There is no need to justify including a discussion of religions in the understanding of African cultures. Increasing secularization and modernization have not diminished the importance of religions and a worldview based on indigenous cultures. Not only are values shaped by religious traditions, millions of Africans regard themselves as religious and make decisions based on beliefs, conscience, or the fear of punishment or great rewards in the afterlife. Many attitudes are shaped in part by religions. The landscape is marked by religious symbols and places of worship. Politicians manipulate religions and religious organizations in order to secure the loyalty of people and to mobilize them. Religions represent core aspects of a cultural system in addition to constituting the key component in how a group defines itself. Religious explanations for many events and problems continue to compete or supplement the scientific; a large number of intellectuals derive sources of power from religions, as in the case of Imams. Religion has provided many opportunities for change. As the preceding chapter shows, Islam and Christianity are competing religions, and their members in some countries engage in bitter rivalries for converts and power. As world religions travel to Africa with the cultures of other lands, issues relating to culture contacts and conflicts are not uncommon. Through the religious medium, Africans are able to compare and contrast Western cultures with theirs, identifying aspects to accept and resist.

In this chapter, I will discuss some of the more important issues, not only to complement the preceding chapter on universal religions, but to focus on Africa’s indigenous or traditional religions. The focus is on the contemporary period, a time when African religions are no longer the major ones. The themes show the encounter of indigenous religions with foreign ones, as well as their decline and the residue of their survival. On one hand, there is evidence of the decline of traditional religions; on the other hand, there is evidence of survival and modernization. Indigenous religions have demonstrated a great capacity to redefine themselves, adapt to new circumstances, and redefine some of their practices. On balance, as of today, the decay of traditional religions is more prominent than its survival.