Although at times the line of division between the two may not be so strict, 3 it follows logically that the category of "the dead" is larger than that of "the ancestors". 2 These actions, on the part of the living who are in a position to render help, try to pacify or oblige the souls of the dead - by offering them what they may need in their new existence (Hwang 1977:343).Īn important clarification needs to be made here, that is the distinction between ancestors and the dead. Ancestor worship here is understood to refer to an attempt to preserve good relations with the departed kin. Therefore, in this article, ancestor worship in a narrow sense refers to the specific actions performed during the rites relating to the propitiation of deceased relatives and/or ministration to their needs. This notion was discussed extensively in a previous article (Bae 2004). However, this article departs from the premise that in spite of the socio-cultural significance of these rituals, the rituals themselves are intrinsically religious. In each of these countries this phenomenon is very closely linked to the cosmology of the people concerned and has a strong social and ethical function. It is practised extensively in Africa, Korea and Japan for example. The conclusion is that ancestor worship is incompatible with Christian faith.Īlthough ancestor worship is a phenomenon which most people associate with primitive civilizations, it is still prevalent in many countries around the world today, including some who are generally accepted as modern societies and economies. The article looks at these issues from a Biblical perspective, offers Biblical guidelines in assessing ancestor worship and its cosmology and interprets ancestor worship theologically. The following issues are most relevant to ancestor worship: 1) death and the afterlife, 2) possibility of communication between the living and the dead, and 3) the destiny of believers who die. Ancestral beliefs are deeply dependent on the premise that the souls of the dead may return to the living and influence their lives that it is possible and acceptable for the living to communicate with the dead and lastly that the living are able to exert an effect on the destiny of deceased ancestors. University of PretoriaĪncestor worship is practised practiced in different forms around the world today, even in societies participating in the modern global economy. Department of Science of Religion and missiology Missiology.
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