Final answer:
The Kingdom of Kongo assimilated Roman Catholicism by adopting Christian symbols and rituals, using Christian names, and creating a Christian clergy, while preserving traditional beliefs and practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Kingdom of Kongo integrated the Roman Catholic faith into their society through a process where cultural exchange and accommodation played a significant role. The incorporation of Christianity into Kongo's society during the 14th to 18th centuries was characterized by blending Christian elements with traditional Kongo cultural and religious practices. This process of integration did not lead to a complete abandonment of existing beliefs but rather to the formation of a unique form of Christianity that retained many aspects of the traditional Kongo worldview.
Key aspects of this integration included adopting Christian symbols and rituals while preserving traditional beliefs, promoting the use of Christian names alongside traditional African names, and establishing a Christian clergy among the Kongo people. Church building and the adoptation of Christian religious practices were also evident, as Christianity spread through different means, including cultural diffusion and various socio-political incentives.
The persistence of traditional religious figures such as priests of African traditional religions and the blend of Christian rituals with indigenous beliefs reflect the ways in which the Kongo preserved and transformed their spiritual landscape. Historical accounts, like those from Historian John Thornton, indicate that the adoption of Christianity in the Kongo did not signify a radical departure from the past but rather emphasized pre-existent tendencies within the Kongo's belief systems.