The study of West African Traditional Religion

 


According to Mbiti, the traditional African is notoriously religious. What he is trying to say is that in every aspect of his life, the traditional African has some attributes towards religion. It permeates every part of his life.

To do good or to do bad, depends on how the African views his religion. It instills in him a certain form of fear to gear away from evil and hope for the best ahead.

Today, in the midst of a plethora of regions and the fanfare associated with them, the African seems to have separated himself from religion.

In the lives of many West Africans, traditional religion is still a part of their vital lives. For this reason, anybody who neglects his/her religion may have to contend with other foreign religious beliefs and practices flooding their space.

According to the West African Examination Council syllabus, the general aim of studying West Traditional Religion is first to appreciate the traditional religious beliefs and practices and their impact on the lives of the people, secondly to deal effectively with the challenges that face West Africans in utilizing acceptable traditional moral ideas and principles in their lives, thirdly, to adopt ways for applying African traditional moral principles in their daily lives and finally, to appreciate the major traditional religious factors that influence the political, social and economic life of West Africans.

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Topics in West African Traditional Religion

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