Taboos, Rituals, and Women’s Spirituality in an African Society

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Indigenous taboos and rituals have acquired a double-edged status with respect to women’s lived experiences in contemporary African societies. Although intricately different, African women’s spirituality is within the same general frame of African indigenous spirituality, which is intertwined with the people’s environment and culture. Thus, within this intertwined matrix, we discover how taboos and rituals underpin Nankani women’s spirituality. This chapter will analyse some Nankani taboos and rituals to demonstrate that although a double-edged sword, they are key expressions of women’s spirituality. In this chapter, I argue that taboos and rituals are vital to the understanding of women’s spirituality in societies where they do not overtly hold religious leadership positions or perform public cultic rites.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTopographies of African Spirituality
Subtitle of host publicationEssays in Honor of Jacob K. Olupona
PublisherTaylor and Francis
Pages206-218
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)9781040300411
ISBN (Print)9781032183879
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2025

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