Encyclopedia of African Religion
Molefi Kete Asante
Language: English
Pages: 920
ISBN: 1412936365
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
"Numerous titles focusing on particular beliefs in Africa exist, including Marcel Griaule's Conversations with Ogotemmeli, but this one presents an unparallelled exploration of a multitude of cultures and experiences. It is both a gateway to deeper exploration and a penetrating resource on its own. This is bound to become the definitive scholarly resource on African religions."
― Library Journal, Starred Review
"Overall, because of its singular focus, reliability, and scope, this encyclopedia will prove invaluable where there is considerable interest in Africa or in different religious traditions."
–Library Journal
As the first comprehensive work to assemble ideas, concepts, discourses, and extensive essays in this vital area, the Encyclopedia of African Religion explores such topics as deities and divinities, the nature of humanity, the end of life, the conquest of fear, and the quest for attainment of harmony with nature and other humans. Editors Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama include nearly 500 entries that seek to rediscover the original beauty and majesty of African religion.
Features
· Offers the best representation to date of the African response to the sacred
· Helps readers grasp the enormity of Africa's contribution to religious ideas by presenting richly textured concepts of spirituality, ritual, and initiation while simultaneously advancing new theological categories, cosmological narratives, and ways to conceptualize ethical behavior
· Provides readers with new metaphors, figures of speech, modes of reasoning, etymologies, analogies, and cosmogonies
· Reveals the complexity, texture, and rhythms of the African religious tradition to provide scholars with a baseline for future works
The Encyclopedia of African Religion is intended for undergraduate and graduate students in fields such as Religion, Africana Studies, Sociology, and Philosophy.
have been considered a proud people in the sense that they resist external influences. They resisted domination by the Egyptian and Ethiopian kings throughout their history. Even today there are many who have resisted service in the Sudanese army. Yet their long history has meant some involvement with outsiders such as Arabs from northern Arabia. This has impacted mainly the religious side of the culture, but the Beja still insist on their own traditions alongside Islam. It is believed by some
of the sacred bull to be sacrificed. He says Egyptians regard bulls as belonging to Apis; the god Ausar (“Osiris”) was periodically reborn as a calf named Apis. He was recognizable by certain markings; a calf with similar marks might not be killed. The ingestion of the meat of the bull during the sacrificial offerings assimilated the bull’s characteristics with the king. Although the entire species of bulls was regarded as sacred and recognized for strength and fertility, one individual bull was
are properly addressed and honored by the living ones; this is the source of happiness and peace among the people. Chikukuango Cuxima-zwa See also Ancestors; Bantu Philosophy 167 Further Readings Dillon-Malone, C. M. (1978). The Korsten Basketmakers, A Study of the Masowe Apostles an Indigenous African Religious Movement. Harare: The Institute for African Studies, University of Zambia. Fontinha, M. (1983). Desenhos na Areia Dos Chokwe Do Nordeste De Angola. Lisboa, Portugal: Instituto De
the area of the old empire of Ghana after the spread of Islam in the North and parts of West Africa during the 13th century. The Asante settled in the Adanse region probably in the 14th century before spreading out and, in the process, creating more towns during the 15th century. This entry discusses their history and religious beliefs. 70 Asante Historical Background The Asante Nation was composed of several clans ruled by individual kings. There were many petty wars between the various
Otherwise, the Batonga honor the ancestors whom they have known. They consult diviners, believe in the power of spirit transcendance, and search for answers to ordinary problems from the ancestors. All spirits are respected, consulted, and propitiated as needed by the society. There is also a belief in reincarnation. The Batonga believe that after death a person could receive another totem—that is, by consulting the Bats diviners, following certain rituals, and taking special herbs, a person