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Mbiti, S. John, African Religions and Philosophy. Second edition. Heinemann Educational Books Inc. New Hampshire, USA. 1989.

African Religions and Philosophy is a direct analytical and scholarly engagement with traditional concepts and practices in those societies, which have not been either Christian or Muslim in any deep way, prior to the colonial era in Africa. Mbiti describes African Traditional Religion using a present tense, with a due consideration to the fact that rapid changes are taking place in the African religious dynamics. This religious dynamism is playing a huge role in abandoning, modifying or coloring everything traditional. At the same time it would be a grave error to imagine that everything traditional has been changed or forgotten so much that no traces of it are to be found. Traditional religious concepts are still forming essential foundations for the thinking pattern, language content, mental images, emotions, beliefs and responses in situations of need.

In this book Mbiti, has emphasized the unity if African religions and philosophy in order to give an overall picture of their situation. This approach does not give room for the in depth treatment of individual religious and philosophical systems of different African peoples. Therefore this study highlights both similarities and differences considering the African picture as a whole.

Further more the study devotes a chapter to the study of a modern change, emphasizing particularly the human aspect of this change and how this affects individuals and families. The present situation of Christianity, Islam and other religions in Africa is also very relevant to the present situation of African Traditional Religion. Mbiti considers both Christianity and Islam as traditional and African in a historical sense, and it is a pity that they tend to be regarded as ‘foreign’ or ‘European’ and ‘Arab’.

There are about three thousand African peoples (tribes), and each has its own religious system. These religions are a reality, which calls for scholarly, and academic scrutiny and which must be reckoned with in modern fields of life like Economics, Politics, Education, and Christian or Muslim work. To ignore these traditional beliefs, attitudes and practices can only result and lead to a lack of understanding African behavior and problems. In the wider context of Africa, Religion is the strongest element in traditional background and, exerts probably the greatest influence upon the thinking and living of the people concerned.

In this extensive study Mbiti, considers different religions in terms of their similarities and differences, to give us a picture of the overall situation in Africa. Philosophy of one kind or another is behind the thinking and acting of every people, and a study of traditional religions brings us into those areas of African life where, through word and action, one may be able to discern the philosophy behind. Philosophical systems of different African peoples have not yet been formulated, but some of the areas where they may be found are in the religion, proverbs, oral traditions, ethics and morals of the society concerned. Mbiti states that ‘African Philosophy’ here refers to the understanding, attitude of mind, logic and perception behind the manner in which African peoples think, act or speak in different situations of life.

African Traditional Religions permeates all departments of life, there is no formal distinction between the sacred and the secular, between the religious and the non religious, between the spiritual and the material areas of life. Wherever the African is there is his/her religion. African traditional religion is taken to the field during sowing seeds or harvesting new crops, it is taken the beer party or the funeral ceremony; it is even taken to the University exam halls and the Parliament. Although many African languages do not have a word for religion as such, it nevertheless accompanies the individual from long before birth to long after the physical death.

African religions have neither founders nor reformers. However, national heroes, leaders, rulers and other famous men and women are incorporated into their body of beliefs and mythology. Some of these figures are elevated to high national positions and may even be regarded as divinities responsible for natural objects or phenomenon. These heroes and heroines form an integral part of the religious milieu of their society, whether or not they played a specifically religious role in their time.

According to Mbiti, without having a complete knowledge of African religions, it is difficult to describe their history. However, these African religions seem to have remained fairly stable, quietly assimilating new ideas and practices from one another. National crisis cause a revival of religious activities or innovation of new ones. People are intimately bound up with their religious life and outlook; their history constitutes the history of their religion. This is an area of interdisciplinary scholarly co-operation between historians, anthropologists and theologians.

The basic approach taken in this book is chiefly descriptive and interpretive, bringing together in a comparative way those elements which are representative of traditional religions from all over Africa. The study gives a lot of detailed illustrations used here and drawn from many parts of Africa indicating the complexity of African religions.