Ebook: African Traditional Religion: A Definition

In the study of African traditional religion, we do not set out to glorify the dead past of Africa. This is a temptation against which African scholars especially must be on their guard. In these days of vigorous nationalism, of ‘negritude’, of ‘African personality’, there is always the tendency to wish to drag the dead back to life rather than for the living to realize their own intrinsic personalities and make sure of their own bearings for now and tor eternity. If there are any values by which the forbears lived and by which the present generations are living, if there is any heritage from the past which is spiritually and morally potent for today, these are the things to be researched into, refined if need be, and preserved for posterity.It is both spiritually and morally wrong to approach our study with the mind that for Africans, whatever had or has been African, practised traditionally by — Africans centuries ago, recently or currently, must be good enough. This is to study with prejudice. African scholars need to beware of being so emotionally involved as to lose their scholarly perspective.

The purpose of this study should be to discover what Africans actually know, actually believe, and actually think about Deity and the super-sensible world. There is a whole world of difference between this and what any investigators, at home or from abroad, prescribe through preconceived notions that Africans should know, believe and think. It is also to find out how their beliefs have inspired their worldviews and moulded cultures in general.