Georg Simmel and the Study of Religious Conflicts

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.

Artistic and Communicative Connections between Newspaper Cartooning and Epa Festival in Ijagun Community, Ogun State, Nigeria

Newspaper cartoons and Epa masks worn by Epa masquerades are similar in their humorous appearances and communicative values. This study examined the artistic and communicative connections between newspaper cartooning and Epa festival in Ijagun community, Ogun State, Nigeria. Descriptive questionnaire survey was conducted on 20literate indigenous Epa adherents in the community. Findings revealed that Epa festival and newspaper cartooning were related in their significant artistic connection through humour and entertainment, and communication of cultural values through exposure of social vices in the community. The study recommended the preservation of such festivals as Epa for awareness creation, entertainment and security.

Quest for Miracle Healing and Prosperity in the New Religious Movements in Nigeria: Its Causal Phenomena

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.

African Traditional Religion vis-à-vis the Tackle It Suffers

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.

The Over-Emphasis on the Paying of Tithe and the Quest for Materialism among Religious Leaders: An Evaluation of the Biblical Teaching on Tithe

The concept of tithe and tithing is a biblical concept. Tithing was a hieratic tax instituted as a means to support the Levites who ministered at God’s sanctuary. The Levites were to receive the tithes offered by Israel to Yahweh, because of the service they rendered at God’s sanctuary, and because they had no landed inheritance. The tithe system was enacted as a hieratic tax meant to provide support for the priests and Levites “for the service that they perform at God’s sanctuary (Num 18:21f). The tithes are voluntary; tithable things were products from the land or the herd. The tithe was basically for the support of the Levites who served at God’s Sanctuary. However, it has been observed and sadly so, that some contemporary Church leaders, especially in Nigeria, seem to be laying undue emphasis on tithing to their own financial advantage. This study was, therefore, conceived as a re-evaluation of the concept of tithing and the context under which it developed. The goal is to use the findings of this reevaluation to mirror the over emphasis on tithing by contemporary Church leaders in Nigeria. Findings reveal that there is a deviation from the context under which tithing was developed to somewhat exploitation of unsuspecting members of the Church to the advantage of prosperity preachers in Nigeria. This raises the question as to whether Christians of the contemporary era should still tithe since the context in which the tradition developed has changed.

Paul’s Teachings on All-Sufficiency of Jesus Christ for Salvation in Colossians 2:8-3:5 in Relation to Christianity in Africa

This article examines Pauls teaching on all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ for salvation in relation to Christianity in Africa. The approach has been analytical or qualitative. The historical-critical method and contextual tools are used in the interpretation of the biblical text. The study reveals that the Colossian situation to a large extent depicts the life of the Church in Africa today. Christ must be proclaimed not just as the Saviour of the soul, but as the Lord of lords, the king of kings, Victor, Redeemer, Deliverer, Healer, Provider, Unique and All- Sufficient God lest like Colossian and African syncretists, many people may turn to other answers such as magic, charms, amulets, rituals and other occult practices for protection against the enslaving and binding spirits.

National Integration and Peaceful Co-Existence in Nigeria: The Role of Inter-Ethnic/Inter-Religious Marriages

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

The Song of Songs: Its Basic Teaching and Place in the OT Canon

The Song of Songs is a love poem (or a collection of poems), full of sensuous symbols. The central theme of the book is love; it celebrates human love in all its physical dimensions. Its language is love, a language which seems daring and sometimes even shocking, considering its seeming erotic feature. The author provides a teaching on the place of love and marriage in God’s plan of creation. It focuses on fidelity and mutuality in love between the sexes. The author offers a perspective of love not found elsewhere in the biblical writings. The climax of his teaching on love is contained in Sg 8:6-7. Here the poet emphasizes the power and energy of love. He compares the consuming power of love to “a raging flame” (rišpê ’ēš) which no water can quench. He specifies the value of love: love is so priceless that no material wealth can match it.

Religious Proselytism and the Illusion World Peace: The Disservice of World Religions

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.

Civilisation and Economic Recession as Retardants to Communication Inherent in Efe, Gelede and Zangbeto Total Theatre Performance: The Cultural and Creative Arts Overview

This paper examined economic recession and civilization as retardants of Efe, Gelede and Zangbeto traditional annual propitiatory festivals among the Yewa, Anago and Gun people of Southwest Nigeria, notable with total theatrical performances. The festivals aimed to control social vices and cleanse the community by exposing culprits who faced the consequences. Interviews were conducted on adherents and findings showed that lack of sponsorship and superimposition of Western beliefs have retarded the celebrations, evident in low-key practices with less theatrical performances. The paper suggests that government should improve on these traditional practices for the security and well-being of the society.