indigenous religions and Christianity and Islam. Although in many cases
scholars in departments of religious studies and those in departments of history
have not interacted closely, there have been positive developments in some
countries.
An unlikely resource for scholars of religions has emerged in the form of
African creative writers. They have been actively involved in documenting the
interaction between ATRs and the missionary religions. Across sub-Saharan
Africa, creative writers have described the impact of missionary religions on
local cultures. They have drawn attention to the role of women in indigenous
religions, the social disruption following conversion to missionary religions,
and other themes. Celebrated African writers such as Chinua Achebe (1958)
from Nigeria provide detailed descriptions of African beliefs and practices.
Achebe and other African writers highlight the extent to which missionary
religions such as Christianity have been responsible for undermining ATRs.
Some creative writers from West Africa also illustrate the interaction between
Islam and ATRs. In turn, African creative writers have sometimes relied on
scholars of religions for historical details relating to ATRs and other religions.
The study of religions in Africa has also interacted with various other fields.
These include African languages and linguistics. The study of sacred oral texts
in ATRs depends heavily on understanding African languages. Wande Abimbola
(1977) from Nigeria has shown how language is an integral part of the religion.
In his work on Ifa divination poetry, Abimbola has demonstrated the close
relationship that exists between religion and language. There is mutual
dependence between the study of religions and linguistics in Africa. Other fields
such as economics, political science, and environmental studies have utilized
the works of African scholars of religions. In turn, scholars of religions have
benefited from these disciplines. A good example is how some studies on
Pentecostalism in Africa relate its success to the economic and social crises that
gripped the region in the 1990s. An emerging scholar from Nigeria, Asonzeh
F. K. Ukah (2005) has drawn attention to the close connection between
Pentecostalism and the prevailing socio-economic challenges. On the other
hand, findings from environmental studies have guided scholars of religions to
identify dimensions of environmental conservation in ATRs (e.g. Taringa 2006).
Overall, one may argue that scholars of religions in sub-Saharan Africa have
interacted with researchers from diverse fields of study. They have accepted
the reality that religions are complex phenomena that require different
approaches.Emerging issuesThere are a number of issues that have come to the fore since the 1990s in
the study of religions in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the most prominent issues120
EZRA CHITANDO