Precolonial Beliefs in God, Nzambi, and Chthonic Beings: Evidence from Kongo Texts
Manuscripts in their own language by indigenous ethnographers at the beginning of the colonial period, not hitherto examined in detail, give unique insight into precolonial beliefs in the Kikongo-speaking region of what was then Belgian Congo, and the transition to Christianity. That transition depe...
| Autor principal: | |
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| Tipo de documento: | Electrónico Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Verificar disponibilidad: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Publicado: |
Brill
2022
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| En: |
Journal of religion in Africa
Año: 2022, Volumen: 52, Número: 1/2, Páginas: 1-21 |
| (Cadenas de) Palabra clave estándar: | B
Congos (Peuple)
/ Präkolonialzeit
/ Image de Dieu
/ Doctrine de la création
/ Évolution sémantique
/ Traduction
/ Christianisation
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| Clasificaciones IxTheo: | AD Sociología de la religión AG Vida religiosa BB Religiones indígenas (de grupos étnicos) BS Religiones africanas (excepto cristianismo, islam) CC Cristianismo ; Religión no cristiana ; Relaciones inter-religiosas KAH Edad Moderna KBN África subsahariana NBC Dios NBD Creación |
| Otras palabras clave: | B
Belief
B Nzambi B Translation B Morality B earth spirits B God B Congos |
| Acceso en línea: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Sumario: | Manuscripts in their own language by indigenous ethnographers at the beginning of the colonial period, not hitherto examined in detail, give unique insight into precolonial beliefs in the Kikongo-speaking region of what was then Belgian Congo, and the transition to Christianity. That transition depended in large part on translation, giving new meanings to old words. The texts suggest that Nzambi, now the Kongo name for the Christian God, was originally a personification of death. The power of life, on the other hand, was credited to bisimbi, chthonic forces that are simultaneously both material and immaterial. Although scholars have generally overlooked this issue, belief in these forces is foundational to what has usually been called traditional religion and its rituals, most of them now extinct. This Kongo configuration exemplifies, on a small scale, one that is found generally in West and Central Africa. |
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| ISSN: | 1570-0666 |
| Obras secundarias: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion in Africa
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700666-12340224 |