DOCSLIB.ORG

CHRISTIANITY of CHRISTIANS: an Exegetical Interpretation of Matt

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CHRISTIANITY of CHRISTIANS: an Exegetical Interpretation of Matt CHRISTIANITY OF CHRISTIANS: An Exegetical Interpretation of Matt. 5:13-16 And its Challenges to Christians in Nigerian Context. ANTHONY I. EZEOGAMBA Copyright © Anthony I. Ezeogamba Published September 2019 All Rights Reserved: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the copyright owner. ISBN: 978 – 978 – 978 – 115 – 7 Printed and Published by FIDES MEDIA LTD. 27 Archbishop A.K. Obiefuna Retreat/Pastoral Centre Road, Nodu Okpuno, Awka South L.G.A., Anambra State, Nigeria (+234) 817 020 4414, (+234) 803 879 4472, (+234) 909 320 9690 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fidesnigeria.com, www.fidesnigeria.org ii DEDICATION This Book is dedicated to my dearest mother, MADAM JUSTINA NKENYERE EZEOGAMBA in commemoration of what she did in my life and that of my siblings. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I wish to acknowledge the handiwork of God in my life who is the author of my being. I am grateful to Most Rev. Dr. S.A. Okafor, late Bishop of Awka diocese who gave me the opportunity to study in Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA) where I was armed to write this type of book. I appreciate the fatherly role of Bishop Paulinus C. Ezeokafor, the incumbent Bishop of Awka diocese together with his Auxiliary, Most Rev. Dr. Jonas Benson Okoye. My heartfelt gratitude goes also to Bishop Peter Ebele Okpalaeke for his positive influence in my spiritual life. I am greatly indebted to my chief mentor when I was a student priest in CIWA and even now, Most Rev. Dr. Camillus Umoh, Catholic Bishop of Ikot Ekpene Diocese. Indeed, it was his tactful and gentle corrections in those days that made this book a reality. It is not also possible to forget the erudite touches I received in life from Rev. Fr. Prof. E. Nwaoru who was also my HOD in the Biblical Department when I was a student in CIWA. I am also highly indebted to Rev. Fr. Prof. Luke Ijezie for the role he played in my life when I was being formed in CIWA. I recognise the motherly role played in my life by Rev. Sr. Professor Teresa Okure, SHCJ who was during my last year in CIWA the immediate past Academic Dean of CIWA and immediate past HOD of Biblical Theology Department. I thank also Rev. Fr. Prof. F. Nwaigbo and Rev. Fr. Dr. Anthony Umoren for all their directions with regard to my graduation from CIWA. I will not forget my dearest mother, Mrs Justina Ezeogamba, the families of my brothers (Emmanuel, John and Peter) and sisters (Carol and Chinyere); and my late father, Nze Charles iv Ezeogamba, may his gentle soul rest in perfect peace Amen. I will not fell to thank Srs Chiazokam Ezeorah and Chijiudo Mbaji. I thank all priests from Achina especially Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Dim for the light with which they have been directing me. I will not forget my friends and senior colleagues in the priestly ministry especially Frs Christopher Okoli, Joel Okechukwu, Hilary Ezenwa, Chinedu Ezennabude, Anthony Akabogu, Emmanuel Okpalauwaekwe, John Umeorjiakor, Francis Ezenezi, Anthony Umeh, Luke Okoye, Raphael Agbanu and numerous others. I remember the goodness I shared with the following during my stay in CIWA, Port Harcourt: Chief & Lolo C.U Mbaji, Sir and Lady Obiano KSJ, Sir and Lady Dr. Ben Okpala, Mr & Mrs Chubby Ezenwa, Mr. & Mrs Goddy Njoku, Mr. & Mrs Chika Umegekwe, Mr. & Mrs C.C. Ejimofor, Mr. & Mrs Iwunze, Mr. & Mrs Ekwommadu, Chief Archbong, Chief Ikeolisa, Sir and Lady Nwanaekezie, Madam Erika, Mr & Mrs Chinenye and host of others. Finally, I am highly indebted to all my senior colleagues and mentors in my department namely Msgr. Prof. J.P.C. Nzomiwu, Prof. J.E. Madu, Fr. Prof. A.B.C. Chiegboka, Fr. Prof. C.A. Omeike as well as Rev. Sr. Prof. M.N.E Ezeh, and numerous other friends and well wishers. I thank God for you all; may God grant you all your deepest heart‟s desires. Amen. Ezeogamba, I. Anthony. v FORWARD The existence and furtherance of Christianity in Nigeria are threatened and hampered today more than ever. The threat from Islamic Jihad by Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen is worrisome. But more worrisome are shallow and lukewarm Christianity of Christians. Those are what threaten the existence and furtherance of Christianity most today. Shallow and lukewarm Christianity are expressive of Christianity that is not deeply rooted, that has no taproot, or that has no solid foundation. And like a house built upon sand easily collapses in the face of anything, even wind, that comes against it, so does shallow or lukewarm Christianity fizzle out in the face of any threat that comes against it. Shallow and lukewarm Christianity leave no appreciable impact in society. In the face of endemic corruption, bad leadership, lack of value for human life, materialism, greed, covetousness, worldly pleasure, etc. prevalent in Nigeria, one wonders what impact Christians are making in the country. Jesus enjoined his followers to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). St. James says that faith without good works is dead (James 2:14-26). The Christian good works consist in living out the Christian principles and being truly Christian in season and out of season. This book, Christianity of Christians: An Exegetical Interpretation of Matt. 5:13-16 and its Challenges to Christians in Nigerian Context, is the author‟s academic and scholarly investigation into the bible and into the life of Christians in Nigeria to know what being Christian really means and whether the life of Christians in Nigeria is in consonant with vi that or not respectively. What he sets out to do in the book is well captured in the title of the book. The word „Christianity‟ as employed in the title calls to mind the „ought‟ and the „is‟. It calls to mind the „ought‟ of Christianity as prescriptively stated in Matt. 5:13-16 and as interpreted and understood. That is, it calls to mind what being Christian really means or what a Christian really ought to be. It also calls to mind the Christianity of Christians in Nigeria; that is, the actual living out or otherwise of their Christian vocation by Christians in Nigeria. Exegesis is a specialized discipline with technicalities that are in most cases neither fully meaningful to nor fully understood by the non-exeget. The author is able to satisfy his fellow exegets by the quality exegesis he carried out in the work as well as satisfy his non-exeget readers by simplifying most of the technicalities. The fruit of his exegesis derives more from the metaphor of salt and light in Matt. 5:13-16. He uses the fruits of his exegesis to establish what Christ expects his followers – the Christians – to be. He also uses them to establish the extent to which Christians in Nigeria are truly Christians and the extent they are not. The book demonstrates the qualities of a good research work; it digs out more knowledge about the subject than previously known. What the book makes known about the objects or themes of Salt and Light shows that our knowledge of same is either inadequate, insufficient or no knowledge at all. The book, therefore, offers every one that reads it both the exeget and the non-exeget richer understanding of what it means to be salt and light in a way that invites and disposes the reader to strive to salt and light. vii The book is both salt and light to the subjects and themes of Salt and Light. It is light because it has enlightened our understanding of the metaphorical use of salt and light in Matt. 5:13-16. It is also salt because it has made the call to be salt and light to be appetizing and appealing to us. A reading will convince you. This book has my highest commendation and recommendation to every Christian, both the minister and the ministered, the lecturer and the student. Rev. Fr. Stephen C. Egwim, Ph.D. Lecturer, Seat of Wisdom Seminary, Owerri. Old Testament Exegesis. viii ABSTRACT Matt. 5:13-16 is significant in the understanding of the Sermon on the Mount. It forms a transition from identifying those who are to live according to the demands of the Sermon on the Mount in the present (5:17-7:27) and those who will live the life of blessedness in the future (5:3-12). In this transitional passage, the audience is metaphorically identified as “The salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” Using these metaphors to describe the audience draws attention to their usage in normal life situations. Equally, the metaphorical understanding of these elements both in biblical and social parlance is instructive. For instance, salt is a sign of covenant while light is a sign of orderliness and progress. Salt must lose its physical qualities before its preservative and flavouring effects could be noticed. In the same way, candle as source of light degenerates gradually as it gives its light till it burns itself out for the good of others. So when Jesus uses “salt” and “light” to refer to his disciples he means that they are to be to humanity what salt and light are. He urged his followers to become the salt and the light in the world that is hostile to God, lost in sin, ruined, and even depraved.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Interim Capacity Building for Operators of Microfinance Banks
    Central Bank of Nigeria INTERIM CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP FOR OPERATORS OF MICROFINACE BANKS IN NIGERIA The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is organizing a capacity building workshop for operators of licensed Microfinance Banks in Nigeria. There will be four runs of 3 days each from 1st to 13th September, 2008. The workshop will be held concurrently in eight centres as detailed below: AWKA CENTRE: Venue: Choice Hotel, 71, Arthur Eze Avenue, Awka, Anambra State. Institutions: S/N NAME OF MFB ADDRESS STATE ADAZI ANI TOWN HALL, ADAZI ANI, ANAOCHA LGA, 1 AACB MFB ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA NKWOR MARKET SQUARE, ADAZI-ENU, ANAOCHA 2 ADAZI-ENU MFB LGA, ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA AKPO JUNCTION, AKPO AGUATA LGA, ANAMBRA 3 AKPO MFB STATE ANAMBRA CIVIC CENTRE COMPLEX, ADAZI-ENU, ANAOCHA 4 BESTWAY MFB LGA, ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA NO 1 MISSION ROAD EKWULOBIA P.M.B.24 AGUTA, 5 EKWULOBIA MFB ANAMBRA ANAMBRA 1 BANK ROAD UMUCHU, AGUATA L.G.A, ANAMBRA 6 EQUINOX MFB STATE ANAMBRA AFOR IGWE UMUDIOKA, DUNUKOFIA LGA, ANAMBRA 7 EZEBO MFB STATE ANAMBRA KM 6, ONITHSA OKIGWE RD., ICHI, EKWUSIGO LGA, 8 ICHI MFB ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA NNOBI/EKWULOBIA ROAD, IGBOUKWU, ANAMBRA 9 IGBO-UKWU MFB STATE ANAMBRA 10 IHIALA MFB BANK HOUSE, ORLU ROAD, IHIALA, ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA EKWUSIGO PARK, ISUOFIA-NNEWI ROAD, ISUOFIA, 11 ISUOFIA MFB ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA ZONE 16, NO.6-9, MAIN MARKET, NKWO-NNEWI, 12 MBAWULU MFB ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA STATE SECRETARIAT, GOVERNMENT HOUSE, AWKA, 13 NDIOLU MFB ANAMBRA STATE ANAMBRA NGENE-OKA MARKET SQ., ALONG AMAWBIA/AGULU 14 NICE MFB ROAD, NISE, AWKA SOUTH
    [Show full text]
  • The Jewish People, the Gospel, and the Promises
    The Jewish People, the Gospel, and the Promises A Declaration on the Relationship between the Church and the Jewish People and the Place of this People within God’s Salvation History By the Theological Commission of the Norwegian Church Ministry to Israel Edited by Reidar Hvalvik The Norwegian Church Ministry to Israel 2004 Norwegian and English editions © 2004 The Norwegian Church Ministry to Israel Holbergs plass 4 N-0166 Oslo Norway Translated from Norwegian by Reidar Hvalvik 2 Contents Editor’s Preface to the English Edition ……………………………………. 3 Introduction ………………………………………………………………… 6 1. The Jewish People and the Gospel ……………………………………… 6 2. The Jewish People and the Law ………………………………………… 10 3. The Jewish People and the Church ……………………………………… 13 4. The Jewish People and the Last Days …………………………………… 16 5. The Jewish People and the Land ………………………………………… 18 3 Editor’s Preface to the English Edition As Christians we have a special relationship to the Jewish people: Jesus was a Jew, the first Christian church comprised Jews, and those who first preached the gospel to Gentiles were Jews. They did so because they knew that the message concerning Jesus as Messiah was relevant not only for Jews, but for Gentiles as well. Many Gentiles came to faith and soon they became the majority among the believers. At a relatively early stage the Jews thus became more or less “invisible” as a part of the church, and the church’s relationship to the Jewish people soon became characterized by discrimination and persecution. Large parts of the history of the church’s relationship to the Jewish people are thus dark and painful.
    [Show full text]
  • Gnosticism Gnosticism
    Gnosticism Gnosticism (after gnôsis, the Greek word for “knowledge” or “insight”) is the name given to a loosely organized religious and philosophical movement that flourished in the first and second centuries CE. The exact origin(s) of this school of thought cannot be traced, although it is possible to locate influences or sources as far back as the second and first centuries BCE, such as the early treatises of the Corpus Hermeticum, the Jewish Apocalyptic writings, and especially Platonic philosophy and the Hebrew Scriptures themselves. In spite of the diverse nature of the various Gnostic sects and teachers, certain fundamental elements serve to bind these groups together under the loose heading of “Gnosticism” or “Gnosis.” Chief among these elements is a certain manner of “anti- cosmic world rejection” that has often been mistaken for mere dualism. According to the Gnostics, this world, the material cosmos, is the result of a primordial error on the part of a supra-cosmic, supremely divine being, usually called Sophia (Wisdom) or simply the Logos. This being is described as the final emanation of a divine hierarchy, called the Plêrôma or “Fullness,” at the head of which resides the supreme God, the One beyond Being. The error of Sophia, which is usually identified as a reckless desire to know the transcendent God, leads to the hypostatization of her desire in the form of a semi-divine and essentially ignorant creature known as the Demiurge (Greek: dêmiourgos, “craftsman”), or Ialdabaoth, who is responsible for the formation of the material cosmos. This act of craftsmanship is actually an imitation of the realm of the Pleroma, but the Demiurge is ignorant of this, and hubristically declares himself the only existing God.
    [Show full text]
  • Some Principles of the Use of Macro-Areas Language Dynamics &A
    Online Appendix for Harald Hammarstr¨om& Mark Donohue (2014) Some Principles of the Use of Macro-Areas Language Dynamics & Change Harald Hammarstr¨om& Mark Donohue The following document lists the languages of the world and their as- signment to the macro-areas described in the main body of the paper as well as the WALS macro-area for languages featured in the WALS 2005 edi- tion. 7160 languages are included, which represent all languages for which we had coordinates available1. Every language is given with its ISO-639-3 code (if it has one) for proper identification. The mapping between WALS languages and ISO-codes was done by using the mapping downloadable from the 2011 online WALS edition2 (because a number of errors in the mapping were corrected for the 2011 edition). 38 WALS languages are not given an ISO-code in the 2011 mapping, 36 of these have been assigned their appropri- ate iso-code based on the sources the WALS lists for the respective language. This was not possible for Tasmanian (WALS-code: tsm) because the WALS mixes data from very different Tasmanian languages and for Kualan (WALS- code: kua) because no source is given. 17 WALS-languages were assigned ISO-codes which have subsequently been retired { these have been assigned their appropriate updated ISO-code. In many cases, a WALS-language is mapped to several ISO-codes. As this has no bearing for the assignment to macro-areas, multiple mappings have been retained. 1There are another couple of hundred languages which are attested but for which our database currently lacks coordinates.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study of Awka Metropolis Anambra State, Nigeria
    International Journal of Business and Social Science Vol. 7, No. 5; May 2016 Urban Poverty Incidence in Nigeria: A Study of Awka Metropolis Anambra State, Nigeria Mbah, Stella I., Ph.D Department of Business Administration Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam, Anambra State Nigeria Mgbemena, Gabriel C. Department of Business Administration Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam, Anambra State Nigeria Ejike, Daniel C. Department of Business Administration Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam, Anambra State Nigeria Abstract This study examined poverty situation in Awka metropolis of Anambra State, Nigeria, using the P-alpha class of poverty measure. To achieve this objective, a structured questionnaire was administered to 399 heads of households selected from mixed socio-economic backgrounds. The study revealed that 49 percent of the respondents were considered to be poor, with 0.17 poverty gap index and a 0.03 severity of poverty index. However, the indicators were considered to be modest when compared with the national rates. The causes of poverty in Awka metropolis include: lack or inadequate supply of some identified basic necessities of life such as shelter, potable water, and sanitation, basic healthcare services, electricity and educational services. As a result of these inadequacies, there are psychological distress, increase in destitution, child labour, violent crime, and prostitution. It was therefore recommended among others that government should step up public investment in urban infrastructure, provision of credit facilities, involvement of the people in development decision that affects their lives or participatory budgetary process and most especially, good governance at the municipal level with accountability and transparency to stamp out corrupt tendencies which has inhibited past developmental efforts of the government.
    [Show full text]
  • Yoruba Art & Culture
    Yoruba Art & Culture Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology University of California, Berkeley Yoruba Art and Culture PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY Written and Designed by Nicole Mullen Editors Liberty Marie Winn Ira Jacknis Special thanks to Tokunbo Adeniji Aare, Oduduwa Heritage Organization. COPYRIGHT © 2004 PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY ◆ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY BERKELEY, CA 94720-3712 ◆ 510-642-3682 ◆ HTTP://HEARSTMUSEUM.BERKELEY.EDU Table of Contents Vocabulary....................4 Western Spellings and Pronunciation of Yoruba Words....................5 Africa....................6 Nigeria....................7 Political Structure and Economy....................8 The Yoruba....................9, 10 Yoruba Kingdoms....................11 The Story of How the Yoruba Kingdoms Were Created....................12 The Colonization and Independence of Nigeria....................13 Food, Agriculture and Trade....................14 Sculpture....................15 Pottery....................16 Leather and Beadwork....................17 Blacksmiths and Calabash Carvers....................18 Woodcarving....................19 Textiles....................20 Religious Beliefs....................21, 23 Creation Myth....................22 Ifa Divination....................24, 25 Music and Dance....................26 Gelede Festivals and Egugun Ceremonies....................27 Yoruba Diaspora....................28
    [Show full text]
  • 05 June 2013 EALA
    05 June 2013 EALA Wednesday, 05 June 2013 The Assembly met at 2.30 p.m. in Parliament House, Kampala, Uganda The National Anthem The East African Community Anthem PRAYERS (The Speaker, Ms Margret Nantongo Zziiwa, in the Chair.) The Assembly was called to order. PROCLAMATION The Speaker: Hon. Members, amidst us today is H.E, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda. (Applause) I have, in accordance with the provisions of Article 54 of the Treaty, invited him to address this Assembly. I now would like to make the following proclamation to welcome his presence to the Presence; “WHEREAS Clause 1 of Article 54 of the Treaty provides that the Speaker of the Assembly can invite any person to attend the Assembly, notwithstanding that he/she is not a Member of the Assembly, if in his/her opinion, the business of the Assembly renders his/her presence desirable; AND WHEREAS, in the opinion of the Speaker, the attendance and presence in the Assembly of the President of the Republic of Uganda and the Chairperson of the Summit of the EAC Heads of State is desirable in accordance with the business now before us as the Assembly; NOW THEREFORE, it is with great pleasure and honour, on your behalf, honourable members, to welcome H. E, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in this Assembly. ADDRESS BY H. E YOWERI KAGUTA MUSEVENI, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA WELCOME REMARKS BY THE SPEAKER OF EALA The Speaker: Your Excellence, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda and Chairperson of the Summit of the EAC Heads of State, Rt Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • Is There a Judeo-Christian Tradition?
    Is there a Judeo-Christian Tradition? Perspectives on Jewish Texts and Contexts Edited by Vivian Liska Editorial Board Robert Alter, Steven E. Aschheim, Richard I. Cohen, Mark H. Gelber, Moshe Halbertal, Geoffrey Hartman, Moshe Idel, Samuel Moyn, Ada Rapoport-Albert, Alvin Rosenfeld, David Ruderman, Bernd Witte Volume 4 Is there a Judeo-Christian Tradition? A European Perspective Edited by Emmanuel Nathan Anya Topolski Volume inspired by the international workshop “Is there a Judeo-Christian tradition?” as part of the UCSIA/IJS Chair for Jewish-Christian Relations, organized by the Institute of Jewish Studies of the University of Antwerp and the University Centre Saint Ignatius Antwerp (UCSIA). An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libra- ries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access. More information about the initiative can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. ISBN 978-3-11-041647-3 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-041659-6 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-041667-1 ISSN 2199-6962 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed
    [Show full text]
  • Hartford's Low-Income Latino Immigrants
    Trinity College Trinity College Digital Repository Senior Theses and Projects Student Scholarship Spring 2013 Accessing Human Rights Through Faith-based Social Justice and Cultural Citizenship: Hartford's Low-income Latino Immigrants. Sarah C. Kacevich Trinity College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses Part of the Social Welfare Commons Recommended Citation Kacevich, Sarah C., "Accessing Human Rights Through Faith-based Social Justice and Cultural Citizenship: Hartford's Low-income Latino Immigrants.". Senior Theses, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 2013. Trinity College Digital Repository, https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/theses/322 Kacevich 1 "Accessing Human Rights Through Faith-based Social Justice and Cultural Citizenship: Hartford's Low-income Latino Immigrants" A Senior Thesis presented by: Sarah Kacevich to: The Human Rights Studies Program, Trinity College (Hartford, Connecticut) April 2013 Readers: Professor Janet Bauer and Professor Dario Euraque In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the major in Human Rights Studies Kacevich 2 Abstract: Many low-income Latino immigrants in Hartford lack access to the human rights to education, economic security, and mental health. The U.S. government’s attitude is that immigrants should be responsible for their own resettlement. Catholic Social Teaching establishes needs related to resettlement as basic human rights. How do Jubilee House and Our Lady of Sorrows, both Catholic faith-based organizations in Hartford, Connecticut, fill in the gaps between state-provided services and the norms of human rights? What are the implications of immigrant accommodation via faith-based social justice for the human rights discourse on citizenship and cultural relevance? A formal, exploratory case study of each of these FBOs, over a 3-month period, provide us with some answers to these questions.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Nigeria Research Network
    Christians and Christianity in Northern Nigeria Ibrahim, J.; Ehrhardt, D.W.L. Citation Ibrahim, J., & Ehrhardt, D. W. L. (2012). Christians and Christianity in Northern Nigeria. Oxford: Nigeria Research Network. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/139167 Version: Not Applicable (or Unknown) License: Leiden University Non-exclusive license Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/139167 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). Nigeria Research Network (NRN) Oxford Department of International Development Queen Elizabeth House University of Oxford NRN WORKING PAPER NO. 12 Christians and Christianity in Northern Nigeria Dr Jibrin Ibrahim, Executive Director, Centre for Democracy & Development, Abuja. & Dr David Ehrhardt, Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. 2012 Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Islam Research Programme - Abuja, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The views presented in this paper represent those of the authors and are in no way attributable to the Ministry. 1 Abstract Christians constitute a significant minority in northern Nigeria. This report introduces some of the main dynamics that characterize the contemporary Christian population of Nigeria, with a focus on Christianity in northern Nigeria. It sketches the origins of the divide between ‘old’ and ‘new’ Christian movements and presents data on the demographics and diversity of Nigerian Christianity, suggesting that there are five main Christian movements in Nigeria: the Roman Catholics, the ‘orthodox’ Protestants, the African Protestants, the Aladura churches, and finally the Pentecostals. Furthermore, the paper discusses some of the ways in which Nigerian Christians are positioning themselves and their religion in Nigeria’s public sphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Accredited Observer Groups/Organisations for the 2011 April General Elections
    ACCREDITED OBSERVER GROUPS/ORGANISATIONS FOR THE 2011 APRIL GENERAL ELECTIONS Further to the submission of application by Observer groups to INEC (EMOC 01 Forms) for Election Observation ahead of the April 2011 General Elections; the Commission has shortlisted and approved 291 Domestic Observer Groups/Organizations to observe the forthcoming General Elections. All successful accredited Observer groups as shortlisted below are required to fill EMOC 02 Forms and submit the full names of their officials and the State of deployment to the Election Monitoring and Observation Unit, INEC. Please note that EMOC 02 Form is obtainable at INEC Headquarters, Abuja and your submissions should be made on or before Friday, 25th March, 2011. S/N ORGANISATION LOCATION & ADDRESS 1 CENTER FOR PEACEBUILDING $ SOCIO- HERITAGE HOUSE ILUGA QUARTERS HOSPITAL ECONOMIC RESOURCES ROAD TEMIDIRE IKOLE EKITI DEVELOPMENT(CEPSERD) 2 COMMITTED ADVOCATES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEV SUITE 18 DANOVILLE PLAZA GARDEN ABUJA &YOUTH ADVANCEMENT FCT 3 LEAGUE OF ANAMBRA PROFESSIONALS 86A ISALE-EKO WAY DOLPHIN – IKOYI 4 YOUTH MOVEMENT OF NIGERIA SUITE 24, BLK A CYPRIAN EKWENSI CENTRE FOR ARTS & CULTURE ABUJA 5 SCIENCE & ECONOMY DEV. ORG. SUITE KO5 METRO PLAZA PLOT 791/992 ZAKARIYA ST CBD ABUJA 6 GLOBAL PEACE & FORGIVENESS FOUNDATION SUITE A6, BOBSAR COMPLEX GARKI 7 CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT 2 CASABLANCA ST. WUSE 11 ABUJA 8 GREATER TOMORROW INITIATIVE 5 NSIT ST, UYO A/IBOM 9 NIG. LABOUR CONGRESS LABOUR HOUSE CBD ABUJA 10 WOMEN FOR PEACE IN NIG NO. 4 MOHAMMED BUHARI WAY KADUNA 11 YOUTH FOR AGRICULTURE 15 OKEAGBE CLOSE ABUJA 12 COALITION OF DEMOCRATS FOR ELECTORAL 6 DJIBOUTI CRESCENT WUSE 11, ABUJA REFORMS 13 UNIVERSAL DEFENDERS OF DEMOCRACY UKWE HOUSE, PLOT 226 CENSUS CLOSE, BABS ANIMASHANUN ST.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Levers in Nigeria
    CRISE Policy Context Paper 2, December 2003 Policy Levers in Nigeria By Ukoha Ukiwo Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity, CRISE Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Executive Summary This paper identifies some prospective policy levers for the CRISE programme in Nigeria. It is divided into two parts. The first part is a narrative of the political history of Nigeria which provides the backdrop for the policy environment. In the second part, an attempt is made to identify the relevant policy actors in the country. Understanding the Policy Environment in Nigeria The policy environment in Nigeria is a complex one that is underlined by its chequered political history. Some features of this political history deserve some attention here. First, despite the fact that prior to its independence Nigeria was considered as a natural democracy because of its plurality and westernized political elites, it has been difficult for the country to sustain democratic politics. The military has held power for almost 28 years out of 43 years since Nigeria became independent. The result is that the civic culture required for democratic politics is largely absent both among the political class and the citizenry. Politics is construed as a zero sum game in which the winner takes all. In these circumstances, political competition has been marked by political violence and abandonment of legitimacy norms. The implication of this for the policy environment is that formal institutions and rules are often subverted leading to the marginalization of formal actors. During the military period, the military political class incorporated bureaucrats and traditional rulers in the process of governance.
    [Show full text]