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A Theological and Biblical Appraisal of Ozo Title Taking and Its Implications for Current Leadership Issues in Igbo Catholic Church (Nigeria)

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A Theological and Biblical Appraisal of Ozo Title Taking and Its Implications for Current Leadership Issues in Igbo Catholic Church (Nigeria) A THEOLOGICAL AND BIBLICAL APPRAISAL OF OZO TITLE TAKING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRENT LEADERSHIP ISSUES IN IGBO CATHOLIC CHURCH (NIGERIA) BY JOACHIM IFEZUO OFORCHUKWU A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY(Ph.D) IN THEOLOGY PRACTICAL THEOLOGY AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR YUSUFU TURAKI MAY 2011 A THEOLOGICAL AND BIBLICAL APPRAISAL OF OZO TITLE TAKING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRENT LEADERSHIP ISSUES IN IGBO CATHOLIC CHURCH (NIGERIA) TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION................................................................................................................x ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..................................................................................................xi ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION..................................................................................1 1.1 BACKGROUND..........................................................................................4 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT..........................................................................12 1.3 OBJECTIVES............................................................................................14 1.4 PURPOSE.................................................................................................14 1.5 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS IN IGBO SOCIETY......................................15 1.6 THE VATICAN II (1960-1975)...................................................................16 1.7 MISSIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE............................................................17 1.8 CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS.....................................................................17 1.9 CANON LAW............................................................................................18 1.10 THE BIBLICAL IMPLICATIONS................................................................19 1.11 THE PASTORAL IMPLICATIONS............................................................19 1.12 THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE..............................................................20 1.13 DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY..............................................................21 1.14 THE AREA OF STUDY.............................................................................23 1.15 HYPOTHESIS...........................................................................................23 1.16 THE VALUE OF THIS RESEARCH STUDY.............................................23 1.17 THE RESEARCH QUESTION OF THE STUDY.......................................24 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE: THE IMPACTS OF IGBO WORLDVIEWS ON OZO TITLE TAKING AND LEADERSHIP......................................28 2.1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................28 2.2 IGBO WORLDVIEWS...............................................................................29 2.2.1 Introduction.....................................................................................29 ii 2.2.2 Who are the Igbo? .........................................................................29 2.2.3 The Origin of Igbo Traditional Religion...........................................30 2.2.4 Education in Igbo Tradition.............................................................32 2.2.5 The Igbo Respect for Life (Ndu).....................................................35 2.2.6 Igbo Respect for Morality...............................................................37 2.2.7 Truth among the Igbos...................................................................39 2.2.8 Igbo Concept of Achievement........................................................40 2.2.9 The Supreme Being (God).............................................................43 2.2.10 The Divinites...................................................................................44 2.2.11 Chi..................................................................................................47 2.2.12 The Ancestors................................................................................48 2.2.13 The Reincarnation (Ilo Uwa)...........................................................49 2.2.14 Kola Nut and its Significance..........................................................51 2.2.15 Man in Igbo Worldview...................................................................53 2.3 SUMMARY................................................................................................56 CHAPTER THREE: THE OZO TITLE TAKING AND LEADERSHIP IN IGBO SOCIETY........................................................................................................................57 3.1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................57 3.2 THE ORIGIN OF OZO TITLE TAKING IN IGBO SOCIETY......................58 3.3 WHAT IS OZO TITLE TAKING? ..............................................................60 3.4 THE PROCEDURES FOR OZO TITLE TAKING IN IGBO TRADITIONAL SOCIETY........................................................................................................................65 3.5 NDISHI STAGE.........................................................................................68 3.6 MGWURUMOBI STAGE...........................................................................70 3.7 THE ONUMONU STAGE..........................................................................73 3.8 THE OZO UKWU STAGE.........................................................................75 3.9 THE SYMBOL OF OFO............................................................................79 3.10 TYPES OF OFO........................................................................................81 3.10.1 Personal Ofo..................................................................................81 3.10.2 Lineage Ofo....................................................................................81 3.10.3 Titular Ofo.......................................................................................81 iii 3.10.4 Professional Ofo.............................................................................82 3.10.5 Institutional Ofo..............................................................................82 3.11 THE RITUAL USES OF OFO....................................................................82 3.11.1 For Praying.....................................................................................82 3.11.2 For Swearing..................................................................................83 3.11.3 For Cleansing Ceremony...............................................................83 3.11.4 For Sacrifices.................................................................................84 3.11.5 For Naming Ceremony...................................................................84 3.11.6 For Decision making.......................................................................84 3.11.7 For Settling Disputes......................................................................85 3.11.8 For Sealing Covenants...................................................................85 3.12 THE PRESENTATION OF OFO TO ONYE NZE (TITLED PERSON)......86 3.13 THE DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF OZO TITLE HOLDERS..................87 3.14 THE BURIAL CEREMONY OF ONYE NZE (TITLED PERSON)..............88 3.15 THE NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY IN IGBO CATHOLIC CHURCH.........92 3.16 CONFLICTS BETWEEN IGBO TRADITIONAL RELIGION AND CHRISTIANITY...............................................................................................................94 3.17 SUMMARY..............................................................................................102 CHAPTER FOUR: THE BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF OZO TITLE TAKING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRENT LEADERSHIP ISSUES IN IGBO CATHOLIC CHURCH...................................................................................................103 4.1 LEADERSHIP IN IGBO SOCIETY..........................................................103 4.1.1 Introduction...................................................................................103 4.1.2 Theories of Human Behavior and Leadership Qaulities...............103 4.1.3 Leadership in Pre-Colonial Igbo Society......................................106 4.1.4 Modern Leadership in Igbo Society..............................................109 4.1.5 Leadership in the Bible.................................................................111 4.1.6 Old Testament..............................................................................111 4.1.7 New Testament............................................................................113 4.1.8 Theological Implications...............................................................118 4.1.9 Cultural Implications.....................................................................119 iv 4.1.10 Missiological Implications.............................................................121 4.1.11 Pastoral Implications....................................................................122 4.1.12 Biblical Implications......................................................................123 4.1.13 Church Implications (Lumen Gentium).........................................124 4.1.14 The influence of the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes..............................................................................................................................125
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