By: Trey Ellis, Saiteja C., Patrick Dickey, Cole Smith, and Simon Democko Religion In South Africa

Religious Beliefs Before Colonization  Animist Religions and belief systems were in place in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Between the 5 th and 13 th centuries in East Africa, the dominant religion was Christianity.

Religious Beliefs Before Colonization (cont.)  Islam was practiced on the Indian Ocean coastline and the coastline of Sahel.  Islam hardly reached the interior.

Theistic Beliefs and Rituals Before Colonization  The Traditional religion included many myths with gods and ancestor heroes, whose lives were used as examples to learn from.  They believed that through dance and altered states of consciousness they would obtain knowledge from the gods and ancestor’s spirits to heal a person or help against evil.

Theistic Beliefs and Rituals Before Colonization (cont.)  Most of the people in South Africa believe in a supreme being. They believed that this god had the power of creation. This god was basically thought to be unreachable for human beings and beyond comprehension.  They believed that spirits could communicate with and influence the world of the living and were the connection to a great god.  There were also with doctors that used “magical remedies” to cure the diseased.

The Impact of Christianity on South African Culture  Christianity had negative affects on south Africa.  According to Jacob Zuma (the president of South Africa) “Had destroyed the safety net for orphans, elderly people and the poor.” He has blamed Christianity for the fall of many important traditions.  Zuma said it was crucial that South Africans return to the "old days of doing things" because the modern way had caused problems in society.

Dominant Sects During the 1940s  Pentecostal  Dutch Reformed Churches  Apostolic  Zionist

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