Traditionalists, Muslims, and Christians in Africa: Interreligiou ...

In ‘Traditional African Healing System Versus Western Medicine in Southern Ghana: An Encounter’ (1993, 95–107), Appiah-Kubi deals with the question of healing processes in Ghana. It discusses concepts and approaches to patient care and healing by western medicine and traditional healers. This is vital to our study because medicine is the only area I have discovered in which Sierra Leonean Traditionalists are encouraged on a national level, as evidenced by the formation of an association of medical doctors and traditional healers.

In ‘Africa and Christianity: Domestication of Christian Values in the African Church’ (1993, 179–196), Byaruhanga-Akiiki discusses some areas in which Christianity and ATR share similar values or parallel concepts. It also presents valid cautionary notes when dealing with Traditionalists in order to avoid the mistakes of missionary Christianity.

The publication by Oke (2005) contains papers from the first International Congress of Dialogue on Civilizations, Religion and Cultures in West Africa, which was held in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2003, organised by the UNESCO Interreligious Dialogue Programme. The objective ‘was to examine, through the lenses of Interreligious dialogue, such specific topics as sustainable development, situations of conflict or tension, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic’ (2005, 27). The papers proposed actions that should be considered ‘if cultural and spiritual diversity is to benefit multicultural societies rather than hamper them’ (2005, 27).

The paper ‘Managing Conflicts in the African Context: The Role of Religious Leaders’ (2005, 29–34), by Isizoh, is about the role that the leaders of Africa’s three major religions—ATR, Christianity, and Islam—can play to prevent or resolve conflicts. He noted the mediation of the IRCSL between the government and the rebels during the civil war. This is followed by a list of interreligious councils in West Africa. ‘Religious leaders’, he stated, ‘can get involved in resolving conflicts by acting on behalf of the marginalised and as the voice of the voiceless’ (2005, 33).

Adegbite, a Muslim scholar, presented a paper entitled ‘The Role of Religious Leaders in Conflict Resolution’ (2005, 35–36). He suggested that religious diversity does not destroy the potency of religions.