Noting the specifics in African Cosmology: Who is God in the indigenous beliefs of Abanyom communities in Cross River State, Nigeria?

Abstract

The current research investigates how the Abanyom community views God as the world’s creator and preserver, challenging long-standing Western assumptions that Africans lack the capacity to conceptualize a God. While the notion of God within African cosmology has received limited empirical attention, it has not been examined specifically from the perspective of the Abanyom people. Employing a qualitative research design, data were collected from 15 participants and analyzed thematically. The findings highlight key themes, including God’s role as the creator and sustainer of the natural world, the dearth of an Abanyom creation myth, and God’s involvement in ancestral ceremonies. The finding also reveals Abanyom people’s reliance on the Christian Bible to clarify aspects of divine sovereignty where traditional Abanyom beliefs lack specificity, indicating the presence of religious syncretism. These findings underscore the need for revitalizing indigenous religious education to preserve and transmit African traditional beliefs to future generations.