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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 14 page research paper that explores the nature and characteristics of traditional African religions, discussing these characteristics before and after the coming of outside influences and stressing the role of African religion in maintaining African identity and cultural values. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Page Count:
14 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khafind.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
a particular people view religion, it also possible to gain a better comprehension of how they view the world in general and react to that world. While African belief was
long regarded in the West as simply superstition, this attitude has been recognized as saying more about the ethnocentrism of nineteenth century missionaries and social scientists than about African faith.
The following examination of African indigenous religious belief demonstrates that this framework, for the most part, has proven to be extremely adaptable for African peoples, providing them with a medium
for staying connected with their past while preparing for the future. Historical background The scholarly study of African religions began roughly a century ago with the first comprehensive accounts
of African belief systems, which were recorded by anthropologists and missionaries.2 As this study has progressed, scholars have become aware of the significant ways in which both the
words "Africa" and "religion" are Western constructs, which naturally entail both misconceptions and changing perceptions, particularly in regards to the topic of religion.3 In regards to the word "Africa,"
it has generally been used in the West to refer to the dark skinned peoples who live south of the Sahara desert and who were perceived by the West as
having the "same" culture.4 The slave-trading colonial powers saw this vast territory as a single place, a single country occupied by one people. This perception of cultural uniformity ignored
differences in language, culture and ethnic identity. This misconception has since been overcome, but the question of the unity of African culture is still a debated issue.5 Some scholars emphasize
the variety of African cultures, while others look to common factors that suggest broader cultural and humanistic ideas and values. Similarly, it is only since the late colonial period
...