditions is a remarkable entree into a fascinating world of African religion and culture. Fisher has lived and taught in Ghana and brings to his writing both love for Africa and the keen eye of a trained liturgist who knows the importance of grounding his statement of principles in concrete observations of song, dance, ceremonies, and recitations of mythic narratives. Ghanaians have been involved at every stage of the writing and re-writing of this book, helping to clarify the material. The result is an up-to-date, well researched, and student-ready volume, whose study questions and bibliography make it ideal for classroom use.

African Religion Defined

African Religion Defined
Author: Anthony Ephirim-Donkor
Publisher: University Press of America
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2012-07-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0761853294

African religion is ancestor worship; that is, funeral preparations, burial of the dead with ceremony and pomp, belief in eternal existence of souls of the dead as ancestors, periodic remembrance of ancestors, and belief that they influence the affairs of their living descendants. Whether called Akw?sidai, Homowo, Voodoo, Nyant?r (Aboakyir), CandomblZ, or Santeria in Africa or the African Diaspora, ancestor worship centers on the ancestors and deities. This makes it a tenably viable religion, because living descendants are genetically linked to their ancestors. The author, a traditional king and professor, studies the Akan in Ghana to demonstrate that ancestor worship is as pragmatic, systematic, theological, teleological, soteriological — with a highly trained clerical body and elders as mediators — and symbolic as any other religion in the world. Ancestor worship follows prescribed rites and rituals, formulas, precepts for ritual efficacy, and festivities of honor with music and dances to provoke ancestors and deities into joining in the celebration.