The Varieties of Religious Therapy: African Spirituality

Traditional African spirituality is practiced by over 50 millionpeople who follow one of many tribal and regional religions. While each maintains their own unique identity, African religions generally share a belief in a supreme being above a group of lesser gods, the power of ancestral spirits, sacrifice for divine protection, and the necessity of rites of passage.
We’re going to mix things up for this segment. Rather than responses from a therapist, we have the honor of hearing from an African spirituality scholar.
Suzanne M. Henderson received her Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University in 2007 and soon became Assistant Dean in the Graduate Division at St. John’s University in New York City. She currently teaches African American Studies classes in the Sociology department. Dr. Henderson is an expert in the religious tradition of the Yoruba people of West Africa, particularly African Americans who practice the tradition in the United States. Today she graciously shares her scholarship with the VRT to help clinicians, students and interested readers better understand African spirituality.
What is the role of religion or spirituality in the African-American community?


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