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Africa was once a continent where the people lived well. Initially, it was a continent that created a tradition of wholeness, where African Traditional Religions (ATRs) embraced all aspects of life, the spiritual, the political, and the social. Where music and art communicated with the sacred (Source: Kwenda).

As we begin the discussion of religion, it is important to keep in mind that the term religion implies and is used to define the doctrine behind spiritual beliefs, not spirituality in-and-of-itself. Having stated that, it is telling that in African languages, there is no term that describes the dogma, practices, and systems of thought associated with our concept of religion (Source: Kwenda).

Central to the African practice of reverencing and acknowledging power outside human existence is an understanding that this spirituality is central to all aspects of life, no matter how great or mundane. Encompassed within these belief systems is a view of the world as connected, not just regionally but globally, and a value structure that identifies respect for life and the manner in which all of creation is to be treated. Animism is often used to define the belief that the spirit of God resides in all living things, not just humans, therefore, all of creation should be reverenced. But, many Afrocentric historians and theologians believe that term is too limiting.

Whether one argues that there are multiple ATR or just one, depends on the perspective. However, regardless of which perspective one argues, there are overarching beliefs that permeate ATRs. The belief in one Supreme Being, that is both immanent and transcendent. Within this spiritual realm, there are various types of spirits. Good spirits who function as protectors to the community and bad. There is a covenant relationship between these spirits and human. In exchange for protection from harm, libations are offered. Needless to say when Europeans first encountered native Africans, they thought they were worshipping ancestors, which was incorrect. These spirits functioned in much the same way as saints do for many humans who practice Christianity.

ATRs also stressed the necessary balance between one's collective identify and responsibility as a member of a community and one's personal identity. Summing up this concept is the quote I am because we are, and since we are, therefore, I am. The highest moral value embodied in this concept is to live in harmony, in other word to know oneself and reach one's fullest potential through cooperation with and through the support of one's community (Source: Karemga, 2002).

Death within ATRs is seen first and foremost as an extension of life - just another stage in human development. Humans are born, live, die, and become the ancestors. Death is viewed as a transition in life to personal and collective immorality. As long as the works and/or memory of one lives, the person lives and participates in the life of the community (Source: Karenga, 2002).

The Wisdom In Her Feather

Part of the legacy of Egypt is well-documented in disciplines ranging from mathematics to architecture to history. Yet, the legacy of Maatism on ethical and spiritual development of civilizations is often left to a cursory discussion of the Book of the Dead.

The oldest complete Sebait or Book of Wise Instruction from the 5th Dynasty introduced the concept of Maat. Maat in essence means rightness. Philosophically, the ideas represent many moral concepts to Nile Valley civilizations, among them, truth, justice, propriety, harmony, balance, reciprocity, and order - The Seven Cardinal Virtues.

It is this region, Kemet/Egypt, which gives humankind the concepts of humans as an image of God, resurrection and judgment after death, responsibility for the poor and vulnerable, responsibility for the environment, and striving to live a moral and ethical life so as to live on through eternity (Source: Karenga, 2002).

In the Husia, the sacred text of Maatism, 8 basic tenets are exposed:

1. Humans as the divine image of God

2. The worthiness of the human being

3. The obligation to stand worthy before God and the community

4. The obligation to stand worthy before nature - the principle and practice that sees the connectedness of all creation

5. Practice of the seven cardinal virtues

6. Service to the Vulnerable

7. Practice of the Declaration of Innocence (Negative Confessions)

8. Judgment, justification, and immortality (Source: Karenga, 2002).

Maat is often personified as a female goddess. She is shown as a woman wearing a crown surmounted by a huge ostrich feather. Her totem symbol is a stone platform or foundation, representing the stable base on which order is built. At events where truth and righteousness was to be judged, Maat was said to be present.

Long before the Ten Commandments in Christianity, the people engaged in the  Practice of the Declaration of Innocence  also known as the Negative Confessions. In total there are 42 of them. Make sure and take a look at what some of the statements are.

In the underworld, on one s path to reach eternity, the heart of the deceased was weighed by Anubis against Maat's feather. If the heart was heavy with wicked deeds, it would outweigh the feather, and the soul would be fed to Ammit. But if the scales were balanced, indicating that the deceased was a just and honorable person in life, he would be welcomed by Osiris into the Blessed Land. Maat was deemed universal, her judgment was upheld by other gods and her name was invoked by pharaoh who wanted to represent themselves as purveyors of truth and justice (Source: Seawright, 2004).

Ifa

Ifa holds a unique history among African religions and among the descendants of the African Diaspora. First, it is one of two ancient African religions that has an organized body of sacred text in which the traditions are rooted (Maat is the other). Second, it is the only African religion that survived and thrived the Diaspora, in other words outside the continent - Santeria in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the U.S.; Voudum in Haiti; Shango in Cuba and Candomblé in Brazil. Though known by different names, each of these faith systems is rooted in the teaching found in the Odu Ifa.

Like other sacred text, the Torah (Jewish), Qu'ran (Muslim), Baghavad(Buddhist), Popol Vuh (Mayan), and the Bible (Christian), it includes a wide range of literary forms and subjects. It is composed of 256 chapters, each which provides sacred wisdom to make the world good.

The basic tenets of Ifa are:

1. The goodness of the world: The Ifa tradition asserted that at the time of creation, Olodumare, God, sent into the world those to make the world good and He gave them the ase (pronounced ah-shay) or power to complete their worship and do it well.

2. The chosen status of humans: That humans are chosen by the Creator to carry out a charge to bring joy to the world

3. The right to a good life: This tenet establishes a divinely ordained good life for every human being. Combined within this tenet is a responsibility to the community to make the world good for all.

4. The right to live in a good world: Achievement of the good world ordained by the Creator is though:

a. Full knowledge of everything;

b. Happiness;

c. Freedom from anxiety;

d. End of antagonism from other beings on earth; and,

e. Freedom from poverty and misery.

While many Africans accepted Christianity, they were skeptical of the European messengers. Distraught over the racism that ermeated the missions and their widespread rejection of African culture, Africans embraced the message of Christ and dismissed that which they deemed unacceptable. By the late 19th century in the midst of colonization, there was a widespread movement of Africans who broke away from the missionary churches to form their own churches. Despite the fact that there is great diversity between these faith traditions, they were (are), unfortunately, all lumped together under the title of African Independent Churches, denoting their autonomy from established churches of the missionaries.

With the excedption of Ethiopia, Christianity was not successful spreading on a wide scale to North African and West Africa until the 16th century. In the 15th century, European countries began to search for new trade routes. Shortly after Christopher Columbus sailed under the flag of Spain to find a route to Asia, the Portuguese sent ships down the west coast of Africa. As the Portuguese worked their way around Africa, they made contact with Western Africans. They had a dual agenda; to establish a trading partner and to convert the indigenous population to Christianity.

Using the strategy that had been successful for Moslems, the Portuguese befriended African rulers. The hope was by converting the ruler, the people would soon follow. The strategy had a mixed bag of outcomes. The greatest success was in the Kongo Kingdom (present day Gabon, Angola, and the Congo). In 1491, the Portuguese as Roman Catholics, supported the establishment of missionaries. Soon after the arrival of the missionaries, the king was baptized and sent his son to Portugal where he received a Catholic education. Upon his return, he ascended to the throne and changed his name to Alfonso I.

During King Alfonso I reign, the relationship between Portugal and Kongo solidified. Kongolese citizens converted to Christianity and missionary schools were established. Up to the point that the Portuguese demanded slaves, the relationship mutually benefited both people. In the 17th century, the Portuguese demanded (strongly encouraged) the Kongolese to raid neighboring non-Christian societies for slaves. Over time, slave raiding weakened the Kongolese leadership and strengthened the Portuguese.

In the 18th century, a young woman Beatriz Kimpa Vita broke away from the Catholic Church asserting that St. Anthony had appeared to her and encouraged her to form a movement that would lead to the restoration of the Kongo Kingdom.

She taught that Jesus had been born in Kongo, baptized in the Congo River, and born to the Virgin Mary from a neighboring society. She developed an order of priests and a new Africanized church liturgy that included African music, drumming, and dancing. Her movement, known as the Antonine movement, grew rapidly, which proved a threat to both the Catholic Church and Portuguese control. In 1705, Beatriz Kimpa Vita was captured and burned at the state as a heretic. The Antonine movement is an early example of what is called the African Independent Church movement (Source: Studying Africa Through the Humanities).

Africa Impacts Christian Doctrine

An important group within the discussion as to the meaning of Jesus life, the concept of a virgin birth, the concept of a Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the meaning of Jesus teachings were voices centered in Egypt.

Gnosticism differed from the traditions centered in Rome over the issue of original sin. Without getting into an intense theological discussion, Gnosticism is a religion that distinguishes the evil god of this world (who is identified with the god of the Old Testament) from a higher more abstract God revealed by Jesus Christ, a religion that regards this world as the creation of a series of evil powers who keep the soul trapped in an evil physical body (Source: Kirby, 2003). The Roman faction rejected the Gnostics and their sacred writings about Jesus life and teaching as heresy. This sect along with sects like the Arians, moved the early Christian church to standardize its doctrine in 325 at what is commonly referred to as the Council of Nicaea.

Despite the repression of the Gnostic Christians, Christianity flourished throughout Northern Africa until the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. The Coptic Orthodox Church emerged out of Gnosticism. Like the Gnostics, Coptics placed a great deal of emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge through meditation and monasticism. In structure it was similar to the Roman Church, practicing the same sacraments and church structure including a patriarch as the head of the church. Even after Egypt was taken over by Moslems, the Coptic Church continued. Today, fifteen percent of Egypt's population identify themselves as Coptic Christians.