ATONEMENT IN JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION: A COMPARATIVE DISCOURSE

Abstract

This article undertakes a comparative discourse on the concept of atonement in four religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and African Traditional Religion (ATR). It examines how each tradition understands the nature of wrongdoing, the means of reconciliation between the human and the divine, and the ethical and communal implications of atonement. In Judaism, atonement is explored through covenantal faithfulness, repentance (teshuvah), ritual sacrifice, and the observance of Yom Kippur. Christianity is analyzed with particular attention to the redemptive significance of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, emphasizing substitutionary, sacrificial, and reconciliatory models of atonement. The Islamic perspective highlights personal accountability, repentance (tawbah), divine mercy, and obedience to God’s will, rejecting vicarious atonement. In African Traditional Religion, atonement is approached within a communal and cosmological framework, focusing on harmony between the individual, community, ancestors, and spiritual forces, often mediated through rituals and sacrifices. By comparing these perspectives, the study identifies both convergences such as the centrality of repentance and restoration and divergences in theological assumptions and ritual expressions. The article argues that understanding these varied conceptions of atonement enhances interreligious dialogue and provides deeper insight into how different religious worldviews address guilt, reconciliation, and moral restoration.