Tolerance in African Traditional Religion

Abstract

This article looks at tolerance in African Traditional Religion (ATR).A major problem in our world is the inability to live peacefully as people of different faiths.In Africa (based on my understanding from a Nigerian perspective), to a large extent, religion has been at the heart of much of the contemporary conflicts (Barnard 2013:1).A cursory reading of literatures on the history of the relationships among religious groups in Africa will reveal among other things the intolerance that had characterized religious practices in the region for decades (Abdulkadir 2011; Denham and Clapperton 1826:457-461).Religious tolerance is an essential component in the propagation of any religious view, faith, or doctrines; moreover, in a world with a multiplicity of religious groups the need for religious tolerance can never be over emphasized.The need for religious tolerance in Africa (Nigeria) has been discussed by several authors (Hunwick 1992; Baba, 2003;Momoh and El-Miskin 1989;Falola 1998) but most of these discussions are focused on the relationship between Islam and Christianity.Very little has been said about ATR.The nature of tolerance in ATR and its relationship with other religious groups has not been adequately explored.Thus, a significant aspect of the discussions towards religious tolerance among the various religious groups in Africa (Nigeria) is often ignored.This article explores the nature of religious tolerance in ATR in order to discover what patterns of tolerance exist in its practices that may provide resources for the ongoing discussions on the need for peaceful co-existence among three major religious legacies (Islam, Christianity, and ATR) in Africa (Nigeria). An Overview of the Beliefs and Practices of ATRThe purpose of this section is to provide the reader with an overview of the beliefs and practices of ATR as a basis for understanding the concept of 1 Abar: Tolerance in African Traditional Religion

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