Seraphim still satisfy the religious needs of the yoruba diaspora in. Abstract religion is the strongest element in african culture and exerts great influence upon the conduct of the african people. The impact of the healing miracles of jesus on healing methods of aladura churches in yoruba land ph. They were dissatisfied with western religious forms. What is needed is a holistic perspective that interprets aladura christianity in the wider context of yoruba culture and traditional. Abstract religion is the strongest element in african culture and exerts great. The basics of yoruba an african spiritual tradition. The basics of yoruba an african spiritual tradition metal. The aladura churches reflect the indigenization of christianity through its use of african symbols, traditional healing modalities, and worship styles. The ori holds the bodys knowledge and is its destiny. In a similar vein, yoruba philosophy can be considered antecedent to yoruba religion, in the same manner that every idea comes from the head before going into action.
Where earlier churches emphasized salvation in the hereafter, the aladura churches offer solutions to thisworld problems. In the church of the lord aladura, for example, ministers are given an iron rod about two and a half feet long, looped in a handle at one end, as part of their insignia of office. Christianity in nigeria religious literacy project. Traditional religion, christianity and islam, this article investigates the role of.
The impact of cultural values on aladura churches in ekitiland southwestern nigeria jegede, gabriel gbenga department of religious studies university of adoekiti, adoekiti, nigeria email. The movement, which in the early 1970s had several hundred thousand adherents, began about 1918 among the younger elite in the wellestablished christian community. Thus for the yoruba, the origins of tools and tool making is from the gods themselves. Where earlier churches emphasized salvation in the hereafter, the aladura churches offer solutions to.
Yoruba religion is the basis for a number of religions in the new world, notably santeria, umbanda, trinidad orisha, haitian vodou, and candomble. The religious traditions and beliefs of the african peoples have enough differences to. The yoruba people are descendants from a variety of west african communities. These examples are the broad ones that cut across christian denominations in yoruba land and that most people in ytr would relate to. In spite of the influence of migration and globalisation, yoruba religious. The yoruba religion has become widespread throughout the western hemisphere as well as its native africa. On the other hand, the history of christianity in nigeria dates back to the 15th century when the portuguese brought the religion along with them. The term aladura means praying people in yoruba aladura churches emphasize the power of prayer. Spirit and spirits in african religious traditions. The status of women in judaism in judaism, there was a strong patriarchal emphasis. The religious scene too has been transformed by the explosion of new churches, hostile to aladura. Precursors of the 1930 great indigenous revival among the. A comparative study in the nigerian context festus olasanmi komolafe master of theology university of st.
They are united by geography, history, religion and most importantly language. A critical and appreciative perspective 3 these questions, we will first seek to develop a better grasp of religion as a major. The book, the bible of the traditional yoruba religion, is 6 x 9, has 271 pp with photographs. The larger churches are crowded on sundays, and the more active church members attend prayer meetings, choir practices, biblestudy groups, committee meetings, and rites of passage on other days as well. Kalu chapter 16 afrobrazilian religion, progressive catholicism, and pentecostalism in northeast brazil. Mar 17, 2015 aladura practices aladura practices are a mix of anglican and african rituals. The movement, which in the early 1970s had several hundred thousand adherents, began about 1918 among the younger elite. African christian theologians suggested imageries as jete ancestor. The churches reject the power of traditional african religion as malign.
The movementaladura, meaning in yoruba, the prayer people because they pray more than other churches, originated among the. Christianity and the earliest traces of indigenous appropriations in the form. For the west african aladura christians, spiritual thingswhether holy or, in the case of native religion, hostileare as tangibly real as the landscape, and those who pray in faith can expect. This chapter discusses the spirit world in african thought systems and practices. Learn about christianity, islam, hinduism, buddhism, and more. In a similar vein, yoruba philosophy can be considered antecedent to yoruba religion, in the same manner that every. Judaism, christianity and islam have their origin in the east where the.
The word for head in yorubaoricarries physical and spiritual connotations that cannot be separated. May 20, 20 the first thing which strikes the outside observer of yoruba christianity is the sheer amount of activity. Aladura practices aladura practices are a mix of anglican and african rituals. Download citation aladura one of the most remarkable examples of african. Apr 21, 2015 the article will also highlight how yoruba culture has been able to reengineer and renegotiate its character in the process of its dialogue with christianity. The yoruba spirituality survived better under spanish and portuguese catholicism than the english evangelical christianity. Influence of yoruba culture in christian religious worship by odejobi cecilia omobola institute of education, faculty of education, obafemi awolowo university, ileife, osun state, nigeria. The axe is the one tool that is especially associated with him, who used it to carve a road. Many people have turned to the yoruba religion in this spiritual revolution. Yoruba where yoruba traditional religion demonstrates strong. In present day west africa, the main countries where yoruba speaking people live are. The aladura churches reflect the indigenization of christianity through its use of african symbols, traditional. Aladura christianity a yoruba religion in fact, makes aladura christianity appear to be merely a hybrid religion, either an imperfect version of western christianity or a mere adaptation of the traditional religion.
This study is a survey and a comparative analysis of exorcism practices by the muslim, christian and yoruba traditionalist exorcists in southwest nigeria purposely to determine the possibility or otherwise of interference in. A religious movement among the yoruba 1968 has become an anthropological classic. The group has grown into an international organisation with the expansion of the church beyond nigeria since 1947 to sierra leone, liberia, ghana, ivory coast, london, united states and europe. Aladura churches among the yoruba of southwestern nigeria. A critical and appreciative perspective 3 these questions, we will first seek to develop a better grasp of religion as a major constituent of the worldview of african people. Appiahkubi 1979 offers reasons for the emergence of indigenous african christian churches. The aladura brand of christianity which has a very long yoruba tradition and. And since it is by tools that the yoruba were able to carve out their own world, so to speak, he is associated with both heaven and earth. Yoruba religious beliefs are part of itan, the total complex of songs, histories, stories, and other cultural concepts which make up the yoruba society. A report on the size and distribution of the worlds christian population pdf retrieved 20150203 future of the world muslim population web january 27, 2011 retrieved 20150203 ray, benjamin c 1993 aladura christianity. Influence of yoruba culture in christian religious worship.
The origin of christianity in the world can be traced to the middle east. The majority of nigerias approximately 70 million christians are either roman catholic at least 18. Ray university of virginia, charlottesville aladura christianity among the yoruba of nigeria is a distinc tive form of christianity that bears the full imprint of yoruba tradi tional religion. The majority of nigerians now living in britain are of a different generation from the workerstudents of the 1960s. Religion, polygamy and social status in the song ara nba da by theophilus iwalokun m. Now peel sets an anthropological aim studying the impact of the church missionary society on a group of africans who became the yoruba but takes form and mode from history employing events and. Owners of prayer, religious movement among the yoruba peoples of western nigeria, embracing some of the independent prophethealing churches of west africa. The independent churches were more prevalent in west and southern africa. The majority of nigerian muslims are either nondenominational muslims or sunni and are concentrated in mostly the northern region of the country with some. Relations between christianity and yoruba traditional. At the east and the north, the yoruba culture arrives at its limits in the niger river. The most common independent churches in west africa were known as aladura churches. The transformation of aladura christianity in nigeria. African indigenous churches chapter eleven the church of.
Nevertheless, ancestral cultures directly related to the yorubas bloomed to the north of niger. Aladura is a classification of churches that abide by a christian religious denomination or trend inspired by activities of progressive church elements, j. The first thing which strikes the outside observer of yoruba christianity is the sheer amount of activity. They believe in faith healing and various elements associated with pentecostalism. The nomenclature aladura is a composite yoruba noun derived from oni owner of and. Coming on the heels of mission christianity and the earliest traces of indigenous appropriations in the form of ethiopian churches and revival movements, aics started to emerge in the african religious centrestage from the 1920s and 1930s. Religion, polygamy and social status in the song ara nba. Chapter five healing practices in african indigenous churches. The churches were a combination of yoruba and christian belief systems. The transformation of aladura christianity in nigeria epub bayreuth. Nigeria, the most populous african country with a population of over 200 million in 2018, is divided between adherents of christianity, islam and traditional religion quite similar to polytheism though the exact ratio is uncertain.
A yoruba religion journal of religion in africa 23. Though there is mention of a good and bad heaven, most followers hope for reincarnation which in this tradition is a good thing, as opposed to say buddhism where its something to be escaped. Yoruba world chapter 3 the cultural work of yoruba globalization 41. Ifa divination may not be common in other african philosophies, but it is for the yoruba people an oasis of wisdom, love, and morality. Some decided to modify and adapt christianity to local beliefs and conditions. D healing and women and healers in yoruba religion oyeronke olademo 64 jan 1992 o alana. The case of the aladura churches in nigeria nordic journal of. Jul 03, 2018 some decided to modify and adapt christianity to local beliefs and conditions. It will further show that in spite of the attempt by christianity to stifle yoruba culture it has become resurgent in a new form, as manifested in aladura christianity. Aladura among the yoruba in west africa metuh 2002. Supernatural faith christian history christianity today.
Dada adelowo introduction this paper is motiated by the need. The focus of the yoruba religion has never been salvation of any sort, but focuses more on living a great life right now. Marc bonenberger essay history africa publish your bachelors or masters thesis, dissertation, term. Aladura christianity emerged in the southwest of nigeria in. Yoruba meets christianity image source when europeans came to africa, or traded africans abroad, the africans were forced to embrace many of the european ways including their religion. The denomination has over 3 million adherents worldwide. It sufficiently explains the relationship between ancient egypt and the religion of southern nigeria, in addition to providing detailed steps, measures, practices, and initiation into the religion. Yoruba where yoruba traditional religion demonstrates strong resilience in its. The religion flourishes in the caribbean, and south america where it has been transplanted along with the peoples who followed this religious path, from africa.
If the inline pdf is not rendering correctly, you can download the pdf file here. This book provides detailed instruction of practical usage of ifa by practitioners and nonpractitioners and answers many questions with respect to how to pray the ifa way. The members who constituted themselves into this fellowship followed a catechist. While many churches in nigeria exhibit certain yoruba features, these are recognizably superficial and do not involve the deeply yoruba. The early aladura of igboland, 19251975 335 ogbu u. Aladura churches in nigeria religious literacy project. Most of the founders were associated with anglicanism, joined by some methodists. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Aladura and bornagain yo r uba christianity in london 307 hermione harris chapter 15 ndi afe ocha. African traditional religion, and as such native christians tend to have the. The yoruba people, of which there is at the present time more than 25 million, occupies the western south corner of nigeria, by all the edge of dahomey and it extends until he himself dahomey.
Aug 27, 20 yoruba meets christianity image source when europeans came to africa, or traded africans abroad, the africans were forced to embrace many of the european ways including their religion. Ifayoruba fundamentals of the yoruba religion orisa worship chief fama. Michaels college and the university of toronto 2016 abstract baptism is an integral part of christianity. If the inline pdf is not rendering correctly, you can download the pdf. Yoruba religious music, particularly songs sung in the context of ori. On the other hand, the history of christianity in nigeria dates back to the 15th century when. Is has a vast amount of history as to how gods power affects nature, man, and spirituality. The impact of cultural values on aladura churches in ekitiland southwestern nigeria jegede, gabriel gbenga department of religious studies. The reasons that can be adduced for the emergence of aladura christianity included the. This paper looks into examples of misinterpretations and misrepresentations of yoruba traditional religion ytr by christians and of christianity by ytr. The article will also highlight how yoruba culture has been able to reengineer and renegotiate its character in the process of its dialogue with christianity. For three decades peel has published on the yorubaaladura.
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