Based on these elements, some scholars support the existence of a unique AIR, but these “common elements” are not found in every African culture. Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organ and its powers are hereditary. The diversity of the African cultures led the scholars to the conclusion of the impossibility of a unique African indigenous religion (AIR); however, this view fails to account for the common spiritual elements found in Africa. Republic of the Congo - Republic of the Congo - Cultural life: Precolonial artistic expression emphasized ceremonial music, dance, sculpture, and oral literature. Some of these preachers and possibly some of Kimbangu's own disciples introduced anti-European elements in their teachings. Healing by the laying on of hands; strict observance of the law of Moses; the destruction of fetishes; the repudiation of sorcery, magic, charms, and witches; and the prohibition of polygyny were all part of his original message. “Kitawala” is derived from a Swahili term that means “to dominate, direct, or govern.” Accordingly, the goal of this movement was essentially political—to establish independence from Belgium. Nature spirits live in particular places, such as rivers, rocks, trees, or pools, or in natural forces such as wind and lightning. As is the case for many indigenous religions and rituals throughout the world, the traditions and beliefs of the traditional African religions have always been passed down orally rather than being written down into canonized scripture. In 1959, on the eve of independence, the state despaired of stamping Kimbanguism out and afforded it legal recognition. Cambridge (Mass.) The earliest inhabitants of the region comprising present-day Congo were the Bambuti people. Both church and state looked askance at the formation of new uncontrolled religious movements and splinter groups. State subsidies for hospitals and schools, for example, were (with two individual exceptions) reserved exclusively for Catholic institutions until after World War II. The development of Christianity in Africa owes a great deal to colonialism. Democratic Republic of the Congo Religions. New movements often recombine familiar elements with new ones, a synthesis effected sometimes with exclusively indigenous elements and sometimes with a mixture of Christian and indigenous elements. Ironically, this strategy once again simply served to speed the spread of the movement as exiled adherents converted their rural neighbors. The Archaeology of Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa By Timothy Insoll. More widespread conversion to Christianity occurred during the Belgian colonial era. Theological messages varied from place to place, but a common core of beliefs included the struggle against sorcery, the purification of society, and the existence of a black God. Touring the lower Congo, he gained a large following drawn both from members of Protestant churches and adherents of indigenous religious practice. The extent of his success caused increasing alarm among both church and state authorities. Islam was largely suppressed publicly in the period of Belgian colonialism until 1920, when Islamic organizations such as Quran schools were opened. Kamwana's movement had no concrete strategy of revolution, although the colonial authorities arrested him after six months of preaching in April 1909. The majority of Muslims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo identify as Sunni (90%) and 10% identify as Shia and Muslims are mainly concentrated in the provinces of Maniema, Orientale, and Kinshasa, respectively. 64, No. Kimbanguism originated from its neighboring country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. A much more radical product of the synthesis of African and Christian elements is the Kitawala movement or so-called "Watchtower movement", which appeared in Katanga Province during the 1920s. The Rise of Nationalism in Central Africa: The Making of Malawi and Zambia, 1873-1944. There are around 35 million Catholics in the country, representing about half of the total population. The Kimbanguist Church, a growing Congolese religion, emerged from the charismatic ministry of Simon Kimbangu in the early 1920s. Share February 3, 2016 By World Watch Monitor Democratic Republic of the Congo ADF, Africa, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Trauma. Jamaa is actually a European-African hybrid in that it was initially founded by a Flemish Franciscan priest, Placide Tempels. Individual congregations are scattered throughout much of the country, but the greatest concentrations have always been in Bas-Congo; some villages there have long been totally Kimbanguist. The church owns most of the primary and secondary schools, hospitals, clinics, farms, ranch… The Jehovah's Witnesses have been active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the 1940s, and throughout their history within the country many missionaries have come under attack from the government as well as local people of different religions. Other independent churches include the Matsouana Church and the Bougist Church. Bantus and Pygmies. Overlapping affiliations are more common. Around 2 million people in Congo are Catholics. OF CONGO. The church's head, Simon Kimbangu's son, regularly exchanges public praise with Mobutu and has become one of the state's main ideological supports. His movement, however, did not die with him. Although the Protestant Church was not nearly as welcomed and/or subsidized as Catholic Churches, a quarter of the country identifies with this religion. The war on Christianity in the Congo. The Kimbanguist Church deliberately rotates its officials outside their areas of origin in order to depoliticize ethnicity and centralize power, a policy taken directly from the state. But, they were not. Some observers contend that the church is doing a better job at managing state functions, such as healthcare and education, than the government has historically done. In many ways, the Kimbanguist Church and the Roman Catholic Church have exchanged places in their relationship with the state; the former outlaw has become a close ally and the former ally an outspoken critic. When Kamwana was eventually allowed to return to Nyasaland in 1937, he initiated the Mlondo or Watchman Healing Mission, an African initiated church entirely independent of the Watch Tower Society, with its own rituals and scriptural interpretations, although many of its members still read the Watch Tower Society's magazines. As is the case for many indigenous religions and rituals throughout the world, the traditions and beliefs of the traditional African religions have always been passed down orally rather than being written down into canonized scripture. [3], 62 of the Protestant denominations in the country are federated under the umbrella of the Church of Christ in Congo or CCC (in French, Église du Christ au Congo or ECC). It also established institutions that served common needs, such as bookstores and missionary guest houses. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo there is a union of 62 Protestant denominations throughout the country. This article will explore the different religious beliefs of this nation. It is often simply referred to as 'The Protestant Church', since it covers most of the 20% of the population who are Protestants. According to Paul, (2004: 2) ATR is the indigenous religion of the Africans which was handed over from one generation to another by word of mouth until recent attempts at documentation. Christianity has a rather long history in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dating back to 1484, when Portuguese colonizers arrived in the country and missionaries established some high profile conversions (such as the King as well as his entourage). The Kimbanguist Church is said to be the largest independent church in Africa. Located on the western coast of central Africa and south of the Congo River (formerly known as the Zaire River), the kingdom arose in the late 14th century CE following the alliance of several local principalities which had been in existence since the second half of the first millennium CE. The British missionary Joseph Booth and his African associate Elliott Kamwana became members of the Watch Tower Society in South Africa in 1906 and 1907 respectively. Among Niger–Congo -speakers is a belief in a creator God, force or higher deity, which is considered by some to be a widespread and ancient feature of Niger-Congo-cultures, along with other more specialized deities, ancestor spirits, territorial spirits, and beings, as well as evil caused by human ill will and neglecting ancestor spirits, and priests of territorial spirits. Early relations with the state were not warm. Cambridge (Mass.) There is also a large Mormon temple (the first of its kind in the country) being built in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a completion date set for late 2018 or early 2019. Since independence, church leadership and control have been widely and successfully Africanized, though not without conflict. The Watch Tower churches initiated by Kamwana in northern Nyasaland and which spread to Northern Rhodesia received funding and publications from the American Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society until 1925, the American organisation then disowned them. 16–17, 20, Rotberg, R I (1965). Islam [16] has been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the 18th century, when Arab traders from East Africa pushed into the interior for ivory- and slave-trading purposes. In return, these 8 had become Christian". A typical practice involving a nature spirit in much of northern Zaire is the commonplace tossing of a red item (palm nut, cloth, matches, etc.) Kongo, dominated by Bantu-speaking peoples, had its capital at Mbanza Kongo - known to the Kongolese as Banza, meaning ‘residence of the king’ - whi… This body evolved into a union called the Church of Christ in the Congo, now the Church of Christ in Congo. Africans do not engage in ancestor worship; rather, the living address and relate to their deceased elders in much the same way that they relate to their living ones. Although accepted by the Roman Catholic Church (members continue to participate in parish activities and do not withdraw from the institutional church), the church hierarchy has periodically questioned the degree to which Jamaa deviates from Catholic belief and practice. The children of Ne Kongo Nimi were called Bana ba Ne Kongo, literally "the children of Ne Kongo." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1986 and has been growing rapidly, though it remains minor. Currently, the church has three missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first of which was established in 1987, shortly after Mormonism was bought into the country. Muslims comprise 2% of the Congolese population, with majority of them living in Brazzaville alone. Kitawala groups acquired, studied, and circulated publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity was constantly opposed by the religious leaders of the Jews. 1, pp. In 2011, it announced its intention to build its first Congolese Temple in Kinshasa.[8]. Many who practice traditional methods may also believe in Christianity or Islam and they will incorporate traditional methods within these frameworks. Jamaa means "family" in Swahili, and the Jamaa religion is a hybrid of European and African religious beliefs. Numerous preachers and sages appeared, many of them professing to be his followers. Fast forward to today and Jehovah's Witnesses are free to practice their religion, protected by constitutional law. By obtaining details of the afflicted person's life and social situation, the diviner will diagnose the misfortune by citing the agency of angry ancestors, nature spirits, sorcerers, or witches. From an outsider's perspective, the most striking aspect of indigenous belief and practice is its determinism; accidents are virtually unheard of, and there is always a cause behind any misfortune. While establishing this religion in the country, the belief was held by Belgium colonizers that Catholicism would lead to a more disciplined, healthy and somewhat more educated population. Explicit recognition of this role came in 1983 when Mobutu sent emissaries to Europe and the United States to encourage increased involvement by foreign mission boards in Zairian institution-building; a conference in Kinshasa with local and international Protestant officials followed. The variety and diversity of traditional African religious beliefs, even in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, make it hard to generalize into one specific list of religious beliefs or rituals. Far more significant are ancestors, who are believed to continue to play a part in community life long after their death. Jamaa is somewhat accepted as a form of Catholicism by the Roman Church, but the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has started questioning the religion due to the growing disparity between the Jamaa and Catholic Church. State solicitation of Protestant action was logical. Structurally, the church organization has been changed to parallel the administrative division of the state into regions, subregions, zones, and collectivities. The Baháʼí Faith in Democratic Republic of the Congo began after `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote letters encouraging taking the religion to Africa in 1916. Religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 08/09/2019 Christianity is the majority religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by about 80% of the population. The state retaliated with a vicious repression. The church is lead by a President who holds the rank of Bishop. The U.S. government estimates the total population is 75.5 million (July 2013 estimate). The church has never denounced the Jamaa movement, but the hierarchy has grown steadily more wary of it. More frequently, Kitawalists withdraw when state pressure becomes excessive. The number of persons who can be categorized as belonging exclusively to one group or another is limited. And the independent state that succeeded colonial authority, black African though it be, has been no more successful in converting the Kitawalists from their apolitical, antiauthoritarian stance. Revival and Rebellion in Colonial Central Africa, Princeton University Press pp. During the existence of the Congo Free State (1885–1908), some Protestant missionaries witnessed and publicized state and charter company abuses against the population during rubber- and ivory-gathering operations. Africanized variants of traditional Christianity can be found throughout the continent. As with class identity or with ethnic identity, an individual's religious identity may be situational. The term combines the prefix "ki" with "tawala", a corruption of a local word for "tower" and is by far the most common term for the movement; the invented term "Waticitawala" has sometimes been used intentionally to evoke the early twentieth century thread from Kitawala. [4] Islam was introduced and mainly spread by Arab merchants and slave traders.[5]. Thus, linguistic experts such as Christopher Ehretand Placide Tempels have applied their knowledge of languages towards reconstructing the original core beliefs of the followers of these traditions. The colonial state divided up the colony into spiritual franchises, giving each approved mission group its own territory. By Justin Findlay on July 27 2018 in Society. Different ethnic groups add or subtract from the set of agents of affliction, but these are the most common. 64, No. Protestant churches, and particularly the Church of Christ leadership, have been consistently supportive of Mobutu, making them an attractive potential partner. Minority groups include Bakongo 1.8 million (48%), Batéké 630,000 (17%), M'Boshi 445,000 (12%) and BaAka 7,000-15,000. The Rise of Nationalism in Central Africa: The Making of Malawi and Zambia, 1873-1964, p. 66. Main religions: indigenous beliefs, syncretic Christianity, Islam. Although there are no reliable statistics, the major religions are Christianity, Islam, and African traditional religions. The Church of Christ developed rules that permitted members of one evangelical congregation to move to and be accepted by another. The Roman Catholic Church has educated approximately 60% of primary school students as well as 40% of high school/secondary students in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Jamaa movement (jamaa means family in Swahili), like other Christian sects in Africa, has taken root under the umbrella of an existing church, in this case the Roman Catholic one. A clear delineation of religious affiliation into these membership categories can give a misleading picture of Congolese reality. There are small communities of Jews and Hindus who work in commercial urban areas. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com, Native Plants Of The Democratic Republic Of The Congo (Congo-Kinshasa), Ethnic Groups In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo (Congo-Kinshasa), Longest Rivers In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo (Congo-Kinshasa), Tallest Mountains In The Democratic Republic Of The Congo (Kinshasa), Types Of Crimes By Number Of Offenses In The US, Jamaa, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, and Other Forms of Christianity. The impact of the Roman Catholic Church in the DRC is enormous. Most traditional African religions have, for most of their existence, been orally/spiritually (rather than scripturally) transmitted or practiced. The Protestant community includes members of the Evangelical Church of the Congo. Common questions about the differences between the Yoruba Orishas & the deities of the Congo. During the colonialism period , christianity was forced on Indigenous people from Congo . Estimates concerning religion in the DRC Congo vary greatly. The wide variety of African indigenous beliefs and practices makes generalizations difficult, but some commonalities may nonetheless be noted. Since being legalized, the Kimbanguists have bent over backward to curry favor with the state. Nature spirits play a minor role in negotiating everyday life compared with that played by witches and sorcerers. Conflict within the church exists between the lower clergy, who are in day-to-day contact with the population, and the higher clergy; the former argued for a more radical structural critique of the regime, while the latter prevailed in arguing for a more limited, moral criticism. In the event of illness, or of crop failure, or of misfortune in some other sphere of life, the stricken party may consult a diviner in order to identify the agent responsible for his or her affliction. The Mbuti, the Baka, and the Batwa peoples are the indigenous peoples of The Democratic Republic of Congo. These major branches in the Christian religion that affect such a large population in the DRC are the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Kimbanguism branches. Religions: Roman Catholic 29.9%, Protestant 26.7%, Kimbanguist 2.8%, other Christian 36.5%, Muslim 1.3%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 1.2%, none 1.3%, unspecified .2% (2014 est.) That evidence helped lead to the international outcry that forced King Léopold II to cede control of the Congo Free State to the Belgian state. Factbook > Countries > Democratic Republic of the Congo > Demographics. Based on these elements, some scholars support the existence of a unique AIR, but these “common elements” are not found in every African culture. Tensions would have been still greater but for divisions within the church and for the ambiguity of the church's role relative to the state. The government's requirement that religious groups register with the state and post a Z100,000 deposit in a bank in order to be legally recognized helped limit their development; so too did the lingering effects of the colonial franchise system. Different spiritual traditions, agents, and communities may be sought out for assistance, depending on the situation at hand. The symbol can be found throughout Ghana. The majority are Sunni Muslims. He preached a doctrine that was in many ways more strict than that of the Protestantism from which it evolved. In June 1921, the government judged the movement out of control, banned the sect, exiled members to remote rural areas, and arrested Kimbangu, only to have the prophet "miraculously" escape; the escape further amplified his popular mystique. Entire communities have moved into deep forest in areas such as Équateur Province in order to escape any contact with civil authorities. . 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