Orality, Literature, and African Religions (Kenneth Mtata and Jonathan A. Draper) (original) (raw)
Related papers
Orality, Literature and African Religions
This paper expores the implications of the mediation of not only African traditional religion, but also Christianity and Islam, through the medium of oral or residual oral culture and praxis. The paper argues that despite increasing levels of education and literacy, orality continues to play a role in African religion in a way that marks it out from religion in many other global contexts where literacy predominates. The paper is published in Jonathan A. Draper and Kenneth Mtata, "Orality and African Religions' in E. Bongmba (ed.), Religion in Africa. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pages 567-582. ISBN: 9781405196901.
Journal, 2016
The African religion, religious and moral values have been described by most European scholars as not been part of history, because unlike the two major religions of the world – Christianity and Islam, it has not been committed into writing, to produce documents like the Bible or Quran. The chapter therefore seeks to assess the role that oral tradition has played in the preservation of the African religion, religious and moral values, with specific reference to the Esan, Benin and their Igbo neigbhour.
The Use of Oral Hymns in African Traditional Religion and the Judeo-Christian Religion
When the Mamaala African rainmaking clan of South Africa performed rituals after which rain would fall in keeping with the research-established fact that African rainmaking rituals actually bring about rain (Makgopa 2005), they sang specific songs as part of the rituals (Rafapa 2007). This paper explores the nature and context of these poetic performances. The context will be considered from both the culture-specific and cross-cultural perspectives to, hopefully, enrich debate around the impact of globalisation on world cultures. The paper will attempt to show that rather than being mistaken for a culturally inane phenomenon, globalisation can be problematised for what it is as well as negotiated for the modification of those of its features that may lead to cultural distortion and imperialism. It will be demonstrated that oral poems that are a concomitant part of this specific segment of the African cultural complex can serve to reveal facts of culture that have significant implications for globalisation, especially in the context within which globalisation has been conceptualised by writers such as Okwori .
The significance of African oral tradition in the making of African Christianity
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2021
As religious systems are intertwined with social systems, change and continuity in thought and practice constitute a significant feature of Christianity. Thus, African Christianity embodies a distinct socio-cultural stamp of the continent. Considering the historical phases of Christianity, this socio-cultural stamp distinguishes African Christianity within global Christianity. One of the cultural vehicles of this imprint on Africa Christianity is the African oral tradition. Oral tradition is a necessary social antecedent and cultural heritage of Africans. African oral tradition is visible primarily through proverbs, folktales, songs, dances, customs, traditional medicines, religious practices and ancestral utterances. Through a substantial range of literature research on the subject matter, this article contends that African oral tradition is a relevant socio-cultural element in the constitution of African Christianity and its influence cannot be ignored. It sets out to pinpoint cer...
The Failure of Oral Tradition: A Case of African Beliefs and Customs
2018
In this publication, Verkijika explores the role of oral tradition in the evolution of Africa, it's merits and demerits, and how such information could be useful towards forging a better future for Africa. He also uses this theory to clarify a few Traditional African customs and beliefs who's misinterpretations had been a root cause for several debates about the philosophy of the true traditional African man.
The use of oral hymns in African traditional Religion and the Judeo-Christian
2009
When the Mamaala African rainmaking clan of South Africa performed rituals after which rain would fall in keeping with the research-established fact that African rainmaking rituals actually bring about rain (Makgopa 2005), they sang specific songs as part of the rituals (Rafapa 2007). This paper explores the nature and context of these poetic performances. The context will be considered from both the culture-specific and cross-cultural perspectives to, hopefully, enrich debate around the impact of globalisation on world cultures. The paper will attempt to show that rather than being mistaken for a culturally inane phenomenon, globalisation can be problematised for what it is as well as negotiated for the modification of those of its features that may lead to cultural distortion and imperialism. It will be demonstrated that oral poems that are a concomitant part of this specific segment of the African cultural complex can serve to reveal facts of culture that have significant implications for globalisation, especially in the context within which globalisation has been conceptualised by writers such as Okwori .
The Need to Re-Conceptualize African ‘Traditional’ Religion
African Research Review, 2013
Reality is a universal philosophical problem that people try to explain its underlying principle from their subjective perception. Religion is one of those ways to explain this unknown principle with spiritual connotation. In this connection, Africa as an entity looks at reality in a different perspective, which in this work we term African Religion. But as this work observes, a misconception about African Religion gave birth to a contraption called "African Traditional Religion". On this note, this work sets forth to re
When the Mamaala African rainmaking clan of South Africa performed rituals after which rain would fall in keeping with the research-established fact that African rainmaking rituals actually bring about rain (Makgopa 2005), they sang specific songs as part of the rituals (Rafapa 2007). This paper explores the nature and context of these poetic performances. The context will be considered from both the culture-specific and cross-cultural perspectives to, hopefully, enrich debate around the impact of globalisation on world cultures. The paper will attempt to show that rather than being mistaken for a culturally inane phenomenon, globalisation can be problematised for what it is as well as negotiated for the modification of those of its features that may lead to cultural distortion and imperialism. It will be demonstrated that oral poems that are a concomitant part of this specific segment of the African cultural complex can serve to reveal facts of culture that have significant implications for globalisation, especially in the context within which globalisation has been conceptualised by writers such as Okwori (2007).