The Nigerian religious landscape is characterized by series of violence leading to bloodshed, loss of thousands of life and property worth billions of Naira. This unfortunate situation raises much concern in the minds of well-meaning Nigerians. Hence, this book raises such crucial questions as: How can Nigeria remain a secular state, and still maintain its plurality of religion and at same time survive disintegration because of religious violence, conflict and intolerance? How can followers of these different religions maintain their religious identity, while at the same time co-operating with one another in making Nigeria a home for all, where all can worship God in freedom and peace? This book offers hope in the midst of hopelessness, it underscores the fact that, though tribe and tongue may differ, though religious differences exist, Nigeria is still one sovereign nation. Consequently, the opening title: Together as One resonates with the opening statements of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that professes unity, harmony and peace as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God. This book finds the hope of reclaiming and rebuilding this unity and harmony, threatened by religious violence, in Interfaith Relationships between African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity.

The Church is the Sacrament of Communion with God and unity among all men (Cf. Vatican II doc. L.G. 1). Christ prayed for this unity amongst his adherents in accordance with the unity between him and God the Father (Cf. Jn. 17: 21). This unity will be a sign by which the outside world is to believe in him, hence calling on the Church to rise up to this demand. Efforts were made by the Church to respond to this demand, but it was at the Second Vatican Council that the search for unity became an imperative. With this Council, the Church acknowledged the possibility of Salvation for the members of other Christian traditions and people of other religions. The Church has done a lot to promote this unity, through the teachings of the Magisterium and the activities of the recent Popes. It is then important to study the situation of Nigeria, where this call of the Vatican II, has received scant response both in ecumenical and interreligious relations. Having done pastoral work in places with interdenominational and interreligious rivalry in Nigeria, I became concerned and worried. The present religious crises in Nigeria, has escalated to an issue of grave concern with the Boko Haram insurgency. My motivation is to demonstrate the teaching of the Church regarding interdenominational and interreligious dialogue within Nigeria. There has been no sustained effort to build bridges of religious unity in the country. This research will demonstrate the necessity of ecumenical dialogue as a prelude to interreligious dialogue in Nigeria. On the global level, the need for various religions to foster relationships has become an imperative. Two important bodies CAN and NIREC, will be studied in this book. The work aims at demonstrating the involvement of the Nigerian Christians and Muslims in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Essentially concerned with the Catholic view of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue & its application to the Nigerian situation. No in-depth study of the religions involved. It is rather the fact of their existence & the role dialogue will play with them to solve religious problems in Nigeria. Though ATR was considered in this work, but the issue of dialogue will only involve Nigerian Muslims & Christians. The research wishes to provoke further study on dialogue between ATR and any of the other two religions. Two issues involved: the reality & importance of the Catholic teachings on ecumenical & interreligious dialogue, and their application to the Nigerian situation. Key methods involved in this work are literary research and analysis, through theological, historical, critical, descriptive, analytical & expository approaches.

Nigeria, a country under a military regime for several years, transitioned to a civilian regime in May 1999. Since this change, violent conflicts between Christians and Muslims have continued to erupt. They constitute one of the gravest dangers facing Nigeria, a country with a population of 189 million people. What have Nigerian religious leaders done about this situation, especially in educational circles? Have they received formal educational training to understand the causes of this violence and especially how to provide alternatives for more peaceful relations within Nigeria? Does the current educational system in Nigeria provide the main ingredients for the promotion of a culture of peace? The absence and neglect of interreligious peace education as part of a peace education core program and the lack of an interreligious curriculum for peace education in the training of religious leaders are the two problems contributing towards the lack of effectiveness of religious leaders in promoting less violent and more peaceful living. The solution to the problem is proposed in this book entitled Interreligious Curriculum for Peace Education in Nigeria. The book develops a one-year curriculum, building on Yoruba, Islamic & Christian conceptions of peace, and teaches how to create safe, caring, spiritual, peaceful and successful interfaith relationships between all Nigerian religious communities. In the long term, the book helps to educate religious leaders to contribute, in themselves and with the help of their respective religious communities, to reducing the growing religious violence in Nigeria.

This book examines public oath taking as an anti-corruption strategy that has been implemented with successful results in Nigeria and that has applications for other countries struggling with similar problems. The author of the book is the founder of Association of Nigerians against Corruption (ANAC), the NGO that first piloted the oath taking program—in which people swear publically not to either take or receive bribes. Drawing on the experiences of the program and interviews with a number of ANAC participants, the author sheds light on some of the dynamics that underlie corruption, the potential of oath taking, and the importance of grassroots efforts and individual moral agency as forces of change.

This book introduces readers to the rich and fascinating history of West Africa, stretching all the way back to the stone age, and right up to the modern day. Over the course of twenty seven short and engaging chapters, the book delves into the social, cultural, economic and political history of West Africa, through prehistory, revolutions, ancient empires, thriving trade networks, religious traditions, and then the devastating impact of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and subsequent colonial rule. The book reflects on the struggle for independence and investigates how politics and economics developed in the post-colonial period. By the end of the book, readers will have a detailed understanding of the fascinating and diverse range of cultures to be found in West Africa, and of how the region relates to the rest of the world. Drawing on decades of teaching and research experience, this book will serve as an excellent textbook for entry-level History and African Studies courses, as well as providing a perfect general introduction to anyone interested in finding out about West Africa.

"It is not for you to call profane what God counts clean."
Did Christianity replace traditional African religion with the arrival of European missionaries in past centuries? Or did sub-Saharan African cultures persist in maintaining their religious worldviews even after accepting the salvific message of Christianity? In this compelling book, Laurenti Magesa argues that despite missionary Christiaity's refusal to acknowledge the worth of traditional African religious culture. the incarnational spirituality of those cultures remains vibrant and visible today, and has much to offer and teach other cultures, both Christian and not.

Given the amazing interest in interfaith relationships among the religions in Nigeria, and the desire to proffer a better approach to these relationships , this book proposes a trialogical approach as a solution to the religious conflicts and crises that have become the order of the in Nigeria. In this approach, no religion is left out; all (ATR, Islam, and Christianity) are treated as equal partners in seeking and offering solutions towards better relationships among religious followers and the Nigerian people. Interfaith relationships and activities involving all three religions in Nigeria (ATR, Islam and Christianity) without excluding any, is a powerful tool for promoting religious harmony, peace and cooperation for the stability and advancement of our nation. This volume offers the guidelines and practical activities towards making trialogical relationships possible and fruitful among the followers of African Traditional Religion, Muslims, and Christians in Nigeria.

This book, which is the first of a-three-volume series of interfaith relationships in Nigeria, presents Nigeria as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, with religion controlling almost every aspects of life. It highlights the deep-rooted religious divide in Nigeria and looks into various ways that we can move beyond the religious bitterness existing among the three dominant religions in Nigeria: African traditional religion, Islam, and Christianity, and live, work and co-exit peacefully with one another as sisters and brothers. Although this volume begins with the history of Nigeria as nation, its primary interest, and indeed, the interest of the entire series, is not with the politics, economics, and culture of the Nigerian people per se; its primary focus is the religion of the people. Hence, it is a study of African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. The focus is not the theological and dogmatic principles and faith life of these religions, nor the individual and various sects within these religions; rather these religions are studied from the standpoint of interfaith encounter and relationships, as a requisite for peace, unity and harmony in Nigeria.

Global Christianity in Local Context and Muslim Encounter is a unique collection of essays in honour of David A. Kerr, well-known for his contributions in the areas of Christian-Muslim dialogue, Ecumenical Studies and Missions. With contributions from recognized experts in these fields, the book provides a platform for examining contemporary Christian-Muslim relations and critical issues facing twenty-first century Christianity. Volume 2 is a veritable Who's Who of renowned Christian and Muslim scholars that have shaped the course of Christian-Muslim dialogue over the last half century. Their contributions in this volume address contemporary and pivotal issues facing Christians and Muslims today, such as Islamophobia, Islamism, Religious Freedom, Inter-religious Challenges and Urbanism, Mission and Economic Globalisation, Suffering and Social Responsibility, and others.

This book addresses issues central to today’s Catholic Church, focusing on the relationship between various religions in different contexts and regions across the world. The diverse array of contributors present an inclusively interfaith enterprise, investigating a wide range of encounters and perspectives. The essays include approaches from the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Bahá’í traditions, in a variety of geographic contexts. Contributors reflect on Muslims in the West, Christian-Buddhist social activism, and on Chinese, Indian, and Japanese religions. The volume also explores the experiences of communities that are often marginalized and overlooked such as the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia and the Karen tribal peoples of Thailand. Contributors examine the works of the Focolare, Gülen, and Risshō Kōsei-kai movements, and integrate the vision of Raimon Panikkar and Ken Wilber. Chapters incorporate discussions of dialogue documents such as Nostra Aetate and Dabru Emet, and methodologies such as Receptive Ecumenism, Comparative Theology, and Scriptural Reasoning. Among other goals, the book seeks to offer glimpses into interfaith dialogues across the world and examine what Christians can learn from other religions and global contexts.