The Traditional Oath in African Culture and Religion

Today in Africa there is a conflict between the traditional Oath and Christian teachings on the same. Christians see traditional oath as an outdated practice while others use it as an inevitable tool for solving socio-cultural and religious problems. Studies have been carried in connection with Oath but these studies are too general. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the primary data. Null hypotheses were tested by ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance. This book has shown in depth that African Oath works like a Catholic Sacrament "ex opera operato"("by the work worked"). That means the African Oath as a ritual has a causal power or efficacy beyond its subjective or psychological effects. Traditional oath is practised in traditional set up for a variety of reasons. Oath is also used in clandestine socio-religious and political movements to bind the adherents together under penalty of death. For Africans Traditional Oath is also used in the administration of justice as the highest arbiter of justice to a person who feels justice is denied to him. The book is an asset for all who would like to know more about oath.