Tswana religion
From: http://www.peopleteams.org/williamstribe/default.htm
In traditional Tswana religion (tribal animism) "Modimo"
is the great God, or "The Great Spirit." It is interesting
that "God" is the singular spirit "Mo-dimo",
and the general spirits are the plural "ba-dimo." The
badimo (ancestral spirits) are understood as agents of Modimo. This
implies traditionally the Tswana acknowledge the singular supreme
God. "Ancestor worship" is their philosophy of hierarchical
forces, going upwards from men to ancestors, to the ultimate God,
believing that if one fails the other will help. The paternalistic
teaching and preaching of early Christian missionaries neglected
the significance of culture, and retarded growth of the church.
Today, the majority of Tswana are indifferent to religion of any
kind, or insincere about the one they profess.
Christianity
By 1820, missionaries from France and Britain were working among
several Sotho-Tswana groups including the Tlokwa and Kwena. Missionaries
settled in Lesotho in 1833. Moffat impacted the Tswana by translating
the Bible, and by establishing the first church in 1829. Livingstone
followed in 1841. Failure of Christian teaching can be attributed
to the cultural forms in which Christianity was brought to Africa.
About 60% of the Tswana profess Christianity, but only about 18%
are practicing Christians, of which women outnumber men at least
2:1.
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