非洲传统宗教文化中的和平含义

Probing into the Meaning of Peace in African Traditional Religion and Culture

非洲传统宗教的基本特征体现在信仰、崇拜、道德和世界观四方面。就非洲整体而言,传统宗教信仰的主要对象是上帝、神、精灵和祖先;崇拜涉及生活的各个方面,通过献祭、供品、祷告、乞灵、赞美和舞蹈来完成;在非洲传统宗教中,对上帝和神灵的信仰暗含了某种行为,这种行为尊重上帝已建立的秩序,并受到神和祖先的监视,在此基础上形成其社会道德规范。在非洲传统社会里,和平不是与混乱和战争相联系,而是与秩序、和谐和平衡相联系。这是一个宗教价值观,同时也是一个道德价值观。关于和平的非洲道德和宗教价值观对于理解当今的世界和平具有重要的意义。

This paper intends to examine the meaning of peace in African tradi-tional religion （ATR） and culture, The essential features of ATR under three head- ings, which may be regarded as the three principal dimensions of religion： belief, worship and morality. Considering Africa as a whole, the main objects of traditional religious belief are： God, the divinities, spirits and the ancestors. Religion for the Africans embraces life as a whole and worship touches every aspect of their lives and this is done through sacrifices, offerings, prayers, invocation, praises, music and dance. The practical aspect of belief in ATR is not only worship but also human con- duct. Belief in God and in the other spiritual beings implies a certain type of con- duct, conduct that respects the order established by God and watched over by the divinities and the ancestors. So the social morality is based on these. Two things can therefore be said of the traditional world - view of the Africans, namely, that it is permeated by the spirit and that it is anthropocentric. In traditional African societies, peace is not an abstract poetic concept, but rather a down -to -earth and practical concept. In ATR peace is conceived not in relation to conflict and war, but in rela- tion to order, harmony and equilibrium. It is a religious value in that the order, har- mony and equilibrium in the universe and society is believed to be divinely estab- lished and the obligation to maintain them is religious. It is also a moral value since good conduct is required of human beings if the order, harmony and equilibrium are to be maintained. Finally, by way of conclusion possibility of world peace from the perspective o f we shall take a forward look at the ATR.