Folkism is the cultural and philosophical emphasis on the traditions, customs, and heritage of a particular ethnic or national group. It often manifests in the preservation of folklore, traditional practices, and communal values that shape identity. However, in the face of modernity and Christianity, folkism encounters both continuity and tension. While it serves as a means of cultural preservation, it also faces challenges from globalization, secularization, and the universalistic nature of Christianity.
Modernity, characterized by industrialization, technological advancement, and globalization, has significantly altered traditional societies. Folkism, which is deeply rooted in ancestral practices and collective memory, often struggles to retain its influence in an era dominated by individualism and scientific rationality.
The Relationship Between Folkism and Modernity
Some key interactions between folkism and modernity include:
- Cultural Revival vs. Cultural Erosion—Many societies experience a revival of folk traditions as a response to globalization. Festivals, language preservation efforts, and folk literature are promoted as cultural markers. However, rapid urbanization and digital culture often erode traditional lifestyles.
- Nationalism and Folk Identity—Folkism is sometimes intertwined with nationalist movements that seek to assert indigenous identity against Westernization. However, modernity promotes multiculturalism and cosmopolitan ideals that can dilute folk-centered identities.
- Technology and Folk Expression—Modernity provides tools like social media and digital archives to document and disseminate folk traditions, ensuring their survival in new forms.
The Interactions With Christianity
Christianity, with its universal message, sometimes conflicts with folk traditions, especially those rooted in animism, ancestor worship, and indigenous religious practices. However, Christianity and folkism have also found ways to coexist and even integrate in some cultures. Key interactions include:
- Syncretism and Contextualization—Many Christian communities have adapted folk traditions into their worship, such as incorporating traditional music, storytelling, and festivals into church practices. This contextualization helps Christianity remain relevant within different cultures.
- Rejection of Pagan Elements—Historically, Christianity has challenged certain folk beliefs, especially those associated with magic, polytheism, and spirit worship. Missionary efforts often led to the abandonment of traditional religious practices in favor of Christian doctrines.
- Moral and Ethical Reinterpretation—Some folk traditions, especially those emphasizing community, hospitality, and social harmony, align with Christian values. Others, such as blood sacrifices or superstitions, are reinterpreted or abandoned in Christianized societies.
- Christianity as a Folk Tradition—In many regions, Christianity itself has developed folk expressions, where local communities create their own Christian folklore, saints, and rituals that blend traditional and biblical themes.
The Story “Blood Brothers” As a Product of Modern Folkism
In Blood Brothers, I hoped to perfectly blend the theory of folkism with that of modernism, drawing on the folklore of the Igbo traditional story and fine-tuning it into the biblical structure of the celestial to provoke the question, “Is Ekwensu Devil or is he just another god of the Eastern tradition?” The folk expressions thrive perfectly in the early 21st-century setting of the Igbo community, where men are now sent off to study the white man’s ways in the university even as they maintain their traditional religions while embracing the technologies that the modern age has brought about and thriving in modern systems of business and innovation.
Folkism continues to be relevant in the modern world, both as a cultural anchor and as a response to rapid societal changes. While modernity challenges folk traditions through technological and ideological shifts, it also provides means for their survival. Christianity, on the other hand, has a complex relationship with folkism—sometimes embracing, sometimes challenging it.