THE AFRICAN CONCEPT OF GOD

The title "god" is not African in origin; it is a Germanic word. The English word god comes from the Old English god, which itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic ǥuđán. Its cognates in other Germanic languages include guþ, gudis (both Gothic), guð (Old Norse), god (Old Saxon, Old Frisian, and Old Dutch), and got (Old High German) (Ricchiardi, 1993). African peoples do not consider God to be a man, but in order to express certain concepts, they employ language and images as an aid to conceptualizing Him—whom they have not seen and about whom they confess to know little or nothing. Africans have always believed in spirits and were spiritual even before Europeans and Arabs introduced their organized religions to them (Mbiti, 1970). They believed in a Supreme Being who created everything on Earth. Europeans and Arabs later developed Christianity and Islam after incorporating African spirituality concepts into their own religions. Regardless of this, Africans still worship their gods, as well as their ancestors and spirits, preserving their traditions through storytelling and cultural practices (Idowu, 1962).

Most African cultures, if not all, believe in a Supreme Creator in one form or another—often conceptualized as a "God behind the Gods," a Supreme Deity who created everything. Many African traditions hold that this Creator once lived on Earth but left for His Kingdom in the Sky due to human infractions. Since He was no longer in direct contact with people, Lesser Gods were created from His power to oversee different aspects of existence, such as Earth, Rain, Water, Wind, and Fire. These deities are believed to be capable of answering human prayers and interceding with the Supreme Creator on behalf of humanity (Awolalu, 1979). Although the Supreme Creator is often referred to using masculine pronouns, African belief systems generally regard this deity as beyond gender—both male and female, without form, and existing in an abstract sense. The Supreme Being is accessible to all, regardless of social status, and a breath of its divine essence is believed to be present in all animate and inanimate things (Mbiti, 1970).

Across Africa, different names are used to refer to the Supreme Creator. For example, the deity is known as Mulungu in East Africa, Leza in Central Africa, Nyambe in the West Tropics, and Nyame in Ghana. Other titles include "The Molder," "Giver of Breath and Souls," "God of Destiny," "One Who Exists of Himself," "God of Pity and Comfort," "The Inexplicable," "Ancient of Days," "The One Who Bends Even Kings," and "The One You Meet Everywhere" (Idowu, 1962). In many African traditions, the creation of the Earth is said to have taken four days. The fifth day was reserved for the worship of Orisha Nla, the chief of the deities, who is believed to have shaped the Earth under the instruction of the Supreme Creator. Orisha Nla was also tasked with forming human bodies out of clay, after which the Supreme Creator secretly instilled them with the spark of life. These newly created humans were then placed on Earth to live (Awolalu, 1979).

References:

Awolalu, J. O. (1979). Yoruba Beliefs and Sacrificial Rites. Longman.

Idowu, E. B. (1962). Olódùmarè: God in Yoruba Belief. Longmans, Green.

Mbiti, J. S. (1970). Concepts of God in Africa. SPCK.

Ricchiardi, G. (1993). "The Conception of God in the African Tradition." Research and Documentation: Inculturation and the Concept of God in the African Traditions, No. 2 (May), 67-86.