african concept of god, spirits and ancestors

Gods are often known by several names. african concepts of: divinities spirits ancestors magic & medcine Divinities Nature: = Second most important Element in African Belief Structure =Essentially regarded as intermediaries Between SB and Humans =Venerated (Not Worshiped) as central figures in African Religious Belief Through devotions in rituals during ceremonies and Festivals We conducted a review of conceptual models to clarify the concepts and approaches used in the practice of modeling adoption in agriculture. A.W. Followers of traditional African religion believe that ancestors maintain a spiritual connection with their living relatives. In his book, ‘The living dead and the living God,’ Klaus Nurnberger (2007: 37) says that “Effective authority must be existentially present. The body disappears, but the energy doesn’t go anywhere. Our ancestors communicated with God through Prophets because they are God's mouth pieces on earth. Concepts of God in Africa book. Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions, this includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife.While some religions adopted a pantheistic worldview, most follow a polytheistic system with various gods, spirits and other supernatural beings. The 3D CAD module was developed using the Graphics.DrawLine method. McVeigh (1974:148) says: A God who is so inscrutable is best left on the periphery of life. We described general adoption conceptual models originating from sociology, psychology, economics, and marketing and reviewed examples of models specifically defined for the study of adoption in agriculture. Africans believed in existence of a supreme being who lived in mountains, clouds and the sky. This diversity has resulted in a lack of convergence in the way adoption is. There may be spirits and ancestors floating around, but there’s only one God. The model aims to provide bridge type recommendations, allow customization of a sustainable bridge, illustrate forecasted footprint levels, present the conceptual design in AutoCAD’s 3-dimensional (3D) mode, facilitate a recalculation process when the bridge’s dimensions are altered, and generate a conceptual cost estimate. Though Islam has conquered north Africa and Christianity (as the world sees it) has conquered the rest, through it all is the power of ancestor worship. (Eds. Biblically an ancestor is a family member that has passed on. (c) State six aspects of traditional … Concepts of God, Divinities, Ancestors, and Spirits in African Traditional Religious Thought: Conceptual Analysis January 2021 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-4595-9.ch002 Let the light I offer be a “beacon of hope” and serve as an escape and protective shield from the shadows of despair. Africans rather see the divinities as special beings, offspring, and/or apparitional beings who receive their authority from the supreme being to serve in the unitary theocratic system of the supreme being's government. The authority of the most proximate ancestors is present. (b) Give the occasions when sacrifices were offered in Traditional African communities. Honoring the Ancestors is of primary importance in all Lucumí rituals and practices. We have tried to collect as many Holy Aliases as possible. Mbiti (1969:178) disputes the use of the term worship, yet he accepts that in the worship of God, in some cases, sacrifices and offerings are directed to one or more of the following: God, spirits and the living dead (ancestors). © 2008-2021 ResearchGate GmbH. While some religions adopted a pantheistic worldview, most follow a polytheistic system with various gods, spirits … . Ancestor worship is found in many cultures all across the world. The need to explore the prevailing religious belief patterns of the African becomes mandatory in any serious study of African Pentecostal spirituality. The concept of God, divinities and spirits in African traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing Africans as people who did not know the Supreme Being nor worship Him. relationship between the related keywords in terms of semantics to produce the accurate results which have paved the way for semantic search. Modern Africans, like their ancestors, do not worship Tu-SoS, which they variously call Olodumare, Osanobua, Chukwu. Discuss the roles of ancestors in traditional African Communities. This power originates from God but is possessed hierarchically by divinities, spirits, and the living dead, and it is available to some people, in various degrees. The spirit world is believed to be a radically different world, it is also a carbon copy of the countries where [the ancestors] lived in this life ( ... African God/dess of Creation. 8.2. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that does not acknowledg e Jesus is not from God. The Gods, Goddesses, Spirits and legendary characters of African mythology. They originate from Mozambique, Malawi and Swaziland. Against this backdrop, the researcher undertook this study to show that the concept of god is not strange to Africans and that in traditional Africa there is no atheist. Gods, Spirits and Ancestors. Africans were seen as worshipping strange god(s). Tore. Today, there is a wide range of conceptual models that are developed and used in research and/or practice focusing on educational technology integration. Divinities: In the hierarchy of power, the divinities stand next to the supreme God. Traditional African belief is overwhelmingly monotheistic. Additionally, manual interventions are required for determining the, Models can provide a structured way to think about adoption and provide a method to investigate the impacts of different factors in the adoption process. Gods are often known by several names. b) venerating and communicating with spirits and ancestors This chapter concludes by suggesting that there is the need for proper religious education, a theology of enculturation, and understanding of African worldviews in order to sustain Africans' beliefs and practices. Comparatively viewed, African ancestor worship has a remarkably uniform structural framework. The author is aware that Jesus is our mediator, who connects us-directly to God. He is invisible and infinite and cannot be comprehended by the finite man. (a) What was the role of ancestors in Traditional African Communities? The conceptual analysis is borne out of the need for meaningful understanding of the concepts as follows: Concept of God, Divinities, Ancestors and Spirits in African Traditional Religious Ontology. When Africans need to connect spiritually it is imperative to first connect with African culture research African history most importantly honor your ancestors. An examination of the characteristics of Nana Nyame reveals a traditional African worldview that has respect for the plurality, mystery, and the relational nature of God, ultimate reality, and existence itself. Traditional African belief is overwhelmingly monotheistic. For example, farming activities involved God, spirits and ancestors. 5 Traditional African ways of: a) worshipping God. The Spirit of Ancestors in African Traditional Religion How the spirits of ancestors can be a blessing or harmful and The Power and importance of ancestors in African traditional society Ancestors in African Traditional religion are very important in that they were once alive and now they are in the spirit and they do not die again. Therefore, the main goals of this article are to: (1) develop criteria to assess the quality and scope of conceptual models and (2) identify and compare exemplary models for technology integration in educational settings along with these quality criteria. The resulting five criteria from this investigation provide the means to effectively evaluate the quality and scope of conceptual models focused on technology integration while providing additional insight into applying these models in research and practice. - I bind and rebuke all familiar spirits and spirit guides that would try to operate in my life from ancestors in the name of Jesus. Ancestor worship is wrong because it goes against God’s specific warnings about such worship, and it seeks to replace Jesus Christ as the Divine Mediator between God and mankind. Mbiti (1969:178) disputes the use of the term worship, yet he accepts that in the worship of God, in some cases, sacrifices and offerings are directed to one or more of the following: God, spirits and the living dead (ancestors). He is believed to be the creator of the world the sovereign ruler of the whole universe and all that is in it – man, animal, and plants. defined, explained, and measured, causing agricultural extension and policy to rely on a body of literature that is often not able to offer clear recommendations on the variables or mechanisms that can be used to design interventions. Concepts of God, Divinities, Ancestors, and Spirits in African Traditional Religious Thought: Conceptual Analysis. Tozer (1994:11) famously suggests that “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”. They create a sense of security for the community. And so is the same for the spirit of our ancestors. In African traditions, religion was integrated in every aspect of life and daily activities. Enekpe. I am merely stating the case of those who believe in the system of ancestor ship. It is better to focus one’s attention on such entities as the ancestors who, while also retaining characteristics of African ancestors created all the initial intermediary Gods and Deities known to man. There are many arguments when it comes to believing in ancestors, and believing in God. We have tried to collect as many Holy Aliases as possible. Integrated 3D Modeling adaptation on infrastructure has been slow due to technical challenges, such as the lack of interoperability between software. In, AniediAbasi Okon Ekpatt (University of Uyo, Nigeria), Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies, InfoSci-Education Knowledge Solutions – Books, InfoSci-Social Sciences Knowledge Solutions – Books, Phenomenological Approaches to Religion and Spirituality. It is a cry of hope by our deceased ancestors as after death they are in the form of a subtle body or spirits and cannot do spiritual practice. He is believed to be both distant from men and near to him. The belief remains that there is an interaction between the invisible and visible worlds (2007;377). The BrSRS and BrEPSM modules were developed by the amalgamation of identified pertinent sustainable and footprint indicators. God is not their equal – hence ancestors becomes abridge between the lower and higher being. The concept of god, divinities, ancestors, and spirits in African traditional religious ontology has been misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing Africans as people who did not know the supreme being nor worship him. Our review covered a range of modeling approaches for diffusion and individual adoption, illustrating different perspectives used in the literature. with, and even scold. 1 African concept of God, spirits and ancestors. wide range of conceptual models are developed and used in research and/or practice focusing on educational technology integration. The African concept of God, Spirits and Ancestors. Satan has always sought to supplant God, and he uses lies about worshiping other gods and even ancestors to try to lead people away from the truth of God’s existence. This is why the Africans do not use any image to represent Him. Integrating 3D Modeling, Sustainability and Cost Estimating at the Conceptual Design Stage of Bridge... An Art of Review on Conceptual based Information Retrieval, Understanding the Adoption of Innovations in Agriculture: A Review of Selected Conceptual Models, In book: Phenomenological Approaches to Religion and Spirituality (pp.18-43). Only those who lived a full measure of life, cultivated moral values, and achieved social distinction attain this status. Some people liken the Orishas to gods … I offer guidance to my ancestors and spirits by way of the Guardian Angels and Protective Spirits who by the power and order of God will assist them in their greater act of evolution. To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the author. The above concept share light to the way some Africans communicate in life, Join ResearchGate to find the people and research you need to help your work. The Ndebele believe that uMlimo is the oldest ancestor and the consult him through amadhlozi. African spirituality is about liberation according to Adofo. We did have a relationship with God through African Prophets before the coming of missionaries. The calling to be a Sangoma or shaman is believed to come from various ancestor spirits and your direct ancestor spirits. Access scientific knowledge from anywhere. In addition to the belief in deity, the Supreme Being of Africa largely overlaps conceptually with the identity and work of the biblical God. Very simple and basic daily efforts can help alleviate our ancestral distress and give momentum to ancestral spirits in their afterlife. Ekpatt, A. O. Let the light I offer fade out the shadows of fear and guide them toward the arms of God and to a higher cause. For it is through the love, the will, and the power of God that all souls are saved. 4 Responsibility of the living towards God, spirits and ancestors. Question: "What does the Bible say about ancestor worship?" The S… Various research work has been carried out on concept based information retrieval to tackle the difficulties that are caused by the conventional keyword search and the semantic search systems. This paper seeks to examine how Africans conceive of the Supreme Being, divinities and spirits. 8.2. Other articles where Ancestor worship is discussed: African religions: Ritual and religious specialists: Ancestors also serve as mediators by providing access to spiritual guidance and power. Ancestor worship and belief is an extension of a belief in and respect for elders. Selected Aspects In African Religious Heritage: African Concept of God, Spirits And Ancestors; African Moral and Cultural Values; CRE Form 1 Notes Study Questions with answers for all topics; WhatsApp us +254 700 755976 to request for hard copy. In Essien, E. D. 3 The role of God, spirits and ancestors. The most significant similarity between the African God and the Biblical God is the fundamental belief in a deity. The Jews too do not worship En-Sof. It is common knowledge that the African preachers of the leading denominations consult witch doctors. I believe this assertion to be correct and so the question, “How do African concepts of God relate to the God of the Bible?” is most worthy of our consideration. ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication. Findings from this review can be considered by adoption researchers and modelers in their work to assist policy and extension efforts to improve the uptake of future beneficial agricultural innovations. ), Ekpatt, AniediAbasi Okon. Among the visible beings were humans, animals and plants. To Support Customers in Easily and Affordably Obtaining the Latest Peer-Reviewed Research, Copyright © 1988-2021, IGI Global - All Rights Reserved, Additionally, Enjoy an Additional 5% Pre-Publication Discount on all Forthcoming Reference Books, Ekpatt, AniediAbasi Okon. 8.2. African Concept of God, Spirits and Ancestors. When more than one keywords are used for defining the single concept in the documents and in the queries, inaccurate and incomplete results were produced by keyword based retrieval systems. 8.2. All spirit beings are endowed with certain powers and they apply these powers upon the humans for their good or for their harm. This is a universal belief among Africans. Ancestor worship is the almost universal religion of Africa. Death is not a sufficient condition for becoming an ancestor. God was the creator of the universe. their overwhelming emphasis upon the life and efficacy of the spirit which emanates from the concept of God as spirit (1993:221). This paper aims at elucidating various representation of text that is responsible for retrieving relevant search results, approaches along with the evaluation that are carried out in conceptual information retrieval, the challenges faced by the existing research to expatiate requirements of future research. Ancestor Spirits and their role in African Traditional Religion. Nothing was wrong with our ancestral original forms of deities, but it was a reminder to Eurocentric that they were not the originators of the concept of god. The ancestral spirits have a link with the gods & dieties. Traditional Africans have a three tier view of the world, similar to that of the ancient Hebrews, consisting of the sky, the earth, which includes land and water, and the area under the earth, which is the abode of the ancestors (Kalu 2000:56). Conceptual models are of relevance as they can bridge theory with practical applications. Other articles where Ancestor worship is discussed: African religions: Ritual and religious specialists: Ancestors also serve as mediators by providing access to spiritual guidance and power. The Ancestors come before the orishas and must be given their due attention and offerings before proceeding with any initiation, ritual or festival. (2021). Samson Mudzudza. In African indigenous religions, the principal deities, spirits, gods, ancestors, and personal and impersonal forces are regarded as active agents in the created world, with theistic and nontheistic notions of supernatural forces embedded in the various cosmologies. Their major function is mediation between God and man. In order to effectively use technology in education, appropriate conceptual understandings are needed to guide the integration process. The invisible things included deities, divinities and ancestors. The ancestors are without question the most prominent aspect of African religion, in fact, they are the heart of the African spirit world. The ancestor is a human being that fulfilled his/her destiny, or God-given purpose, in life and achieves metaphysical completion in death. The concept of God, divinities and spirits in African traditional religious ontology has been so misunderstood by many scholars to the point of seeing Africans as people who did not know the Supreme Being nor worship Him. There is no heaven or hell.”- Dalian Adofo. The spirit world is the most pervasive worldview. This study adopts the descriptive and analytical research methods to investigate African traditional religious lifestyle, beliefs, and practices. Only those who lived a full measure of life, cultivated moral values, and achieved social distinction attain this status. We found that key elements that should be used in adoption models for agriculture include: a way to assess the performance of the proposed new technology (e.g., relative advantage, both economic and non-economic) in relation to the existing technology or practice in place, the process of learning about this advantage, the interaction between individual decision-making and external influences, and characteristics of potential adopters affecting their attitudes towards the technology. Ancestors and wilderness Spirits. In conclusion, the Ndebele concept of uMlimo is as common as any other African conception of God. This is the spirit of anti-christ, which you have heard is coming and even is If there were calamities such as drought, disease, famine, and death, itwas an indication that God, spirits and ancestors were displeased with humankind. 2 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, becaus e many false prophets have gone out into the world. His duty is to watch, protect and bless the remaining family members. Learn about the Seven African Powers and how you can begin working with them in African spirituality and folk magic. The model incorporates a rule-based expert system and four modules, Basically keywords are used to index and retrieve the documents for the user query in a conventional information retrieval systems. God (Supreme Being): There is a widespread belief in God who is believed to be supreme and above all; God is essentially a spirit and is recognized as such in all the African tribes. 8.2. Early missionaries made a complete pig’s ear of their research in this respect and seem to have delighted in cataloging as many ‘heathen’ Gods as … - I break all curses on my finances from any ancestors that cheated or mishandled money in the name of Jesus. Today, there are a. (ii) They intercede for the community's needs to God. As such, they are ministers of god with derived power. I offer prayer and protection by way of the Divine Creator for those ancestral souls and spirits that are in darkness, forgotten, or lost. African Pentecostal Churches are not an exception. African Supreme God. O’Donovan (1995: 41) goes as far as suggesting that “there is probably no native-born African who is not aware of the existence of God”. Herero God of Creation. Qualities Of God SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Selected Aspects In African Religious Heritage: African Concept Of God Selected Old Testament Prophets And Their Teachings Shepherds Sinai Covenant: Moses Spirits And Ancestors Spread Of Christianity St. Luke Gospel Technology And Environment The Bible The Galilean Ministry THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Africans believe in the existence of a mystical, invisible, hidden, spiritual power in the universe. In terms of modeling, the main implication of these inconsistencies is the difficulty to generate quantitative evidence to support these models since multiple interpretations make it difficult to achieve consistency in the definition of observable, measurable variables that can be used to quantify cause-effect relationships. Ancestor worship is based on the belief that our ancestors become spirits when they die. The Jews like the Africans, worship the intermediary Gods. ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication. There may be spirits and ancestors floating around, but there’s only one God. The ancestors are close to the humans and serve as their custodians. Educational Technology Research and Development. 1. Download document ( 100.00 KES ) We also detected inconsistencies in how different elements are treated in different conceptual models, particularly behavioral elements such as attitudes, motivations, intentions, and external influences. The spirit beings are usually divided into two categories: (1) the spirits of the dead elders (the ancestors) and (2) the non-human spirit beings. He adds that the word ancestor denotes a human being, and Africans worship God alone. They are also seen as great and ancient ancestor spirits by some and to be higher than the Nguni. In defining the religious worldview of Africa, Mbiti stresses the fact that the spirit world of the African people is very densely populated with spirit beings, spirits and the living-dead or the spirits of the ancestors (Mbiti, 1969:75). However, there is insufficient agreement on the dimensions and criteria used to judge the quality of conceptual models in educational technology. Though the spirit world is a radically different world, it is also a "carbon copy of the countries where [the ancestors] lived in this life" (John S. Mbiti, Concepts of God in Africa [SPCK, 1970], p. 259). namely: 3D CAD modeling, Bridge Sustainability Rating System (BrSRS), Bridge Environmental Performance Strategy Mapping (BrEPSM), and conceptual cost estimating. In African indigenous religions, the principal deities, spirits, gods, ancestors, and personal and impersonal forces are regarded as active agents in the created world, with theistic and nontheistic notions of supernatural forces embedded in the various cosmologies. And so the African turns to the ancestors, and some­ times to nature spirits. 2 African understanding of the hierarchy of beings. They reward good deeds and punish bad deeds. Who Are the Orishas? Ancestor worship. All life, power, and existence flow from God, and by “right of their primogeniture and proximity to God by death God has granted the ancestors a qualitatively more powerful life force over their descendants.” Igala mythology. In an effort to partially fill this gap, a versatile model with 3D Modeling capabilities was developed to assist in designing sustainable bridges at the conceptual design stage. Animism builds the core concept of traditional African religions, this includes the worship of tutelary deities, nature worship, ancestor worship and the belief in an afterlife. In the hierarchically ordered world of African Traditional Religion, God is the ancestor, par excellence. OLUPONA: The role of ancestors in the African cosmology has always been significant. The belief in ancestors stands central in the traditional African thought and is an essential pillar of religion practiced in Africa (Stinton 2004:133–134). Our Ancestral spirits. God is everywhere and is all knowing. (add any others you wish to give praise to) With at least 70 years of research in the adoption of agricultural innovations, there has been a proliferation of adoption models, both conceptual and numerical. For the full alphabetical list of alternative names, check out Godchecker's list of African deity names. I give praise to the universe I give praise to mother earth I give praise to all of nature and its beings I give praise to all my guiding spirits I give praise to my ancestors I give praise to all that came before me in this struggle I give praise to my elders I give praise to all those who have cared for me, protected me, guided me and loved me I give praise to…. This paper seeks to examine how Africans conceive of the Supreme Being, divinities and spirits. Ancestors can offer advice and bestow good fortune and honor to their living dependents, but they can also make demands, such as insisting that their shrines be properly maintained and propitiated. Authoring or editing more than half a dozen books on religion and African culture (including the recent “African Religions: A Very Short Introduction,” Oxford University Press), Olupona has researched topics ranging from the indigenous religions of Africa to the religious practices of Africans who have settled in America.

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