This paper has studied the issue of agitations for self-determination in Nigeria from an African philosophical point of view. It studied these agitations in the light of the amalgamation treaty of 1914, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and most importantly, extant international laws. The beauty of this piece is that it focused on major issues which constitute the basis for the agitations for self-determination in Nigeria namely religious marginalization, ethnic marginalization, economic marginalization and political marginalization. The burden of this piece is the issue of the problem of co-existence in Nigeria. This paper articulated its position based on Igwebuike philosophy as a theoretical framework, which emphasizes dialogue, justice and inclusive leadership as indispensable pathways to integration and national unity. For the purpose of this study, the historical and analytical methods of inquiry were patronized given that historical events were studied and the outcome of such events analysed. It submits that, rather than using force to quell the agitation for self-determination, the path of justice, dialogue and inclusive leadership should be explored as most cases of cessation are responses to the absence of these state ideals.
{"title":"Philosophy, self-determination, peace and intercultural co-existence in Nigeria: an Igwebuike perspective","authors":"I. Kanu","doi":"10.4314/jrhr.v14i1.6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/jrhr.v14i1.6","url":null,"abstract":"This paper has studied the issue of agitations for self-determination in Nigeria from an African philosophical point of view. It studied these agitations in the light of the amalgamation treaty of 1914, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and most importantly, extant international laws. The beauty of this piece is that it focused on major issues which constitute the basis for the agitations for self-determination in Nigeria namely religious marginalization, ethnic marginalization, economic marginalization and political marginalization. The burden of this piece is the issue of the problem of co-existence in Nigeria. This paper articulated its position based on Igwebuike philosophy as a theoretical framework, which emphasizes dialogue, justice and inclusive leadership as indispensable pathways to integration and national unity. For the purpose of this study, the historical and analytical methods of inquiry were patronized given that historical events were studied and the outcome of such events analysed. It submits that, rather than using force to quell the agitation for self-determination, the path of justice, dialogue and inclusive leadership should be explored as most cases of cessation are responses to the absence of these state ideals.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123991507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ẹpa masks are produced in order to enable the spirit of Ẹpa deity (Elela in Iyah Gbede) to be felt and appreciated by the society and to appear as a visible form or dramatic representation of mythical actions. However, there are substantial differences between some of the most spectacular and complex Ẹpa masks ever carved as far back as early to mid-20th century by some notable Yorùbá woodcarvers in southwestern Nigeria with those found nowadays in Iyah Gbede and some other Ẹpa practicing communities. Craftsmanship and form were considerations in the aesthetic judgment of the masks and headdresses among the masqueraders and the devotees of Ẹpa deity, but not necessarily the primary ethos. This paper therefore focused predominantly on visual element qualities and morphological presence in all Ẹpa masks and headdresses found in Iyah Gbede. The paper explored brief history and proceedings of Ẹpa masquerade tradition in Iyah Gbede as well as examining the visual content (thematic analysis) of the masks and headdresses to reveal a nexus between various creative traits and styles displayed by carvers in Iyah Gbede. Fourteen (14) major mask types found in the Iyah Gbede were identified from both conventional and unconventional (plastic) point of view. This paper concluded and affirmed that some new Ẹpa headdress were reproduced in Iyah Gbede when some of the ancient headdress was stolen; while some other headdresses were refurbished with paint.
{"title":"Beyond aesthetics and appearance: Ẹpa masks of Iyah Gbẹdẹ","authors":"Stephen Ayodele Ayinmode","doi":"10.4314/jrhr.v14i1.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/jrhr.v14i1.4","url":null,"abstract":"Ẹpa masks are produced in order to enable the spirit of Ẹpa deity (Elela in Iyah Gbede) to be felt and appreciated by the society and to appear as a visible form or dramatic representation of mythical actions. However, there are substantial differences between some of the most spectacular and complex Ẹpa masks ever carved as far back as early to mid-20th century by some notable Yorùbá woodcarvers in southwestern Nigeria with those found nowadays in Iyah Gbede and some other Ẹpa practicing communities. Craftsmanship and form were considerations in the aesthetic judgment of the masks and headdresses among the masqueraders and the devotees of Ẹpa deity, but not necessarily the primary ethos. This paper therefore focused predominantly on visual element qualities and morphological presence in all Ẹpa masks and headdresses found in Iyah Gbede. The paper explored brief history and proceedings of Ẹpa masquerade tradition in Iyah Gbede as well as examining the visual content (thematic analysis) of the masks and headdresses to reveal a nexus between various creative traits and styles displayed by carvers in Iyah Gbede. Fourteen (14) major mask types found in the Iyah Gbede were identified from both conventional and unconventional (plastic) point of view. This paper concluded and affirmed that some new Ẹpa headdress were reproduced in Iyah Gbede when some of the ancient headdress was stolen; while some other headdresses were refurbished with paint.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"32 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122482214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper x-rayed in a very precise form the theology of miracle healing and prosperity message expounded by the preachers of the new generation churches in Nigeria. Since however, this title is a bit too vast and ambitious for the limited scope and time of the discourse, the paper, therefore, investigated the salient issues involved in the theology of miracle healing and prosperity message as expounded by the preachers of the new generation churches in the south-east of Nigeria; though south-east/Igboland and Nigeria are used interchangeably. It also investigated how the theology amongst other factors has occasioned the proliferations of new religious movements in Nigeria. Other issues that are connected to the growth of the new religious movements in Nigeria and Igboland in particular examined in this study included the African’s quest for power, cultural identity, ethnic identity, health, and economic emancipation. The purpose of this study is to x-ray the impact of prosperity preaching and quest for miracle in the new religious movements in Nigeria. The findings showed that the import of the new religious movements in Nigeria is occasioned by the excesses of the colonial and missionary overlords in the pre-colonial Nigeria. Findings also indicated that the new religious movements came to fore in Nigeria as a religion of the oppressed in the cultural, social, religious and political spheres. It was developed as a rescue mission to the already degraded religion and tradition of the people. The methods of approach include historical and phenomenological methods. The study however recommends the theology of prosperity and miracle healing as a correct and sound teaching for not just the new religious movements but for all Christian churches in Nigeria. The study equally advocates that it would not be expounded beyond proportion so that the church would not be reduced to a mere miracle centers.
{"title":"Quest for Miracle Healing and Prosperity in the New Religious Movements in Nigeria: Its Causal Phenomena","authors":"B. C. Nwokocha","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.8","url":null,"abstract":"This paper x-rayed in a very precise form the theology of miracle healing and prosperity message expounded by the preachers of the new generation churches in Nigeria. Since however, this title is a bit too vast and ambitious for the limited scope and time of the discourse, the paper, therefore, investigated the salient issues involved in the theology of miracle healing and prosperity message as expounded by the preachers of the new generation churches in the south-east of Nigeria; though south-east/Igboland and Nigeria are used interchangeably. It also investigated how the theology amongst other factors has occasioned the proliferations of new religious movements in Nigeria. Other issues that are connected to the growth of the new religious movements in Nigeria and Igboland in particular examined in this study included the African’s quest for power, cultural identity, ethnic identity, health, and economic emancipation. The purpose of this study is to x-ray the impact of prosperity preaching and quest for miracle in the new religious movements in Nigeria. The findings showed that the import of the new religious movements in Nigeria is occasioned by the excesses of the colonial and missionary overlords in the pre-colonial Nigeria. Findings also indicated that the new religious movements came to fore in Nigeria as a religion of the oppressed in the cultural, social, religious and political spheres. It was developed as a rescue mission to the already degraded religion and tradition of the people. The methods of approach include historical and phenomenological methods. The study however recommends the theology of prosperity and miracle healing as a correct and sound teaching for not just the new religious movements but for all Christian churches in Nigeria. The study equally advocates that it would not be expounded beyond proportion so that the church would not be reduced to a mere miracle centers.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126031062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
It has variously been acknowledged that immigrant religions (Christianity and Islam) in Africa, rather than enhancing conscience and morality, have tended to merely exacerbate religious rituals and drive conscience and morality far away from the African society (Knitter & Muzaffar, 2002). The indigenous African society had been administered by instant justice, supervised by the potent and inherently ubiquitous, inescapable deities in the African milieu. This situation formed an incorruptible judicial system which planted a living, conscious fear of crime in the African and formed the basis for a deeply rooted morality. The immigrant religions present the idea of deferred punishment and reward (eschatology) which is completely alien to Africa, and which, in any case, dislodged the African notion of instant justice, until morality finally faded away from the African conscience and consciousness. The Book of Nehemiah presents a perspective of justice ( צ (ְד קָ הָ as response to the criminal obstruction of societal aspirations, which is in line with the African indigenous pragmatic orientation that yielded instant result and enabled the project of post-exilic reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem to be accomplished. This paper employs a phenomenological perspective in examining justice and morality in Africa in the pre- and postimmigrant religions dispensations, and attempts a reconstruction of the failing conscience and morality in the contemporary African society, using Nigeria in particular as the domain of the study.
{"title":"Pragmatic Sedăqâ in Nehemiah: Reconciling African Perspectives of Justice and Morality","authors":"Emmanuel Nwachukwu Uzuegbunam","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.1","url":null,"abstract":"It has variously been acknowledged that immigrant religions (Christianity and Islam) in Africa, rather than enhancing conscience and morality, have tended to merely exacerbate religious rituals and drive conscience and morality far away from the African society (Knitter & Muzaffar, 2002). The indigenous African society had been administered by instant justice, supervised by the potent and inherently ubiquitous, inescapable deities in the African milieu. This situation formed an incorruptible judicial system which planted a living, conscious fear of crime in the African and formed the basis for a deeply rooted morality. The immigrant religions present the idea of deferred punishment and reward (eschatology) which is completely alien to Africa, and which, in any case, dislodged the African notion of instant justice, until morality finally faded away from the African conscience and consciousness. The Book of Nehemiah presents a perspective of justice ( צ (ְד קָ הָ as response to the criminal obstruction of societal aspirations, which is in line with the African indigenous pragmatic orientation that yielded instant result and enabled the project of post-exilic reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem to be accomplished. This paper employs a phenomenological perspective in examining justice and morality in Africa in the pre- and postimmigrant religions dispensations, and attempts a reconstruction of the failing conscience and morality in the contemporary African society, using Nigeria in particular as the domain of the study.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"83 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126195361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
It is no longer news that Nigeria as one united political and geographical entity has continued to experience inter-religious and inter-ethnic sentiments bickering, misunderstanding, mistrust which have constantly snowballed into crisis of tremendous proportion. As a result, many innocent lives and properties worth billions of naira have been lost. This ugly situation has continued to threaten the corporate existence of Nigeria and retrogressively affected the socioeconomic development of Nigeria. However, when there is no genuine effort to bring about genuine national integration, peaceful coexistence will definitely be a mirage. One of the factors or strategies identified as capable of fostering national integration and guaranteeing peaceful co-existence is inter-ethnic, inter-religious and even inter-communal marriages among the people of different ethnic groups and adherents of different religions in Nigeria. This paper clarifies concepts in the write-up and also points out how intermarriages can foster peace and unity. It also recommends that traditional and religious leaders should be encouraged to inspire those they watch over to embrace this type of mixed marriage in order to achieve sustainable national development and most importantly promote peaceful coexistence among different ethnic groups in Nigeria
{"title":"National Integration and Peaceful Co-Existence in Nigeria: The Role of Inter-Ethnic/Inter-Religious Marriages","authors":"C. Chukwu","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.11","url":null,"abstract":"It is no longer news that Nigeria as one united political and geographical entity has continued to experience inter-religious and inter-ethnic sentiments bickering, misunderstanding, mistrust which have constantly snowballed into crisis of tremendous proportion. As a result, many innocent lives and properties worth billions of naira have been lost. This ugly situation has continued to threaten the corporate existence of Nigeria and retrogressively affected the socioeconomic development of Nigeria. However, when there is no genuine effort to bring about genuine national integration, peaceful coexistence will definitely be a mirage. One of the factors or strategies identified as capable of fostering national integration and guaranteeing peaceful co-existence is inter-ethnic, inter-religious and even inter-communal marriages among the people of different ethnic groups and adherents of different religions in Nigeria. This paper clarifies concepts in the write-up and also points out how intermarriages can foster peace and unity. It also recommends that traditional and religious leaders should be encouraged to inspire those they watch over to embrace this type of mixed marriage in order to achieve sustainable national development and most importantly promote peaceful coexistence among different ethnic groups in Nigeria","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"117 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133566867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This work is constructed on the hypothesis that religious proselytism is the tool in the hands of the three major monotheistic religions with which they canvass/campaign for membership recruitment. It identifies and explores different modes which proselytism has taken among the practitioners of the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and understands proselytism as the source and cause of a world divided along religious lines and which may not be healed if that practice persists. The work adopts the methods of analysis of written data and focus on groups.
{"title":"Religious Proselytism and the Illusion World Peace: The Disservice of World Religions","authors":"C. J. Okpalike","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.10","url":null,"abstract":"This work is constructed on the hypothesis that religious proselytism is the tool in the hands of the three major monotheistic religions with which they canvass/campaign for membership recruitment. It identifies and explores different modes which proselytism has taken among the practitioners of the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and understands proselytism as the source and cause of a world divided along religious lines and which may not be healed if that practice persists. The work adopts the methods of analysis of written data and focus on groups.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128123182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nigeria is blessed with so many natural resources which are the principal sources of income through which she is sustained. Disparity in the income so generated has been posing a serious challenge to almost every Nigerian administration on the ratio for its sharing, hence becoming a major problem and challenge affecting federal practice in Nigeria. The problem of resource control and restructuring so noticed has been as a result of disagreement within the three tiers of government of which no one seems to accept to sacrifice some pleasures in order to ensure that peace is attained. It will be germane to posit that for there to be a restructuring in Nigeria that will be effectively sustained and generally satisfactory, the Abraham’s model must be adopted who gave Lot his nephew the opportunity to choose from the best part of the vast arable land so that there may be no quarrel among them. In this regard therefore, Abraham is seen as a leader who is endowed with virtues of love, peace, selflessness and sacrifice and must be emulated by Nigeria leaders if restructuring will be achieved. This work adopts a sociological method and will be theoretically framed with relative deprivation theory. The paper observes that there has been tussle within the tiers of government on the sharing formula which has not been generally accepted. Secondly, it discovers that there has been agitations by the host states on resource control and restructuring which is not workable for the federal government, it goes on to observe that Abraham’s model could help to solve the problem if the federal government assumes the role of Abraham by allowing producing states to determine the percentage of the allocation. It finally observes that there has been lack of a leader who has the vision and willingness to handle the problem once and for all which has made the problems to continue lingering. The paper therefore recommends that the tiers of government should be willing to make sacrifices in order to ensure a harmonious and peaceful co-existence. The work also recommends the need for visionary and selfless leaders who will sincerely tackle and implement true and acceptable federalism for the good of the common man.
{"title":"“Let there be No Quarrel among Us” (Genesis 13:8-9): Using Abraham’s Model for Restructuring in Nigeria","authors":"Ekenedilichukwu A. Okolo, Christian Oziezi","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.3","url":null,"abstract":"Nigeria is blessed with so many natural resources which are the principal sources of income through which she is sustained. Disparity in the income so generated has been posing a serious challenge to almost every Nigerian administration on the ratio for its sharing, hence becoming a major problem and challenge affecting federal practice in Nigeria. The problem of resource control and restructuring so noticed has been as a result of disagreement within the three tiers of government of which no one seems to accept to sacrifice some pleasures in order to ensure that peace is attained. It will be germane to posit that for there to be a restructuring in Nigeria that will be effectively sustained and generally satisfactory, the Abraham’s model must be adopted who gave Lot his nephew the opportunity to choose from the best part of the vast arable land so that there may be no quarrel among them. In this regard therefore, Abraham is seen as a leader who is endowed with virtues of love, peace, selflessness and sacrifice and must be emulated by Nigeria leaders if restructuring will be achieved. This work adopts a sociological method and will be theoretically framed with relative deprivation theory. The paper observes that there has been tussle within the tiers of government on the sharing formula which has not been generally accepted. Secondly, it discovers that there has been agitations by the host states on resource control and restructuring which is not workable for the federal government, it goes on to observe that Abraham’s model could help to solve the problem if the federal government assumes the role of Abraham by allowing producing states to determine the percentage of the allocation. It finally observes that there has been lack of a leader who has the vision and willingness to handle the problem once and for all which has made the problems to continue lingering. The paper therefore recommends that the tiers of government should be willing to make sacrifices in order to ensure a harmonious and peaceful co-existence. The work also recommends the need for visionary and selfless leaders who will sincerely tackle and implement true and acceptable federalism for the good of the common man.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"1225 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131620620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The continuous rise of religious conflicts at different parts of the world has left so many questions unanswered and so many issues unresolved. The quest for supremacy, wealth, relevance and dominance are some of the major causes of religious conflict. Even within religions, there is constant news of conflicts of different kinds, which, unfortunately contrasts with the notion that religion qua religion is one (Madu, 2003). This has also attracted mostly negative attributes to conflict. However, some scholars have taken a different look at the positive side of this negative act - conflict. One of such scholars was Georg Simmel, a German philosopher and sociologist. This work, therefore aims at discussing the scholar Georg Simmel, his ideas and views about conflict in respect to the study of religious conflicts. This work explains how Georg Simmel presented conflict, a negative phenomenon as having some positive outcomes. Seeing religion as a fundamental process in man’s life and conflict as a dark tunnel the leads to a bright end of the tunnel, Georg Simmel presents conflict as what the writer terms “a negative beginning with a positive end”. To this end, this work shifts ground towards discussing how these bad sides of religious conflicts will be used to achieve something good. As widely believed that something good comes out of bad things, there are different positive roles religious conflict plays, as proposed by Georg Simmel which includes connection, definition, revitalization, social glue, integration and safety valve. For him, all these are necessary for achieving peace and unity only if the conflict is properly handled. Hence, religious conflict is bad in its entirety. Finally, the writer outlines some of the relevance of the work to students, scholars and the general public, advocating for peace.
{"title":"Georg Simmel and the Study of Religious Conflicts","authors":"Chijioke Fidelis Ifezue","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.16","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.16","url":null,"abstract":"The continuous rise of religious conflicts at different parts of the world has left so many questions unanswered and so many issues unresolved. The quest for supremacy, wealth, relevance and dominance are some of the major causes of religious conflict. Even within religions, there is constant news of conflicts of different kinds, which, unfortunately contrasts with the notion that religion qua religion is one (Madu, 2003). This has also attracted mostly negative attributes to conflict. However, some scholars have taken a different look at the positive side of this negative act - conflict. One of such scholars was Georg Simmel, a German philosopher and sociologist. This work, therefore aims at discussing the scholar Georg Simmel, his ideas and views about conflict in respect to the study of religious conflicts. This work explains how Georg Simmel presented conflict, a negative phenomenon as having some positive outcomes. Seeing religion as a fundamental process in man’s life and conflict as a dark tunnel the leads to a bright end of the tunnel, Georg Simmel presents conflict as what the writer terms “a negative beginning with a positive end”. To this end, this work shifts ground towards discussing how these bad sides of religious conflicts will be used to achieve something good. As widely believed that something good comes out of bad things, there are different positive roles religious conflict plays, as proposed by Georg Simmel which includes connection, definition, revitalization, social glue, integration and safety valve. For him, all these are necessary for achieving peace and unity only if the conflict is properly handled. Hence, religious conflict is bad in its entirety. Finally, the writer outlines some of the relevance of the work to students, scholars and the general public, advocating for peace.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"34 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124818649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
African Traditional Religion is the indigenous religion of the Africans. The religion that has existed before the advent of western civilization which came with secularism as an umbrella that shades Christianity, education, urbanization, colonization and so on. These features of western civilization were impressed upon African Traditional Religion. Hence, the presence of alien cultures and practices in contemporary African traditional practice, as well as the presence of elements of traditionalism in contemporary African Christian practices. This somewhat symbiosis was discussed in this paper and it was discovered that African Traditional Religion was able to jump all the hurdles of secularism, Christianity, urbanization etc and came out successfully though with bruises. The paper used socio-cultural approach in its analysis.
{"title":"African Traditional Religion vis-à-vis the Tackle It Suffers","authors":"I. Nweke","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.5","url":null,"abstract":"African Traditional Religion is the indigenous religion of the Africans. The religion that has existed before the advent of western civilization which came with secularism as an umbrella that shades Christianity, education, urbanization, colonization and so on. These features of western civilization were impressed upon African Traditional Religion. Hence, the presence of alien cultures and practices in contemporary African traditional practice, as well as the presence of elements of traditionalism in contemporary African Christian practices. This somewhat symbiosis was discussed in this paper and it was discovered that African Traditional Religion was able to jump all the hurdles of secularism, Christianity, urbanization etc and came out successfully though with bruises. The paper used socio-cultural approach in its analysis.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114217908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Every human (male and female) is a sexual being. Exploring and experiencing one’s sexuality is part of being human. Unfortunately, human’s curiosity and interest concerning sexuality are not always guided and nurtured in a wholesome way because sex is viewed as sacred and talking about it constitutes a taboo. Hence, many parents are at ease to teach their children about virtually every other thing in life, but they usually do not, however, teach about sexuality with similar ease. As a result, many grow into adulthood with partial and distorted views of human sexuality. The aim of the study was to discover the teachings of Proverbs 7:24-27 on sex education along traditional practices in tone with sex education in Igbo culture and determine the place of proper sex education for better dealing and understanding of human sexuality. The study adopted African inculturation hermeneutics which makes African social cultural context the subject of interpretation. The study revealed that sex education was integral to the training of the young adults in ancient Israel Igbo cultures. However, the study observed some areas of strength and weaknesses of sexuality training in Igbo traditional practices. Thus, the research upheld that the instructions on human sexuality preserved in the book of Proverbs are very relevant in strengthening the contemporary Igbo culture and her traditional practices in the training of young adults in the areas of chastity. Therefore, the paper called for proper sex education in the Igbo society to instill sexual purity among youths of contemporary Igbo society.
{"title":"Sex Education: Ancient Israel and Igbo Traditional Practices","authors":"Uzoma Amos Dike, M. Okwueze","doi":"10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4314/JRHR.V13I1.14","url":null,"abstract":"Every human (male and female) is a sexual being. Exploring and experiencing one’s sexuality is part of being human. Unfortunately, human’s curiosity and interest concerning sexuality are not always guided and nurtured in a wholesome way because sex is viewed as sacred and talking about it constitutes a taboo. Hence, many parents are at ease to teach their children about virtually every other thing in life, but they usually do not, however, teach about sexuality with similar ease. As a result, many grow into adulthood with partial and distorted views of human sexuality. The aim of the study was to discover the teachings of Proverbs 7:24-27 on sex education along traditional practices in tone with sex education in Igbo culture and determine the place of proper sex education for better dealing and understanding of human sexuality. The study adopted African inculturation hermeneutics which makes African social cultural context the subject of interpretation. The study revealed that sex education was integral to the training of the young adults in ancient Israel Igbo cultures. However, the study observed some areas of strength and weaknesses of sexuality training in Igbo traditional practices. Thus, the research upheld that the instructions on human sexuality preserved in the book of Proverbs are very relevant in strengthening the contemporary Igbo culture and her traditional practices in the training of young adults in the areas of chastity. Therefore, the paper called for proper sex education in the Igbo society to instill sexual purity among youths of contemporary Igbo society.","PeriodicalId":358787,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Religion and Human Relations","volume":"108 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129664281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}