Missiological Perspectives on the Communal Significance of Rites of Passages in African Traditional Religions

Traditional African society is hierarchical in its structure (Sundermeier 1998:55). Status can be both ascribed and achieved. Because rites of passage mark the movement of an individual from one stage to another and from one role or societal position to another, they are part of the socially recognized means through which individuals achieve status in their community (Pemberton 1998:527-529). Apart from ascribing social status to its initiates through their participation in rites of passage, traditional African society also believes that societal harmony is not possible without them (Imasogie 1992:14). As such, rites of passage take on significant implications for both the participants and their communities since these rites “help define and redefine the community’s relationship to an individual and the individual’s changing place in the community” (Oates 1970:81). “Every culture has a central cluster of values that control all aspects of life in that culture. . . . Values provide patterns for living, criteria for making decisions, and yardsticks by which to evaluate oneself and others” (Pilch 1991:49). This article seeks to highlight such values by exploring the communal significance of initiation and funeral rites of passage in African Traditional Religions.