Resolving The Prevailing Conflicts Between Christianity And African Igbo Traditional Religion Through Inculturation

For not integrating initially some of the good elements in Igbo culture, many Igbo Christians have double personality - Christian personality and traditional personality. They are Christians on Sundays but traditionalists on weekdays. To combat such an anomalous situation, in imitation of Christ's effort at completing what was lacking in the Jewish religion, author Edwin Udoye proposes radical inculturation. His book equally contains many serious theological reflections such that it recommends itself to both theologians and the scholars researching on the religions of the world. Udoye has therefore made a very significant contribution worthy of commendation to both theological and religious studies.

Although Africa is today often seen, because of its large number of Christians, as the future hope of the Church, a closer examination of African Christianity, however, shows that the Christian faith has not taken deep root in Africa. Many Africans today declare themselves to be Christians but still remain followers of their traditional African religions, especially in matters concerning the inner dimensions of their lives. It is evident that, in strictly personal matters relating to such issues as passage rites and crises, most Africans turn to their African traditional religions. As an incarnational faith, part of the history of Christianity has been its encounter with other cultures and its becoming deeply rooted in some of these cultures. The central question remains: Why has the Christian faith not taken deep root in Africa? This volume is concerned with answering this question.

It is not always a comfortable position to question the position of a good majority. However, it is known that the majority can sometimes be wrong or see things differently. It takes courage and a particularly critical mind to question the depth of the Christian Faith in a land seen as the future of Christianity in Africa. As a Priest with some pastoral experience both in Africa and in Europe, the Author is at home with the subject matter in this book. He accepts the fact of the growing numbers in the churches but questions the depth of conviction in the face of the problems arising from the clash of values between Christian Faith and Igbo Traditional Religion. He maintains that, if God saw enough reasons to create men differently and revealed himself differently to them, he - God accepts that men have different understandings of his relationship with them and that they may relate with him using what is available to them - their Culture and Tradition.

In the face of the difficult task of inculturating the Christian faith in Igboland, christianizing the Igbo and igbonizing Christianity, this book offers an interesting and inspiring study of Igbo traditional initiation forms in comparison with the Christian sacraments of initiation. Because of its characteristic features and the significant role in Igbo tradition and culture, it proposes traditional Igbo initiation forms as inculturation basis for pastoral catechesis of Christian initiation.

Pope John Paul II speaks in "Ecclesia in Africa" (1995) of the necessity for the church to inculturate itself into the cultures of the African peoples. This book shows what makes inculturation in Africa a necessity. Against the background of a socio-empircal study it becomes understandable, why in the history of mission, from a European-religious perspective much remains misunderstood and causes distress until today. The author focuses on the 'way of Inculturation" showing how a "rooting of the Gospel in Africa" could be possible and sustainable. (Series: Biblical Perspectives for Annunciation and Teaching / Biblische Perspektiven fur Verkundigung and Unterricht, Vol. 7) [Subject: Theology, African Studies]

Owing to their value and strategic importance in the people's mentality and culture, this work proposes the Igbo Rites of Passage as a necessary parameter and a transmitting wave-length for a firm rooting of the christian faith among the Igbos.

In our age and time, many Igbo Christians are faced with crises of faith and identity as to whether they are Christians, faithful to the teachings of their religion, or Igbos, loyal to their native customs and cultures. Addressing these crises, this book identifies and proposes ways of incorporating the Christian message, through a systematic process of inculturation, into the life of the Igbo people so that they can be at home with the message of the gospel, and at the same time, at home with the Igbo cultures. It assists the Igbo people to live out their Christian life as a truly Igbo people, and not in the foreign garments of missionary Christianity. Broadly, this book presents the intrinsic relationships and indissoluble marriage between religion and culture. It highlights the fact that, every religion has cultural influences, just as every culture has religious influences.

Marriage was ordained by God for the good of spouses and for procreation. But how often does marriage turn out to bring unhappiness to partners! And how often do even happy marriages end up childless! Among the Igbo of South-eastern Nigeria, to whom offspring is the chief goal of marriage, childlessness leads often to unhappiness in marriage and not less often to the break-up of marriages or to polygamy. In this work, the author expounds the importance of marriage and its practice among the Igbo. He explains the importance of children in Igbo understanding of marriage and identifies childlessness as the key factor which could endanger (and sometimes do endanger) the Igbo acceptance of the Catholic doctrine of the indissolubility of marriage. Using the relevant clauses of the Code of Canon Law, the author explains in detail the Catholic understanding of marriage and the goals of the catholic doctrine on marriage. He writes of the possibility of marriage impediments due to impotence and sterility (that lead to childlessness) and recommends not only a thorough pre-marriage preparation but also a continual formation of marriage couples as efforts that could check the increasing rate of divorce and polygamy due to childlessness. But the author knows that childlessness can still occur despite all precautions. He therefore recommends adoption (instead of polygamy) as the ultimate panacea to childlessness in marriage. The author condemns in unmistakable terms the mentality among the Igbo which blames and traumatizes the woman in cases of childlessness.