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AEGIS European Conference on African Studies
11 - 14 July 2007
African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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African Traditional Healing: Lessons that Western Christianity and Modern Medicine could Learn
| Panel |
66. Traditional religion and healing in Africa and the role of the inner senses
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| Paper ID | 47 |
| Author(s) |
Selvam, Sahaya G.
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| Paper |
No paper submitted
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| Abstract | Using an anthropological case-study approach, the paper exposes the following premises:
Human person is a Body-Mind-Spirit unity. This is the anthropological premise of African traditional healing. African traditional medicine has a holistic approach to dealing with ill-health. It considers the physical, psychological, societal and spiritual aspects of the causes and treatment of ill-health. So could it be that curse, which is a break in human relationship, contribute to physical sickness?
So the African traditional medicine man not only treats the sick person with leaves and roots that may have chemical contents with medical effect, he performs a set of dramatic rituals that are meant to cater to the whole person. This is often mistakenly interpreted to be irrational and witchcraft. Besides, is it possible that at least some traditional healers of Africa have, what western para-psychology calls, Extra Sensory Perception?
Though modern medicine may have evidence for body-mind-spirit unity, for instance from placebo effects and allergy conditions, it continues to make clear distinctions between the body and the spirit to the dismay of the common man in Africa. At the face of ill-health the African is confused – in the way the cause of sickness is explained and the means in which cure is sought. Even interpretations related to HIV/AIDS are no exception.
On the other hand, outright condemnation by most Christian churches, of all African traditional expertise on healing as witchcraft and hence sinful, is downright suppression of wisdom of the sages of Africa. It creates guilt and dichotomy in the mind of the African people, and contributes to the loss of indigenous medical knowledge and skills.
The paper brings together concepts borrowed from Anthropology of Religion and Traditional Medicine in an attempt to offer a pastoral critique of Christian missionary approach. It proposes well-concerted effort on the part of churches and modern medicine to educate traditional medicine men so that they may better appreciate their own expertise. In this way, human life may be enhanced in the African continent.
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