Welcome to African Origins of Spirituality!

Long before written scriptures, humans across Africa developed spiritual ways of explaining life, death, nature, and community. Volume 2 explores early spiritual practices and ideas—ancestor reverence, sacred landscapes, ritual, and oral tradition—and how these foundations influenced later belief systems as people migrated and cultures interacted.

These labs help learners understand spirituality as a human universal with deep historical roots.

Mini Labs in This Volume:

• Africa and Early Human Meaning-Making — V2 L1

  Why spirituality emerged alongside early human communities.

• Ancestors, Community, and Memory — V2 L2

  Ancestor reverence and how it shaped identity and values.

• Nature, Spirits, and Sacred Landscapes — V2 L3

  Rivers, forests, mountains, and the idea of sacred space.

• Oral Tradition, Griots, and Story as Knowledge — V2 L4

  How history and belief were carried without writing.

• Migration, Exchange, and Cultural Influence — V2 L5

  How ideas traveled as people moved and traded.