African traditional religion and concepts of development: a background paper

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the literature concerning African Traditional Religion and its relationship to development. Given the shortage of material pertaining specifically to this topic, the paper attempts to use the available broader literature to shed light on how the religious tradition views certain concepts related to development, how these concepts have evolved over time, and how the religion underpins the social and cultural attitudes and behaviour of Africans. The paper is also intended to provide a basic overview of the religious tradition to readers who may be unfamiliar with it.