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Seraphim
Orthodox Archbishop, Patriarchate of Alexandria
African religion in history The earliest historically recorded religion in Africa is that of the ancient Egyptians. It is recorded in inscriptions and archaeological excavations of ancient temples has shown something of what the ancient Egyptians believed. Egypt, like other countries in the Mediterranean, was a centre of trade, and the parts, especially, had a cosmopolitan population, and so religions from other parts of the world were also represented there. There were the ancient Hebrews, ancestors of the Jews, who took refuge there in times of famine and war. The Persians conquered Egypt on occasion. In the 4th century BC Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, and the great city of Alexandria is named after him. Greek dynasties ruled Egypt and it also became the home of Greek philosophy and the cults of Greek gods, and there was mutual influence with the Egyptian religion. Roman conquest added another strand to the religious tapestry of north-eastern Africa. Christianity entered Africa in the first century, first when the holy family took refuge in Egypt from the persecution of Herod, and then about 40 years later when St Mark the Evangelist planted the first Christian church in Alexandria. Over the next few centuries Christianity spread not only in Egypt, but along the North African coast, and south into Ethiopia and what is now known as Sudan, but then as Nubia. By the end of the second century AD Christian literature was being translated into the local languages of Egypt, and spread rapidly among the indigenous Egyptian population, and within a century or two it had entirely replaced the ancient Egyptian religion. Egypt was still part of the Roman empire and Christians were persecuted there as elsewhere, and some of the most severe persecutions of the third century took place in Africa. Some Christians fled to the desert to escape persecution, and even when the persecution abated some remained in the desert to pray and engage in spiritual struggles. From this grew the monastic movement, which soon spread beyond Africa. When the emperor Constantine came to power in the early 4th century Christians in Africa enjoyed three centuries of peace from external enemies, but unfortunately quarrelled a lot among themselves. Africa contributed to world Christianity in other ways. A 4th century theological dispute in Africa eventually led to the formulation of the Symbol of Faith, otherwise known as �the Nicene Creed�, which has, with some variations, become the best-known and most widespread statement of Christian beliefs. A 5th century dispute had less happy consequences, however, and led to a split in the Church that persists to this day, between those who accept the Council of Chalcedon (451) and those who do not. The 7th century saw the rise of Islam in Arabia, and the conquest of Egypt and much of North Africa by Arab Muslims. Christianity dwindled rapidly in north-western Africa (the Maghreb) but persisted in Egypt, and in Ethiopia, which remained independent. Islam became the dominant religion in northern Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa In Africa south of the Sahara, and especially eastern and southern Africa, religions were predominantly tribal and familial. The gods that were worshiped were mostly those of the household or clan, and watched over cattle and crops and protected against natural and human evil, such as disease and witchcraft. In some places, especially in West Africa, there were religions that were more universal, though not on the scale of Christianity or Islam. Islam was brought to the East African coast mainly by Arab traders sailing from southern Arabia, and establishing trading posts at the coastal ports. Christianity was brought to the West African coast in a similar fashion from Western Europe, initially by the Portuguese. Both Arabs and Portuguese, however, traded mainly in spices and slaves. Portuguese naval victories made them dominant in the Indian Ocean as well. Other western Europeans followed the Portuguese � the Dutch, the British, the French and others, and Christian missionaries from those countries spread their own national varieties of Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa. The western Europeans also brought slaves and indentured servants from their Asian colonies to Africa. The Dutch brought slaves from Indonesia to Cape Town, and they brought Islam to southern Africa. The British brought Indian labourers to Natal and East Africa, and they brought Hinduism, and the labourers were followed by traders, some of whom were also Muslims. Religion in Africa today As a result of this history, Africa today presents a picture of great religious variety. Islam predominates the north, and Christianity in the south, though in many places these religions mingle and coexist, sometimes in peace, but at other times in tension. In the north-east, Egypt and Ethiopia, Christianity continues in its ancient African form, as it was before the coming of Islam. In other parts of the continent Christianity itself is varied, having been brought in a variety of forms from different Western countries, and adapted and Africanised by thousands of African independent churches, which collectively have provided most of the impetus for Christian growth in recent times. In South Africa alone there are more than 10000 different African Independent Churches, with more in other countries. Though many of the independent churches are quite small, sometimes consisting of only one or two congregations, others, such as the Zion Christian Church in South Africa with 4 million members, are very big. African traditional religion continues, in some places, side by side with Christianity and Islam. Hinduism and Judaism have mainly been confined to descendants of immigrants who practised those religions. Hinduism is found mainly in enclaves along the east coast, among descendants of immigrants from India. Judaism has come mainly through immigrants and refugees from Eastern and Central Europe, where Jews have been persecuted in recent times. New religious movements that have arisen in the last two centuries, both within Africa and elsewhere, have also contributed to the religious variety of the continent. Though small in numbers, adherents of the various new religious movements have often received publicity, so that people who may never have met members are aware of their existence. They have often drawn members from many different sectors of the population. So we find members of the Bah�ai faith, followers of the teachings of Theosophy and Rosicrucianism and various other movements. Western neopagan religions are also found, mainly among those who themselves are of European descent. If one drives through some of the bigger cities of southern Africa, one might pass a mosque, a synagogue, a Hindu temple, church buildings of several different Christian denominations, a group of Zionist Christians in white and blue robes worshipping in the open air, dancing under a tree, or baptising in a river. Religious freedom Just as the picture of religion in Africa is one of great variety, so there is variety in the conditions of religious freedom. In South Africa, religious freedom has fairly recently been entrenched in the constitution, so that religious groups now enjoy unprecedented freedom to worship, propagate their teachings, and contribute to the welfare of society. Government leaders have regular meetings with religious leaders to discuss matters of common concern, such as social problems caused by diseases like Aids, crime, moral regeneration, poverty and unemployment. It was not always so. During the era of apartheid, religious bodies that supported the apartheid policy received government favour, but those that did not were marginalised in society, or even actively persecuted. Religious groups themselves were divided, with some members opting for playing it safe and supporting the government, or at least not actively opposing, while others spoke out against unjust policies and suffered for it. Now there is greater religious tolerance in South Africa, but this is also a matter for debate. Some have asked how much tolerance can be shown for different religions. Perhaps the best answer from a Christian point of view was given by the Orthodox theologian, Father Thomas Hopko, when he said: Tolerance is always in order when it means that we coexist peacefully with people whose ideas and manners differ from our own, even when to do so is to risk the impression that truth is relative and all customs and mores are equally acceptable (as happens in North America). Tolerance is never in order when it means that we remain idle before wickedness which harms human beings and destroys God's creation. To be tolerant is to be neither indifferent nor relativistic. Neither is it to sanction injustice or to be permissive of evil. Injustice is intolerable and evil has no rights. But the only weapons which Christians may use against injustice and evil are personal persuasion and political legislation, both of which are to be enacted in an atmosphere of respect. While Christians are permitted under certain conditions to participate in police and military actions to enforce civil laws and to oppose criminality, we may not obey evil laws nor resort to evil actions in defence of the good. This means that Christians are inevitably called to suffer in this age, and perhaps even to die. This is our gospel, our witness and our defence In other countries there are varying degrees of religious freedom. In some countries there have been conflicts between different religious communities, for example between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria and Sudan, and religious differences have sometimes exacerbated political conflicts, especially where political parties draw their support from regions dominated by one religion. Even where there are not conflicts, there have been instances, in some countries, where the government bureaucracy favours one religious community over others, and one community finds it easier, for example, to get permits to erect new buildings or repair old ones than other communities do. One source of difficulty has been foreign religious leaders coming to a country and engaging in aggressive proselytising, and this has sometimes stirred up hostility between different religious communities within the country, even when they have coexisted peacefully up till then. This can cause sometimes difficulties for governments. On the one hand they do not want to restrict religious freedom by banning such people from entering their countries, but on the other they also do not wish to see religious conflict. Conflicts on other continents that have religious dimensions can also have repercussions in Africa. For example South African Muslims, whose ethnic origin is mainly from the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia, had publicly demonstrated demanding the removal of �Serb criminals� from South Africa � their only crime being that they are Serbian. This was one of the effects of the wars of Yugoslav succession in the 1990s, which had far-reaching effects. The political and military tensions between Israel and Palestine have likewise had the effect of increasing tensions between the Jewish and Muslim communities in South Africa. On the other hand leaders of different religious communities in South Africa do meet to discuss matters of common interest, for example public religious broadcasting, and relations are usually friendly and the discussions are amicable. CONCLUSION Africa presents a great deal of religious variety, though as a general rule north of 10�N the continent is predominantly Muslim, while to the south it is predominantly Christian. The 10�N line is also roughly the southern border of the Sahara desert, so people often speak of sub-Saharan Africa as being predominantly Christian. The southern part also has much more religious variety than the north. There has been a tendency towards greater religious freedom in sub-Saharan Africa, and in some countries, such as South Africa and Namibia, religious freedom has been entrenched in the constitution. In some other countries, however, there is still some way to go before this can be achieved.
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