Religion constitutes an inextricable part of African Society. Political and socioeconomic activities are often flavored with religious expressions and rituals.
Whilst Africans are steeped in religiosity which is expressed in many ways, poverty and corruption are rife on the continent. The question thus arises as to whether Africa religiosity gives impetus to poverty and corruption on the continent or whether religion has a crucial role to play in the liberation of African societies from poverty and corruption.
By using the concept of religion in relation to African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity, this write-up is focused on the role of religion in the crisis of poverty and corruption in African society and argues that whilst religion has been instrumentalised in some instances to perpetuate poverty and corruption on the continent, it remains a crucial component of Africaness and could contribute to moral, sociopolitical and economic transformation.
African
Traditional Religion
Africa encompasses a wide variety of traditional beliefs. Although religious customs are sometimes shared by many local societies, they are usually unique to specific populations or geographic regions. All traditional African religions are united by a shared animistic core with special importance to ancestor worship According to Dr. J. Omosade Awolalu the traditional in this context means indigenous, that which is foundational handed down from generation to generation, meant as to be upheld and practiced today and forevermore.
A heritage from the past and not treated as a thing of the past but that which connects the past with the present and the present with eternity.
Although religion is flourishing in Africa many sub-Saharan African countries are amongst the world’s poorest nations. Regrettably according to a recent report of the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) 9 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa rank amongst the 17 most corrupt countries in the world.
In response to the challenges of poverty corruption underdevelopment faced on the African continent a scholar has called on African intellectuals to look at African history for a possible guide to an appropriate developmental framework that would integrate African social values and institutions in combination with the economic fundamentals included in contemporary development theories. Another scholar (Dele Omosegbon) has suggested that the study of African culture and history could provide guidance for future African development. African religions therefore constitute an enormous terrain that overlaps with the sociopolitical and economic spheres in sub-Saharan Africa and its diaspora.
Religion as a way of Life
Secular modernism has succeeded in distancing religion from the socio-economic and political spheres in the developed world. However despite the influence of secular modernism in Africa, such separation has not left a lasting imprint on African societies where religion continues to play an important role in socio-economic and political life.
Africans are notoriously religious as religion permeates all departments of life to such an extent that it is not easy or possible to isolate it. African religious consciousness was initially derived from the practice of traditional religion. Christianity and Islam have given further impetus to this consciousness. Conversely however both Christianity and Islam have (as the unfolding of a natural cultural process) both in turn been influenced by traditional religion.
In traditional life of an African, the individual is
immersed in religious participation that starts before birth and continues
after death. For the African, to live is to be caught up in a religious drama.
Religion is fundamental for Africans since human beings live in a religious universe. The universe and practically all human activities in it, are seen and experienced from a religious perspective. This indicates that the whole of existence is a religious phenomenon which leads to the argument that in the African Worldview, to exist is to be religious in a religious universe.
This means that it is unthinkable for an African to live without religion. This religious worldview informs the philosophical understanding of African myths, customs, traditions beliefs, morals actions and social relationships.
This same worldview also accounts for the
religiosity of the African in Political and socioeconomic life. That Africans
resort to religion unconsciously shows how deeply a religious consciousness is ingrained
in an African person whether he or she is at home or in the diaspora. It is therefore
common for Africans to display their religious beliefs and rituals in moments
of joy or despair. Africans come alive when they manifest their religiosity.
African expressions, names, activities, symbols, celebrations, work, ideology
and philosophies are loaded with religiosity. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Harambee.
Shalom,.
God Bless Africa
God Bless Humanity.
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Very Truly Yours
Elder (Evan) Ayodeji Ogunjobi (Deja Vu)
Please Circulate Worldwide
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