Why hasn’t Hinduism spread more throughout the continent? The main reason is essentially that Hinduism—at least in its main form—is a non-proselytizing religion. Most of Africa's organized religions were brought to the country from Europeans and other foreign settlers. Traditional African religion is still popular throughout Africa and stems from the beliefs of Central and West African ancestors. We also share information about your use of our site with our advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information they have obtained. More than 100 million Africans still adhere to the traditional African religions. The extent of adherence to traditional religion in Africa is hard to estimate, due to melding practices with Christianity and Islam. How Africa Baha’i House of Worship, Kampala, Uganda – Image credit to Bxtst – CC BY-SA 3.0. – Advertisment – African people often combine the practice of their traditional belief with the practice of Abrahamic religions. Traditional African religion is still popular throughout Africa and stems from the beliefs of Central and West African ancestors. Christianity is the most popular religion in Africa alongside Islam. Today, Christianity, Islam and Bahá’í are the major religions, but if you visit the continent, you may also encounter practitioners of indigenous faiths, as well as Buddhists, Hindus, and followers of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Rastafarianism. The Islam of Morroco, Algeria, Libya, a,d the rest of Northwest Africa is distinctive from Wahabiism, or Sunni Islam, Shi'a made few if any inroads in Africa. The World Book Encyclopediahas estimated that in 2002 Christians formed 40% of the continent's population, with Muslims forming 45%. Hinduism made its way to Africa in the late 19th century, brought over from British Imperial colonists—more specifically, by their indentured Indian servants. As a result, Bahá’í followers have flourished more in sub-Saharan Africa, where wide-scale growth made them the third-largest religion of the region. Even after colonial rule ended, many facets of Indian culture remained, as did descendants of former servants. The Top 10 Most Popular Religions In Africa. In fact, the faith got its start on the continent all the way back in the 1 st century AD. Additionally, Sufism has a large presence, or a more mystical dimension of Islam that is sometimes considered its own philosophy altogether. Though only one country in Africa (Mauritius) has Hinduism as its dominant religion, it has a strong presence throughout the continent that can be felt especially in East Africa. Christianity. Because Africa has such a long and storied past, many religious threads have been woven into its spiritual tapestry. Traditional African religions have been passed down from one generation to another orally and can be found through art, rituals and festivals, beliefs and customs, names of people and places, songs and dances, proverbs, and myths. Most African Muslims are Sunni, but some are also Sufis, Ibadi, Shias, or Ahmadis. Unsurprisingly, the largest pockets of Muslims live in Northern Africa, but the Horn of Africa, the Swahili Coast, and West Africa also have large populations. It is difficult to generalize these indigenous religions due to the diversity of African cultures, but they do have some characteristics in common. Share Tweet Get Stories like this. South Africa h… Nearly half (47%) of Africans are Muslims, comprising a quarter (possibly as high as a third, according to some estimates) of the entire global Muslim population. Africa is a continent which is steeped in spirituality; this should come as no surprise since it is regarded as the cradle of humankind. Most of Africa's organized religions were brought to the country from Europeans and other foreign settlers. There are quite a few famous churches and monasteries located throughout the continent. Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews have a strong presence in Northern Africa, where thousands have been since the first Jewish diaspora, and many more followed after their expulsion from Iberia in the 15th century. Most of the people practising Islam live in Northern Africa, the Swahili coast in Kenya as well as West Africa. How Africa October 30, 2018, 9:07 am. Alongside Armenia, it is believed that Ethiopia may have been the first country on the planet to accept the religion.. A couple examples include the Monastery of Saint Anthony, founded in 356 AD in Egypt, and the Church of Our Lady Marion of Zion in Ethiopia, founded in … Alongside Armenia, it is believed that Ethiopia may have been the first country on the planet to accept the religion.. African religions, religious beliefs and practices of the peoples of Africa.It should be noted that any attempt to generalize about the nature of “African religions” risks wrongly implying that there is homogeneity among all African cultures.In fact, Africa is a vast continent encompassing both geographic variation and tremendous cultural diversity. 2. If you’re asking what is the predominant faith of the whole continent of Africa today, it’s Christianity, with Islam a close second. Followers: 2.4 Billion. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Top 10 Most Popular Religions In Africa, World’s Biggest Emerald: African Miner Finds 1.1-Kilogram Emerald at Kagem in Zambia, Cristiano Ronaldo Overtakes Selena Gomez, Becomes The Most Followed Person On Instagram. All affiliations of Christianity are included in one category for the purposes of this list: Roman Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Anglicans, Independent and non-affiliated Christians. SHARES. The religion experienced rapid expansion during the mid-20th century, and Africa is now one of the continents where Bahá’í is most commonly practiced. Most Popular Religions In Africa. See instructions, 10 Most Beautiful Traditional African Fashions. In fact, the faith got its start on the continent all the way back in the 1stcentury AD. Even after colonial rule ended, many facets of Indian culture remained, as did descendants of former servants. Furthermore, there is a large population of Sufism that differentiated with other Muslims because of their philosophy. While fewer in numbers, there are also agnostics, atheists, and practitioners of other faiths not listed here. Abrahamic religions are widespread throughout Africa. There are such huge numbers of various religions honed in various parts of Africa including conventional religions which exists inside specific tribes specifically districts. Atheists are scattered throughout the continent in almost equal numbers, from those opposed to all organized religion to those who harbor some skepticism but still identify with certain sects of religion. Your email address will not be published. Take it or leave it, Africa is profoundly established in religion, so much that it affects way of life, expressions, culture and … While reading the articles on our site, you have probably noticed that there are quite a few which focus on old and beautiful churches, monasteries, and other holy buildings and sites. Hot Christianity is the most popular religion in Africa alongside Islam. Ashkenazi Jews live in South Africa, where many Lithuanians fled during the Holocaust, and strong Jewish communities grew up throughout the country, especially in Cape Town. In comparison, very few Muslims live in South Africa, where Christianity and other traditional religions have a larger following. by. This is why both are far more popular than Hinduism. 1 Christianity. 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