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Verbum et Ecclesia

versão On-line ISSN 2074-7705
versão impressa ISSN 1609-9982

Verbum Eccles. (Online) vol.32 no.1 Pretoria  2011

http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ve.v32i1.285 

ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

Christianity and the African traditional religion(s): The postcolonial round of engagement

 

 

David T. Adamo

Research Associate, Department of Old Testament Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Correspondence

 

 


ABSTRACT

This article concerned itself with the modern encounter between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR) in Africa. It is essentially a postcolonial approach to what AIR and its essential characteristics is: God and humanity, sacrifices, afterlife and ancestors. The rapid growth of many religions in Africa and the revival of AIR in postcolonial Africa have made inter-religious dialogue an urgent necessity. Unlike the colonial encounter with AIR, which was characterised byhostility and the condemnation of AIR, the postcolonial encounter should be characterised by mutual respect, understanding, tolerance, and some level of freedom, liberation and genuineness. In this way, suspicion will be reduced, because despite the adherents' confession of Christianity, AIR is not about to be extinct.


 

 

Full text available only in PDF format.

 

 

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Correspondence:
David Adamo
Private bag X20 Hatfield
Pretoria 0028
South Africa
Email: adamodt@yahoo.com

Received: 06 Oct. 2009
Accepted: 11 May 2011
Published: 31 Oct. 2011

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