Syncretism or Erasure? Navigating the Survival of African Traditional Religions in Nigeria's Christian and Islamic Milieu

Seunfunmi; ABILAWON; PhD      Olatunji David OSINUGA       (Word count: )

doi:10.56201/ijrcp.vol.10.no5.2025.pg78.90

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Syncretism or Erasure? Navigating the Survival of African Traditional Religions in Nigeria's Christian and Islamic Milieu

Seunfunmi, ABILAWON, PhD Olatunji David OSINUGA (Word count: )

Abstract

This study examines the complex survival mechanisms of African Traditional Religions (ATR) within Nigeria's predominantly Christian and Islamic communities, challenging the binary framework of syncretism versus erasure. Through historical analysis and ethnographic synthesis, it reveals how ATR persists despite centuries of suppression from pre-colonial Islamic jihad states (e.g., Sokoto Caliphate), colonial-era Christian missionary activity, and contemporary reformist movements. Findings indicate ATR endures through three interconnected strategies: (1) Explicit syncretism in African Instituted Churches (e.g., Aladura) and Sufi orders, which adapt indigenous practices within dominant religious frameworks; (2) Compartmentalization, where individuals publicly adhere to Christianity/Islam while privately maintaining ancestral veneration, traditional healing, and spirit appeasement; and (3) Persistence of core cosmological worldviews shaping holistic concepts of well-being, community, and the sacredness of nature across religious identities. However, these strategies operate under significant power imbalances, leading to contested integration and ongoing marginalization of ATR practitioners. The study underscores the limitations of the syncretism-erasure dichotomy, highlighting how ATR survival embodies resilience amid theological condemnation, cultural stigmatization, and political exclusion. Recommendations include constitutional recognition of ATR, protection of sacred sites, educational curriculum reform, and community-led documentation initiatives to safeguard Nigeria’s indigenous religious heritage and foster inclusive pluralism.

Keywords

African Traditional ReligionsNigeriaReligious SyncretismCompartmentalization

References

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Syncretism or Erasure? Navigating the Survival of African Traditional Religions in Nigeria's Christian and Islamic Milieu

Abstract

Keywords

References

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