Section: Religions of the world.
Basic information about religions and religious teachings.
This section introduces a wide range of issues that are relevant for understanding the doctrine, cult and moral principles of the main religious movements, the features of modern theology, as well as a brief outline of the history of atheism, etc.
Based on materials: “An Atheist’s Handbook” / S. F. Anisimov, N. A. Ashirov, M. S. Belenkiy, etc.;
Under general ed. Academician S. D. Skazkin. - 9th ed., rev. and additional - M.. Politizdat, 1987. - 431 p., ill.
9th page of the section

Religion in the modern world
Africa

Currently, several groups of religions are common among the peoples of the African continent: local traditional cults and religions, Islam, Christianity, to a lesser extent Hinduism, Judaism and some others. A special place is occupied by syncretic Christian-African churches and sects.

Local traditional cults and religions are autochthonous beliefs, cults, and rituals that developed among the peoples of Africa in the process of historical development before the appearance of Arabs and Europeans on this continent. Distributed among most of the local population of tropical countries, South Africa and the island of Madagascar. Many foreign researchers mistakenly view the local traditional cults and religions of Tropical and Southern Africa as a “single African religion.”

Although the constituent components of the religious beliefs of most Africans are fetishism (veneration of material objects), animism (belief in numerous “souls” and “spirits”), magic (witchcraft, superstition), mana (faceless “supernatural” force), the term “local “traditional cults and religions” is very conventional, since it is used to refer to various religious ideas, cults, beliefs and rituals of many African peoples located at certain socio-economic levels of development. These cults and religions can be divided into two large groups: tribal and national-state.

The cult of ancestors occupies a significant place in the life of African peoples. Some Western authors even consider ancestor worship to be the most characteristic religion of Tropical and Southern Africa. The object of veneration, as a rule, are the progenitors of a family, clan, tribe, etc., who are credited with supernatural abilities to do both good and evil. Cults of the forces of nature and the elements (in the form of “spirits” of nature) are also common in Africa. These cults are characteristic of those African peoples who retain various forms of tribal structures (for example, the Hottentots, Herero, etc.). Peoples with developed or emerging statehood (for example, the Yoruba, Akan, Baluba, Zulus, etc.) are characterized by polytheistic state religions with a developed pantheon of gods. In the autochthonous traditional religions of Africa, a large place is occupied by rituals, ceremonies, ceremonies, etc., which are usually associated with various stages of human life. These are, for example, funeral rites, rites of naming, dedication, initiation, marriage, etc. Secret societies or unions continue to play a significant role in the social life of the peoples of Tropical and Southern Africa, and especially among the peoples of the Guinea coast (for example, the Poro men's union , female Sande, etc.). In total, over a third (about 130 million) of African residents adhere to local traditional religions. Almost all of them live in sub-Saharan Africa, making up about 42% of the total population of this part of the continent. More than half are concentrated in West Africa, with about a fifth of adherents of traditional religions living in Nigeria. In South African countries, over half of the local population adheres to autochthonous religions. As for individual states, followers of local traditional religions make up 80% of the population of the Central African Republic; over 70% - in Mozambique, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Togo; more than 60% in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Angola and Swaziland.

Islam is a religion brought to Africa from the Arabian Peninsula. In the middle of the 7th century. North Africa was conquered by the Arabs. The newcomers spread Islam with the help of administrative and economic measures: those who converted to Islam were freed from the heavy poll tax, received the same rights enjoyed by Muslim Arabs, etc. Complete Islamization of the Maghreb (the general name for the countries of North Africa from Libya to Morocco) ends by the 12th century. During the 1X-1X centuries. Islam also spreads among the peoples of Western Sudan. The Muslim religion began to penetrate into Eastern Sudan in the 9th century. The Negroid peoples of South Sudan maintained traditional cults and religions until the second half of the 19th century, but then they also gradually began to convert to Islam. Islam was brought to East Africa by Muslim merchants, traders, and settlers from Asia (mainly from the Arabian Peninsula and Hindustan). By the 18th century Islamization of the peoples of the eastern coast of Africa and the northwestern part of the island of Madagascar occurs. Somewhat later, the influence of Islam spread throughout Tropical Africa, where Islam began to successfully compete with Christianity.

Among the Muslim population of modern Africa, Sunni Islam is mainly widespread. Sunnism is represented by all four madhhabs (or religious and legal schools): Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali and Hanafi. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in North and West African countries adhere to the Maliki madhhab; in Egypt and East African states - Shafi'i, in the Republic of South Africa, people from the Hindustan Peninsula are supporters of the Hanifi and Cape Malays - Shafi'i madhhabs. Sufi orders (or brotherhoods), of which there are several dozen in Africa, play a significant role among African Muslims. The most significant and numerous orders are the Tija-niyya, Qadiriyya, Shadiliyya, Khatmiya, Senusiyya, etc. The spiritual heads of some of these brotherhoods have a great influence on political life in a number of African countries. Thus, in Senegal, the leader of the Murid brotherhood enjoys great influence, in Nigeria - the head of the Tijaniites, etc. There are less than a quarter of a million representatives of the second direction in Islam - Shiism - in Africa. For the most part, these are foreigners - immigrants from the Hindustan Peninsula, belonging to various branches of Ismailism (Bohras, Khojas), Imamites, etc., and to a lesser extent the local population. In addition, there are about 150 thousand Ibadis in Africa (representatives of the third direction in Islam - Kharijism). Of these, the vast majority live in the countries of North Africa - Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and small groups - in the countries of East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. In the listed states of North Africa, as well as in Egypt, Mauritania and Somalia, Islam is the state religion.

Islam is practiced by over 41% of Africa's population (approx. 150 million people). About half of Islam's adherents (47.2%) are concentrated in North African countries, with more than a fifth of African Muslims living in Egypt. In West Africa, Muslims make up over 33% of the population, half of them in Nigeria. Less than a fifth of the Muslim population is concentrated in East Africa, where they make up about 31% of the population. As for individual

states, then followers of Islam predominate, making up over 90% of the population, in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, the Republic of Djibouti, Somalia and the Comoros Islands. More than half of the inhabitants are Muslim in Guinea, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Western Sahara. In addition, there are also large numbers of Muslim adherents in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya.

The spread of Christianity in Africa began in the 2nd century. n. e. It initially spread to Egypt and Ethiopia, and then along the coast of North Africa. At the beginning of the 4th century. A movement arose among Christians in Africa to create an African church independent of Rome. In the 5th century A Monophysite church was formed, uniting Christians from Egypt and Ethiopia. From the 7th century In North Africa, Christianity is gradually being replaced by Islam. Currently, original Christianity has been preserved only among part of the local population of Egypt (Copts, Orthodox), the majority of the population of Ethiopia and a small group in Sudan.

In the 15th century, with the arrival of the Portuguese conquerors, the second period of the spread of Christianity began in Africa, but in a Western direction. Catholic missionaries appear along with the conquistadors. The first attempts to Christianize Africans were made on the Guinea coast, but they were ineffective. The activities of missionaries in the Congo were more successful, but here too Christianity spread mainly among the tribal aristocracy. During the XVI-XVIII centuries. Christian missionaries made repeated attempts to spread their influence to the peoples of Africa, but to no avail.

The third stage in the spread of Christianity in Africa begins in the mid-19th century. This was a period of colonial expansion, when Western European countries began to seize vast territories on the African continent. At this time, missionary activity sharply intensifies. The Roman Catholic Church creates special orders and missionary societies ("White Fathers1", "African Mission Society", etc.).

After the Second World War, the fourth period in the history of the Christianization of Africa begins. This period takes place in conditions of a general crisis of the colonial system and the achievement of independence by many African countries. Representatives of Western Christianity began to pursue a policy of adaptation to new conditions (especially the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church). Local African clergy appeared, instead of missionary societies, self-governing (or independent) churches and other organizations were created.

Of the Protestant organizations of churches and sects, the Dutch Reformed were the earliest to begin missionary activity in Africa - from the middle of the 17th century. in the south of the continent, Anglicans and Methodists - from the beginning of the 19th century. From the middle of the 19th century. German (Lutheran) and American missionaries began proselytizing work. Numerous Protestant missionary societies began to be created. After World War II, American missionary societies (primarily the Episcopal Church, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc.) especially intensified their activities.

Christianity is currently professed by 85 million people. About 8 million of them are immigrants from Europe or their descendants. Adherents of certain directions in Christianity are distributed as follows: Catholics - over 38% (33 million), Protestants - about 37% (31 million), Monophysites - more than 24% (20 million), the rest - Orthodox and Uniates. Christians are most concentrated in the countries of East Africa - over a third (35% of the population), the same number in West Africa. In South Africa, Christians make up a quarter of the region's population, and there are about three times fewer Catholics than Protestants. In the eastern region, more than half of the Christians are Monophysites, and almost all of them live in Ethiopia. In most countries, Catholics predominate over Protestants. A fifth of all African Catholics live in Zaire. There are more than 2 million each in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. Of the remaining states, the most Catholic are the Cape Verde Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Lesotho, Reunion Island and the Seychelles.

Half of all African Protestants come from two countries - South Africa (27%) and Nigeria (22%). More than one million Protestants each live in Ghana, Zaire, Uganda, Tanzania and the island of Madagascar. Monophysites are represented by adherents from the Ethiopian Church (16.7 million), the Coptic Church in Egypt (3.5 million) and a small number of Armenian Gregorians in Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. There are less than a quarter of a million Orthodox people, with half belonging to the Alexandrian Orthodox Church, more than a third to the African Orthodox Churches of East Africa (85 thousand). A quarter of a million adherents belong to various Uniate churches, the overwhelming majority to the Coptic Catholic and Ethiopian Catholic.

Christian-African churches and sects are organizations that broke away from Western churches and sects and created their own dogma, their own rituals, ceremonies, etc., combining traditional elements of beliefs and cults with elements of Christianity. In Western literature they are called differently - syncretic, independent, indigenous, prophetic, messianic, separatist churches or sects. As a rule, these churches and sects include only Africans, the vast majority coming from one tribe or people. Christian African churches and sects are common in all regions of Tropical and Southern Africa. These organizations were initially anti-colonial in nature and were a unique form of protest against enslavement. Over time, these movements moved onto purely religious grounds. Currently, all of them are only religious organizations and are often in opposition to the governments of their countries. According to some estimates, there are 9 million adherents of Christian African churches and sects throughout Tropical Africa, which is 3% of the population of this region. About half of them are concentrated in South Africa, in Western Africa - more than 400, in Eastern Africa - less than a tenth. In South Africa there is a third of all adherents of Christian-African churches and sects, in Zaire and Nigeria - over a million adherents each. In total, these three countries account for 60% of adherents of syncretic organizations. Of the remaining countries that have a significant number of adherents (several hundred thousand each) of these religious organizations, Kenya, Ghana, Benin, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Zambia and the island of Madagascar should be mentioned. Some syncretic churches and sects are quite influential and numerous (with several hundred thousand adherents). For example, “cherubim and seraphim”, the Lumpa church, the sects of the Kimbanguists, Matsuaists, Harrisists, Kitawala (the latter is greatly influenced by the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect). Christian African churches and sects are spread in 27 tropical countries, South Africa and the island of Madagascar.

Hinduism in Africa is practiced by people from the Hindustan Peninsula and their descendants, who currently number over 1.1 million - about 0.3% of the population of Tropical and Southern Africa. They are unevenly distributed. On the island of Mauritius, where Hindus make up over half of the population, more than 2/5 of their total population is concentrated, in South Africa - more than a third, and in Kenya - a tenth. There are small Hindu communities in East Africa and other Indian Ocean islands. Other South and East Asian religions popular among Indians and partly Chinese include Sikhism - 25 thousand adherents, Jainism - 12 thousand, Buddhism and Confucianism - 25 thousand people.

Judaism is professed by about 270 thousand inhabitants of Africa, Mistra - Jews of North Africa (over 100 thousand), Ashkenazi - immigrants from European countries living mainly in South Africa (over 120 thousand), and Falasha - representatives of one of the aboriginal peoples of Ethiopia (about 30 thousand).

Let us consider the religious composition of the population of individual African countries.

Egypt

The state religion of the Arab Republic of Egypt is Islam. About 90% of the residents are Muslim. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread in Egypt. In addition, there are a small number of adherents of other madhhabs (Hanifis, Malikis, Hanbalites). Among Egyptian Muslims there are supporters of Sufi orders. The most common of them are Qadiriyya, Rifaya, Idrisiyya, Bedawiyya, Shadiliyya, etc. In the area of ​​​​the Siwa oases, the Senusites are found. Christians, living mainly in cities, make up more than 10% of the country's population (about 4 million). The overwhelming majority, supporters of the Monophysite trend, belong to two churches - Coptic (about 3.5 million) and Armenian-Gregorian (about 50 thousand). There are up to 100 thousand Orthodox Christians, mainly supporters of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church. The Uniates are represented by six churches: Coptic Catholic (up to 120 thousand people), Greek Catholic (up to 30 thousand), Maronite (more than 8 thousand), Armenian Catholic (3 thousand), Syro-Catholic (3 thousand). ) and Chaldean (1 thousand). There are about 6 thousand supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. There are about 170 thousand Protestants. The vast majority are Copts (over 125 thousand), adherents of the Presbyterian Church. In addition, in Egypt there are Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, etc. Among the small Jewish population (about 10 thousand) you can find supporters of Judaism.

Libya

In the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Islam is also the state religion. Muslims make up more than 97% of the population and adhere to the Sunni school.

The vast majority (80-90%) are Malikis, Hanifites are about 6%. Among Libyans in the east of the country, the teachings of the Senusiya order became widespread (Senusites make up about 30% of Cyrenaiki Muslims). In addition, there are supporters of the Sufi orders of Isawiya, Salamiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. In the north-west, in the mountainous region of Jebel Nefus, there are Ibadis - supporters of the Kharijite trend in Islam, there are 30-40 thousand of them. Less than 40 thousand Christians (2% of the population ). Of these, the majority are Catholics (about 25 thousand), their nationalities are Italian, French, and partly Greek. Several thousand are Protestants and Orthodox. Among the Jews (about 5 thousand) there are adherents of Judaism.

Tunisia

In the Republic of Tunisia, Islam is the state religion. Muslims make up more than 98% of the country's population, the vast majority of them adhere to the Maliki school, but there are several tens of thousands of Hanifis. Among some Tunisian Muslims (3%), the Sufi orders of Rahmaniyya, Qadiriyya, Isawiya, etc. are common (about 20 in total). The Berbers of the island of Djerba and the oases are members of the Ibadi sect (30 thousand people). There are about 25 thousand Christians in Tunisia. These are mainly Catholics (over 18 thousand people), the rest are Protestants and partly Armenian-Gregorians. More than 50 thousand Jewish Jews live in the capital and on the island of Djerba.

Algeria

In the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Islam is the state religion. More than 99% of the country's population are supporters of the Sunni branch of the Maliki religious and legal school. There are groups of Hanifis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis. Among some Algerian Muslims, Sufi orders have become widespread, especially Rahmaniyya, Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya, Taibiya, Sheikhiyya, Isawiyya, Derkaoua, etc. In addition, there is a small number of Senusites. Among the Berbers of the Mzaba oases (in the areas of the cities of Ouargla and Ghardaia) there are supporters of the Ibadite sect, known here as Mozabites (about 50 thousand). There are less than 70 thousand Christians, all of them Europeans. Of these, more than 60 thousand are Catholics (French and Italians). There are several thousand Protestants - Methodists, Reformed and Seventh-day Adventists. About 4 thousand Jews live in the cities of Algeria, among whom there are many supporters of Judaism.

Morocco

In the Kingdom of Morocco, as in other North African countries, Islam is the state religion. Over 98% of the country's population adheres to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab. Among Moroccan Muslims there are Sufi orders Shadiliyya, Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya, Taibiya, Derkaoua, Kattaniya, etc. (about 15 in total). Some of the Berbers living in the areas of Casablanca and Oujda are Ibadis (about 25 thousand). There are about 80 thousand Christians, all of them are foreigners. The vast majority are Catholics (about 70 thousand are Spaniards, French, Italians, etc.). There are several thousand Orthodox and Protestants each. There are several thousand Jewish Judaizers left.

Ceuta and Melilla

In the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which belong to Spain, the majority of the population (about 135 thousand) professes Catholicism. These are the Spaniards and other Europeans. Protestants - about 5 thousand. Arab Muslims who adhere to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab, there are 15 thousand. Jewish Jews - about 5 thousand.

West Sahara

In Western Sahara, the majority of the local population professes Sunni Islam of the Maliki religious and legal school. Among Muslims, the Qadiriyya Sufi order is influential. There are more than 16 thousand Catholics - Spaniards and French. There are groups of Protestants and Jewish Judaists.

Mauritania

In the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Islam is the state religion. More than 99% of the population are Muslims. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the Moors (a population of mixed origin speaking Arabic), Berbers, Ful Be, Soninke, etc. Among Mauritanian Muslims, Sufi orders have great influence: in the north - Tijaniyya, Shadiliyya, in the south - Tijaniyya, Kadiriyya and others. Christianity in Mauritania is represented by the Roman Catholic Church (more than 5 thousand people, all of them French).

Senegal

In the Republic of Senegal, the majority (about 4/5) of the population is Muslim by religion. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the peoples of the Wolof, Malinke, Sarakol, Fulbe, Tukuler, Serer, Diola, Moors, Susu, etc. Sufi orders are very influential: Tijaniyya in the west and south of the country; Kadiriyya - in the north and east, in the east - Hamaliyya, each of them has several tens of thousands of adherents. Among the Wolof peoples, partly Serer, Fulbe and others in the central regions of Senegal, the brotherhood of murids (up to a quarter of the country's Muslims) is widespread. There is a group of the Ahmadiyya sect. Tribal cults are followed by 15% of the population living in the south (Serer, Diola, Fulbe, Mandingo, Balante, etc.). Christians make up 4% of the population (about 200 thousand). There are over 190 thousand Catholics, a quarter of them are French. Protestants - Baptists, Pentecostals and Seventh-day Adventists - about 8 thousand.

Gambia

About 80% of the population of the Republic of the Gambia - the Wolof, Fulbe, Diola, Soninke and others - adhere to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab. A significant part of Gambian Muslims are supporters of the Tijaniyya Sufi order, the rest are adherents of the Qadiriya and Muri-Diya. There are supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect in the capital. Local traditional beliefs are adhered to by a minority (17%) of Gambians - partly Malinke, Diola, Serer, Basari, etc. Christians make up about 4.5% of the population. Of these, 11.5 thousand are supporters of Catholicism, the rest are Protestants (Methodists, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists - over 10 thousand in total).

Cape Verde

In the Republic of Cape Verde, the vast majority of the population (over 95%) professes Christianity. These are Catholics (more than 281 thousand). Protestants - 10 thousand, the majority are members of the Nazarene Church, the rest are Seventh-day Adventists, Anglicans, Methodists. In addition, there is a group of Muslims.

Guinea-Bissau

In the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, approximately half of the inhabitants adhere to local traditional cults and religions. Ethnically, these are the peoples of Balante, Mandjak, Pepel, Biafada, etc. Muslims, who make up about 45% of the country's population, are residents of the northern and eastern regions. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the Fulbe, Malinke, Wolof, Tukuler, etc. The Qadiriyya Sufi order is influential among part of the Malinke, Tijaniyya - among part of the Wolof and Tukuler. Christians make up over 6% of the population. The majority are Catholics (more than 41 thousand), living on the coast and in cities. Evangelical Protestants - 2 thousand people.

Guinea

In the People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea, approximately 75% of the population professes Islam. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the Malinki, Fulani, Bambara, Baga, etc. Sufi orders are very influential: Qadiriyya, Barkiyya - among the Fulani, Tijaniyya - among the Fulani, Susu, Mandingo, etc., Shadiliyya - among the Fulani Futa-Jallon. Traditional religions are followed in Guinea by about a quarter of the country's population. These are Loma, Mano, Banda, Tenda, Kisi, Kpelle, etc., living in the south and east. Christians make up over 1.4% of the population. The majority are Catholics (43 thousand). There are about 10 thousand Protestants - Anglicans, Evangelicals, Plymouth Brethren.

Mali

In the Republic of Mali, Muslims make up about 2/3 of the population. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is professed by the peoples of the Songhai, Tuareg, Bambara, Hausa, Wolof, Malinke, Diula, Arabs, etc. The Hamaliyya order is widespread in the west of Mali, the Tijaniyya in the southern regions, and the Qadiriyya in the north. There are several thousand Senusites living on the border with Niger; The Ahmadiyya sect operates in Bamako. Autochthonous religions are common in the south among the Senufo, Moi, Dogon, Malinke and others. They are professed by about a third of the population. There are less than 70 thousand Christians (1.5% of the population). These are mainly residents of the southeastern and southern regions of Mali. Catholics - 47 thousand. Protestants - Presbyterians, Anglicans, Evangelicals, Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists - 20-25 thousand.

Sierra Leone

Traditional cults and religions in the Republic of Sierra Leone are followed by approximately 60% of the population. They are common among the Mende, Temne, Bulom, Kisi, Gola, Bakwe, Koranko. Secret unions still enjoy great influence (for example, among the Temne people, the Poro male union). In the north and east of the country, Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is professed by the Vai, Fulani, Dialonke, Mende, Limba, and others, who make up up to a third of the country's population. Among some Muslims, Sufi orders are widespread - Tijaniyya, Shadiliyya, Qadiriyya. There are several thousand members of the Ahmadiyya sect in the cities along the coast. There are about 160 thousand Christians (about 6% of the population). Protestants make up the majority (about 100 thousand). The largest churches are Anglican, Methodist, and Evangelical. There are small communities of Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. There are 58 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church in Sierra Leone. In addition, the country has several thousand adherents of Christian-African churches and sects - Harris, Aladura (Church of God ) and etc.

Liberia

In the Republic of Liberia, the majority of the population (about 74%) adheres to autochthonous beliefs - the peoples of Grebo, Krahn, Gere, Kpelle, Mano, Loma, Kru, Mande, etc. Secret unions play a significant place in public life (for example, among the Kpelle - the Poro male union and female Sande). The Muslim population, about 15%, lives in the north on the border with Guinea. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab, partly Hanafi, is widespread. Among some Muslims, the Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya orders are influential. There are several thousand supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect in coastal cities. There are about 160 thousand Christians (12% of the population). The majority are Protestants (130 thousand), half of them are Methodists, the rest are Lutherans, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists. American missionaries are quite active in the country. There are about 26 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. There are supporters of Christian African churches and sects, approximately 1% of the population. These are mainly adherents of the Harris sect, the Church of God (Aladura).

Ivory Coast

In this republic, the majority of residents adhere to traditional beliefs (about two thirds). Secret alliances play a big role. Over a fifth of the local population professes Islam. Muslims living in the north, northwest (Malinka, Bambara, Diula, etc.) and in the coastal cities of the country are supporters of Sunni Islam of the Maliki madh-ba. Sufi orders are widespread, especially the Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya and Shadiliyya. Christians - these are residents of the south, the coast, and large cities - make up more than 11% of the population. There are about 617 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. Protestants (over 100 thousand) are represented by Methodists, Plymouth Brethren, Seventh-day Adventists, evangelists, Pentecostals, etc. Christian-African churches and sects are widespread, whose supporters make up over 5% of the population (a quarter of a million people). The most influential of them are the Harris sect, the churches of Deima (or Maria Lapu), the Adaists, Tetekpan, etc.

Burkina Faso

Three quarters of Burkina Faso's population adhere to traditional religions. These are the peoples of Moi, Grusi, Lobi, Gurma, Sanu, Busa, Senufo, etc. There are more than a million Muslims (or up to 18% of the population). Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the peoples of the northern regions of the country - the Fulbe, Sarakol, Soninka, Songhai, Diula, Tuareg, etc. The Sufi orders of Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya, and Hamaliyya are influential among Muslims. In some cities there are supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect and the Senusite order. Christians make up about 8% of the population. There are more than 400 thousand Catholics living in the south and in large cities. There are a little more than 30 thousand Protestants. These are Pentecostals, Plymouth Brethren, small groups of Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. There are a small number of supporters of Christian-African syncretic sects.

Ghana

Currently, in the Republic of Ghana, two-thirds of the population (63%) adhere to autochthonous religions, mainly the peoples of Ashanti, Fanti, Ewe, Moi, Grusi, Gurma, Lobi, etc. Christianity has spread its influence in the south of the country, along the coast, as well as in some central areas and cities. Christians make up approximately 23% of the population. Of these, over 1.3 million are Protestants. The largest organizations, numbering hundreds of thousands of adherents, are Presbyterians, Evangelicals, Methodists, Anglicans; Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, the Salvation Army, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. each have several tens of thousands of supporters. There are about 1.2 million Catholics, more than half of them live on the coast. In the south of the country there are supporters of Christian-African churches and sects - 350-400 thousand (4% of the population). The most influential and large: “Church of the Lord God”, “African Universal Church”, “Church of the 12 Apostles”, “Society of the Prophet Vovenu” (one of many), “Church of the Savior”, etc. Islam is professed by a tenth of the country’s inhabitants. Muslims live predominantly in the north of Ghana. These are the peoples of Dagomba, Fulbe, Gurma, Hausa, Arabs, Lobi, Busa, etc. Among them, Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab is widespread, but there is a group of Shafiites. The Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya Sufi orders are influential. There are about 30 thousand members of the Ahmadiyya sect in coastal cities.

Togo

In the Republic of Togo, local traditional cults and religions are common among most of the Ewe, Tem, Gourma, Somba, Kabre, etc. peoples (71% of the inhabitants). Christianity is practiced by about 27% of the population (620 thousand people), mainly in the southern and coastal regions and cities. There are over 456 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church (20%). Protestants - 165 thousand (7%). The most numerous, numbering several tens of thousands of people each, are the communities of evangelists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals. There are a small number of Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists and Jehovah's Witnesses. There are small groups (about 10 thousand) of adherents of Christian-African churches and sects: “Society of the Prophet Vovenu”, “Mission of the Assemblies of God”, etc. Islam is professed by 100 thousand people. These are mainly residents of the northern regions - Fulbe, Hausa, etc. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki religious and legal school is widespread among them. The Tijaniyya Sufi order is influential.

Benin

In the People's Republic of Benin, more than 60% of the population are adherents of traditional cults and religions. These are the Ewe, Fon, Somba, Barba and others. Christians make up 16% of the population (about 500 thousand), these are mainly residents of the southern and coastal regions of the country. About 444 thousand people adhere to Catholicism. There are about 50 thousand Protestants. They are mainly Methodists, evangelists and Pentecostals. Syncretic Christian-African sects and churches have become widespread in the coastal regions of Benin, whose supporters make up a tenth of the population (about 300 thousand). Particularly influential are the sects of Harris, the Temple of Fish Sellers, Heavenly Christianity, the Church of the Oracles, the United Native African Church, and others. More than 400 thousand people (14% of the population) adhere to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab. These are mainly residents of the northern regions of the country - Fulbe, Songhai, Jerma, Busa, Hausa and others. Among Muslims, the Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya orders are influential.

Nigeria

In the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adherents of Islam account for 40 to 45% of the population. Muslims predominate in the north of the country, where they make up over two-thirds of the region's population; in the west, up to a third, and a small number live in eastern Nigeria. Sunni Islam, predominantly of the Maliki madhhab, is widespread. The majority of Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Songhai, partly Yoruba, Shoa Arabs, etc. are Muslims. Many adherents of the Tijaniyya Sufi order can be found among the Hausa; in the north of the country the Qadiriyya order is widespread; in Lagos and in the cities of the north you can find supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect, numbering a total of about 20 thousand people. Local traditional religions in modern Nigeria are followed by 35-40% of the population. These are mainly the peoples of the central and southern regions of the country; in the north they make up up to a quarter of the inhabitants, in the west - a third, in the east - half. Some peoples still maintain secret alliances (for example, the Yoruba - Egungun, Oro, Ogboni, etc.). The Christian population is 15-18% (10 to 11 million people). In the east of the country, Christians make up half of the local population, in the west - more than a third, in the north - only 3%. Protestants, whose total number is estimated at 6 to 8 million, predominate over Catholics. The largest churches are the Anglican (over 1.5 million adherents), the Society of Churches of Christ (more than 0.5 million people). The rest number from several hundred to several tens of thousands each - Methodists (300 thousand), Baptists (350 thousand), Evangelicals (400 thousand), Pentecostals (100 thousand), Presbyterians (100 thousand), Kwa Ibo Church ( 100 thousand), Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. In total, there are about 40 Protestant organizations in Nigeria. There are over 4.1 million adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. The strongest position of Catholicism is among the Ibo peoples, partly Yoruba, Bini, Ijaw, etc. Supporters of syncretic Christian-African churches and sects unite in 150 communities and make up about 2% of the Nigerian population (up to 1 .5 million adherents). They live mainly in coastal areas. The most influential and numerous sect of “cherubim and seraphim” (approx. 0.5 million), of the rest, the most widespread are the sect of the “Holy Spirit”, “Church of the Holy Ethiopian Community”, “National Church of Nigeria”, “Apostopic Church of Christ” (approx. . 100 thousand), “Church of God” (Aladura), etc.

Niger

In the Niger Republic, Muslims make up up to 85% of the population. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Mapiki religious and legal school is widespread among the peoples of the Hausa, Songhai, Djerma, Dendi, Fulbe, Kanuri, Tuareg, Arabs, Tubu, etc. The Sufi order Tid-Jayiya is influential in the southern regions, and the Qadiriyya in the central regions. In the areas of Agadez, Bilma and on the border with Chad there are small numbers of Senusites. In the southwest of the country there are a small number of supporters of the Hamaliyya order. Autochthonous beliefs in Niger are adhered to by approximately 14% of the population, these are mainly residents of the southern and southwestern regions of the country. Christians - about 15 thousand. Almost all of them are Catholics, residents of Niamey. Protestants - evangelists, Baptists, Methodists - a thousand people.

Chad

In the Republic of Chad, the predominant religion is Islam (about 3/5 of the population) of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab; among the Arabs there are also supporters of the Shafi'i one. In the north of the country, the influence of the Qadiriyya Sufi order is widespread, in the south - the Tijaniyya, and in the regions of Kanem, Wadai, Tibesti and Ennedi there are Senusites. In addition, there are groups of supporters of the Khat Miya and Mahdiyya orders. Traditional religions are adhered to by residents of the southern regions of Chad (over a third of the population) - the Bagirmi, Mboum, Masa, etc. peoples. Christians, also living in the south, make up more than 9% of the country's population. There are over 210 thousand Catholics. Protestants, numbering 100 thousand, are represented by Lutherans, Evangelicals, Baptists, etc.

Cameroon

Slightly less than half of the population of the United Republic of Cameroon adheres to traditional cults and religions. The bulk of them are concentrated in the southern and central regions of the country - Fang, Duala, Maka, Bamileke, Tikar, Tiv, etc. Christians make up over a third of the inhabitants. This is mainly the population of the southern, coastal regions and cities of the country. There are over 1.6 million supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. Protestants, of whom there are about 0.8 million, are concentrated mainly in the west and coastal regions of Cameroon. The largest and most influential communities are Presbyterians, Evangelicals (each of them has several hundred thousand adherents), Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Lutherans (several tens of thousands each), Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. There are about 100 thousand adherents of Christian-African churches and sects Among them, the United Native Church is especially influential. Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the peoples of the northern regions of Cameroon - Hausa, Mandara, Fulbe, Tikar, Bamum, Arabs, Kanuri, etc. (17% of the population). Here they make up up to half the population. Among Muslims, the Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya orders are widespread. In the far north there are Senusites.

Central African Republic

In the CAR, a significant number of residents adhere to traditional beliefs (about 75%). the peoples of Banda, Gbaya, Azande, Sere-Mundu and others. There are about 445 thousand Christians (a fifth of the population). Most of them are members of the Roman Catholic Church (about 295 thousand people). There are about 150 thousand Protestants. These are mainly Baptists and evangelists. In the far north of the country, Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is widespread. There are up to 100 thousand Muslims (5% of the population) among the Hausa, Arabs, Bagirmi and others. The Tijaniyya Sufi order is influential. In addition, in the south of the country there are about 10 thousand supporters of Christian African churches and sects, the Boymanja Society, the Central African Church, etc.

Gabon

In the Gabonese Republic, more than two-thirds of the population professes Christianity. There are over 388 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. There are about 85 thousand Protestants. The vast majority of them belong to the Evangelical Church. There are several thousand adherents of the Protestant organization "Plymouth Brethren". About 30% of the population adheres to autochthonous religions: Fang, Bakota, Maka, etc. Sunni Muslims - several thousand people (less than 1% of the population). They are all city dwellers. Of the Christian-African communities, the largest is the “Banza Church” (over 10 thousand).

Equatorial Guinea

In this republic, about 83% of the inhabitants are Christians. The Roman Catholic Church has 240 thousand supporters. This is almost the entire population of the islands of Bioko and Pagalu, the rest are in the province of Rio Muni. Protestants -8.5 thousand: the majority are Presbyterians (7 thousand), Methodists, etc. A little more than 17% of the population adheres to traditional beliefs, mainly residents of the hinterlands of Rio Muni. Muslims - a thousand people (Hausa foreigners). There is a group of supporters of syncretic organizations in the country: “Banza Church”, “Assembly of Brethren”, etc.

Sao Tome and Principe

In the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, the vast majority of the population adheres to Christianity of the Catholic faith (60 thousand people). Protestants (Seventh-day Adventists) number several thousand. There are groups of Muslims and supporters of traditional beliefs.

Congo

In the People's Republic of the Congo, less than half of the inhabitants are supporters of traditional cults and religions (about 48%). These are the peoples of the central and northern regions of the country: Bakongo, Bavili, Bakota, Gbaya, etc. Christianity is widespread among residents of the southern provinces and large cities (47% of the population). The majority are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church (475 thousand). Protestants - 150 thousand. They are represented by evangelists, partly Lutherans, Baptists, members of the Salvation Army, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. Supporters of syncretic Christian-African churches and sects number several tens of thousands of people (4% of the population). These are mainly members of the Matsua Church of Kinzonzi, partly of the Kimbangist sects, the Black Mission (or Khaki Movement), Tonzi and others. There are about 10 thousand Sunni Muslims (1% of the population). They live in cities.

Zaire

In the Republic of Zaire, about 2/5 of the population adheres to traditional beliefs. Christianity became widespread (more than half of the population). There are especially many adherents of the Roman Catholic Church (42%, or 10.2 million people), with a third of their number concentrated in the western provinces of Kinshasa, Lower Zaire, Bandundu; the sixth part is in the provinces of Eastern and Western Kasai. In all these provinces Catholics make up half the population. There are about 2.5 million Protestants, which is more than 10% of the population of Zaire. The bulk of them are concentrated in the east - in the provinces of Kivu and Upper Zaire and in the south - in the province of Shaba. The most numerous, numbering several hundred thousand people each, are the communities of Lutherans, Evangelists, Baptists, the Church of Christ, Seventh-day Adventists, Presbyterians, and Methodists. The rest include members of the Salvation Army, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. There are numerous Western European and North American missionary organizations. Several thousand Orthodox and Uniates live in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Christian-African syncretic churches and sects have spread their influence to part of the country's population - more than 1.5 million people (5% of the population). The most numerous and influential organization in the country is the Kimbanguists ("The Church of Jesus Christ, founded on earth by Simon Kimbangu"), numbering over 200 thousand adherents and widespread in the west of Zaire. In the province of Shaba there is a Kitawala sect (100 thousand), which is strongly influenced by Jehovahism. The Muvungi, Matsuaists, the “Holy Spirit”, the Apostolic Church, and the Lumpa Church also have their adherents. “Black Churches”, “Churches of God”, Dieudonne, Nzambi wa Malemwe, etc. Islam is followed by about 3% of the population of Zaire (over 0.6 million people). They live mainly in the east of the country. Sunni Islam is widespread among Muslims. The Shafi'i madhhab has the largest number of supporters, the rest adhere to the Maliki madhhab. There are about 2 thousand Jewish Jews in Lubumbashi

Angola

In the People's Republic of Angola, about 45% of the population is adherents of autochthonous cults and religions. More than half of the inhabitants (over 3.2 million) profess Christianity. Of these, about 2.8 million are supporters of the Roman Catholic Church, and about two-thirds of them are concentrated in the west of the country. There are more than 450 thousand Protestants, mostly residents of the eastern and southern regions of Angola. The largest community is evangelicals, numbering over 200 thousand people. The communities of the Angolan African Church, Congregationalists, Methodists, and Baptists each have several tens of thousands of adherents. The rest are Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.

Adherents of Christian-African churches and sects make up up to 2% of the population (120 thousand). The most active sects are Toko, Tongzi, Kimban-Gist, Mpadi (or “Black Mission”), “Izambi ya Bongi”, “Olosanto”, “Bapostolo”, etc.

Sudan

In the Democratic Republic of Sudan, the predominant religion is Islam (70% of the population). Muslims are predominantly residents of the central and northern provinces. Among supporters of Islam, the Sunni school of thought is widespread. The majority adheres to the Maliki madhhab, there are Shafiites and Hanifites. There are numerous Sufi orders or brotherhoods of the Ansar, Qadiriyya, Khat-miya, Bedawiyya, Samaniya, Shchadiliyya, Idrisiyya, Ismailiyya, Tijaniyya, Senu-Siya, Rashidiyya, Jaafariyya, etc. Traditional cults are preserved among the peoples of the southern provinces. Their adherents make up about a quarter of the population (over 5 million - Dinka, Nu-Er, Shilluk, Azande, Moru-Mangbetu, etc.) Christian religions are widespread mainly among residents of the southern regions, and partly among the townspeople of the north. The Roman Catholic Church (more than 600 thousand adherents) enjoys a certain influence in the south. There are over 200 thousand Protestants. These are mainly Anglicans, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, etc. In addition, there are about 35 thousand representatives of Eastern Christianity - Orthodox, Copts, Melkites, Syriac Catholics and Maronites. All of them are residents of large cities in the north. Khartoum has small Hindu and Jewish communities.

Ethiopia

Before the revolution, Ethiopia was the only African country where Christianity was enshrined in the constitution as the state religion. After the overthrow of the monarchy in Socialist Ethiopia, the church was separated from the state. Christians make up about two-thirds of the population. The predominant religion among them is Monophysitism, represented by the Ethiopian Church (16-18 million people) and a small community of several thousand people of the Armenian Gregorian Church. The remaining Christian communities, totaling up to 2% of the population, number 450 thousand people. Of these, the Uniates are Ethiopian Catholics (about 100 thousand), Catholics (about 100 thousand), several thousand Orthodox and about a quarter of a million Protestants. The latter are represented mainly by Lutherans, Evangelicals, then Presbyterians, Anglicans and Seventh-day Adventists. Muslims here make up more than a quarter of the population. Sunni Islam is widespread: in the north - Maliki and Hanifi madhhabs, in the east and southeast - Shafi'i. Among some Muslims there are Sufi orders: Tijaniyya, Sammaniyya, Shadiliyya, Salihiyya, Mir-Ganiyya, Qadiriyya. In addition, there are Zaydi, Ismaili and Wahhabi groups. Traditional cults and religions are adhered to by the population of southern and southeastern Ethiopia (about 7% of the population, or over 1.8 million people). A special group consists of adherents of Christianized traditional beliefs. These are small peoples of the south of the country with a total number of about 100 thousand people (for example, Kemant, etc.). Judaism is widespread among the Falasha, who live north of Lake Tana (30 thousand).

Djibouti

In the Republic of Djibouti, Muslims make up over 90% of the population. Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread. Among some Muslims, the orders of Qadiriyya, Idrisiyya, Salihiyya, and Rifayya are influential. In addition, there are supporters of the Ah-Madiyeh, Ismaili and Zaydi sects. Christians, making up about 11% of the population, are all foreigners: Catholics (about 6 thousand), Protestants (a thousand Evangelicals and Reformed), Orthodox (less than a thousand) and several hundred supporters of the Ethiopian Church. In addition, there are small communities of Hindus and Jews.

Somalia

In the Somali Democratic Republic, the vast majority of the population professes Sunni Islam (over 98% of the inhabitants). Islam is the state religion here. The Shafi'i religious and legal school predominates. The Sufi orders of Qadiriyya, Idrisiyya, Salihiyya, Rifayya, Dandarawiyya, etc. have a significant influence. There are groups of Senusites, Wahhabis, Zaydis, Ibadis. Among the immigrants from the Hindustan Peninsula there are Ismaili Shiites. In southwestern Somalia, traditional beliefs are still preserved among the Wagosha and Waboni peoples (about 1% of the population). Christians - approximately 3-4 thousand people. Of these, there are up to 2.5 thousand Catholics, about a thousand Protestants (Anglicans and Mennonites) and small groups of adherents of the Ethiopian, Orthodox and Armenian Gregorian churches. Some people from Hindustan are Hindus.

Uganda

In the Republic of Uganda, more than 2/5 of the inhabitants still adhere to traditional beliefs and religions. Christians make up half the population. The Roman Catholic Church has 3.6 million adherents. There are over 1.6 million Protestants. The most impressive, the Anglican Church, has up to one and a half million supporters. Of the rest, there are Seventh-day Adventists, members of the Salvation Army, Baptists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, etc. Supporters of Christian African churches and sects number up to 100 thousand people. The largest and most influential are the “Society of One God” (up to 55 thousand), the “African Orthodox Church” (up to 35 thousand), the sects “praisers”, “chosen ones”, etc. Muslims in this country make up 5% of the population (about 0.6 million). Sunni Islam is widespread, mostly from the Shafi'i madhhab, but there are supporters of the Maliki and Hanafi madhhabs. Among some Muslims there are supporters of the Shchadiliyya and Qadiriyya orders. In addition, there are small communities of Shia Ismaili and Ahmadiyya sects. Large cities are home to several thousand Hindus, Sikhs, and small groups of Parsis and Buddhists.

Kenya

Traditional beliefs in the Republic of Kenya are adhered to by approximately 3/5 of the population (60%). Less than a quarter of the population (23%) professes Christianity. There are about 2.3 million (16%) supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. They are concentrated mainly in the western and central regions of the country. Protestants - a million (or 7%). The largest, numbering several hundred thousand members, are the Anglican Church, Pentecostal sects, Lutherans, the Salvation Army, Quakers; Presbyterians, Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, etc. each have several tens of thousands. Numerous English, American and Scandinavian missionary organizations and societies operate in Kenya. Islam is practiced by about 1.5 million people (11%), mainly in the coastal and northern regions. Among Muslims, Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread. The Sufi orders of Qadiriyya, Idrisiyya, and Shadiliyya are influential. Representatives of the second direction in Islam - Shiite - number up to 70 thousand. These are mostly foreigners - Indians, Pakistanis, partly Arabs, etc., supporters of the Ismaili, Imami and Ahmadi sects. There are up to 0.7 million adherents of Christian African churches and sects (about 5% of the population). The largest and most influential communities are the Legion of Mary (Maria Legia - about 100 thousand), the Church of Christ (80 thousand), the Church of Christ in Africa (80 thousand), the African Church of Nineveh (60 thousand), Nomya Luo (55 thousand). ), African Orthodox Church (30 thousand), etc. There are over 120 thousand Hindus in Kenya, all of them are Indians, urban residents. In addition, there are about 15 thousand Sikhs, about 8 thousand Jains and several hundred Parsis. Among the Jews (a thousand people) there are Judaists.

Tanzania

Less than half of the people in the United Republic of Tanzania adhere to traditional beliefs (45-48%). Over a quarter of the population professes Islam. Moreover, almost all residents of the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Tumbatu are Muslims. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread in the coastal, central and western parts of continental Tanzania; There are also Hanifites. Among some Muslims there are Sufi orders of Qadiriyya, Shadiliyya, and in Zanzibar, in addition, Alawiyya and Rifayya. Shiite Islam is less widespread. His followers number just over 70 thousand. Most of them are foreigners, supporters of the Ismaili (Khoja and Bohra), Imami and Ahmadi sects. In addition, over 10 thousand Ibadis (Arabs from Oman) live in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Christians make up about 30% of Tanzania's population. They are concentrated in the northern, western and southwestern regions of the country, as well as in large cities. There are about 2.5 million supporters of the Roman Catholic Church (more than 19% of the population). More than 1.4 million Protestants (more than 10%) unite around 40 churches, sects and missions. The most numerous, numbering over 100 thousand each, are the communities of Lutherans and Evangelicals (0.5 million), Anglicans (0.35 million). The Moravian Church, Pentecostals, the Salvation Army, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Mennonites, etc. each have several tens of thousands of adherents. Scandinavian, English and American missionaries are very active in the country. Adherents of Christian African churches and sects make up less than 1% of the country's population. Up to 25-30 thousand supporters of the African Orthodox Church live in the Lake Provinces; supporters of the sects Maria Legia, the Lumpa Church, Roho Musanda, Nomya Luo, the Church of Chief Muvuta and others. Hindus - less than 1% of the population. There are small groups of Sikhs and Jains.

Rwanda

In the Republic of Rwanda, the population following traditional religions is about 60%. Christianity is professed by more than 39% of the population (about 2 million people). The vast majority are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, there are 1,775 thousand of them. Protestants - 200 thousand (4%). These are mainly Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists; several thousand each of Presbyterians, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists, etc. There are about 10 thousand Muslims in Rwanda: these are Swahili who adhere to the Sunnism of the Shafi'i madhhab; Indians are Shia Ismailis and Sunni Hanifis. There are supporters of Hinduism among Indians.

Burundi

In the Republic of Burundi, unlike its northern neighbor, the majority of the population is adherents of Christianity (over 60%). There are 2.2 million Catholics (54%) Protestants make up approximately 7% of the population (250 thousand). These are mainly Anglicans, Pentecostals, Methodists, Evangelicals, Baptists, and Seventh-day Adventists. There is an Orthodox community in Bujumbura (about 2 thousand people). Less than a third of the local population adheres to autochthonous beliefs (32%). Christian African churches and sects have about 25 thousand supporters, mainly the Church of God in Burundi. About 10 thousand people adhere to Islam. These are Sunni-Shafiites - Arabs, Swahili, and Indians. There is a group of Shia Ismailis. In addition, a small group of Hindus live in the capital.

Mozambique

In the People's Republic of Mozambique, over 70% of the population adheres to traditional religions. Christianity is professed by more than 18% of the inhabitants. Their third part is concentrated in the south of the country, the rest - mainly along the coast. Catholics - over 1.4 million (18%). Protestants - less than a quarter of a million (2%). The most numerous are Methodists, Anglicans Nazarenes, then Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, Presbyterian Baptists, Congregationalists, Evangelists, etc. Adherents of Christian-African sects (mainly among residents of the south of the country) number about 60 thousand, united in 80 communities (for example , African Church, Luz Episcopal Church, etc.). Islam is practiced by more than 10% of the population (0.8 million people). The Sunni direction of the Shafi'i madhhab predominates; among foreigners there are Hanifites. Muslims are concentrated in the north of the country - from the coast to the border with Malawi. Among some Indians there are Ismaili Shiites. There are about 10 thousand Hindus, all of them come from the Hindustan Peninsula.

Zambia

In the Republic of Zambia, adherents of traditional religions make up more than 3/5 of the population. Christians (34%) predominate in the Copper Belt and large cities, Catholics in particular in the north of the country. There are about a million people (19%) of supporters of the Roman Catholic Church; about 800 thousand (15%) of Protestants. Their largest evangelical communities are over a quarter of a million people; Reformed Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Seventh-day Adventists each have several tens of thousands of adherents , Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. Adherents of Christian-African churches and sects in Zambia make up 3% of the population (up to 160 thousand people). These are mainly supporters of the Kitawala sects, the Lumpa Church, etc. They are widespread in the central and northern regions of the country among the Bemba and other peoples.Muslims live in large cities, numbering about 10 thousand - Sunnis (Hanifis, Shafiites) and Ismailis. There are Hindus (9 thousand) and Judaists (less than a thousand).

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, 63% of residents adhere to local traditional beliefs. Christians make up about a quarter of the population (1.5 million people). They live mainly in central regions and large cities. Of these, about a quarter of a million are Europeans. There are less than a million Protestants (15%). The largest communities, numbering over 100 thousand people each, are Methodists, Anglicans and two Reformed ones. Presbyterians, the Salvation Army, Seventh-day Adventists, Evangelists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses and others have several tens of thousands of adherents each. Supporters of the Roman Catholic Church - 600 thousand (10%). Less than 10 thousand Orthodox Christians live in the cities of Salisbury and Bulawayo. Christian African churches and sects have approximately 0.7 million adherents (11%). Among them, the “Nazareth Baptist Church”, Kitawala, various “Ethiopian”, “Apostolic”, “Zion” sects are active. In addition, in Bulawayo and Salisbury there are Sunni Muslims - Hanifites and Shafi'ites, Ismailis (10 thousand), Hindus (about 5 thousand). Among the Jews (about 10 thousand) there are Judaists.

Botswana

In the Republic of Botswana, most of the local population adheres to tribal religions (over 78%). Over 170 thousand people (a quarter of the population) profess Christianity, most of them are adherents of Protestantism (more than 145 thousand, or 22%). The most numerous, numbering several tens of thousands of supporters, are the Congregational, Lutheran and Reformed churches. Small communities include Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, and Seventh-day Adventists. There are about 25 thousand Catholics (3%). Some Christian African sects have spread their influence from Zimbabwe and South Africa, whose adherents in Botswana number up to 15 thousand (2.5%).

Lesotho

In the Kingdom of Lesotho, Christianity is professed by about 70% of the local population. Of these, the majority are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church - 470 thousand (45%). Protestants -250 thousand (24%). Over half are evangelicals, the rest are Reformed, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, etc. More than a quarter of the population adheres to local traditional beliefs. Christian African churches and sects have spread their influence from South Africa. The number of their supporters is about 60 thousand, or 5% (for example, “Kereke sa Mo-shoeshoe”, etc.). There are several thousand Indians - Muslims and Hindus.

Swaziland

In the Kingdom of Swaziland, more than two-thirds of local residents adhere to their traditional religions. Christianity is common among a minority of the population (23%). Protestants - 67 thousand (14%). These are Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Reformed, Nazarenes, Seventh-day Adventists and other Catholics - over 42 thousand (about 9%). There are about a dozen Christian African churches and sects, with a total number of supporters of about 50 thousand (11%). There are small communities of Muslims (Sunni - Hanifis and Shafi'is), Hindus and Jews.

Namibia

In Namibia, illegally occupied by South Africa, more than half the population is Christian (56%). They are concentrated mainly in the central and southern regions. Of these, a sixth are Europeans and their descendants. Protestants - 400 thousand (about 50%). The largest (over 270 thousand supporters) are two Lutheran churches. Several tens of thousands each in the Reformed Church and the Seventh-day Adventist sect. Of the rest, there are communities of Methodists, Congregationalists, etc. Adherents of the Roman Catholic Church make up 16% of the population (over 132 thousand). Some Christian African churches and sects, whose adherents number about 30 thousand (4%), spread their influence from South Africa. For example, the Herero Church and others. About 40% of the local population adheres to traditional beliefs.

South Africa

More than 47% of the population adheres to the Christian faith (over 12 million people). Of these, 4.3 million Europeans, 2.3 million “colored” (more than 90% of their total number), up to 50 thousand Asians (7% of their number), 5.3 million Africans (or 29% of their numbers). Over 40% of the population, or about 10.5 million people, are Protestants. The most numerous, numbering several million people, are the Reformed organizations (2.5 million), united in six churches, Methodists (2.3 million), united in four churches, and the Anglican Church (1.9 million). There are up to one million Lutherans and Evangelicals. Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Pentecostals, and Baptists number several hundred thousand each. Several tens of thousands are Seventh-day Adventists. Jehovah's Witnesses, Moravian Brothers, etc. Supporters of the Roman Catholic Church - 1.78 million (about 7% of the population). Of these, more than half live in Nahal, a third in the Transvaal. There is a small Orthodox community (about 10 thousand people). About two-thirds of whites are Reformed, Anglican, or Catholic. Numerous North American and Western European missionary societies are active in South Africa. More than a third of the population (about 37%), or more than half of Africans (up to 10 million), adhere to traditional beliefs. There are over 2 thousand Christian African churches and sects in South Africa, with only 80 officially registered. The total number of their adherents reaches 3.5 million (13%). About half of them are in the Transvaal, a quarter live in Natal, and a fifth live in the Cape Province. The most influential and numerous are the “Nazareth Baptist Church”, “Iban Church of the Face of the Cross”, “Ethiopian”, “Zion” and a number of others. About 0.5 million people (2% of the population) adhere to Hinduism. The bulk of them are concentrated in the Natal region, especially in the city of Durban. Sunni Islam is professed by 0.4 million people (1.5%). Of this number, two thirds are Indians, adherents of the Hanafi madhhab, the rest are “Cape Malays” - Shafiites from the city of Cape Town. Among Indian Muslims there are several thousand Shia Ismailis. Among the Jewish population, numbering over 120 thousand people (0.5%), there are supporters of Judaism. More than half of them live in Johannesburg.

Madagascar

Currently, in the Democratic Republic of Madagascar, approximately half of the population adheres to traditional religions (over 44%). Over 3 million people profess Christianity, which is 42% of the population. More than half of them are Protestants - 1.8 million (22%). The church organizations of Evangelicals, Congregationalists and Lutherans each number several hundred thousand adherents. The communities of Quakers, Anglicans, Pentecostals and Seventh-day Adventists each have several tens of thousands of members. Numerous Norwegian, French, English and American missionary societies operate in this republic. Supporters of the Roman Catholic Church make up a fifth of the population, or 1.76 million people, with two-thirds of their number concentrated in the central regions. In the interior of the island there are adherents of syncretic religions, who make up 3-4% of the population (about a quarter of a million people). The largest: Malagasy Church, Independent Reformed Church of Madagascar, Church of the Followers of God, Church of the Spiritual Awakening of the Malagasy. About a tenth of the population (800 thousand people) adheres to Islam. The bulk of them live in the north-west, the rest - mainly in the south of the country, partly in the west. Sunni Islam, predominantly of the Shafi'i madhhab, is widespread among the Sakalava, Antankarava, Tsimikheti, and others. Among Indian Muslims there is a group of Ismailis. Part of the Muslim population is supporters of Sufi orders - Ismailiyya (in Antananarivo), Shadiliyya, Qadiriyya, Naqshbandiyya, as well as the Ahmadiyya sect. The island's cities are home to groups of Hindus, Buddhists and Confucians.

Mauritius

In this state, which includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and some smaller ones, half of the population professes Hinduism (about 460 thousand people, or 51%). All of them come from the Hindustan Peninsula. Less than a third of the population adheres to Christianity (31%, or 280 thousand). There are 270 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, mainly French-Mauritians and French. Protestants - about 15 thousand - Anglicans, Presbyterians and Seventh-day Adventists. There are Muslims among the Indo-Mauritians (150 thousand, or 17% of the population) and a small group of Arabs. Islam is widespread among them, predominantly of the Sunni branch of the Hanafi madhhab, partly Shafi'i. In addition, there are a small number of Ismaili Shia (Bohras and Khojas) and members of the Ahmadiyya sect. The island is home to a small number of Buddhists (most are supporters of the Mahayana movement, others are Hinayana) and Confucians (10 thousand, or 1% of the population). On Rodrigues Island, 90% of the population is Catholic, the rest are Confucian, Buddhist, Hindu and Sunni Muslim.

Reunion

In the French possession of Reunion Island, more than 92% of the population are Catholic Christians. There is a small group of Protestants. Islam is professed by 15 thousand people, which is 3% of the population. Muslims who adhere to the Sunnism of the Shafi'i madhhab are Arabs and Swahili; Indian Muslims are supporters of the Hanafi madhhab. In addition, there is a group of Ismaili Indians. Hinduism is common among some Indians (1%, or several thousand people). There is a group of Buddhists and Confucians (about 3 thousand).

Comoros

Almost the entire population of the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros professes Islam of the Sunni branch of the Shafi'i madhhab. Among them, the Shadiliyya, Qadiriyya and Naqshban-Diya Sufi orders are influential. There are small groups of Shiites among the Indians (Ismailis) and Yemenis (Zaydis), Christian Catholics - a thousand people (the French and a group of Comorians).

Seychelles

In the Republic of Seychelles, 91% of the population adheres to Christianity - the Roman Catholic religion (54 thousand). There are about 5 thousand Protestants. All of them are Anglicans. Muslims - about a thousand people. There is a group of Hindus and Confucians.

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Africa is a huge part of the world, inhabited by peoples who have reached different levels of development and live in very different material and cultural conditions.

The indigenous population of Africa can be divided according to the level of socio-economic development - similar to the division of the peoples of America - into approximately three unequal groups: the most backward wandering hunting tribes who do not know agriculture and cattle breeding (Bushmen and Central African pygmies); the overwhelming majority of the peoples of Black Africa, that is, the agricultural and pastoral population of Southern and Tropical Africa (Hottentots, Bantu peoples, peoples of various linguistic groups of Sudan and the Great Lakes basin); peoples of ancient civilizations in North and North-East Africa (indigenous populations of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia). The first group is characterized by very archaic forms of material production, social system and culture, which have not yet left the framework of the primitive communal system. The second, largest group represents different stages of the decomposition of the communal-clan and tribal system, the transition to a class society. The third group, since the times of ancient Eastern and ancient civilization, has lived a common life with the advanced peoples of the Mediterranean and has long lost the remnants of the archaic way of life.

Therefore, the religions of African peoples present a very motley picture.

Let's get acquainted with the religious beliefs of the peoples of the first and second groups. The beliefs of the third group will be discussed especially when characterizing the so-called national-state and “world” religions.

§ 1. Religions of the backward peoples of Africa

Bushman religion

The most archaic forms of socio-economic system, and at the same time religion, were preserved among the Bushmen - a small group of hunting tribes in South Africa. Apparently, this is a remnant of a much larger ancient hunting population of this part of Africa, pushed aside by later newcomers, agricultural and pastoral peoples. Dutch-Boer and English colonization of the 17th-19th centuries. led to the extermination and death of most of the Bushmen tribes remaining by that time. Their distinctive social organization (reminiscent of the Australian) and culture were by the 19th century. almost destroyed. We therefore have only fragmentary descriptions of the culture of the Bushmen, and in particular their beliefs, made in the 19th and early 20th centuries. travelers, missionaries and other explorers and observers (Liechtenstein, Fritsch, Passarguet, Blick, Stowe, etc.). In modern times, the remnants of the former folklore, mythology and beliefs of the Bushmen have been explored by Victor Ellenberger, the son of a missionary, who was born and spent many years among the indigenous population of South Africa *.

* (See W. Ellenberger. The tragic end of the Bushmen. M., 1956.)

The Bushmen tribes split into independent clans, probably previously matrilineal and totemic. Traces of totemism are visible in the names of clans based on the names of animals, in rock paintings of half-animal, half-human figures, in myths about animals that were previously similar to people, and, conversely, about animals turned into people.

The Bushmen believed in an afterlife and were very afraid of the dead. The Bushmen tribes had special rituals for burying their dead in the ground. But they did not have the cult of ancestors that prevails among more developed African peoples.

The most characteristic feature in the religion of the Bushmen as a hunting people is the cult of hunting. With prayers for success in fishing, they turned to various natural phenomena (the sun, moon, stars) and to supernatural beings. Here is a sample of such a prayer: “O moon! Up there, help me kill a gazelle tomorrow. Let me eat gazelle meat. Help me kill a gazelle with this arrow, with this arrow. Let me eat gazelle meat. Help me fill my stomach tonight. Help me fill the stomach. O moon! Up there! I dig in the ground to find ants, give me something to eat..." etc. * The same prayers were addressed to the mantis grasshopper (Mantis religiosa), which was called Ngo or same Tsg "aang (Ts" agn, Tsg "aagen) **, that is, master: "Master, don’t you really love me? Sir, bring me a male wildebeest. I love it when my stomach is full. My eldest son and my eldest daughter also like to be full. Sir, send me a wildebeest!" ***

* (See Ellenberger, page 264).

** (The conventional signs “ts”, “tsg” here convey the peculiar “clicking” sounds of the Bushman language, which are very difficult to pronounce: they are produced by drawing in air with a clicking sound.)

*** (Ellenberger, p. 251.)

The question of this grasshopper as an object of religious veneration deserves special consideration: it is not entirely clear. On the one hand, this is a real insect, although supernatural properties are attributed to it: they believed, for example, that if Ngo makes a circular movement with his head in response to a prayer, this means that the hunt will be successful. But on the other hand, this insect was somehow connected with the invisible heavenly spirit, who was also called Ts "agn, Tsg" aang, etc. and was considered the creator of the earth and people. This Tsagn appears very often in Bushmen myths, and he is also given the role of a mischievous joker. Apparently, this image of a celestial being is complex: it is a cultural hero, a demiurge, and, apparently, a former totem. In addition to the direct connection with the grasshopper, his totemic features are also spoken of by his mythological connections with other animals: Tsagna’s wife is a marmot, his sister is a heron, his adopted daughter is a porcupine, etc. But one of the components of the image of Tsagna, and, perhaps, The main thing is that he apparently was the patron of tribal initiations, like similar celestial beings of Australia Atnat, Daramulun and others.

The Bushmen have only faint memories of the initiation custom. But the young bushman Tsging, J, Orpen’s informant, told the latter that “Ts”agn gave us songs and ordered us to dance the mokoma.” And this ritual dance was undoubtedly associated with the initiation rites of young men. The same Tsging told Orpen that the initiates they know more about Tsagna (he himself remained uninitiated, since his tribe died out) *.

* (See Ellenberger, pp. 226, 227, etc.)

Father Schmidt tried to turn Tsagna into a single creator god and saw traces of proto-monotheism in the beliefs about him. He based himself almost exclusively on Tsging's messages transmitted by Orpen, which he sought to fit into his obsession, discarding evidence that contradicted it.

Researchers found among the Bushmen traces of belief in harmful magic (similar in type to Australian magic), food prohibitions of unknown origin, belief in dreams, omens, and superstitious fear of thunderstorms.

Religion of the Central African Pygmies

Another group of primitive tribes are the stunted pygmy tribes, scattered in small settlements in the river basin. Congo and some other areas of Central Africa. Their origin is still unclear. These tribes have long been in contact with more cultured peoples, but to this day they have retained the archaic way of hunting and gathering and purely primitive communal forms of the social system.

The religious beliefs of the Pygmies, and then only of some groups, have become known only in recent times. The beliefs of the Bambuti and other tribes of the river basin are described in more detail (by Paul Shebesta). Ituri - one of the easternmost groups of pygmies, moreover, the least affected by the influence of neighbors *.

* (P. Schebesta. Die Bambuti-Pygmäen vom lturi, B-de I-III. Brux., 1941-1950.)

P. Shebesta - Catholic priest, missionary, supporter of the theory of proto-monotheism. Nevertheless, in his research, in the face of irrefutable facts, he largely disagreed with Schmidt and does not hide this. True, the interpretation of the facts given by Shebesta himself is also very strained and unconvincing. But the facts speak for themselves.

The materials collected by Shebesta indicate that the most important religious-magical beliefs and rituals of the Bambuti are associated with hunting. The Bambuti strictly observe superstitious hunting rules and prohibitions and perform magical rituals. The main object of their veneration is a certain forest spirit, the owner of forest game, to whom hunters turn with prayer before hunting (“Father, give me game!”, etc.). This forest spirit (or “god”, as Shebesta puts it) is called by different names and is imagined rather vaguely. It is very difficult to figure out whether these different names hide the same mythological creature or several. One of the names of the hunting forest spirit is Tore; but the same name is given to a supernatural being that performs other functions.

The Bambuti have very strong totemic beliefs, much stronger than those of neighboring non-pygmy tribes. The importance of totemism in the Bambuti religion is so great that Shebesta called their worldview “totemic-magical.”

Totems among the Bambuti are exclusively tribal (there is no sexual or individual totemism); but many people, in addition to their ancestral totem, honor both the ancestral totem of their wife and the totem of their companion in the initiation rite. Totems are mostly animals (most often leopard, chimpanzee, as well as snakes, various monkeys, antelopes, ants, etc.), occasionally plants. The totem is treated as a close relative, called “grandfather”, “father”. They believe in the origin of clans from their totems. It is strictly forbidden to eat totem meat, even to touch any part of it - the skin, etc. But the most interesting feature of Bambuti totemism is the belief that the soul of every person after death is incarnated into a totemic animal.

The Bambuti believe in a certain magical power of megbe, which supposedly binds a person to his totem; this same magical power makes a person a hunter.

The system of age-related initiations among the Bambuti, first discovered by the same Shebesta, is very curious, although not entirely clear. All boys are initiated between the ages of 9 and 16. The rituals are performed collectively, over a whole group of boys. They are subjected to circumcision and other severe ordeals: they are beaten, smeared with various unclean things, intimidated by dancing in scary masks, forced to lie motionless on their stomachs, etc. Initiation is accompanied by moral edification. During initiation, boys are first shown the buzzer, trumpet, and other objects associated with the rituals; women and children cannot see these sacred things. All this happens in the forest, where a special hut is being built; women are not allowed there, but all men participate in the rituals. The entire initiation ritual is associated with the image of the forest spirit Tore. Initiations are seen as a kind of initiation into the magical power needed by the hunter. Those who have undergone initiation form, according to Shebesta, a kind of secret male union of Tore, named after the forest god.

Compared to these major forms of Bambuti belief, the others are of minor importance. The funeral cult is not developed, ideas about the spirits of the dead (lodi) are very vague; however, the prevailing opinion among the Bambuti is that they are embodied in a totem. There is a mythological image of some celestial being (Mugasa, Nekunzi), a creator associated with the moon or thunderstorm: he is considered evil because he kills people (that is, he created people mortals). There is no cult of him.

§ 2. Religions of the main population of Africa

The vast majority of the peoples of Black Africa - Sub-Saharan Africa - have long reached a higher level of social development. These peoples have long known agriculture (in the hoe form), many of them, especially in East and Southern Africa, also raise domestic animals; Agriculture and cattle breeding are in different proportions in different areas. People live sedentary lives in villages; In some places, embryonic cities also sprang up. Various crafts have been developed, in particular blacksmithing. There is a trade exchange. The social system of most peoples is tribal at various stages of its development and decomposition: some, especially the agricultural peoples of Western and Central Africa, have preserved very strong traces of the maternal clan, matriarchy; among others, especially among the pastoral tribes of Southern and Eastern Africa, patriarchal-tribal relations are clearly expressed. Most peoples developed class relations; in some places, since the Middle Ages, primitive states of a semi-feudal type were created: this was the case in Sudan and Guinea (Ghana, Mali, Kanem, Songhai, later Bornu, Wadai, Dahomey, Ashanti, Benin, etc.), in the Congo Basin (Lunda, Baluba, Congo, etc.), on the Zambezi (Zimbabwe, or Monomotapa), on the Great Lakes (Uganda, Unyoro, etc.). In South Africa, already in recent times (19th century), primitive military-democratic inter-tribal associations arose, which grew into small states (among the Zulus, Makololov, Matabele, etc.).

Main forms of religion. Ancestor cult

Differences in the material conditions of life and the nature of the social system determined which forms of religion prevailed among certain African peoples. However, their religious beliefs had many very similar essential features.

As almost all researchers note, the most characteristic and striking feature of the religion of the peoples of Africa is the cult of ancestors. Africa is considered a classic country of ancestor worship. It is developed like in agricultural animals; so also among pastoral tribes, which have preserved forms or vestiges of the tribal system. The cult of ancestors has undoubtedly grown historically on the basis of a patriarchal clan system, and most of the peoples of Africa until recently stood at approximately this level of social development. True, among the peoples of Africa, the cult of ancestors was also associated with the remnants of the maternal family, which in some places, especially among agricultural peoples, are very strong. As the individual family became more distinct, the cult of ancestors also took on family forms, which are usually difficult to separate from the ancestral cult itself. Finally, in connection with the strengthening of tribal and intertribal unions and the formation of primitive states, both tribal and state cult of ancestors developed - the deification of the ancestors of leaders and kings.

Let us now consider family-tribal forms of ancestor cult. In the beliefs of the peoples of Africa, the spirits of ancestors usually appear as beings who patronize the family and clan. However, these are not absolutely beneficent, kind creatures by nature. They often turn out to be demanding, picky, demand sacrifices and worship, and only under this condition do they patronize their descendants; otherwise they punish them. Various illnesses and other misfortunes are often attributed to the same spirits of ancestors, but among some peoples - to the spirits of ancestors of other families.

One typical example is the beliefs of the pastoral Thonga (Tonga) people of South Africa, described by the missionary Henri Junot*. Among the Thonga, the main object of veneration is the souls of the dead (psikvembu, in the singular - shikvembu). Each family honors two groups of ancestral spirits: on the paternal and maternal sides; the latter are sometimes given preference, in which one can see traces of the maternal-tribal system. However, the cult of these spirits is family-based: the eldest man in the family leads the rituals and sacrifices; especially solemn sacrifices are performed during important family events (wedding, serious illness, etc.). True, even in the family cult the tribal principle is preserved: a married woman does not take part in the veneration of the family’s ancestors, since she comes from a different family and has her own ancestors. Every old person, man or woman, after death becomes an object of veneration in his family. Thonga believe that a deceased person retains his human characteristics: he loves to be taken care of, and gets angry and punishes for neglect and inattention. Ancestors strictly monitor the observance of customs and morality. The spirits of ancestors reside in protected forests near the burial site. They can appear to people in reality, in the form of animals, or in a dream.

* (N. A. Junod. The life of a South African tribe, 1-2. - London, 1927.)

Similar forms of ancestor worship were described by the missionary Bruno Gutman among the Jugga people (East Africa). This cult is also family cult and, again, with traces of tribal exogamy; women who came to the family from another clan do not take part in the worship of family ancestors. The ancestral spirits themselves are divided by age. The spirits of recently deceased ancestors are revered with the greatest zeal, for they are well remembered. The Jagga believe that by receiving abundant sacrifices, these spirits protect the family. The spirits of the previously deceased do not receive victims, since it is believed that they are pushed into the background by the recently deceased, therefore they are hungry, angry and try to take revenge on their descendants, who leave them without attention. Finally, those who died a long time ago completely disappear from the memory of the living and are not revered at all.

Remnants of totemism

Ancient totemism was preserved among the peoples of Africa only in vestiges. They are mainly visible in the totemic names of genera and in the fact that in some places prohibitions on eating the meat of totemic animals are observed. Among the pastoral peoples of Southern and Eastern Africa, totems are mainly types of domestic animals. Other manifestations of totemic beliefs and practices are rare. The Bechuanas, who have preserved comparatively more of them, have, for example, special totemic dances - each clan has its own; Therefore, the Bechuanas, if they want to find out what kind of person a person belongs to, ask: “What are you dancing?” The Batoka explain their custom of knocking out the front teeth with the desire to resemble a bull - a totemic animal (in fact, the custom of knocking out teeth is, of course, a relic of ancient initiations).

Among agricultural peoples, especially in West Africa, tribal totemism remained in the same weakened form. But in some places it turned into something new: into local, communal veneration of certain species of animals, probably former totems. This phenomenon was observed among the peoples of Southern Nigeria, in Dahomey, and among the South African Bavenda. Obviously, this transition from tribal totemism to the local cult of animals is due to the development of the tribal community into a territorial one.

Zoolatry

However, the cult of animals (zoolatry), quite widespread in Africa, is not always associated in origin with totemism. In most cases, its roots are apparently more direct and immediate: superstitious fear of wild animals dangerous to humans.

The leopard, one of the most predatory and dangerous animals, is especially revered in Africa. But this does not stop many peoples from hunting leopards. The cult of the leopard is connected with totemism only indirectly: in some places (for example, in Dahomey) the leopard was considered the totem of the royal clan.

The cult of snakes is widespread. In the same Dahomey, the missionary Unger in 1864 found a real temple of snakes, where more than 30 individuals were kept. In the Uyda region, even earlier there was a sanctuary of pythons and other snakes, which were looked after by a special priest. He fed them, took them in his arms, and wrapped them around his body. Among those peoples in whom snakes are revered, it is considered the greatest crime to cause them any harm.

Agricultural communal cults

The agricultural peoples of Africa attached great importance to the communal cult of agrarian patron deities and, in general, to the cult of local communal spirits and gods. This was noted by one of the best researchers in Africa - Karl Meingof.

This cult is especially developed in Upper Guinea. About the peoples of the Gold Coast (now Ghana), A. Ellis wrote (1887): “Every town, village, district has its own local spirits, or gods, lords of rivers and streams, hills and valleys, rocks and forests” *. Only these local gods - they are called bohsum - are revered by the community; She doesn't care about strangers. However, most of them are considered evil creatures and hostile to humans, unless they are specifically appeased with sacrifices. Bohsums are often presented as humanoid, but often have a monstrous appearance; They supposedly live in those forests, hills, and rivers over which they rule.

* (A. V. Ellis. The Tshispeaking peoples of the Gold coast of West Africa. London, 1887, p. 12.)

Other peoples of Nigeria noted the veneration of local deities in the form of animals; It has already been said above that there are apparently totemic traditions here. Deities with specialized functions, in particular the patrons of agriculture itself, are not known among all peoples. One example is the Zulus of South Africa. Missionary Bryant described their widespread cult of the heavenly princess - the goddess Nomkubul-vana, who gives fertility to the fields, the mythical inventor of agriculture. Rituals and prayers in honor of this goddess were performed by girls and married women: this is understandable if we remember that the entire agricultural economy of the Zulus is the sphere of female labor *.

* (See Bryant. Zulu people before the arrival of Europeans. M., 1953, pp. 378-380.)

Fetishism

The concept of fetishism in the minds of many is closely associated with Africa. After all, it was in Africa that Portuguese sailors observed this phenomenon back in the 15th century. The Dutch traveler Billem Bosman, in his description of Upper Guinea (1705), pointed out: “The word “fetish”, otherwise, in the language of the Negroes, bossum, comes from the name of their idol, which they also call bossum” *. Subsequently, the religions of all the peoples of Africa began to be called fetishism. And since the European colonialists arrogantly treated Africans as savages, science gradually developed the opinion that fetishism is generally the earliest stage of religion (Charles de Brosse thought so in the 18th century, in the 19th century - Benjamin Constant, Auguste Comte and etc.). However, a more serious study of the facts shows that, firstly, fetishistic beliefs and rituals are characteristic primarily only of West Africa; secondly, the peoples of Africa themselves, including Western ones, are not at all so backward: most of them have reached the brink of a class social system; thirdly, for them, fetishism is apparently not an original, but rather a later variety of religion.

* (Guillaume Bosnian. Voyage de Guinee, Contenant une description nouvelle et très exacte de cette cote... Utrecht, 1705, p. 150-152.)

For example, detailed research by Major A. Ellis has established that the dominant form of beliefs of the peoples of the Gold Coast is the cult of tribal and local community patrons (bohsum); but the person who is not satisfied with their patronage obtains for himself a personal fetish - sukman; the cult of these Sukhmans is not connected with the traditional religion of the people *. Rattray, a researcher of the Ashanti religion, came to the same conclusions. Among the tribes of the Congo Basin, the Hungarian traveler Emil Thordai similarly discovered that the cult of fetishes is a new phenomenon, very disapproved of by adherents of the old religion - the ancestral cult of ancestors **.

* (Cm. Ellis, p. 98-100.)

** (See E. Tordai. Congo, M., 1931, p. 182.)

One might think that the cult of fetishes in Africa - at least personal fetishes, which now predominate numerically - developed as a unique form of individualization of religion associated with the disintegration of old tribal ties. An individual, feeling insufficiently protected by the clan collective and its patrons, seeks support for himself in the world of mysterious forces.

A fetish can be any object that for some reason has captured a person’s imagination: a stone of an unusual shape, a piece of wood, parts of an animal’s body, some kind of image - an idol. Often an object as a fetish is chosen at random. If after this the person succeeds, he considers that the fetish helped and keeps it for himself. If, on the contrary, some kind of failure occurs, then the fetish is thrown away and replaced with another. The treatment of the fetish is ambiguous: he is thanked by the victim for the help provided, and punished for negligence. Particularly interesting is the African custom of torturing fetishes, not for the sake of punishment, but for the sake of motivating them to action. For example, when a fetish asks for something, iron nails are driven into it, since it is assumed that the fetish, experiencing pain from the nail, will better remember and do what is asked.

Priesthood

The development of tribal cults proper is associated in Africa, as elsewhere, with the emergence and isolation of a special profession of priests. In the religion of African peoples, the priesthood occupied approximately the same place as in the religion of the Polynesians. It has been well studied by both older researchers (Bastian, Lippert) and more recent ones (Landtman). The institution of priesthood was especially developed in West Africa.

Most peoples had priests of different categories and specialties, which can be divided into two main groups: official priests of the tribe, who were located at temples and were responsible for public or state cult, and freely practicing priests - healers, sorcerers, fortune-tellers, who acted on private orders.

The temple priests of the tribe enjoyed the greatest influence. Each temple was, as it were, a legal entity: it owned property, land, sometimes even with a population attached to it, slaves. Income from property and land, as well as various sacrifices, went to the benefit of the priests. As wealth stratified in the tribe, the priest took his place among the wealthy and dominant elite.

Among agricultural peoples, the priests of the public cult were entrusted with meteorological magic - rituals of causing rain. Among the Djagga people, for example, this was done by special priests (“rainmakers”), who were responsible to the leader for the proper performance of their duties. Rituals for making rain lasted for such a long period of time that they were usually crowned with success: sooner or later the rain began to fall.

Among the public functions of the priest were rituals of military magic and making sacrifices to the deities of war.

But an even more important task for the priests, especially in West Africa, was to participate in legal proceedings. In primitive African states, judicial procedures prevailed in which particular importance was attached to magical methods of establishing the guilt or innocence of the accused or the rightness of the disputing parties - Ordeals (according to the old Russian expression, “God's courts”). Usually, various poisons were used for this: the accused or the disputants were given a specially prepared drink to drink. If a person remained unharmed, he was recognized as right. Since both the preparation and dosage of the poison were in the hands of a specialist priest, it is clear that the fate of the litigants or accused depended on him. Judicial ordeals were a very significant instrument of power in the hands of the priests, and sometimes in the hands of the leaders and kings in whose service these priests were.

Freely practicing priests - sorcerers, healers - were mainly engaged in the treatment of the sick, as well as various fortune-telling and predictions. Among them there was also the fragmentation of professions and narrow specialization. For example, in the Bomma region, the patient had to turn first of all to a healer-diagnostician, who only determined the cause of the disease: whether it was from witchcraft, or from a violation of a taboo, or sent by spirits. Having established this, he referred the patient for treatment to the appropriate specialist, moreover, special for each diseased organ. All this was, of course, pure quackery and extortion.

When treating patients, many professional healers used methods of real shamanic ritual: frantic dancing leading to ecstasy with wild cries, beating a tambourine or another object. Most often, such professional shamans are nervously unbalanced people. According to Thonga beliefs, neuropsychic diseases are caused by the spirits of hostile tribes, and they are tried to be treated using purely shamanic ritual methods, and this is done collectively. Participants in such collective concerts, which sometimes last for days, are those who at one time themselves suffered the same disease and were healed of it.

The official priesthood of the tribes usually disdains such savage methods of action.

Cult of blacksmiths

Along with priests and shamans, blacksmiths occupy a special place, although less noticeable, in the religion of the peoples of Africa. The mining and processing of iron in Africa has been known for a long time, and blacksmithing has become a special profession among most peoples, usually hereditary. The isolation of this profession, the knowledge and skill of a blacksmith inaccessible to others, surrounded this group of people with an aura of mystery in the eyes of their superstitious fellow tribesmen.

Fear of a blacksmith manifests itself in different ways: on the one hand, blacksmiths are often considered unclean, outcast people, on the other hand, supernatural abilities are attributed to them. For example, among the Juggas (East Africa), blacksmiths are highly respected, but even more feared. Not every woman will agree to marry a blacksmith. And a girl - the daughter of a blacksmith - will certainly not be taken as a wife: she can bring misfortune, even death, to her husband. The blacksmiths themselves try to maintain their reputation as extraordinary people. A blacksmith can use his tools, especially a hammer, to cast spells on his enemy, and this is feared more than other types of witchcraft. In general, a hammer, bellows and other blacksmith tools are considered as witchcraft accessories, and no one dares to touch them.

Among the Juggas, blacksmithing is surrounded by various other superstitions. The shape of the slag in the forge is used to predict the future. Iron and iron products serve as amulets and amulets *.

* (Br. Gutmann. Der Schmied und seine Kunst im animistischen Denken ("Zeitschrift f ür Ethnologie", B. 44, 1912, H. 1).)

Secret alliances

It is difficult to draw a sharp line between corporations of priests and secret alliances. But in West Africa, it is the secret alliances that have received special development: they are more numerous, more influential, and more firmly organized than, for example, in Melanesia. In West Africa, secret unions are adapted to the conditions of a more complex social organization. If in Melanesia these are predominantly male unions, the activities of which are directed largely against women, then in West Africa this is not the case. Here, firstly, the traditions of the maternal family are stronger and women are better able to stand up for themselves, and secondly, the forms of primitive statehood that took shape here required the organization of police power, and secret unions largely fulfilled this role. There are a lot of unions here, some are purely local, others are spread over a large area. There are male and female unions; In connection with the spread of Islam, even special Muslim unions appeared. Unions perform judicial and police functions, collect debts, etc., but often they themselves create lawlessness and engage in extortion.

All this is done under the guise of religious rituals and is associated with animistic and magical beliefs. As in other places, members of unions, pretending to be spirits, dress up in scary masks and costumes, stage dances and various performances, and intimidate the population.

One of the widespread unions is the Egbo (in Calabar and Cameroon). It is divided into ranks - from 7 to 11, according to various reports. Membership in the highest ranks is only available to the nobility. The king was at the head of the alliance. The Union considers various complaints and disputes, collects debts from faulty debtors. The executor of the union's decisions dresses in a strange outfit, portraying the spirit Idem. In the Gabun region, the same role is played by the secret alliance of the terrible forest spirit Nda.

The Yoruba have the Ogboni alliance, which enjoys great prestige. Its members stage performances twice a year, dressing in scary outfits and masks and portraying spirits. The Mandings have similar performances of the scary spirit Mumbo-Jumbo, who intimidates women. In Southern Cameroon, before European colonization, the most influential was the Ngua alliance. The court was in his hands, but sometimes this union, on the contrary, took criminals under its protection; members of the union often terrorized the population: dressed in masks, they gathered at someone’s house, put a fetish in front of him and shouted for ransom - in the form of a goat, chickens, wine. The Ngua Union also played a political role, helping to make peace between warring tribes.

The issue of West African secret alliances still requires serious study. Not all of them, apparently, have anything to do with religion, although most of them are associated with one or another superstitious ideas and rituals. One of the researchers, the Englishman Bett-Thompson, who collected material on almost 150 secret unions, tried to divide them into three categories: religious; democratic and patriotic (including sports, military clubs, etc.); criminal and perverted. The last group includes terrorist-savage secret societies, like the Leopard People society, which until recently (until the 30s of our century) committed secret murders in many areas of West Africa. But these terrorist alliances also used religious and magical rituals, including human sacrifices. According to Bett-Thompson, the activities of such unions, whose leaders were interested in preserving their old tribal privileges, were directed against any innovations, against any progressive reforms.

Cult of leaders

One of the most characteristic forms of religions of the peoples of Africa - the cult of sacred leaders - is quite natural for the stage of formation of the early class social system at which many peoples of this part of the world stood.

The cult of leaders (kings) in Africa appears in very diverse manifestations: the leader’s performance of priestly, or witchcraft, functions; attributing supernatural abilities to the leader and direct worship of him; cult of dead leaders. At the same time, it is possible to distinguish between approximately two stages in the development of the cult of leaders, corresponding to the stages of transition from a pre-class to a class social system: if at the first stage the leader acts as if in the role of an official of the community, responsible for its well-being, and his “supernatural” qualities serve this purpose , then at the second stage the leader is not a responsible person, but a despot-overlord, and his “divinity” is only a means of strengthening his power and glorifying his personality.

There are many examples of sacred priest leaders. They are described in Frazer's The Golden Bough. Here are several such examples corresponding to the first, “democratic” stage of the cult of leaders.

Near Kep Padron (lower Guinea) there was a priest-king, Kukulu, who lived alone in the forest. He couldn't touch a woman, couldn't leave his house. Moreover, he had to sit on his throne forever and even slept while sitting, since it was believed that if he lay down, there would be calm and ships would not be able to sail on the sea. The general state of the atmosphere seemed to depend on his behavior.

According to the customs observed in Loango, the more powerful the king was, the more varied were the prohibitions that were imposed on him. They concerned all his actions: eating, walking, sleeping, etc. Not only the king himself, but also his heir had to submit to such prohibitions from childhood, and they gradually increased.

There are no less examples of superstitious fear of the leader. The inhabitants of Kazembe (in Angola) considered their leader so sacred that just touching him threatened them with immediate death; to prevent it, they resorted to a complex ceremony.

Out of superstitious fear of the sacred leader, his name was taboo, which no one dared to pronounce.

Even more often and even more strictly, the name of the deceased leader was tabooed.

Of the supernatural abilities attributed to the leaders, the most important for the people was the ability to cause rain, necessary for agricultural work. At Ukusuma (south of Lake Victoria) one of the chief's main duties was to provide rain for his subjects; in case of prolonged drought, the leader was expelled for negligence. The same duty lay with the king in Loango: every year in December his subjects came to him and asked him to “make it rain”; he performed the corresponding ritual, shooting an arrow into the air. The Wambugwe people (East Africa) also had “rainmakers” as their leaders; they had a lot of cattle, which fell into their hands as payment in kind for the rain-making rituals they performed. The Vanyoro (Uganda) and a number of Nilotic peoples had a similar situation.

Since among many peoples of Africa, leaders were considered as managers of natural and atmospheric phenomena, hence the belief arose that only an old, physically strong and healthy person can be a leader, because a decrepit and sick leader cannot cope with such important responsibilities. This motivated the custom, known to many peoples, of depriving power or even killing a leader who has become physically weak or decrepit; sometimes this was done simply when the leader reached a certain age. Thus, the Shilluks (Upper Nile), who showed very high respect to their leaders, did not allow them, however, to grow old or lose their health, fearing that otherwise the cattle would stop breeding, the crops would rot in the fields, and people would get sick and die more often. Therefore, at the first signs of weakening of the leader (which his numerous wives learned about earlier than others), the leaders subordinate to him killed him, which did not in the least interfere with the rendering of divine honors to his spirit. A similar custom was observed among the neighboring Dinka people, where the chiefs were primarily “rainmakers”; their leader himself, as soon as he noticed that he was beginning to grow old or weaken, told his sons that it was time for him to die, and his wish was fulfilled *.

* (See J. Fraser. Golden Bough, vol. 2. M., 1928, pp. 110-114.)

Thus, at this stage of development - the stage of military democracy - the customs and beliefs associated with the cult of leaders, although very honorable for the latter, are at the same time often very burdensome for them and even directly threaten their lives. It is therefore not surprising that as communal democratic traditions decline and the power of chiefs increases, they rebel against these customs. Here is one example. In the 70s of the XVIII century. The ruler of the small kingdom of Eyeo (Oyo) resolutely opposed the offer to “take a break from work” that his associates made to him (understanding by this voluntary death), and declared that he, on the contrary, intended to continue to work for the good of his subjects. Outraged subjects rebelled against the king, but were defeated, and the innovative king established a new order of succession to the throne, abolishing the unpleasant custom. However, the custom turned out to be tenacious and, judging by some reports, another 100 years later, in the 80s. XIX century, was not forgotten *.

* (See Frazer, pp. 116-117.)

In the despotic states of the Guinea coast, Interlake region and other areas of Africa, kings, although often subject to ritual restrictions and strict etiquette (of ritual origin), in most cases no longer died prematurely in favor of superstitious tradition. The king's person was usually considered sacred, and he was honored as a living deity. As observers reported, the king of Benin (a state in the Niger basin) - a fetish and the main object of veneration in his domains, occupied “a higher position than the pope in Catholic Europe, because he is not only the deputy of God on earth, but he himself is God , whose subjects both obey and honor him as such." Bronze images of the king and his wife were placed on the altar of the ancestors in the palace and served as objects of worship *.

* (See V.I. Sharevskaya. Religion of ancient Benin. In the book: "Yearbook of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism", I, 1957, pp. 198-199.)

Deceased leaders and kings everywhere, throughout Africa, were the subject of tribal or national cult, and, moreover, perhaps the most important. This cult is closely related to the ancestral and family cult of ancestors (the difference is that the first was public, and the second was private, home). At the same time, he was inseparable from the cult of living leaders.

In democratically organized tribes, the cult of the ancestors of the leaders consisted of ordinary prayers and sacrifices, the same as in the worship of ancestral and family ancestors. This was the case among the Herero, the Thonga, the Zulu and many other peoples. But in despotic states, the cult of deceased leaders acquired especially impressive, and, moreover, cruel forms. Human sacrifices were often made, both during the burial of the leader and during periodic or other commemorations. They killed slaves and convicted criminals as victims; sacrifice was also a form of capital punishment. In the same Benin, when burying a king, it was the custom to bury with him the bodies of the sacrificed servants, as well as the closest dignitaries. At the wake, even more abundant human sacrifices were made, according to previous reports, up to 400-500 people at a time. If there were not enough convicts, who were kept in prisons specifically for this case, then innocent, free people were also captured. Among some peoples of West Africa, these people, sacrificed during the wake of the deceased king, were considered as messengers who were sent to the afterlife to report to the deceased ruler that everything was fine in his kingdom. The objective meaning of this terrorist practice was that such religious customs and beliefs helped strengthen the power of the leaders, who had broken away from the community and stood over it as a coercive force.

Tribal god cult

The cults of leaders and kings, both living and dead, constituted the most important form of tribal cult among the peoples of Africa and was so developed that it pushed into the background another form of tribal cult - the veneration of tribal gods.

The ideas about gods among African peoples are very diverse, they are difficult to bring into a system, and their roots are not always clear. The relationship between the image of God and the cult is also not always clear.

Almost all nations have a known mythological figure of a heavenly god (often, in addition to him, also an underground god, a sea god, etc.). Among the northwestern Bantu, the name of the heavenly god is almost the same for everyone: Nyambi (Yambe, Ndyambi, Nzambe, Zambe, etc.). The etymology of this name is controversial; perhaps it means “he who creates, does.” In the southern Congo Basin the god is most often called Kalunga. Among the peoples of East Africa, the god is called Mulungu, Leza, Ngai (Engai), Kiumbe and other names. Some peoples have several names of god, which sometimes correspond to several images, and sometimes to just one.

But not only the names differ, but also the characteristic features of the image of God. On this issue, abundant material has been collected and studied by Africanist Hermann Baumann *. It turns out that in some cases the features of the creator of the world and man predominate in the image of God; in others - features of an atmospheric deity sending rain, thunderstorms; thirdly, it is simply the personification of the sky. But in almost all cases this heavenly deity is not an object of worship; they rarely remember him and even less often turn to him with prayers or requests. “The Herero (people in South-West Africa - S.T.) know the god of heaven and earth,” wrote the missionary Irle, “but they do not revere him” **. The same can be said about most African peoples. Even if the idea of ​​God is somehow associated with rain (so necessary for people and livestock), they turn to him with prayers for rain only in the most extreme cases, when the ancestors - the usual subject of cult - do not help.

* (H. Baumann. Schöpfung und Urzeit des Menschen im Mjrthus der afrikanischen Völker. Berlin, 1936.)

** (J. Jr. Die Herero. Gütersloh, 1906, S. 72.)

Almost everywhere the prevailing belief is that if God created the earth and settled man on it, then since then he has not interfered at all in the affairs of people, neither helped nor harmed them, and therefore there is no need to bother him with requests. This is the so-called deus otiosus (inactive god). Among some tribes, God is also the subject of all sorts of frivolous, disrespectful stories and anecdotes.

The question of the connection between the image of the heavenly god and the cult of ancestors is very complex. If the Manistic theory of Spencer and his followers were true (that God is a deified ancestor), then it would be in Africa, where the cult of ancestors prevails everywhere, that this theory could be proven with facts. In fact, such facts are almost impossible to cite. Among the overwhelming majority of peoples, especially in Western and Central Africa, no connection is visible between the ideas of the heavenly god and the images of their ancestors. Only among some peoples of Eastern and Southern Africa, where the appearance of the heavenly god is particularly complex, did some manistic elements merge or mix with it. Thus, the Zulus believe in a certain heavenly being Unkulunkulu (this example was given by Spencer): this is the god who created man and other things on earth, but on the other hand, he is also the ancestor of the Zulu people. His name, apparently, is an epithet and means “big-big” (repetition of the root “kulu” - big) *. However, according to modern researchers, Unkulunkulu was at first only a mythical ancestor and cultural hero, and only later his image - partly even under the indirect influence of Christian missionaries - replaced the image of the former heavenly god Umvelinkanga **. The peoples of the Eastern Bantuan group (Yao, Chwabo, Makua, etc.) have a rather vague religious concept of Mulungu (the word means old, big): it refers to the heavenly god who sends rain, and the spirits of ancestors, and the other world in general. But there is reason to believe that the name Mulungu itself spread here relatively recently, displacing the names of older heavenly gods who were in no way connected with the images of their ancestors ***.

* (See Bryant, pp. 37, 39, 41, 53-54.)

** (Baumann, S. 25.)

*** (Ibid., S. 62-63.)

It is not easy to discern the connection between African sky gods and age-related initiations, because the initiation system itself was greatly modified here. The available information is extremely scarce. Thus, it is known that among the Ewe people (in Southern Togo), the circumcision of boys (and a similar operation on girls) was associated with the cult of the deity Legba, but the cult of Legba among the Ewe is not tribal, but rather personal and optional *.

* (Chr. Gamier et J. Fralon. Le fetichisme en Afrique noire. Paris 1951, p. 70, 83.)

Only among a few peoples did the heavenly god become the subject of real religious veneration. And this is precisely among those who had strong tribal and inter-tribal alliances and inter-tribal and conquest wars were a frequent occurrence. Their heavenly god became a tribal warrior god. An example of this would be the East African Maasai, a warlike people who revered the warrior god Engai (at the same time the heavenly deity of rain). The Maasai believed that Engai allowed them to carry out predatory raids on their neighbors, seize their livestock and other booty; Soldiers prayed to him during the campaign and upon returning with booty (prayer of thanks); True, women also prayed to Engai *.

* (M. Merker. Die Masai. Berlin, 1904, S. 199-200.)

Another example is the tribes of the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana). There were two tribal unions here - southern and northern; the first worshiped the god Bobovissi, the second - the god Tando. Both of these images are complex, but in both there is a clear connection with inter-tribal relations, with wars. They were prayed to before military campaigns. Tribes that fell away from the northern alliance (led by the Ashanti) ceased to worship the god Thando and switched to the cult of Bobowissi. When in the 70s of the XIX century. The British defeated the Ashanti, the prestige of the god Tando, who failed to protect his people, was shaken *.

* (Ellis, p. 22-33.)

In addition to the heavenly god, mountain peaks were the subject of tribal cult among the peoples of East Africa, especially pastoral and semi-sedentary ones. For example, the Jugga revered Mount Kilimanjaro, which dominates their country.

Mythology

The mythology of African peoples is considered by some to be poorer in comparison with the Oceanic and American ones. But it is not so. African mythology is only somewhat more monotonous; it often features God as the creator and creator of all things. In Africa there are few cosmogonic, much more anthropogonic myths. Earth and sky, judging by myths, existed from time immemorial. But according to some myths, the earth was previously soft or it was deserted, devoid of water, animals, and darkness reigned over it. There are many myths about the origin of water: they say that water was initially hidden from some old woman or from some animal and the hero of the myth stole it for people. There are many myths about the origin of animals. Anthropogonic myths are very diverse: according to some, people were created by some god (from clay, from wood, etc.); according to others, the first people descended from heaven (lowered from there by God); other myths bring the first people out of the ground, from a cave, from the rocks. There are myths about the birth of the first people in a supernatural way from mythical ancestors (from their hips or knees), from trees.

There are numerous myths about the origin of death. Most often, they are built on the motif of “false news”: God sends a messenger (some animal) from heaven to people to say that they will die and come to life again; but for some reason this message is delayed, and people receive another message (through another animal), that they will die forever. According to another, less common mythological motive, people became mortal as if as a punishment for sleeping through their immortality, which God was going to give them if they managed to stay awake: this motive is generated by the obvious analogy of sleep and death. Among other motives, there are also motives of punishment, and more archaic ones: an analogy with the month, with a snake shedding its skin, etc.

Some myths speak of a global catastrophe, for example, a flood (although in the literature there is a misconception that the peoples of Africa did not know the myth of the flood), or a world fire. There are myths about the origin of fire, domestic animals, and cultivated plants *.

* (See N. Baumann. Schöpfung und Urzeit des Menschen im Mythus der afrikanischen Völker. Berlin, 1936; "Aura Poku." Myths, fairy tales, fables... of the Baule people. M., 1960.)

Religions of the peoples of North and North-East Africa. Spread of Islam and Christianity

The peoples of Northern and Northeastern Africa - from Morocco to Egypt and Ethiopia - have long achieved a higher level of social development than the population of the rest of Africa. The world's oldest civilizations, based on agriculture and cattle breeding, developed here. Recent discoveries (1956-1957) by the French archaeologist Henri Lot in the Tassili plateau region showed that here, in the very heart of the Sahara, which several thousand years BC was a well-abandoned fertile country, a high culture had developed; Its monuments - amazing rock frescoes - are now well studied *. The great Egyptian civilization, linked by its roots to this still Neolithic culture of the Sahara, was the earliest civilization of the Mediterranean, flourishing in a powerful state, which subsequently influenced the formation of ancient culture. West of Egypt, within what is now Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, there were slave states of Carthage, Numidia, and Mauritania.

* (See A. Lot. In search of the Tassili frescoes. M., 1962.)

Naturally, the religions of the peoples of North Africa have long since emerged from the stage of tribal cults, turning into religions of the class type, where only vestiges of earlier beliefs were preserved. The ancient Egyptian religion will be discussed separately (chapter 16). In Egypt there was one of the centers of the birth of Christianity (I-II centuries), which soon (III-IV centuries) strengthened throughout North Africa. But in the VII-VIII centuries. it was almost universally supplanted by Islam, surviving only in Ethiopia and among the Copts of Egypt. Arabized North Africa became one of the most important Muslim regions in the world.

Islam and Christianity gradually penetrated into the depths of Black Africa. The advancement of Islam south of the Sahara, which began in the 11th century, was supported by the ruling classes and dynasties of the Sudanese states - Mali, Ghana, Sonrai, etc. They tried to convert the population to the new religion through direct conquest, and through Arab traders, and through traveling preachers - marabou. For a very long time, the spread of Islam did not go further than the dry and treeless regions of Sudan, not reaching the tropical forest zone, where original forms of social life and local religions were preserved. But in modern times, with the cessation of medieval feudal wars and the expansion of trade relations, Islam began to penetrate into the tropical regions of the Guinea coast.

On the other hand, Islam also spread along the eastern coast of Africa, as well as up the Nile into eastern Sudan (via Arab or Swahili merchants and preachers).

When it came to the peoples of tropical Africa, who preserved the tribal system, Islam was greatly modified and adapted to local conditions. Often the population adopted only the external form of the Muslim religion, its simplest rituals, but retained their old beliefs. Sometimes the main object of veneration was not Allah and his prophet, but a local saint - a marabou, who replaced the former sacred leader and priest. Muslim brotherhoods arose, not much different from local pagan secret unions. New sects arose, half-Muslim, half-pagan.

Now Islam is considered dominant (besides the countries of North Africa), at least nominally, in the states: Mauritania, Senegal, the Republic of Guinea, Mali, Niger, the northern part of Nigeria, the Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan, Somalia.

Christianity began to penetrate deep into the African continent much later. Among the indigenous population, it was spread exclusively by missionaries - Catholics and Protestants, and truly only from the 19th century. Missionaries often paved the way for the colonialists who seized African lands. If Islam spread from the north, then Christianity spread towards it, from the south. The success of Christianization, however, was hampered by political rivalry between powers and discord between individual faiths: Catholics, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, etc. fought off each other’s newly converted flock. And although some missionaries tried to benefit the natives (they treated, taught literacy, fought against slavery, etc.), the population in most cases was reluctant to accept the new faith; it was completely incomprehensible to them, but its connection with colonial oppression was quite clear. Only where the old tribal system was destroyed did the natives begin to be baptized more willingly, hoping to find at least some kind of protection in the church community. Nowadays there is a Christian majority of the population only in South Africa, Uganda, Southern Cameroon, and the coastal areas of Liberia.

Christian missionaries used to fanatically fight against all local traditions and customs, as “pagan” and “diabolical.” But now they are increasingly striving to adapt the Christian religion to local customs and make it more acceptable to the population. They are intensively training a cadre of preachers and priests from the natives themselves. In 1939, two black Catholic bishops appeared for the first time. And in 1960, the pope elevated a black man from Tanganyika, Lorian Rugambwa, to the cardinalate.

The interaction of Christianity and local religions led to the emergence of unique sects, prophetic movements, and reformed Christian-pagan cults. The new churches are led by prophets, to whom believers attribute supernatural abilities. These religious movements often reflected the spontaneous protest of the masses against colonial oppression. Some new sects were simply forms of manifestation of the national liberation movement. These are, for example, the sect of followers of Simon Kimbangu in the former Belgian Congo (since 1921), the sect of Andre Matswa in the former French Congo *, and the partly well-known Mau-Mau movement in Kenya, which also contains a religious element.

* (See B.I. Sharevskaya. Anti-colonial religious and political movement in Bas-Congo. In the book: "Peoples of Asia and Africa", vol. 6. M., 1962)

According to 1954 data, in sub-Saharan Africa there were about 20 million Christians, about 25 million Muslims, and about 73 million pagans, that is, adherents of old tribal cults.

Africa

Currently, several groups of religions are common among the peoples of the African continent: local traditional cults and religions, Islam, Christianity, to a lesser extent Hinduism, Judaism and some others. A special place is occupied by syncretic Christian-African churches and sects.

Local traditional cults and religions are autochthonous beliefs, cults, and rituals that developed among the peoples of Africa in the process of historical development before the appearance of Arabs and Europeans on this continent. Distributed among most of the local population of tropical countries, South Africa and the island of Madagascar. Many foreign researchers mistakenly view the local traditional cults and religions of Tropical and Southern Africa as a “single African religion.”

Although the constituent components of the religious ideas of most Africans are fetishism (veneration of material objects), animism (belief in numerous “souls” and “spirits”), magic (witchcraft, superstition), mana (faceless “supernatural” force), the term “local “traditional cults and religions” is very conventional, since it is used to refer to various religious ideas, cults, beliefs and rituals of many African peoples located at certain socio-economic levels of development. These cults and religions can be divided into two large groups: tribal and national-state.

The cult of ancestors occupies a significant place in the life of African peoples. Some Western authors even consider ancestor worship to be the most characteristic religion of Tropical and Southern Africa. The object of veneration, as a rule, are the progenitors of a family, clan, tribe, etc., who are credited with supernatural abilities to do both good and evil. Cults of the forces of nature and the elements (in the form of “spirits” of nature) are also common in Africa. These cults are characteristic of those African peoples who retain various forms of tribal structures (for example, the Hottentots, Herero, etc.). For peoples with developed or emerging statehood (for example, the Yoruba, Akan, Baluba, Zulus, etc.) is characterized by polytheistic state religions with a developed pantheon of gods. In the autochthonous traditional religions of Africa, a large place is occupied by rituals, ceremonies, rites, etc., which are usually associated with different stages of a person’s life. Such as, for example, funeral rites, rites of naming, initiation, initiation, marriage, etc. Secret societies or unions continue to play a significant role in the social life of the peoples of Tropical and Southern Africa, and especially among the peoples of the Guinea coast (for example, the male union of Poro, the female union of Sande, etc.) In total, over a third (about 130 million) of the inhabitants of Africa adhere to local traditional religions. Almost all of them live in sub-Saharan Africa, making up about 42% of the total population of this part of the continent. More than half are concentrated in West Africa, with about a fifth of adherents of traditional religions living in Nigeria. In South African countries, over half of the local population adheres to autochthonous religions. As for individual states, followers of local traditional religions make up 80% of the population of the Central African Republic; over 70% - in Mozambique, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Togo; more than 60% in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Angola and Swaziland.

Islam is a religion brought to Africa from the Arabian Peninsula. In the middle of the 7th century. North Africa was conquered by the Arabs. The newcomers spread Islam with the help of administrative and economic measures: those who converted to Islam were freed from the heavy poll tax, received the same rights enjoyed by Muslim Arabs, etc. Complete Islamization of the Maghreb (the general name for the countries of North Africa from Libya to Morocco) ends by the 12th century. During the 1X-1X centuries. Islam also spreads among the peoples of Western Sudan. The Muslim religion began to penetrate into Eastern Sudan in the 9th century. The Negroid peoples of South Sudan maintained traditional cults and religions until the second half of the 19th century, but then they also gradually began to convert to Islam. Islam was brought to East Africa by Muslim merchants, traders, and settlers from Asia (mainly from the Arabian Peninsula and Hindustan). By the 18th century Islamization of the peoples of the eastern coast of Africa and the northwestern part of the island of Madagascar occurs. Somewhat later, the influence of Islam spread throughout Tropical Africa, where Islam began to successfully compete with Christianity.

Among the Muslim population of modern Africa, Sunni Islam is mainly widespread. Sunnism is represented by all four madhhabs (or religious and legal schools): Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali and Hanafi. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in North and West African countries adhere to the Maliki madhhab; in Egypt and East African states - Shafi'i, in the Republic of South Africa, people from the Hindustan Peninsula are supporters of the Hanifi and Cape Malays - Shafi'i madhhabs. Sufi orders (or brotherhoods), of which there are several dozen in Africa, play a significant role among African Muslims. The most significant and numerous orders are the Tija-niyya, Qadiriyya, Shadiliyya, Khatmiya, Senusiyya, etc. The spiritual heads of some of these brotherhoods have a great influence on political life in a number of African countries. Thus, in Senegal, the leader of the Murid brotherhood enjoys great influence, in Nigeria - the head of the Tijaniites, etc. There are less than a quarter of a million representatives of the second direction in Islam - Shiism - in Africa. For the most part, these are foreigners - immigrants from the Hindustan Peninsula, belonging to various branches of Ismailism (Bohras, Khojas), Imamites, etc., and to a lesser extent the local population. In addition, there are about 150 thousand Ibadis in Africa (representatives of the third direction in Islam - Kharijism). Of these, the vast majority live in the countries of North Africa - Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and small groups - in the countries of East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. In the listed states of North Africa, as well as in Egypt, Mauritania and Somalia, Islam is the state religion.

Islam is practiced by over 41% of Africa's population (approx. 150 million people). About half of Islam's adherents (47.2%) are concentrated in North African countries, with more than a fifth of African Muslims living in Egypt. In West Africa, Muslims make up over 33% of the population, half of them in Nigeria. Less than a fifth of the Muslim population is concentrated in East Africa, where they make up about 31% of the population. As for individual states, followers of Islam predominate, making up over 90% of the population, in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, the Republic of Djibouti, Somalia and the Comoros Islands. More than half of the inhabitants are Muslim in Guinea, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Western Sahara. In addition, there are also large numbers of Muslim adherents in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya.

The spread of Christianity in Africa began in the 2nd century. n. e. It initially spread to Egypt and Ethiopia, and then along the coast of North Africa. At the beginning of the 4th century. A movement arose among Christians in Africa to create an African church independent of Rome. In the 5th century A Monophysite church was formed, uniting Christians from Egypt and Ethiopia. From the 7th century In North Africa, Christianity is gradually being replaced by Islam. Currently, original Christianity has been preserved only among part of the local population of Egypt (Copts, Orthodox), the majority of the population of Ethiopia and a small group in Sudan.

In the 15th century, with the arrival of the Portuguese conquerors, the second period of the spread of Christianity began in Africa, but in a Western direction. Catholic missionaries appear along with the conquistadors. The first attempts to Christianize Africans were made on the Guinea coast, but they were ineffective. The activities of missionaries in the Congo were more successful, but here too Christianity spread mainly among the tribal aristocracy. During the XVI-XVIII centuries. Christian missionaries made repeated attempts to spread their influence to the peoples of Africa, but to no avail.

The third stage in the spread of Christianity in Africa begins in the mid-19th century. This was a period of colonial expansion, when Western European countries began to seize vast territories on the African continent. At this time, missionary activity sharply intensifies. The Roman Catholic Church creates special orders and missionary societies ("White Fathers1", "African Mission Society", etc.).

After the Second World War, the fourth period in the history of the Christianization of Africa begins. This period takes place in conditions of a general crisis of the colonial system and the achievement of independence by many African countries. Representatives of Western Christianity began to pursue a policy of adaptation to new conditions (especially the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church). Local African clergy appeared, instead of missionary societies, self-governing (or independent) churches and other organizations were created.

Of the Protestant organizations of churches and sects, the Dutch Reformed were the earliest to begin missionary activity in Africa - from the middle of the 17th century. in the south of the continent, Anglicans and Methodists - from the beginning of the 19th century. From the middle of the 19th century. German (Lutheran) and American missionaries began proselytizing work. Numerous Protestant missionary societies began to be created. After World War II, American missionary societies (primarily the Episcopal Church, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc.) especially intensified their activities.

Christianity is currently professed by 85 million people. About 8 million of them are immigrants from Europe or their descendants. Adherents of certain directions in Christianity are distributed as follows: Catholics - over 38% (33 million), Protestants - about 37% (31 million), Monophysites - more than 24% (20 million), the rest - Orthodox and Uniates. Christians are most concentrated in the countries of East Africa - over a third (35% of the population), the same number in West Africa. In South Africa, Christians make up a quarter of the region's population, and there are about three times fewer Catholics than Protestants. In the eastern region, more than half of the Christians are Monophysites, and almost all of them live in Ethiopia. In most countries, Catholics predominate over Protestants. A fifth of all African Catholics live in Zaire. There are more than 2 million each in Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. Of the remaining states, the most Catholic are the Cape Verde Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Lesotho, Reunion Island and the Seychelles.

Half of all African Protestants come from two countries - South Africa (27%) and Nigeria (22%). More than one million Protestants each live in Ghana, Zaire, Uganda, Tanzania and the island of Madagascar. Monophysites are represented by adherents from the Ethiopian Church (16.7 million), the Coptic Church in Egypt (3.5 million) and a small number of Armenian Gregorians in Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. There are less than a quarter of a million Orthodox people, with half belonging to the Alexandrian Orthodox Church, more than a third to the African Orthodox Churches of East Africa (85 thousand). A quarter of a million adherents belong to various Uniate churches, the overwhelming majority to the Coptic Catholic and Ethiopian Catholic.

Christian-African churches and sects are organizations that broke away from Western churches and sects and created their own dogma, their own rituals, ceremonies, etc., combining traditional elements of beliefs and cults with elements of Christianity. In Western literature they are called differently - syncretic, independent, indigenous, prophetic, messianic, separatist churches or sects. As a rule, these churches and sects include only Africans, the vast majority coming from one tribe or people. Christian African churches and sects are common in all regions of Tropical and Southern Africa. These organizations were initially anti-colonial in nature and were a unique form of protest against enslavement. Over time, these movements moved onto purely religious grounds. Currently, all of them are only religious organizations and are often in opposition to the governments of their countries. According to some estimates, there are 9 million adherents of Christian African churches and sects throughout Tropical Africa, which is 3% of the population of this region. About half of them are concentrated in South Africa, in Western Africa - more than 400, in Eastern Africa - less than a tenth. In South Africa there is a third of all adherents of Christian-African churches and sects, in Zaire and Nigeria - over a million adherents each. In total, these three countries account for 60% of adherents of syncretic organizations. Of the remaining countries that have a significant number of adherents (several hundred thousand each) of these religious organizations, Kenya, Ghana, Benin, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Zambia and the island of Madagascar should be mentioned. Some syncretic churches and sects are quite influential and numerous (with several hundred thousand adherents). For example, “cherubim and seraphim”, the Lumpa church, the sects of the Kimbangists, Matsuaists, Harrisists, Kitawala (the latter is greatly influenced by the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect). Christian-African churches and sects are widespread in 27 countries of Tropical Africa, South Africa and the island of Madagascar.

Hinduism in Africa is practiced by people from the Hindustan Peninsula and their descendants, who currently number over 1.1 million - about 0.3% of the population of Tropical and Southern Africa. They are unevenly distributed. On the island of Mauritius, where Hindus make up over half of the population, more than 2/5 of their total population is concentrated, in South Africa - more than a third, and in Kenya - a tenth. There are small Hindu communities in East Africa and other Indian Ocean islands. Other South and East Asian religions popular among Indians and partly Chinese include Sikhism - 25 thousand adherents, Jainism - 12 thousand, Buddhism and Confucianism - 25 thousand people.

Judaism is professed by about 270 thousand inhabitants of Africa, Mistra - Jews of North Africa (over 100 thousand), Ashkenazi - immigrants from European countries living mainly in South Africa (over 120 thousand), and Falasha - representatives of one of the aboriginal peoples of Ethiopia (about 30 thousand).

Let us consider the religious composition of the population of individual African countries.

Egypt

The state religion of the Arab Republic of Egypt is Islam. About 90% of the residents are Muslim. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread in Egypt. In addition, there are a small number of adherents of other madhhabs (Hanifis, Malikis, Hanbalites). Among Egyptian Muslims there are supporters of Sufi orders. The most common of them are Qadiriyya, Rifaya, Idrisiyya, Bedawiyya, Shadiliyya, etc. In the area of ​​​​the Siwa oases, the Senusites are found. Christians, living mainly in cities, make up more than 10% of the country's population (about 4 million). The overwhelming majority, supporters of the Monophysite trend, belong to two churches - Coptic (about 3.5 million) and Armenian-Gregorian (about 50 thousand). There are up to 100 thousand Orthodox Christians, mainly supporters of the Alexandrian Orthodox Church. The Uniates are represented by six churches: Coptic Catholic (up to 120 thousand people), Greek Catholic (up to 30 thousand), Maronite (more than 8 thousand), Armenian Catholic (3 thousand), Syro-Catholic (3 thousand). ) and Chaldean (1 thousand). There are about 6 thousand supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. There are about 170 thousand Protestants. The vast majority are Copts (over 125 thousand), adherents of the Presbyterian Church. In addition, in Egypt there are Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, etc. Among the small Jewish population (about 10 thousand) you can find supporters of Judaism.

Libya

In the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Islam is also the state religion. Muslims make up more than 97% of the population and adhere to the Sunni school.

The vast majority (80-90%) are Malikis, Hanifites are about 6%. Among Libyans in the east of the country, the teachings of the Senusiya order became widespread (Senusites make up about 30% of Cyrenaiki Muslims). In addition, there are supporters of the Sufi orders of Isawiya, Salamiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. In the north-west, in the mountainous region of Jebel Nefus, there are Ibadis - supporters of the Kharijite trend in Islam, there are 30-40 thousand of them. Less than 40 thousand Christians (2% of the population ). Of these, the majority are Catholics (about 25 thousand), their nationalities are Italian, French, and partly Greek. Several thousand are Protestants and Orthodox. Among the Jews (about 5 thousand) there are adherents of Judaism.

Tunisia

In the Republic of Tunisia, Islam is the state religion. Muslims make up more than 98% of the country's population, the vast majority of them adhere to the Maliki school, but there are several tens of thousands of Hanifis. Among some Tunisian Muslims (3%), the Sufi orders of Rahmaniyya, Qadiriyya, Isawiya, etc. are common (about 20 in total). The Berbers of the island of Djerba and the oases are members of the Ibadi sect (30 thousand people). There are about 25 thousand Christians in Tunisia. These are mainly Catholics (over 18 thousand people), the rest are Protestants and partly Armenian-Gregorians. More than 50 thousand Jewish Jews live in the capital and on the island of Djerba.

Algeria

In the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Islam is the state religion. More than 99% of the country's population are supporters of the Sunni branch of the Maliki religious and legal school. There are groups of Hanifis, Shafi'is and Hanbalis. Among some Algerian Muslims, Sufi orders have become widespread, especially Rahmaniyya, Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya, Taibiya, Sheikhiyya, Isawiyya, Derkaoua, etc. In addition, there is a small number of Senusites. Among the Berbers of the Mzaba oases (in the areas of the cities of Ouargla and Ghardaia) there are supporters of the Ibadite sect, known here as Mozabites (about 50 thousand). There are less than 70 thousand Christians, all of them Europeans. Of these, more than 60 thousand are Catholics (French and Italians). There are several thousand Protestants - Methodists, Reformed and Seventh-day Adventists. About 4 thousand Jews live in the cities of Algeria, among whom there are many supporters of Judaism.

Morocco

In the Kingdom of Morocco, as in other North African countries, Islam is the state religion. Over 98% of the country's population adheres to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab. Among Moroccan Muslims there are Sufi orders Shadiliyya, Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya, Taibiya, Derkaoua, Kattaniya, etc. (about 15 in total). Some of the Berbers living in the areas of Casablanca and Oujda are Ibadis (about 25 thousand). There are about 80 thousand Christians, all of them are foreigners. The vast majority are Catholics (about 70 thousand are Spaniards, French, Italians, etc.). There are several thousand Orthodox and Protestants each. There are several thousand Jewish Judaizers left.

Ceuta and Melilla

In the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which belong to Spain, the majority of the population (about 135 thousand) professes Catholicism. These are the Spaniards and other Europeans. Protestants - about 5 thousand. Arab Muslims who adhere to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab, there are 15 thousand. Jewish Jews - about 5 thousand.

West Sahara

In Western Sahara, the majority of the local population professes Sunni Islam of the Maliki religious and legal school. Among Muslims, the Qadiriyya Sufi order is influential. There are more than 16 thousand Catholics - Spaniards and French. There are groups of Protestants and Jewish Judaists.

Mauritania

In the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Islam is the state religion. More than 99% of the population are Muslims. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the Moors (a population of mixed origin speaking Arabic), Berbers, Ful Be, Soninke, etc. Among Mauritanian Muslims, Sufi orders have great influence: in the north - Tijaniyya, Shadiliyya, in the south - Tijaniyya, Kadiriyya and others. Christianity in Mauritania is represented by the Roman Catholic Church (more than 5 thousand people, all of them French).

Senegal

In the Republic of Senegal, the majority (about 4/5) of the population is Muslim by religion. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the peoples of the Wolof, Malinke, Sarakol, Fulbe, Tukuler, Serer, Diola, Moors, Susu, etc. Sufi orders are very influential: Tijaniyya in the west and south of the country; Kadiriyya - in the north and east, in the east - Hamaliyya, each of them has several tens of thousands of adherents. Among the Wolof peoples, partly Serer, Fulbe and others in the central regions of Senegal, the brotherhood of murids (up to a quarter of the country's Muslims) is widespread. There is a group of the Ahmadiyya sect. Tribal cults are followed by 15% of the population living in the south (Serer, Diola, Fulbe, Mandingo, Balante, etc.). Christians make up 4% of the population (about 200 thousand). There are over 190 thousand Catholics, a quarter of them are French. Protestants - Baptists, Pentecostals and Seventh-day Adventists - about 8 thousand.

Gambia

About 80% of the population of the Republic of the Gambia - the Wolof, Fulbe, Diola, Soninke and others - adhere to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab. A significant part of Gambian Muslims are supporters of the Tijaniyya Sufi order, the rest are adherents of the Qadiriya and Muri-Diya. There are supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect in the capital. Local traditional beliefs are adhered to by a minority (17%) of Gambians - partly Malinke, Diola, Serer, Basari, etc. Christians make up about 4.5% of the population. Of these, 11.5 thousand are supporters of Catholicism, the rest are Protestants (Methodists, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists - over 10 thousand in total).

Cape Verde

In the Republic of Cape Verde, the vast majority of the population (over 95%) professes Christianity. These are Catholics (more than 281 thousand). Protestants - 10 thousand, the majority are members of the Nazarene Church, the rest are Seventh-day Adventists, Anglicans, Methodists. In addition, there is a group of Muslims.

Guinea-Bissau

In the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, approximately half of the inhabitants adhere to local traditional cults and religions. Ethnically, these are the peoples of Balante, Mandjak, Pepel, Biafada, etc. Muslims, who make up about 45% of the country's population, are residents of the northern and eastern regions. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the Fulbe, Malinke, Wolof, Tukuler, etc. The Qadiriyya Sufi order is influential among part of the Malinke, Tijaniyya - among part of the Wolof and Tukuler. Christians make up over 6% of the population. The majority are Catholics (more than 41 thousand), living on the coast and in cities. Evangelical Protestants - 2 thousand people.

Guinea

In the People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea, approximately 75% of the population professes Islam. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the Malinki, Fulani, Bambara, Baga, etc. Sufi orders are very influential: Qadiriyya, Barkiyya - among the Fulani, Tijaniyya - among the Fulani, Susu, Mandingo, etc., Shadiliyya - among the Fulani Futa-Jallon. Traditional religions are followed in Guinea by about a quarter of the country's population. These are Loma, Mano, Banda, Tenda, Kisi, Kpelle, etc., living in the south and east. Christians make up over 1.4% of the population. The majority are Catholics (43 thousand). There are about 10 thousand Protestants - Anglicans, Evangelicals, Plymouth Brethren.

Mali

In the Republic of Mali, Muslims make up about 2/3 of the population. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is professed by the peoples of the Songhai, Tuareg, Bambara, Hausa, Wolof, Malinke, Diula, Arabs, etc. The Hamaliyya order is widespread in the west of Mali, the Tijaniyya in the southern regions, and the Qadiriyya in the north. There are several thousand Senusites living on the border with Niger; The Ahmadiyya sect operates in Bamako. Autochthonous religions are common in the south among the Senufo, Moi, Dogon, Malinke and others. They are professed by about a third of the population. There are less than 70 thousand Christians (1.5% of the population). These are mainly residents of the southeastern and southern regions of Mali. Catholics - 47 thousand. Protestants - Presbyterians, Anglicans, Evangelicals, Seventh-day Adventists and Baptists - 20-25 thousand.

Sierra Leone

Traditional cults and religions in the Republic of Sierra Leone are followed by approximately 60% of the population. They are common among the Mende, Temne, Bulom, Kisi, Gola, Bakwe, Koranko. Secret unions still enjoy great influence (for example, among the Temne people, the Poro male union). In the north and east of the country, Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is professed by the Vai, Fulani, Dialonke, Mende, Limba, and others, who make up up to a third of the country's population. Among some Muslims, Sufi orders are widespread - Tijaniyya, Shadiliyya, Qadiriyya. There are several thousand members of the Ahmadiyya sect in the cities along the coast. There are about 160 thousand Christians (about 6% of the population). Protestants make up the majority (about 100 thousand). The largest churches are Anglican, Methodist, and Evangelical. There are small communities of Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. There are 58 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church in Sierra Leone. In addition, the country has several thousand adherents of Christian-African churches and sects - Harris, Aladura (Church of God ) and etc.

Liberia

In the Republic of Liberia, the majority of the population (about 74%) adheres to autochthonous beliefs - the peoples of Grebo, Krahn, Gere, Kpelle, Mano, Loma, Kru, Mande, etc. Secret unions play a significant place in public life (for example, among the Kpelle - the Poro male union and female Sande). The Muslim population, about 15%, lives in the north on the border with Guinea. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab, partly Hanafi, is widespread. Among some Muslims, the Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya orders are influential. There are several thousand supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect in coastal cities. There are about 160 thousand Christians (12% of the population). The majority are Protestants (130 thousand), half of them are Methodists, the rest are Lutherans, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Baptists and Seventh-day Adventists. American missionaries are quite active in the country. There are about 26 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. There are supporters of Christian African churches and sects, approximately 1% of the population. These are mainly adherents of the Harris sect, the Church of God (Aladura).

Ivory Coast

In this republic, the majority of residents adhere to traditional beliefs (about two thirds). Secret alliances play a big role. Over a fifth of the local population professes Islam. Muslims living in the north, northwest (Malinka, Bambara, Diula, etc.) and in the coastal cities of the country are supporters of Sunni Islam of the Maliki madh-ba. Sufi orders are widespread, especially the Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya and Shadiliyya. Christians - these are residents of the south, the coast, and large cities - make up more than 11% of the population. There are about 617 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. Protestants (over 100 thousand) are represented by Methodists, Plymouth Brethren, Seventh-day Adventists, evangelists, Pentecostals, etc. Christian-African churches and sects are widespread, whose supporters make up over 5% of the population (a quarter of a million people). The most influential of them are the Harris sect, the churches of Deima (or Maria Lapu), the Adaists, Tetekpan, etc.

Burkina Faso

Three quarters of Burkina Faso's population adhere to traditional religions. These are the peoples of Moi, Grusi, Lobi, Gurma, Sanu, Busa, Senufo, etc. There are more than a million Muslims (or up to 18% of the population). Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the peoples of the northern regions of the country - the Fulbe, Sarakol, Soninka, Songhai, Diula, Tuareg, etc. The Sufi orders of Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya, and Hamaliyya are influential among Muslims. In some cities there are supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect and the Senusite order. Christians make up about 8% of the population. There are more than 400 thousand Catholics living in the south and in large cities. There are a little more than 30 thousand Protestants. These are Pentecostals, Plymouth Brethren, small groups of Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. There are a small number of supporters of Christian-African syncretic sects.

Ghana

Currently, in the Republic of Ghana, two-thirds of the population (63%) adhere to autochthonous religions, mainly the peoples of Ashanti, Fanti, Ewe, Moi, Grusi, Gurma, Lobi, etc. Christianity has spread its influence in the south of the country, along the coast, as well as in some central areas and cities. Christians make up approximately 23% of the population. Of these, over 1.3 million are Protestants. The largest organizations, numbering hundreds of thousands of adherents, are Presbyterians, Evangelicals, Methodists, Anglicans; Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, the Salvation Army, Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. each have several tens of thousands of supporters. There are about 1.2 million Catholics, more than half of them live on the coast. In the south of the country there are supporters of Christian-African churches and sects - 350-400 thousand (4% of the population). The most influential and largest: “Church of the Lord God”, “African Universal Church”, “Church of the 12 Apostles”, “Society of the Prophet Vovenu” (one of many), “Church of the Savior”, etc. Islam is professed by a tenth of the country’s inhabitants. Muslims live mainly in the north of Ghana. These are the peoples of the Dagomba, Fulbe, Gurma, Hausa, Arabs, Lobi, Busa, etc. Among them, Islam of the Sunni direction of the Maliki madhhab is widespread, but there is a group of Shafiites. The Sufi orders of Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya are influential. In the cities of the coast there are about 30 thousand members of the Ahmadiyya sect.

Togo

In the Republic of Togo, local traditional cults and religions are common among most of the Ewe, Tem, Gourma, Somba, Kabre, etc. peoples (71% of the inhabitants). Christianity is practiced by about 27% of the population (620 thousand people), mainly in the southern and coastal regions and cities. There are over 456 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church (20%). Protestants - 165 thousand (7%). The most numerous, numbering several tens of thousands of people each, are the communities of evangelists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Pentecostals. There are a small number of Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists and Jehovah's Witnesses. There are small groups (about 10 thousand) of adherents of Christian-African churches and sects: “Society of the Prophet Vovenu”, “Mission of the Assemblies of God”, etc. Islam is professed by 100 thousand people. These are mainly residents of the northern regions - Fulbe, Hausa, etc. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki religious and legal school is widespread among them. The Tijaniyya Sufi order is influential.

Benin

In the People's Republic of Benin, more than 60% of the population are adherents of traditional cults and religions. These are the Ewe, Fon, Somba, Barba and others. Christians make up 16% of the population (about 500 thousand), these are mainly residents of the southern and coastal regions of the country. About 444 thousand people adhere to Catholicism. There are about 50 thousand Protestants. They are mainly Methodists, evangelists and Pentecostals. Syncretic Christian-African sects and churches have become widespread in the coastal regions of Benin, whose supporters make up a tenth of the population (about 300 thousand). The sects of Harris, the “Temple of Fish Sellers”, “Heavenly Christianity”, “Church of the Oracles”, “United Native African Church” and others are especially influential. More than 400 thousand people (14% of the population) adhere to Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab. These are mainly residents of the northern regions of the country - Fulbe, Songhai, Jerma, Busa, Hausa and others. Among Muslims, the Tijaniyya and Qadiriyya orders are influential.

Nigeria

In the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adherents of Islam account for 40 to 45% of the population. Muslims predominate in the north of the country, where they make up over two-thirds of the region's population; in the west, up to a third, and a small number live in eastern Nigeria. Sunni Islam, predominantly of the Maliki madhhab, is widespread. The majority of Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Songhai, partly Yoruba, Shoa Arabs, etc. are Muslims. Many adherents of the Tijaniyya Sufi order can be found among the Hausa; in the north of the country the Qadiriyya order is widespread; in Lagos and in the cities of the north you can find supporters of the Ahmadiyya sect, numbering a total of about 20 thousand people. Local traditional religions in modern Nigeria are followed by 35-40% of the population. These are mainly the peoples of the central and southern regions of the country; in the north they make up up to a quarter of the inhabitants, in the west - a third, in the east - half. Some peoples still maintain secret alliances (for example, the Yoruba - Egungun, Oro, Ogboni, etc.). The Christian population is 15-18% (10 to 11 million people). In the east of the country, Christians make up half of the local population, in the west - more than a third, in the north - only 3%. Protestants, whose total number is estimated at 6 to 8 million, predominate over Catholics. The largest churches are the Anglican (over 1.5 million adherents), the Society of Churches of Christ (more than 0.5 million people). The rest number from several hundred to several tens of thousands each - Methodists (300 thousand), Baptists (350 thousand), Evangelicals (400 thousand), Pentecostals (100 thousand), Presbyterians (100 thousand), Kwa Ibo Church ( 100 thousand), Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. In total, there are about 40 Protestant organizations in Nigeria. There are over 4.1 million adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. The strongest position of Catholicism is among the Ibo peoples, partly Yoruba, Bini, Ijaw, etc. Supporters of syncretic Christian-African churches and sects unite in 150 communities and make up about 2% of the Nigerian population (up to 1 .5 million adherents). They live mainly in coastal areas. The most influential and numerous sect of the “cherubim and seraphim” (approx. 0.5 million), of the rest, the most widespread are the sects of the “Holy Spirit”, “Church of the Holy Ethiopian Community”, “National Church of Nigeria”, “Apostopic Church of Christ” (approx. . 100 thousand), “Church of God” (Aladura), etc.

Niger

In the Niger Republic, Muslims make up up to 85% of the population. Islam of the Sunni direction of the Mapiki religious and legal school is widespread among the peoples of the Hausa, Songhai, Djerma, Dendi, Fulbe, Kanuri, Tuareg, Arabs, Tubu, etc. The Sufi order Tid-Jayiya is influential in the southern regions, and the Qadiriyya in the central regions. In the areas of Agadez, Bilma and on the border with Chad there are small numbers of Senusites. In the southwest of the country there are a small number of supporters of the Hamaliyya order. Autochthonous beliefs in Niger are adhered to by approximately 14% of the population, these are mainly residents of the southern and southwestern regions of the country. Christians - about 15 thousand. Almost all of them are Catholics, residents of Niamey. Protestants - evangelists, Baptists, Methodists - a thousand people.

Chad

In the Republic of Chad, the predominant religion is Islam (about 3/5 of the population) of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab; among the Arabs there are also supporters of the Shafi'i one. In the north of the country, the influence of the Qadiriyya Sufi order is widespread, in the south - the Tijaniyya, and in the regions of Kanem, Wadai, Tibesti and Ennedi there are Senusites. In addition, there are groups of supporters of the Khat Miya and Mahdiyya orders. Traditional religions are adhered to by residents of the southern regions of Chad (over a third of the population) - the Bagirmi, Mboum, Masa, etc. peoples. Christians, also living in the south, make up more than 9% of the country's population. There are over 210 thousand Catholics. Protestants, numbering 100 thousand, are represented by Lutherans, Evangelicals, Baptists, etc.

Cameroon

Slightly less than half of the population of the United Republic of Cameroon adheres to traditional cults and religions. The bulk of them are concentrated in the southern and central regions of the country - Fang, Duala, Maka, Bamileke, Tikar, Tiv, etc. Christians make up over a third of the inhabitants. This is mainly the population of the southern, coastal regions and cities of the country. There are over 1.6 million supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. Protestants, of whom there are about 0.8 million, are concentrated mainly in the west and coastal regions of Cameroon. The largest and most influential communities are Presbyterians, Evangelicals (each of them has several hundred thousand adherents), Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Lutherans (several tens of thousands each), Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. There are about 100 thousand adherents of Christian-African churches and sects Among them, the “United Native Church” is especially influential. Sunni Islam of the Maliki madhhab is widespread among the peoples of the northern regions of Cameroon - Hausa, Mandara, Fulbe, Tikar, Bamum, Arabs, Kanuri, etc. (17% of the inhabitants). Here they make up up to half of the population The Tijaniyya and Qadiriya orders are common among Muslims. In the far north there are Senusites.

Central African Republic

In the CAR, a significant number of residents adhere to traditional beliefs (about 75%). the peoples of Banda, Gbaya, Azande, Sere-Mundu and others. There are about 445 thousand Christians (a fifth of the population). Most of them are members of the Roman Catholic Church (about 295 thousand people). There are about 150 thousand Protestants. These are mainly Baptists and evangelists. In the far north of the country, Islam of the Sunni branch of the Maliki madhhab is widespread. There are up to 100 thousand Muslims (5% of the population) among the Hausa, Arabs, Bagirmi and others. The Tijaniyya Sufi order is influential. In addition, in the south of the country there are about 10 thousand supporters of Christian African churches and sects, the Boymanja Society, the Central African Church, etc.

Gabon

In the Gabonese Republic, more than two-thirds of the population professes Christianity. There are over 388 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. There are about 85 thousand Protestants. The vast majority of them belong to the Evangelical Church. There are several thousand adherents of the Protestant organization “Plymouth Brethren”. About 30% of the population adheres to autochthonous religions: Fang, Bakota, Maka, etc. There are several thousand Sunni Muslims (less than 1% of the population). All of them are city dwellers. From Christian-African communities the largest “Banza Church” (over 10 thousand).

Equatorial Guinea

In this republic, about 83% of the inhabitants are Christians. The Roman Catholic Church has 240 thousand supporters. This is almost the entire population of the islands of Bioko and Pagalu, the rest are in the province of Rio Muni. Protestants -8.5 thousand: the majority are Presbyterians (7 thousand), Methodists, etc. A little more than 17% of the population adheres to traditional beliefs, mainly residents of the hinterlands of Rio Muni. Muslims - a thousand people (Hausa foreigners). There is a group of supporters of syncretic organizations in the country: “Banza Church”, “Assembly of Brethren”, etc.

Sao Tome and Principe

In the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, the vast majority of the population adheres to Christianity of the Catholic faith (60 thousand people). Protestants (Seventh-day Adventists) number several thousand. There are groups of Muslims and supporters of traditional beliefs.

Congo

In the People's Republic of the Congo, less than half of the inhabitants are supporters of traditional cults and religions (about 48%). These are the peoples of the central and northern regions of the country: Bakongo, Bavili, Bakota, Gbaya, etc. Christianity is widespread among residents of the southern provinces and large cities (47% of the population). The majority are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church (475 thousand). Protestants - 150 thousand. They are represented by evangelists, partly Lutherans, Baptists, members of the Salvation Army, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. Supporters of syncretic Christian-African churches and sects number several tens of thousands of people (4% of the population). These are mainly members of the “Matsuaist Church of Kinzonzi”, partly of the Kimbanguist sects, “Black Mission” (or “Khaki Movement”, Tonzi and others. There are about 10 thousand Sunni Muslims (1% of the population). They live in cities.

Zaire

In the Republic of Zaire, about 2/5 of the population adheres to traditional beliefs. Christianity became widespread (more than half of the population). There are especially many adherents of the Roman Catholic Church (42%, or 10.2 million people), with a third of their number concentrated in the western provinces of Kinshasa, Lower Zaire, Bandundu; the sixth part is in the provinces of Eastern and Western Kasai. In all these provinces Catholics make up half the population. There are about 2.5 million Protestants, which is more than 10% of the population of Zaire. The bulk of them are concentrated in the east - in the provinces of Kivu and Upper Zaire and in the south - in the province of Shaba. The most numerous, numbering several hundred thousand people each, are the communities of Lutherans, Evangelists, Baptists, the Church of Christ, Seventh-day Adventists, Presbyterians, and Methodists. The rest include members of the Salvation Army, Pentecostals, Anglicans, Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. There are numerous Western European and North American missionary organizations. Several thousand Orthodox and Uniates live in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Christian-African syncretic churches and sects have spread their influence to part of the country's population - more than 1.5 million people (5% of the population). The most numerous and influential organization in the country is the Kimbangists ("The Church of Jesus Christ, founded on earth by Simon Kimbangu"), numbering over 200 thousand adherents and widespread in the west of Zaire. In the province of Shaba there is a Kitawala sect (100 thousand), which is under strong influence Jehovahism The Muvungi, Matsuaists, “Holy Spirit” sects, the Apostolic Church, and the Lumpa Church also have their adherents. “Black Churches”, “Churches of God”, Dieudonne, Nzambi wa Malemwe, etc. Islam is followed by about 3% of the population of Zaire (over 0.6 million people). They live mainly in the east of the country. Sunni Islam is widespread among Muslims. The Shafi'i madhhab has the largest number of supporters, the rest adhere to the Maliki madhhab. There are about 2 thousand Jewish Jews in Lubumbashi

Angola

In the People's Republic of Angola, about 45% of the population is adherents of autochthonous cults and religions. More than half of the inhabitants (over 3.2 million) profess Christianity. Of these, about 2.8 million are supporters of the Roman Catholic Church, and about two-thirds of them are concentrated in the west of the country. There are more than 450 thousand Protestants, mostly residents of the eastern and southern regions of Angola. The largest community is evangelicals, numbering over 200 thousand people. The communities of the “Angolan African Church,” Congregationalists, Methodists, and Baptists have several tens of thousands of adherents each. The rest are Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.

Adherents of Christian-African churches and sects make up up to 2% of the population (120 thousand). The most active sects are Toko, Tongzi, Kimban-Gist, Mpadi (or “Black Mission”), “Izambi ya Bongi”, “Olosanto”, “Bapostolo”, etc.

Sudan

In the Democratic Republic of Sudan, the predominant religion is Islam (70% of the population). Muslims are predominantly residents of the central and northern provinces. Among supporters of Islam, the Sunni school of thought is widespread. The majority adheres to the Maliki madhhab, there are Shafiites and Hanifites. There are numerous Sufi orders or brotherhoods of the Ansar, Qadiriyya, Khat-miya, Bedawiyya, Samaniya, Shchadiliyya, Idrisiyya, Ismailiyya, Tijaniyya, Senu-Siya, Rashidiyya, Jaafariyya, etc. Traditional cults are preserved among the peoples of the southern provinces. Their adherents make up about a quarter of the population (over 5 million - Dinka, Nu-Er, Shilluk, Azande, Moru-Mangbetu, etc.) Christian religions are widespread mainly among residents of the southern regions, and partly among the townspeople of the north. The Roman Catholic Church (more than 600 thousand adherents) enjoys a certain influence in the south. There are over 200 thousand Protestants. These are mainly Anglicans, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, etc. In addition, there are about 35 thousand representatives of Eastern Christianity - Orthodox, Copts, Melkites, Syriac Catholics and Maronites. All of them are residents of large cities in the north. Khartoum has small Hindu and Jewish communities.

Ethiopia

Before the revolution, Ethiopia was the only African country where Christianity was enshrined in the constitution as the state religion. After the overthrow of the monarchy in Socialist Ethiopia, the church was separated from the state. Christians make up about two-thirds of the population. The predominant religion among them is Monophysitism, represented by the Ethiopian Church (16-18 million people) and a small community of several thousand people of the Armenian Gregorian Church. The remaining Christian communities, totaling up to 2% of the population, number 450 thousand people. Of these, the Uniates are Ethiopian Catholics (about 100 thousand), Catholics (about 100 thousand), several thousand Orthodox and about a quarter of a million Protestants. The latter are represented mainly by Lutherans, Evangelicals, then Presbyterians, Anglicans and Seventh-day Adventists. Muslims here make up more than a quarter of the population. Sunni Islam is widespread: in the north - Maliki and Hanifi madhhabs, in the east and southeast - Shafi'i. Among some Muslims there are Sufi orders: Tijaniyya, Sammaniyya, Shadiliyya, Salihiyya, Mir-Ganiyya, Qadiriyya. In addition, there are Zaydi, Ismaili and Wahhabi groups. Traditional cults and religions are adhered to by the population of southern and southeastern Ethiopia (about 7% of the population, or over 1.8 million people). A special group consists of adherents of Christianized traditional beliefs. These are small peoples of the south of the country with a total number of about 100 thousand people (for example, Kemant, etc.). Judaism is widespread among the Falasha, who live north of Lake Tana (30 thousand).

Djibouti

In the Republic of Djibouti, Muslims make up over 90% of the population. Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread. Among some Muslims, the orders of Qadiriyya, Idrisiyya, Salihiyya, and Rifayya are influential. In addition, there are supporters of the Ah-Madiyeh, Ismaili and Zaydi sects. Christians, making up about 11% of the population, are all foreigners: Catholics (about 6 thousand), Protestants (a thousand Evangelicals and Reformed), Orthodox (less than a thousand) and several hundred supporters of the Ethiopian Church. In addition, there are small communities of Hindus and Jews.

Somalia

In the Somali Democratic Republic, the vast majority of the population professes Sunni Islam (over 98% of the inhabitants). Islam is the state religion here. The Shafi'i religious and legal school predominates. The Sufi orders of Qadiriyya, Idrisiyya, Salihiyya, Rifayya, Dandarawiyya, etc. have a significant influence. There are groups of Senusites, Wahhabis, Zaydis, Ibadis. Among the immigrants from the Hindustan Peninsula there are Ismaili Shiites. In southwestern Somalia, traditional beliefs are still preserved among the Wagosha and Waboni peoples (about 1% of the population). Christians - approximately 3-4 thousand people. Of these, there are up to 2.5 thousand Catholics, about a thousand Protestants (Anglicans and Mennonites) and small groups of adherents of the Ethiopian, Orthodox and Armenian Gregorian churches. Some people from Hindustan are Hindus.

Uganda

In the Republic of Uganda, more than 2/5 of the inhabitants still adhere to traditional beliefs and religions. Christians make up half the population. The Roman Catholic Church has 3.6 million adherents. There are over 1.6 million Protestants. The most impressive, the Anglican Church, has up to one and a half million supporters. Of the rest, there are Seventh-day Adventists, members of the Salvation Army, Baptists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, etc. Supporters of Christian African churches and sects number up to 100 thousand people. The largest and most influential are the “Society of One God” (up to 55 thousand), the “African Orthodox Church” (up to 35 thousand), the “praisers”, “chosen” sects, etc. Muslims in this country make up 5% of the population (about 0.6 million). Sunni Islam is widespread, mostly from the Shafi'i madhhab, but there are supporters of the Maliki and Hanafi madhhabs. Among some Muslims there are supporters of the Shchadiliyya and Qadiriyya orders. In addition, there are small communities of Shia Ismaili and Ahmadiyya sects. Large cities are home to several thousand Hindus, Sikhs, and small groups of Parsis and Buddhists.

Kenya

Traditional beliefs in the Republic of Kenya are adhered to by approximately 3/5 of the population (60%). Less than a quarter of the population (23%) professes Christianity. There are about 2.3 million (16%) supporters of the Roman Catholic Church. They are concentrated mainly in the western and central regions of the country. Protestants - a million (or 7%). The largest, numbering several hundred thousand members, are the Anglican Church, Pentecostal sects, Lutherans, the Salvation Army, Quakers; Presbyterians, Methodists, Seventh-day Adventists, etc. each have several tens of thousands. Numerous English, American and Scandinavian missionary organizations and societies operate in Kenya. Islam is practiced by about 1.5 million people (11%), mainly in the coastal and northern regions. Among Muslims, Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread. The Sufi orders of Qadiriyya, Idrisiyya, and Shadiliyya are influential. Representatives of the second direction in Islam - Shiite - number up to 70 thousand. These are mostly foreigners - Indians, Pakistanis, partly Arabs, etc., supporters of the Ismaili, Imami and Ahmadi sects. There are up to 0.7 million adherents of Christian African churches and sects (about 5% of the population). The largest and most influential communities are the Legion of Mary (Maria Legia - about 100 thousand), the Church of Christ (80 thousand), the Church of Christ in Africa (80 thousand), the African Church of Nineveh (60 thousand), Nomya Luo (55 thousand). ), African Orthodox Church (30 thousand), etc. There are over 120 thousand Hindus in Kenya, all of them are Indians, urban residents. In addition, there are about 15 thousand Sikhs, about 8 thousand Jains and several hundred Parsis. Among the Jews (a thousand people) there are Judaists.

Tanzania

Less than half of the people in the United Republic of Tanzania adhere to traditional beliefs (45-48%). Over a quarter of the population professes Islam. Moreover, almost all residents of the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Tumbatu are Muslims. Islam of the Sunni branch of the Shafi'i madhhab is widespread in the coastal, central and western parts of continental Tanzania; There are also Hanifites. Among some Muslims there are Sufi orders of Qadiriyya, Shadiliyya, and in Zanzibar, in addition, Alawiyya and Rifayya. Shiite Islam is less widespread. His followers number just over 70 thousand. Most of them are foreigners, supporters of the Ismaili (Khoja and Bohra), Imami and Ahmadi sects. In addition, over 10 thousand Ibadis (Arabs from Oman) live in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Christians make up about 30% of Tanzania's population. They are concentrated in the northern, western and southwestern regions of the country, as well as in large cities. There are about 2.5 million supporters of the Roman Catholic Church (more than 19% of the population). More than 1.4 million Protestants (more than 10%) unite around 40 churches, sects and missions. The most numerous, numbering over 100 thousand each, are the communities of Lutherans and Evangelicals (0.5 million), Anglicans (0.35 million). The Moravian Church, Pentecostals, the Salvation Army, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, Mennonites, etc. each have several tens of thousands of adherents. Scandinavian, English and American missionaries are very active in the country. Adherents of Christian-African churches and sects make up less than 1% of the population country. In the Lake Provinces live up to 25-30 thousand supporters of the African Orthodox Church; supporters of the sects Maria Legia, the Lumpa Church, Roho Musanda, Nomya Luo, the Church of Chief Muvuta, etc. Hindus make up less than 1% of the population. There are small groups of Sikhs and Jains.

Rwanda

In the Republic of Rwanda, the population following traditional religions is about 60%. Christianity is professed by more than 39% of the population (about 2 million people). The vast majority are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, there are 1,775 thousand of them. Protestants - 200 thousand (4%). These are mainly Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists; several thousand each of Presbyterians, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists, etc. There are about 10 thousand Muslims in Rwanda: these are Swahili who adhere to the Sunnism of the Shafi'i madhhab; Indians are Shia Ismailis and Sunni Hanifis. There are supporters of Hinduism among Indians.

Burundi

In the Republic of Burundi, unlike its northern neighbor, the majority of the population is adherents of Christianity (over 60%). There are 2.2 million Catholics (54%) Protestants make up approximately 7% of the population (250 thousand). These are mainly Anglicans, Pentecostals, Methodists, Evangelicals, Baptists, and Seventh-day Adventists. There is an Orthodox community in Bujumbura (about 2 thousand people). Less than a third of the local population adheres to autochthonous beliefs (32%). Christian-African churches and sects have about 25 thousand supporters, mainly the “Church of God in Burundi”. About 10 thousand people adhere to Islam. These are Sunni Shafiites - Swahili Arabs and Indians. There is a group of Shia Ismailis. In addition In addition, a small group of Hindus live in the capital.

Mozambique

In the People's Republic of Mozambique, over 70% of the population adheres to traditional religions. Christianity is professed by more than 18% of the inhabitants. Their third part is concentrated in the south of the country, the rest - mainly along the coast. Catholics - over 1.4 million (18%). Protestants - less than a quarter of a million (2%). The most numerous are Methodists, Anglicans Nazarenes, then Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostals, Presbyterian Baptists, Congregationalists, Evangelists, etc. Adherents of Christian-African sects (mainly among residents of the south of the country) number about 60 thousand, united in 80 communities (for example , African Church, Luz Episcopal Church, etc.). Islam is practiced by more than 10% of the population (0.8 million people). The Sunni direction of the Shafi'i madhhab predominates; among foreigners there are Hanifites. Muslims are concentrated in the north of the country - from the coast to the border with Malawi. Among some Indians there are Ismaili Shiites. There are about 10 thousand Hindus, all of them come from the Hindustan Peninsula.

Zambia

In the Republic of Zambia, adherents of traditional religions make up more than 3/5 of the population. Christians (34%) predominate in the Copper Belt and large cities, Catholics in particular in the north of the country. There are about a million people (19%) of supporters of the Roman Catholic Church; about 800 thousand (15%) of Protestants. Their largest evangelical communities are over a quarter of a million people; Reformed Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Seventh-day Adventists each have several tens of thousands of adherents , Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. Adherents of Christian-African churches and sects in Zambia make up 3% of the population (up to 160 thousand people). These are mainly supporters of the Kitawala sects, the Lumpa Church, etc. They are widespread in the central and northern regions of the country among the Bemba and other peoples.Muslims live in large cities, numbering about 10 thousand - Sunnis (Hanifis, Shafiites) and Ismailis. There are Hindus (9 thousand) and Judaists (less than a thousand).

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, 63% of residents adhere to local traditional beliefs. Christians make up about a quarter of the population (1.5 million people). They live mainly in central regions and large cities. Of these, about a quarter of a million are Europeans. There are less than a million Protestants (15%). The largest communities, numbering over 100 thousand people each, are Methodists, Anglicans and two Reformed ones. Presbyterians, the Salvation Army, Seventh-day Adventists, Evangelists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses and others have several tens of thousands of adherents each. Supporters of the Roman Catholic Church - 600 thousand (10%). Less than 10 thousand Orthodox Christians live in the cities of Salisbury and Bulawayo. Christian African churches and sects have approximately 0.7 million adherents (11%). Among them, the “Nazareth Baptist Church”, Kitawala, and various “Ethiopian”, “Apostolic”, “Zion” sects are active. In addition, in Bulawayo and Salisbury there are Sunni Muslims - Hanifites and Shafi'ites, Ismailis (10 thousand), Hindus (about 5 thousand). Among the Jews (about 10 thousand) there are Judaists.

Botswana

In the Republic of Botswana, most of the local population adheres to tribal religions (over 78%). Over 170 thousand people (a quarter of the population) profess Christianity, most of them are adherents of Protestantism (more than 145 thousand, or 22%). The most numerous, numbering several tens of thousands of supporters, are the Congregational, Lutheran and Reformed churches. Small communities include Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, and Seventh-day Adventists. There are about 25 thousand Catholics (3%). Some Christian African sects have spread their influence from Zimbabwe and South Africa, whose adherents in Botswana number up to 15 thousand (2.5%).

Lesotho

In the Kingdom of Lesotho, Christianity is professed by about 70% of the local population. Of these, the majority are adherents of the Roman Catholic Church - 470 thousand (45%). Protestants -250 thousand (24%). Over half are evangelicals, the rest are Reformed, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, etc. More than a quarter of the population adheres to local traditional beliefs. Christian African churches and sects have spread their influence from South Africa. The number of their supporters is about 60 thousand, or 5% (for example, “Kereke sa Mo-shoeshoe”, etc.). There are several thousand Indians - Muslims and Hindus.

Swaziland

In the Kingdom of Swaziland, more than two-thirds of local residents adhere to their traditional religions. Christianity is common among a minority of the population (23%). Protestants - 67 thousand (14%). These are Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans, Reformed, Nazarenes, Seventh-day Adventists and other Catholics - over 42 thousand (about 9%). There are about a dozen Christian African churches and sects, with a total number of supporters of about 50 thousand (11%). There are small communities of Muslims (Sunni - Hanifis and Shafi'is), Hindus and Jews.

Namibia

In Namibia, illegally occupied by South Africa, more than half the population is Christian (56%). They are concentrated mainly in the central and southern regions. Of these, a sixth are Europeans and their descendants. Protestants - 400 thousand (about 50%). The largest (over 270 thousand supporters) are two Lutheran churches. Several tens of thousands each in the Reformed Church and the Seventh-day Adventist sect. Of the rest, there are communities of Methodists, Congregationalists, etc. Adherents of the Roman Catholic Church make up 16% of the population (over 132 thousand). Some Christian African churches and sects, whose adherents number about 30 thousand (4%), spread their influence from South Africa. For example, the Herero Church and others. About 40% of the local population adheres to traditional beliefs.

South Africa

More than 47% of the population adheres to the Christian faith (over 12 million people). Of these, 4.3 million Europeans, 2.3 million “colored” (more than 90% of their total number), up to 50 thousand Asians (7% of their number), 5.3 million Africans (or 29% of their numbers).Over 40% of the population, or about 10.5 million people, are Protestants. The most numerous, numbering several million people, are Reformed organizations (2.5 million), united in six churches, Methodists (2, 3 million), united in four churches, and the Anglican Church (1.9 million). Lutherans and Evangelicals number up to one million. Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Pentecostals, and Baptists number several hundred thousand each. Seventh-day Adventists number several tens of thousands each Jehovah's Witnesses, Moravian Brothers, etc. Supporters of the Roman Catholic Church - 1.78 million (about 7% of the population). Of these, more than half live in Nahal, a third in the Transvaal. There is a small Orthodox community (about 10 thousand people). Approximately two-thirds of whites are Reformed, Anglican and Catholic, and numerous North American and Western European missionary societies are active in South Africa. More than a third of the population (about 37%), or more than half of Africans (up to 10 million), adhere to traditional beliefs. There are over 2 thousand Christian African churches and sects in South Africa, with only 80 officially registered. The total number of their adherents reaches 3.5 million (13%). About half of them are in the Transvaal, a quarter live in Natal, and a fifth live in the Cape Province. The most influential and numerous are the “Nazareth Baptist Church”, “Iban Church of the Face of the Cross”, “Ethiopian”, “Zion” and a number of others. About 0.5 million people (2% of the population) adhere to Hinduism. The bulk of them are concentrated in the Natal region, especially in the city of Durban. Sunni Islam is professed by 0.4 million people (1.5%). Of this number, two thirds are Indians, adherents of the Hanafi madhhab, the rest are “Cape Malays” - Shafiites from the city of Cape Town. Among Indian Muslims there are several thousand Shia Ismailis. Among the Jewish population, numbering over 120 thousand people (0 .5%), there are supporters of Judaism. More than half of them live in Johannesburg.

Madagascar

Currently, in the Democratic Republic of Madagascar, approximately half of the population adheres to traditional religions (over 44%). Over 3 million people profess Christianity, which is 42% of the population. More than half of them are Protestants - 1.8 million (22%). The church organizations of Evangelicals, Congregationalists and Lutherans each number several hundred thousand adherents. The communities of Quakers, Anglicans, Pentecostals and Seventh-day Adventists each have several tens of thousands of members. Numerous Norwegian, French, English and American missionary societies operate in this republic. Supporters of the Roman Catholic Church make up a fifth of the population, or 1.76 million people, with two-thirds of their number concentrated in the central regions. In the interior of the island there are adherents of syncretic religions, who make up 3-4% of the population (about a quarter of a million people). The largest: Malagasy Church, Independent Reformed Church of Madagascar, Church of the Followers of God, Church of the Spiritual Awakening of the Malagasy. About a tenth of the population (800 thousand people) adheres to Islam. The bulk of them live in the north-west, the rest - mainly in the south of the country, partly in the west. Sunni Islam, predominantly of the Shafi'i madhhab, is widespread among the Sakalava, Antankarava, Tsimikheti, and others. Among Indian Muslims there is a group of Ismailis. Part of the Muslim population is supporters of Sufi orders - Ismailiyya (in Antananarivo), Shadiliyya, Qadiriyya, Naqshbandiyya, as well as the Ahmadiyya sect. The island's cities are home to groups of Hindus, Buddhists and Confucians.

Mauritius

In this state, which includes the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and some smaller ones, half of the population professes Hinduism (about 460 thousand people, or 51%). All of them come from the Hindustan Peninsula. Less than a third of the population adheres to Christianity (31%, or 280 thousand). There are 270 thousand adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, mainly French-Mauritians and French. Protestants - about 15 thousand - Anglicans, Presbyterians and Seventh-day Adventists. There are Muslims among the Indo-Mauritians (150 thousand, or 17% of the population) and a small group of Arabs. Islam is widespread among them, predominantly of the Sunni branch of the Hanafi madhhab, partly Shafi'i. In addition, there are a small number of Ismaili Shia (Bohras and Khojas) and members of the Ahmadiyya sect. The island is home to a small number of Buddhists (most are supporters of the Mahayana movement, others are Hinayana) and Confucians (10 thousand, or 1% of the population). On Rodrigues Island, 90% of the population is Catholic, the rest are Confucian, Buddhist, Hindu and Sunni Muslim.

Reunion

In the French possession of Reunion Island, more than 92% of the population are Catholic Christians. There is a small group of Protestants. Islam is professed by 15 thousand people, which is 3% of the population. Muslims who adhere to the Sunnism of the Shafi'i madhhab are Arabs and Swahili; Indian Muslims are supporters of the Hanafi madhhab. In addition, there is a group of Ismaili Indians. Hinduism is common among some Indians (1%, or several thousand people). There is a group of Buddhists and Confucians (about 3 thousand).

Comoros

Almost the entire population of the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros professes Islam of the Sunni branch of the Shafi'i madhhab. Among them, the Shadiliyya, Qadiriyya and Naqshban-Diya Sufi orders are influential. There are small groups of Shiites among the Indians (Ismailis) and Yemenis (Zaydis), Christian Catholics - a thousand people (the French and a group of Comorians).

Seychelles

In the Republic of Seychelles, 91% of the population adheres to Christianity - the Roman Catholic religion (54 thousand). There are about 5 thousand Protestants. All of them are Anglicans. Muslims - about a thousand people. There is a group of Hindus and Confucians.

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To prepare this work, materials were used from the site http://religion.historic.ru

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Man appeared in Africa about five million years ago. Today, the African continent is home to many peoples who speak more than 800 languages ​​(of which 730 are classified). Africans are distinguished by their “race” and “cultural area,” but over the past quarter century it has become clear that these criteria are not enough. There are no clear linguistic boundaries, but there is a completely satisfactory linguistic classification of languages.

In 1966, Joseph Greenberg proposed dividing the languages ​​of the African continent into four large families, including numerous related languages. The main one is the Congo-Kordofan family, where the most significant is the Niger-Congo group, which includes a large group of Bantu languages. The linguistic area of ​​the Kongo-Kordofan region includes the center and southern Africa.

The second language family, which includes the languages ​​of the inhabitants of the Nile, Western Sudan and the middle reaches of the Niger, is Nilo-Saharan.

In the north and northeast, languages ​​of the Afro-Asiatic family are common; it includes the Semitic languages ​​spoken in western Asia, Egyptian, Berber, Cushitic and Chadic languages; The last group includes the Hausa languages.

The fourth family consists of languages ​​commonly called "click" (after the four characteristic sounds of the Bushman language); Greenberg gave them the name Khoisan languages, they are spoken mainly by Bushmen and Hottentots.

Religious boundaries do not coincide with linguistic boundaries. In the countries of northern Africa, Islam has long been widespread among the Egyptians and Berbers; The Berbers also retained remnants of pre-Muslim cults, such as the worship of women overcome by sacred madness, which was readily compared with the ancient cult of Dionysus in Greece, and belief in the magical actions of African sorcerers.

At the center of Berber Afro-Islamic syncretism is the figure of a marabout who wields magical powers - baraka. Before the advent of Islam, Judaism was widespread among the Berber tribes living in these lands, as well as the African form of Christianity, which gave rise to the Puritan movement of Donatism, condemned by Augustine (354-430), from which it can be concluded that the Berbers always maintained their isolation and chose such a form of religion that differed in a certain way from the dominant one.

In the West the situation is different. Christianity, Islam and local cults are practiced in Senegal. The further south you go, the more complex the religious picture becomes. Beliefs in Guinea, Liberia, Cote Divoire, Sierra Leone and Benin are syncretistic. The Mande people are committed to Islam, but the same cannot be said about the Bambara, Mipyanka and Senufo. Autochthonous cults flourish in the Nigerian Federation. The majority of the population in the region adheres to traditional Yoruba beliefs.

Syncretism prevails in Equatorial Africa, while in the south, on the contrary, thanks to Portuguese preachers and the Protestant missions of the British and Dutch, Christianity became widespread. In the east, the syncretic religion of the Bantu peoples developed on the basis of faith in the Prophet. Finally, the tribes living around the Great Lakes (Azande, Nuer, Dinka, Maasai), due to the passivity of English missionaries, continue to practice the religion of their ancestors.

Before considering individual beliefs, it is necessary to note two features that, although not universal, are nevertheless characteristic of many African cults: this is the belief in a Supreme Being, who is an abstract “heavenly” deity, deus ociosus, removed from human affairs and therefore not directly present in the rituals, and belief in predictions received in two ways (the spirit speaks through the lips of the possessed, and the cult minister interprets the signs inscribed on the ground; the latter method most likely came from the Arabs).