Abstract

It is often said life is a continuous reflection of the unknown and so for one to know where he/she is going he/she must first know where he/she is coming from, and following John S. Mbiti’s description of African religiosity, the Bakweri people of Fako Divisionlike any other tribe in Africa, have always attributed and establish the rightful meaning ofGod(Lohw’ɛ) in their traditional cultural interpretation; who is being venerated and worshipped through their activities and works as reflected in their religiosity.

Evidently, in every Bakweri community, there is always that belief in the existence of a Supreme Deity (Tata Lohw’ɛ) who is the creator of life and the universe. Hence, from this background, this work shows how religious the people are and how their religious inclinations have helped in the spread of the gospel in the land.

However, it is observed that this religiosity stems from their primal understanding. Again this work is aimed at bringing out the spirituality of the Bakweri people which is rooted in their traditional way of understanding and worshiping of God. Thus, this work seeks to recapitulate the spiritual awareness of the Bakweri people from the past till the present.

The methodology is a qualitative one, which focuses on the cross-cultural method of research using oral sources like interviews, journals, articles, published and unpublished books that centered on a particular tribe (Bakweris).

In all, from the findings made it is observed that the long history of Christianity in this community is due to the people’s pre-conception and understanding of Lohw’ɛ, as it provided ample possibility for evangelization which has transformed the life of the people tremendously.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1.Introduction

Even though Africa has faced numerous degradations and downgrading especially from the West, the continent from generation to generations has always been regarded as a continent made up of communities that have numerous and highly respected cultural, traditional beliefs and practices (Baloyi, 2013:164).

That is why anthropologists and sociologists have long been interested in ritual worship and ceremonial practices; for they reveal the true religious, political, social, and aesthetic aspects of the African societies and their various cultures.

Regrettably, Taylor (in Hassan, 2015:1) points out that missionaries have often argued that African people neither had religion nor any beliefs. This was so because the missionaries had preached against African beliefs and called them devilish and satanic; as such, the belief systems of Africa were considered to be the worst of its kind.

To correct this assertion, African biblical scholars and theologians have argued that the notion of God already existed in Africa before the missionaries came; because Africans had their different forms of worshipping the supreme deity. Precisely, Africans were not ignorant of God since they worshipped him in different ways.

Mbiti (1990:29) further argues that in all African societies without a single exception, the people have the notion of God, which is conceived from their reflections concerning the universe. This presupposes that there was a creator of the universe.

Thus, God is no stranger to the African people. So the Bakweri people are not indifferent about the knowledge of God. Hence, Bakweri communities like any other African communities worshipped the Supreme Deity “Lohw’ɛ”.

In every Bakweri community from time immemorial, religion and morality were part and parcel of every aspect of life, with each individual trying to live an upright and righteous life in reverence to the Supreme Deity.

The people in their belief directed all their prayers and petitions to Lohw’ɛ through their ancestors; they saw their ancestors as a link and mediator between them and Lohw’ɛ. Thus everything about the life and worship of the people were centred on keeping right with Lohw’ɛ. Contrary to this belief, when the missionaries came they introduced a new religion; Christianity and termed it the true religion with true God and rejected Lohw’ɛ that the Bakweri had been worshiping to be paganic and satanic (Endeley, 1985:25).

This work is therefore aimed at investigating the concept and worship of Lohw’ɛin the Bakweri cosmology. In this chapter we shall present the Motivation, statement of the problem, hypothesis, research questions, objectives of study, definition of terms, significance of study, research gap, delimitations and limitations, assumptions, research itinerary and conclusion.

1.2. Background To The Study (Motivation)

Following Mbiti’s (1990:1) description of African religiosity, the Bakweri people of Cameroon have always been a typical social and religious people. Each community used its pre-Christian rituals and sacrifices to protect and safeguard human life as it was regarded as sacred; so the community believed in the existence of a Supreme Being who is the creator of life and the universe;

They believed in the existence of a spirit world and the notion of life after death; they revered their ancestors and so performed rituals, prayers and sacrifices in a view to appease Lohw’ɛ and making requests for the entire community (Tajoche, 2003:18). This revelation has motivated me to embark on this exploration as I try to relate these practices to the beliefs of God.

Again, in my studies in African Indigenous Religions, I came to realise that the Bakweri people just like any other African tribes were trying to live and do everything in accordance with giving respect to Lohw’ɛ.  But with the knowledge from Western education and enlightenment, this supreme deity, Lohv’ɛ was reintroduced and renamed (God), with a different method of worshipping him. With this newness, they therefore seem to suggest that all the practices and worship that the Bakweri people rendered to this same supreme deity was “barbaric and mundane.” With this, I intend to do an indigenous study to bring out the true identity of Lohw’ɛ.

Also, my burning interest and desire in African studies (cultural history) has triggered me to learn and to carry out research in this topic in order to trace some theological aspects in Lohw’ɛ and investigate the worship life and practices that the Bakweri people practiced in revering Lohv’ɛ as a Supreme Deity.

1.3. Statement Of The Problem

Over the years the interest in anthropological and cultural thought patterns of the concept of God being a Supreme Deity in Africa is as old as since the existence of humankind. Thus, this Supreme deity has been explored not only by His works as seen in our experiences but also in the importance of worshippingHim by the Bakweri people. In trying to equate or comprehend how mighty and wonderful this deity Lohw’ɛ is from the Bakweri understanding, how they call, venerate him according to his works and deeds in their lives.

However, with the advent of Christianity it is denied that the deity Lohw’ɛ of the Bakweri people is not God of the Christian religion as the Bakweris claim (Endeley, 1985:40).

1.4. Research Questions

The research questions are:

1. What is the origin and meaning of Lohw’ɛ and its expression among the Bakweri people?
2. What are those spiritual attributes that one can find in the worship of Lohw’ɛ?
3. Does Lohw’ɛ really mean God?
4. How does the meaning of Lohw’ɛ influence the spirituality of the Bakweri people?
5. How does Lohw’ɛ influence the socio- economic life of the Bakweri people?

1.5. Hypothesis

If God is interpreted according to the perspective of Lohw’ɛ as the Bakweris know Him, the gospel will be well understood in the life of these people. This will be very useful in the understanding and spreading of the gospel in missionary areas especially in a typical indigenous community.