Bwiti | African religion | Britannica (original) (raw)

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development in Gabon

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  In Gabon: Religion
  A syncretic religion called Bwiti (based on an earlier secret society of the same name) came into existence in the early 20th century and later played a role in promoting solidarity among the Fang.
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New Religious Movements in Africa

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  In African religions: New religions, independent churches, and prophetic movements
  An example is the Bwiti movement, which originated with the Fang of Gabon and fused traditional ancestral cults with Christian symbolism and theology and messianic prophetic leadership. Such new African churches have tried to sustain a sense of community and continuity, even amid rapid and dramatic social change.
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use of drugs in ritual

• In drug cult: Other psychedelic substances
  …LSD), is used by the Bwiti cult in Central Africa. Coca, source of cocaine, has had both ritual and social use chiefly in Peru. Datura, one species of which is the jimsonweed, is used by native peoples in North and South America; the active principle, however, is highly toxic and…
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