Religion in Ethiopia: faith and gods

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Everyone knows the country of Ethiopia, as it is the second most populous among all African countries and the thirteenth (!) in the world list. It does not have free access to the sea, in some places it is separated from it by a distance of only 50 kilometers. What is known about this place, about people, about traditions and customs, or, for example, what religion is in Ethiopia? Not so much. But it was this unremarkable third country in the world that made Christianity the dominant religion long before it came to the territory of the Slavs.

Division of religions in Ethiopia

At the moment, there are two main beliefs in the country:

• Christianity - since 333. About 70% of the total number are Orthodox Christians, 8-10% - Protestants, and even less - 1% - Catholics.
• Islam - since 619.

Only in the south of the country, in its remote corners, you can still find echoes of ancient religions: animism and Rastafarianism, but their percentage against the background of the total mass of Christians is negligible and continues to decline.

Orthodox Orthodoxchurch

After Osroene and Armenia in the distant past, King Ezana adopted Orthodox Christianity, moreover, officially made it the main religion of the country. It remained dominant as long as the regime of the monarchy in Ethiopia existed: neither Islam, nor Judaism, closely intertwined with it, nor ancient cults could crush the main religion.

Historians and researchers claim that the Ethiopian church is one of the purest and oldest in the world. It retains the Monophysite belief as the main one, despite the fact that in the world the religion of Ethiopia is considered to be purely Orthodox. There were several monastic orders until the 20th century, and they were divided in relation to the nature of Jesus Christ:

• Teuahdo - supporters of this order read that Christ is inseparable into divine and human, he is one in all aspects.
• The Eustathians argued that, on the contrary, Jesus cannot be considered an ordinary person, like a deity, he is something else, beyond the awareness of the primitive human mind.

The very first bishop of the Orthodox religion among the peoples of Ethiopia was the Syrian Frumenty, which may have left its mark on the formation of a set of rules. Until the 15th century, it was categorically impossible to capture divine images in art: there were no icons, no frescoes in temples, no sculptures. They say that this rule was canceled by the emperor Zara-Jakobe, who wished to decorate the church of St. Mary at the Lalibela Pilgrimage Center. Quite a long time since the founding of Orthodoxy in Ethiopia"God's people" were under the authority of the Coptic Church, and only in 1959 they became independent, and in 1960 the Ethiopian Church's Autocephaly was proclaimed, although the Coptic Church recognized it only four years later.

Echoes of other religions in Ethiopian Christianity

Given that the Orthodox Church in the Middle Ages was practically isolated from others due to the popularity of Islam in other African countries, many of its characteristics are considered as close to traditional as possible:

• God's Day is considered Saturday, not Sunday.
• Believers do not eat pork (as in Judaism and Islam), many kosher foods are prohibited on fasting days.
• The circumcision ritual for boys is practiced, which takes place on the eighth day.
• The Ethiopian Church alone rejects the Old Testament, considering it obsolete after the coming of Christ to Earth.

Also, the religion of Ethiopia uses its own calendar, in which there are 13 months (instead of the usual 12), so the chronology differs from the Gregorian calendar by as much as seven years.

In addition to all the Orthodox holidays, which are zealously celebrated by believers, the Meskel holiday, which is celebrated in the spring, is very popular among the people: large bonfires are lit, around which people dance, ritual ablutions are performed in natural reservoirs and special songs are sung. In some ways, this holiday is reminiscent of Ivan Kupala in Russia.

Animism (belief in the animation of everything in nature)

No more than 12% adhere to this particular religionfrom the entire population of the country, in some areas it is closely intertwined with Orthodoxy: the clergy in Christian Ethiopia have not only the usual priests in the general sense, but also a separate caste - debters. It is believed that they are intermediaries between the common people and the world of nature spirits, which many Ethiopians also believe in, despite the main religion. The population of Ethiopia respectfully treats holy places, therefore, violence of any kind is prohibited on the territory of temples, monasteries and lands adjacent to them, even the smallest animal, or vice versa, a wild animal will never be touched, respectfully bypassing.

Dabters perform ritual services to appease the spirits when nature is angry, perform ritual dances that take place even in ordinary Christian services, and are also healers and healers for those who ask them for help.

Islam

Today, Islam enjoys the same rights as the Christian faith: in 1974, the two religions became equal under the law. In fact, Muslims in Ethiopia are no more than 32% of the total population, and most of them are Sunnis.

For the first time, Islam entered the country in 619 along with the Quraish, who had to flee their native lands. According to legend, the ancient Ethiopian rulers provided asylum to the Prophet Muhammad during his persecution, and since then this country has received the status of inviolable during Muslim wars in the name of Allah. Since the 8th century, Islam as a religionEthiopia began to grow stronger, but could not surpass Christianity, despite repeated attempts by some rulers to make it more significant for the people. At the same time, many Muslim holidays are state holidays along with Orthodox ones - people rest on this day and visit their churches.

Tolerance as a guarantee of peaceful existence

The religious policy of Ethiopia is built in such a way that there are absolutely no strife over religion in the country, in no case is the right to choose a religion infringed.

Muslims, Christians and atheists most often get along peacefully with each other, calmly regarding the choice of everyone, which deserves the respect of the whole world. Even small groups of animists, Rastafarians, Jews and other faiths feel completely protected, as all religions are respected in Ethiopia. Although sometimes there are tense moments.