History of Africa - Ancestors, Spirits, and God

Good morning, good afternoon, good mid-morning, depending on when you are reading this blog and doing your planning for the school year.  Today, we are working through more of the History of Africa with Zeinab Badawi.  This series continues to fascinate me.  The number one downside to this series is the run time of the episode, it should have really had a fifty-minute run time per episode.  Additionally, perhaps some of the episodes should have been divided into more episodes even though this series was a primer on African history.  This episode is called Ancestors, Spirits, and God.  The run time for this episode is 45:11.

Zeinab Badawi examines the role of religion in Africa.  She first examines the indigenous religions that people still follow.   Her first stop is Zimbabwe to learn about a community that follows traditional African Religion.  Then she heads to Senegal and meets a Muslim man.  She discovers that he blends both Islam and ancestral beliefs and talks to trees.  Finally, she learns about the impact of Judaism and Christianity in Africa and how Africans had an impact on Christian thinking.

Religion and beliefs have been part of the human experience from the beginning.  There are many indigenous religions across Africa.  They have different names and practices, but they have many commonalities.  Such commonalities include belief in a higher power.  A belief that this higher power intervenes on behalf of humans.  That the ancestors exist in another world and prayer.  Then there is a quick breakdown of the percentage of people and what religions they follow.  She talks about the debate between monotheism and polytheism.  Zeinab comments on how open spirituality is open.
Zeinab goes to a community in Zimbabwe and watches the spiritual training of individuals in the community.  She learns about the differences between religion and spirituality.  She talks with an expert in indigenous religious practices and the beliefs they held.  The trainees were learning to help connect people to their ancestors and connect to nature.  Zeinab leaves this group to their training.

Although Islam and Christianity came into Africa, Africans would blend their indigenous beliefs with those religions.  Zeinab goes to Senegal to meet a man.  This man is sought after for his advice.  He is a traditional healer.  When he goes to search for medicines, he has to give something back to nature in thanks for what he takes.  Zeinab talks with him about how he reconciles his beliefs with his practice in Islam.  He is considered a spiritual superstar in the community and on the day Zeinab visits a young man is looking to his man for advice. 

Then there is an examination of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.  She first goes to the Jewish community in Morocco.  She is invited to a lively restaurant and talks with a businessman who practices Judaism.  Judaism and the Moroccan culture have blended together.  She continues to learn about Judaism and how Jews ended up in Morocco.  Berbers and the Jews blended together when they arrived.  She discovers that Berber practices came into Judaism in Morocco.  She tours a synagogue in this section and is the only Jewish Museum in the Arab world.  After this tour, she learns about the Jewish community in Ethiopia and how they were relocated to Israel.  Egypt also had a Jewish community.  She talks about the story of Moses.

So how else did religion and spirituality impact Africa and its people?  What about the impact of Christianity?  What role did Alexandria play in religion?  Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more!

This series continues to impress.  I really enjoy Zeinab’s narration and interviewing skills.  I know I have said this before, but I would love for a co-hosted series with Zeinab and Gus.  That pair would be dynamite together.  The topic in this episode can be sensitive to people, and I found Zeinab handled it really well.  A lot of times I find scholars or narrators coming off with a snotty-superior attitude when it comes to religion and spirituality.  Zeinab was perfect in her presentation.  These narrators can learn a thing or two from her when it comes to presenting religion and spirituality.  This would be an episode to consider showing to a history classroom and maybe even a speech class on how to present.