What is Candomblé?

Answer

The term Candomblé originates from the Yoruba language in Nigeria and has its foundations in African tradition. Candomblé is a syncretic religion that blends various beliefs—such as those of the Yoruba, Fon, Bantu, and Roman Catholicism—and heavily draws from Yoruba mythology. In some aspects, Candomblé shares similarities with Umbanda, another Afro-Brazilian religion.

Candomblé emerged in 19th-century Brazil as a result of African slaves brought to South America during the transatlantic slave trade. The belief system was also impacted by Roman Catholicism, the primary religion of the slave traders, although many followers of Candomblé aimed to eliminate the Catholic customs in the 20th century. Nevertheless, to this day, many Candomblé practitioners maintain their baptism in Catholicism or even participate in evangelical Protestant services.

In certain areas, Candomblé and Umbanda are practiced in conjunction, but these two religions are separate entities. Umbanda is more public and relies less on traditional African religions. Other belief systems akin to Candomblé include Haitian voodoo and Cuban Santeria, often viewed as sister religions.

Followers of Candomblé worship Olodumare, the Supreme Being in Yoruba religions. Olodumare is revered alongside lesser spirits called orixás, who are perceived as more accessible than the transcendent and distant Olodumare. Thus, the orixás act as intermediaries between humans and Olodumare. According to Candomblé, each individual is linked to a personal orixá that influences their identity. During ceremonies, believers await the presence of an orixá, who may temporarily possess an individual to convey messages. Orixás are assigned names like Xango, Ogum, and Tempo. The latter is often associated with the Holy Spirit, while others are syncretized with Catholic saints such as St. Anthony (Ogum).

Apart from the orixás, adherents of Candomblé believe in spirits like the exus (male), exuas (female), and exu-mirims.

(Children). These spirits are believed to be subordinate to the orixás, thus making them more accessible intermediaries. Practitioners assert they can command the exus to do their bidding.

Within Candomblé, there are various traditions known as “nations.” Examples include Ketu, Jege, and Angola. Each has its own customs and language: Ketu utilizes the Yoruba language, and Jege uses Ewe.

Candomblé does not have a sacred text or central authority, allowing each terreiro (a place of worship) independence. Nevertheless, there are shared practices such as offering to orixás and communicating with spirits through a medium. Followers of Candomblé are referred to as povo de santo, or “people of saint,” with specific designations for priests (babalorixá), priestesses (iyalorixá), new initiates (iao), and others.

Many Africans perceive Christianity as a “white man’s religion” and see its adoption as a loss of cultural identity. Consequently, they either resist the Christian faith or blend it with Candomblé. However, Christianity is not exclusively for Westerners. Embracing Jesus may alter our perspective, but believers are not expected to become American, European, Jewish, or anything else. The apostle Peter proclaimed that “God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35). Additionally, the apostle John witnessed a vast multitude “from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” «After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; », (Revelation 7:9, emphasis added).

Christians in Africa and other non-Western regions should not feel compelled to abandon their culture upon accepting Jesus. Of course

, Christianity may challenge some African beliefs and practices, but embracing Christ goes against the cultural norms in all regions, including the West. The validity of the Christian faith (as well as other religions) should be evaluated based on its assertions, not on cultural influences. Anything considered sinful in any culture should be abandoned in reverence for the authority of Christ.

By acknowledging Olodumare, Candomblé reflects a response to God’s general revelation, similar to the Athenians in Paul’s time (Acts 17:22-23). Even before the missionaries arrived, pre-colonial African societies believed in a Supreme Being or Creator, known by various names like Chukwu, Mawu, and Modimo. “God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: “, (Romans 1:20). Additionally, pagan religions such as Candomblé aim to establish a means of communication with this Supreme Being.

The issue arises from the separation between humanity and God due to sin—and Candomblé acknowledges that Olodumare is distant. There is a fervor in how Candomblé practitioners worship the orixás to connect with God, but this fervor is “not based on knowledge” “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. “, (Romans 10:2). Even more concerning is how their rituals pave the way for contact with spirits that are not of God. The true “Olodumare” is not far away “that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: “, (Acts 17:27) but desires to have a relationship with His creation. He has taken the initial step towards reconciliation. We do not require numerous orixás to intercede on our behalf while we try to please them with different offerings. Our Intercessor, Jesus Christ, has presented Himself as the sacrifice for our sins.