DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION

This study examines the role of women in Benin Kingdom using Aro Iden as a case study. This has become necessary because inspite of the tremendous sacrifice made by Queen Iden towards the survival of Benin kingdom, no scholarly study has been done in this regard. The research employed historical method. Oral interviews and personal observation, books, journals, published and unpublished articles and internet sources were also consulted as part of secondary sources of information. The study discovers that Queen Iden’s sacrifice helped shape Benin Kingdom. She was the queen during the reign of Oba Ewuape in about 1700 AD. She is known to have volunteered herself as a sacrificial lamb for the welfare of her husband and that of the entire kingdom.

This study examined the Comparison of the Atonement in the Old Testament and Kwale Traditional Religion. The background of the study emphasizes that in both systems, sin is viewed not merely as moral failure but as a disruption of social, spiritual, and cosmic order. The research aims to identify points of similarity and difference between the two traditions, with particular focus on the purpose, methods, and outcomes of atonement. The study adopts a qualitative and comparative approach, relying on secondary data from biblical texts, theological literature, and ethnographic sources relating to the Kwale people of the Niger Delta. Data analysis involved thematic interpretation of rituals, symbols, and moral principles central to both religions. Findings show that while the Old Testament grounds atonement in covenant renewal and divine mercy, the Kwale traditional system emphasizes reconciliation, communal harmony, and the appeasement of both ancestors and deities. The research concludes that in both contexts, atonement represents a moral and spiritual process aimed at restoring peace, order, and relationship with the divine. It further recommends that greater attention be given to indigenous perspectives in theological studies, as they provide valuable insights into the universal human quest for reconciliation and moral balance.
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Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence (Wikipedia 2020). In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. Relevant studies have shown that Nigeria has been tagged “a security risk nation”, because of the incessant crises, social vices, and lack of cordial relationship among its ethnic and religious groups. This project also showed the implication of conflicts as it affects peaceful co-existence in Nigeria and the roles of Christianity in solving the violence or conflicts in the nation. However, so much good has been done in the name of religion. Tasie (2002) reiterates that religion per se does not create problems, particularly the three main religions of Nigeria- African Traditional Religion, Christianity and Islam.

This study aimed to appraise the transformation process of Christ Apostolic Church in Nigeria from an Indigenous Church to a Pentecostal Model. This has become necessary since the Church founded in the 1940s as purely an African Indigenous Church has acquired the features of a Pentecostal Church to the surprise of Church historians, theologians, and critics alike over the years. To achieve the above objectives, the study employed three major research methods in religious study: the historical, phenomenological, and evaluative. The historical method used to obtain information about African Indigenous Churches, Pentecostal Church and the Christ Apostolic Church. The phenomenological method was used to gather information from the members on what the status of the Church was before now and her present state, while the evaluative method was used to analyze the information from the members. The questionnaire was administered on a simple random sampling method. Those who were issued the questionnaire are members of the church, the clergy in particular. The findings of the study were; from the onset, there have been some Pentecostal features in the doctrine and practices of the Christ Apostolic Church, the Youth are attracted to Pentecostal Churches because of the glamour and social aspect of their worship, and many orthodox Churches now emulate aspects of Pentecostal worship to improve on their liturgy, to avoid the exodus of their members to other Church groups, emphasis on prosperity, healing, deliverance and to have solutions to all life challenges are major attraction to Pentecostal Churches. As change is the only constant thing on earth, it is recommended that the administration, while embracing reforms, the foundation of the Church must not be distorted. Proposed reforms in the Church liturgy and polity must be critically examined before they are implemented. The Church is a spiritual entity; therefore, its managers must not be swayed by sight but constantly in tune with the Holy Spirit. Dynamism is needed in every organization- socio/religious, political, and economic; otherwise, such a body may not be able to meet the challenges of the ever-changing needs of the changing world. It is needed in every field of human endeavour but this must be well articulated and coordinated otherwise things may begin to fall apart, and copy-cat could cause an organization to derail from its mission statement.

This study examines the role of women in Benin Kingdom using Aro Iden as a case study. This has become necessary because inspite of the tremendous sacrifice made by Queen Iden towards the survival of Benin kingdom, no scholarly study has been done in this regard. The research employed historical method. Oral interviews and personal observation, books, journals, published and unpublished articles and internet sources were also consulted as part of secondary sources of information. The study discovers that Queen Iden’s sacrifice helped shape Benin Kingdom. She was the queen during the reign of Oba Ewuape in about 1700 AD. She is known to have volunteered herself as a sacrificial lamb for the welfare of her husband and that of the entire kingdom.

The work revealed that there have been religious conflicts in Plateau State (from the onset of Democracy in Nigeria until recently) and that this has enormously affected the Nigeria Society. These areas of impact include political, economic and social impact on the Nigeria society, some of whichare: destruction of human and material resources, unstable educational system, diversion of government resources to security for maintenance of peace, retardation of economic development, weakened of patriotism, disinvestment of local and foreign companies with continuous capital flight and divisions of in social interactions and relationships, etc. Therefore, it was established that religious conflicts in Plateau State do significantly affect social, political and economic developments of Nigeria and is capable of disintegrating the country. The work however, to curtail this, provided some useful recommendations on how to control if not prevent religious conflicts in the country, if the country must remain as an entity and also to developed.

This study explores the multifaceted impact of Christianity on family dynamics and relationships in Benin City, Nigeria. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods, the research delves into various aspects of familylife shaped by Christian beliefs and prac tices. Qualitative observations capture the lived experiences and perspectives of Christian families, while quantitative surveys and questionnaires gather data on their demographics, practices, and beliefs. The study not only examines family structures and gender roles, but also offers a deeper understanding of how Christianity influences parenting styles, intergenerational relationships, marital satisfaction, and conflict resolution strategies. By investigating these intricate dynamics, the research aims to contribute to academic understanding and offer practical insights for policymakers, religious leaders, and individuals. Recommendations include implementing family- centered counseling and educational programs that integrate Christian values to foster improved communication, understanding, and mutual respect within Christian families in Benin City

Christianity as a religion through the help of early armchair scholars and missionaries has painted many of the African traditional religious practices with derogatory names like: fetish, heathen, pagan, and cruel without realizing that their practices are no different from that Africans, clear example is the idea of ancestors and saints. While many contemporaryChristian’s sees saints as holy, pure, righteous and heavenly, they see and regard ancestors as demonic, evil and devil’s tools. Hence, they pay respect and show no regard to their ancestors. Saints just like ancestors are morally dead people whose attitudes while alive have accorded them respect of people, however, due to religious differences and worldviews, these religious figures have been approached with diverse understanding, placing one above the other, treating one respectably while despising the other. On the backdrop, this research work was designed to lucidly examine the concept of ancestors in Agenebode and saints in Roman Catholic Church. This work employed the descriptive methodology. In order to ascertain reliable data, various methods of data collection were employed; Literatures were reviewed, journal articles and internet were also consulted. This work finally revealed that saints and ancestors have a level of similarities like serving as intermediaries in the two religions, and they also have their peculiarities

The presence of evil in a world said to be created by a "Being" who is not only omnipotent, omniscience and perfectly good is problematic. It is a problem that has perturbed man for ages and coupled with various natural disasters still makes the concept a problematic one. How can there be a loving God, an all powerful and all-knowing God and still face the problem of evil, if really, he is perfectly good and created everything then where does evil originate from? Atheist or agnostics base their case on the lack of evidence for God's existence, however atheist have at least one very powerful positive argument for their position that there cannot be a living, all-loving, all-powerful God because there is so much evil and suffering in the world. Atheist raise questions like this: If you were a parent, wouldn't you do everything in your power to prevent your children from needless suffering? Many innocent children suffer from painful diseases, with this kind of problem how can we affirm for a loving and all powerful God in the world

The problem of evil remains one of the most persistent philosophical challenges to theism. It raises the fundamental question of how an all-powerful, all-knowing, and wholly good God can coexist with the presence of evil and suffering in the world. This study examines the concept of theism and critically analyzes the logical and evidential forms of the problem of evil. It explores classical and contemporary responses offered by theists, including the free will defense, soul-making theodicy, and appeals to divine mystery. The work also distinguishes between moral evil, resulting from human actions, and natural evil, arising from natural events such as disasters and diseases. Through conceptual and analytical methods, the study evaluates whether the existence of evil necessarily undermines belief in God or whether it can be reconciled within a coherent theistic framework. The research concludes that while the problem of evil presents a significant intellectual challenge, various philosophical defenses provide plausible explanations that preserve the rationality of theistic belief.