Theses and Dissertations

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Theses and Dissertations (Religious Studies)

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Open Access
Inculturation and the Growth of the Baptist Missionary Enterprise in the Niger Delta, 1950-2005
(2015-05-12) Onia, Misoma Michael
This study examined the factors responsible for the growth of the Baptist missionary enterprise in the Niger Delta from 1950 to 2005. It also investigated the ways Baptists had responded to the traditional worldviews and culture of the peoples of the Niger Delta with particular reference to burial customs, marriage, polygamy, widowhood and traditional rulership. The study further assessed the impact of inculturation on the doctrinal emphases, practices, and pastoral leadership of the Niger Delta Baptists. This was with a view to understanding the complex interaction between the Baptist faith and the African culture in the Niger Delta. Primary and archival materials on Baptist and other denominational missionary enterprises such as diaries, correspondences, annual books of reports and minutes of annual conventions in various archives in Ibadan, Enugu, and Ogbomoso, and in private libraries of prominent Baptist and community leaders were consulted to obtain a composite history of Nigerian Baptists with particular reference to the Niger Delta. Additional data were sourced through interviews with past and present General Secretaries and Presidents of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, with the two currently serving Conference Secretaries, two Chairmen, the two serving missionaries, and two moderators of Associations of the Rivers and Delta Baptist Conferences. The participant-observation method was employed to study the twelve largest Baptist churches in the Niger Delta and ascertain how institutional and doctrinal changes had impacted on the growth of Baptist work in the region. Lastly, secondary sources such as books and articles in learned journals were consulted. The data were analysed using the historical and missiological approaches. The study revealed that Christianity was introduced in the Niger Delta largely due to the quest of the people themselves because of various political and economic circumstances in which they found themselves in the nineteenth century. Besides, the growth of Baptist missionary work in the early twentieth century was made possible by the contributions of Mojola Agbebi and William Hughes, two visionary Baptist pastors, who promoted inculturation by teaching the Niger Delta Baptists to sing and read the Scriptures in their native languages. Other factors that led to the institutional growth of Baptist work from 1950 to 2005 included the establishment of Baptist mission schools and hospitals in some towns, the training of competent indigenous pastors who subsequently supported more evangelistic activities, and more flexibility in the administrative structures utilized in the work. Furthermore, the Nigerian Baptist Convention's rethinking of its theological position on polygamy and the acceptance of converted polygamists as baptized members in the 1990s further brought the Church to the grassroots. The emerging Pentecostal spirituality since the 1970s stimulated renewal in the Baptist churches in the Niger Delta. Lastly, although the denomination had been engaged in inculturation since 1893, from the 1950s there were greater challenges about traditional cultures and worldviews of the Niger Delta people, as the denomination tried to maintain its conservative evangelical tradition against attempts by the people to revive and maintain old cultural practices. The study concluded that Baptist pastors and church leaders appreciated inculturation as a missiological strategy for church growth and for negotiating the complexities of African cultures, while still promoting the evangelical faith in the African context.
Open Access
Philosophical and Religious Interpretations of Theism within the Yoruba Context
(2015-05-11) Olorunfemi, Joseph Oluwasegun
The study examines and compared the age-long arguments on the existence of God from the Yoruba traditional and Western perspectives. It examined and compared the nature of the problem of evil in the Western and the Yoruba traditional views of God (Olodumare). The study discussed and evaluated the paradoxes in the attributes of God among the Yoruba. This was with a view to revealing the true nature and attributes of God in the Yoruba world view. The primary data for the study were collected through interviews with purposively selected practitioners of indigenous Yoruba religious tradition. Eight practitioners were interviewed in Ile-lfe, three in Osogbo, one in Oyo, one in Ondo and one in ljebu-Ode. The contents of the interview focused on ritual practices, mythic narratives and proverbs. The secondary materials for the study consisted of publications by Western and Yoruba scholars on the notion of God and the problem of evil. The data were analyzed using a comparative approach. The study revealed that there were inconsistencies in the western attributes of God in relation to the existence of evil in the world created by God. It also showed that the problem of evil in Judeo – Christian religion had been the source of atheism, skepticism and agnosticism. It further discovered that the attributes of God in the Yoruba traditional religious world – view did not lead to the problem of evil that was found in western theism. The study also found that the compatibility of the Yoruba conception of God with the existence of evil in the world was demonstrable in most aspects of Yoruba existence as expressed in the proverb "'T' ibit tire ni a da ile aye" literally, the world was created a paradox of evil and good. It was concluded that the Western notion of God's existence or non-existence was not a universal standard notion of God for all cultures, particularly the Yoruba culture. Moreover, the Yoruba conception of God provided a more plausible explanation for the joint existence of God and evil in the world than was provided by western theism.
Open Access
The Eschatological Significance of Matthew 25:31- 46 in the Context of the Church among the Okun-Yoruba of Kogi State
(2015-04-30) Ojo, Olarewaju Paul
The study examined the periscope of Mathew 25:31-46 on the responsibilities of the Church to the communities. These provisions take care of the basic needs of man and serve as a pointer to the Christian response to saving faith in Jesus Christ and a preparation for eternal bliss in the kingdom of God. It is against the background of her experience as a community that has been fought against by the Jihadists (1840 — 1897), colonized by Europeans and neglected by even the present post-colonial governments, that the corporate efforts of the Churches in Okunland were examined. In particular, the thesis examined how each of the churches had responded corporately to the six practical demands of the periscope and drew appropriate implications and suggestions. Information was gathered through questionnaire and interviews with church and community leaders. Nine purposively selected churches with widespread presence in Okunland as case studies. Three mainline protestant denominations (The Anglican, Roman Catholic Mission, Evangelical Church of West Africa); three African Independent Churches ( Christ Apostolic Church, The Apostolic Church, Cherubim and Seraphim) and three New Generation Churches (Deeper Life Bible Church, All Christian Fellowship Mission and Redeemed Christian Church of God) served as major representatives of Christianity in Okunland covering the period 1901 till date. The secondary sources included relevant textbooks magazines, bulletins, journals and newspapers from reputable libraries and the Internet. The data was analysed using the hermeneutical approach. The results showed that the Churches were generally aware of the periscope and its import as the revelation of Jesus Christ. The study also found out that there were variations in the responses of the various denominations. These include the following: the pioneer Mission Churches responded Corporately by digging 30 wells, built 2 hospitals, 7 dispensaries, 1 motherless babies home, established 3 farm projects, collect and gave out clothes 6 times in the year; visit the prison 24 times in the year. It was discovered that the African Independent Churches and most of the New Generation Churches did not do much as they could only meet the needs of the people at the interpersonal level. Furthermore, a re-interpretation of Matthew 25:31-46 among the Okun Yoruba of Kogi State showed that (a) the church existed for the spiritual and physical benefit of the society; (b) the mission churches still won more membership as a result of its corporate approach of meeting the needs of the people; (c) the Church existed for the transformation of the society; and (d) while the mission churches carried out the works of mercy corporately, the other churches stopped at the-individual level. This study concluded that the Churches continuing relevance in Okunland depended on their promotion of the works of mercy particularly at the corporate level to a people already marginalized in the Nigerian State. It also concluded that the Church in "Nigeria still has important roles to play as it seeks to fulfil its eschatological and messianic missions to the poor and the oppressed.
Open Access
An Intercultural Study of the Church-as-Family among the Igbo of Enugu State, Southeastern Nigeria and its Theological Import
(2015-04-30) Ojiekwe, Ephraim Chinedu
The study examined the established models of the Church-as-family among the Igbo of Enugu State, Southeastern Nigeria, and determined the nature of the relationship between the Igbo family culture and the Christian Church culture. It also showed the relevance of the concept of the Church-as-family in the context of Igbo Christianity with a view to defining a theology of the Church–as–family in the context of the developing Christian religion among the Igbo of Enugu State, Nigeria. The study adopted an intercultural hermeneutical approach. The qualitative data were collected through unstructured oral interviews and observations, while the quantitative data were collected by means of questionnaire. In all, sixty Igbo families in Enugu State were selected for the study. Twenty families were purposively selected from each of the middle, lower and upper classes. They were grouped into three age-brackets, namely 70-79 years, 50-59 years, and 20-29 years. The families whose ages ranged between 70 and 79 years were considered traditional, while families in the other two age-brackets were considered modern. The data were analyzed hermeneutically. The results from a historical study of the Igbo family showed that the Igbo understanding of the family was very elastic. It could refer to a whole clan, kindred or nuclear family. In other words, it was more of the extended family. From the results it could also be seen that the Igbo and Church conceptions of family indicated a great sense of solidarity and progress in the firm bond of oneness. However, it was discovered that both the Church and the Igbo differed significantly in the areas of family size and the type of relationship, because in terms of size, the universal Church comprises of people from every part of the world, while the Igbo family was restricted to the constituent members of the clan, kindred, or town. They also differed on the type of relationship because the members of the Church were bound by a "spiritual" relationship, namely their faith, while the Igbo family was strongly based on blood ties. The study concluded that traditional lgbo family identified with the principle of the Church-as-Family, but the incursion of Western civilization and technological advancement of modern times had distorted the concept.
Open Access
A Contextual Study of the Practice and Use of African Traditional Medicine among Seventh-Day Adventists in Remoland of Ogun State
(2015-04-13) Amanze, Philemon Omerenma
This study identified and assessed the patterns and the extent of the practice and use of traditional medicine among the Seventh-day Adventists in Remoland; it also examined the veracity of the claim that the practice and use of African traditional medicine amounted to idolatry; analyzed the social, economic and spiritual impacts of the practice and use of traditional medicine on Seventh-day Adventists in Remoland. It also examined the interplay between African traditional medical practices and Western medical practices in the health care delivery system of the Seventh-day Adventists. A multi-dimensional methodology was adopted. Firstly, phenomenological method was used by applying the principle of epoche to observe and interpret Seventh-day Adventists' belief and practice on the use of African and Western medicine. Secondly, questionnaire and oral interview were used to gather information from Seventh-day Adventists and non Adventists. Fifty Seventh-day Adventists made up of ten pastors, fifteen men and women leaders respectively, ten medical personnel; and fifteen traditional birth attendants, two bone setters and thirty three traditional medical practitioners were interviewed to know the materials and forms of traditional medicine they used. The data generated through the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics. This study discovered that African traditional medicine played important roles among Seventh-day Adventists. Among the Adventists, the use of herbal medicine had been endorsed by the Bible, is not tantamount to idol worship and it is supported by the ministry of Ellen G. White, a pioneer Seventh-day Adventist. It was discovered that African traditional medicine complemented the deficiencies in modern medicine in handling some birth related issues. It was also discovered that African traditional medicine was used by most Seventh-day Adventists (56.6% of the 302 respondents) because it was affordable, available and effective for their health needs. African traditional medicine was used only in the explicable form by Seventh-day Adventists and not in the inexplicable form which involved the use of incantations, sacrifices, magic and mystic powers that were beyond human comprehension and empirical laboratory investigations. This explicable form involved the use of herbs, rhizomes, plants and other materials which could be pharmacologically and scientifically explained. This study concluded that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Remoland played an important role in the use of African traditional medicine to meet the health-care needs of the people in the area.

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