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<center>**TRADITIONAL AFRICAN  RELIGION.**</center>

**INTRODUCTION:**

Dear Steemians, today on this thread; I will like us to look into _African Traditional Religion._ Thank you for your time and _Bon Voyage_

For one to be effective as God’s servant in reaching the lost sinners with the gospel in any part of the world he must study the people’s culture to know their world view, belief and religion to enable him find the best way to present gospel to them.

One of the problems facing the Christian religion especially in Africa in this contemporary time is tat the western missionaries who came to Africa with the gospel before the colonial era started to preach to the Africans without first studying their culture and religion. The reason for their action was that before they start to come to Africa they have concluded that the Africans have no good religion. 

This impression made them to present the gospel in a way that the Africans sees the gospel as a big threat to their culture and religion hence the presentation of the gospel by the western missionaries is attacking the culture and religions life of the Africans.

Today the average Christian in African finds difficult to identify with his African brethren who is not a Christian, due to miss-conception of the part the gospel plays in a  given culture.

The will of God for the gospel is not to use it as a means of destroying people’s culture but through the preaching of the gospel help the people to identify those cultural practices that are against his will and replace them with the approved will of God for them. The gospel even promotes any cultural practice of the people that is not against the will of God and use it as a means of reaching them.


**WHAT IS RELIGION?**

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A. Religion is an act of seeking and responding to what people have accepted to be Holy.

B. A Direct result of man’s awareness of (powers) and his reaction to this power issues forth in the thrill of awe or reverence and culminate in worship.

**ELEMENTS FOUND IN THIS DEFINITIONS:**

1.	There must be along/ seeking for value.

2.	There must be responding.

3.	The  object must be considered holy or reverential.

2. **WHAT IS AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION (ATR)?**

a. According to Prof _“Ikenga Metuh”_ ATR is an organized pattern of belief in Africa.

Also, ATR, is institutionalize pattern of beliefs and worship practiced by various African societies from time immemorial in response to the supernatural beings as manifested in their environment and experiences. This religion is as old as Africa.

6 **ESSENTIAL FACTS FROM THE ABOVE DEFINITION:**

1.	ATR has a completed code and system, which does not require any change.

2.	It is peculiar and fundamental to Africa.

3.	It is as old as Africa.

4.	It is a response to the experience of the Africans.

5.	There is a diversity in ATR.

6.	It is experienced by individuals.2

2  **MAJOR ELEMENTS:**

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In studying from the Biblical perspective there are two major elements to be considered.

1.	ATR, as traditional practice in Africa.

2.	ATR, as interpreted by the Holy Bible.


**THE SCOPE OF AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION (ATR)**

**It Composed 3 basis components”**

1.	Belief in the supreme beings.

2.	In the Spirit world there are spirits subordinate to the supreme beings.

3.	Belief in the mystical power.

Point to notice: throughout Africa different people emphasizes on one of these components.

For an example, _The “Mule” of the Sudan, they emphasizes on the supreme beings._

_The “Zande - focuses on the Magic and mystical powers. 

Many _Bantu_ such as the _“Akamba”_ focus on the ancestral spirits. 

The Yoruba beliefs in divinities.

**WHY STUDY AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION?**

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1.The aim of study is to enable us examine carefully and critically some of the crucial issues in ATR, in the light of the word of God. So that we may discern between the truth and the error, in order to prove truly that there is no redemption in ATR.

2. A knowledge of ATR, is essential, if we are to understand and minister in post independent Africa.

3. ATR, should be studied for its own sake as history and because it is one of the great religions of the world that has shaped the attitudes and actions of people in the past.

4. in order to be prepared better for the evangelization and discipline people for Christ, especially those in rural areas.

5. Many professing Christians fall back to ATR, in time of crisis or emergencies so we should study it to know why.

The Reason They Do So Is That They Want Immediate Answer For Their Needs.

7.	It is important because it helps us know our people and be able to reach them with the gospel.

7. It will give us an understanding of the people’s culture, “Since religion is the active expression of culture. And culture means the way of life which differentiate people from other people”.

8.	We must understand the beliefs and practices of the traditional Africans in order to build bridges of communication with them.

9. The present revival of ATR, brings a sense of urgency to this study.


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