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Article: African American Religions and Sects
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
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AFRICAN AMERICAN RELIGIONS AND SECTS
AFRICAN AMERICAN RELIGIONS AND SECTS.
When the first Africans landed in North America during the Spanish explorations of the fifteenth century, their spiritual backgrounds included Christianity, Islam, and a number of ancient African religions. Similar to Christianity and Islam, these traditional African religions explained the world and the reason for human existence. In addition, these religions gave Africans various rituals for celebrating important life events and predicting potential misfortunes.
A rather large group of Africans believed in a plurality of powers, including the forces of nature and a legion of magical spirits. However, most ...