Promoting Ancestry as Ecodomy in Indigenous African Religions

This paper is an attempt to offer a concrete contribution to the study of indigenous religions and in particular to the support of creating a set of traditions from whose one could engage in the study of indigenous African religions as well as of African in general. Bearing in mind that one of the most prominent features of these studies is constant effort to decolonize the field in order to move beyond former imperialistic into specifically africanized postcolonial hermeneutics based on the recognition of African identities, I suggest a methodology which focuses not so much on the or post-colonization of the study of indigenous African religions, but rather on a theme which has an evident constructive potential. Combining two notions, ancestry and , this methodology seeks to support the development of current efforts to build African in the study of indigenous African religions by pointing not only to an aspect which is to most African religions, namely ancestry and the role of ancestors, but also to the need a more positive tendency which is able to instill a constructive trend [as different from if not to de- or post-colonization hermeneutics] in the study of indigenous African religions by the notion of ecodomy. Defined in terms of a constructive process, ecodomy seeks to provide and communities with a common element, that of ancestors, which is not only specific to spirituality but also potentially capable of strengthening and improving the life of African . Thus, this methodology based on working with ancestry as economy is applied to four scholars and their specific approaches to indigenous African religions: John S. Mbiti, who that ancestors have mainly social, not religious roles; Issiaka P. Lalèyê, for whom ancestors a connection between the social and religious aspects of life; Jacob K. Olupona, who restricts to religion, and Israel Kamudzandu, in whose philosophy ancestors can provide African with the possibility of moving beyond their indigenous religions into accepting other beliefs, such as those provided by Christianity.