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[German Version] A group of churches that emerged in Yoruba (Niger) from the 1920s onwards. It includes the “Christian Apostolic Church” (CAC), “Cherubim and Seraphim” C&S, “ Church of the Lord (Aladura)” CLA, “ Celestial Church of Christ” CCC, “Evangelical Church of Yahweh,” and their various sub-groups …

[German Version] The modern city of Benin represents, as the former royal capital, the nucleus of the kingdom of Benin and is inhabited by Edo-speaking peoples – the Bini, Ishan, Ivbiosakon, Afenmai, Isoko, and Urhobo. Their territory extends from the Kukuruku hills in the north, to the southern fringes of the coastal mangrove forest, and is bounded in the west and …

[German Version] (1768, Old Piqua, OK – Oct 15, 1813, at the Thames river, Ontario, Canada), Shawnee Indian political leader of various Indian tribes (Native American Indians). By the early 1800s, Tecumseh formed an Indian confederacy. In 1805, Tecumseh’s brother, Lalawethika, sustained a religious experience and laid claims to a revitalization doctrine enjoining Shawnees to relinquish contacts with Americans. By 1808, Tecumseh began to transform the religious movement into a political alliance, u…

[German Version] The earliest mission phase in Nigeria was the sporadic, futile attempts by the Portuguese in Benin and Warri from the 15th century. 1841, the year of the first Niger expedition, marked the genesis of the movement to reestablish Christianity; and ¶ 1891 marked the end of the first phase of this new attempt (S.A. Crowther). Societies engaged in mission work during this era were: the Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, and Catholics. The success of this phase was significantly associated with the creation and th…

[German Version] I. General Overview The Zulu are a Nguni people who live mainly in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. They form the largest black population of the country, numbering around nine million. They have close cultural, ethnic, and linguistic affinities with the Xhosa and the Swazi. In the early 19th century, Chief Shaka (c. 1787–1828) united various Nguni peoples through new techniques of warfare and expansive conquest, thus forming a powerful Zulu nation. II. Cosmology and Beliefs Zulu religious thought and practice is complex. It is intricately tied …

[German Version] The Poro and Bundu (Sande) are male and female secret societies in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Both societies have spread among various ethnic groups such as the Mende, Temne, Sherbro, Vai, and the Lokko. I.  The Poro is the oldest society among the Mende; its main task is to train adolescents. Initiation is mandatory for males and the associated rituals symbolize the transition from childhood into adulthood (Rites of passage). Initiation takes place in the dry season between November and May, a period when several …

[German Version] I. General Overview The Yoruba are one of the major ethnic groups numbering over 30 million people throughout the West Africa region. The larger group of the Yoruba lives in southwestern Nigeria, while others are located in Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Benin, and in the ¶ Americas. Yoruba Diaspora, resulting from the transatlantic slave trade, profoundly influenced the cultures of Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, and other parts of the New World. This partly led to the development of Yoruba-derived religions such as the Santer…