The Place of the Holy Spirit in Christian Practice: The Nigerian Situation
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Date
2012-06
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Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan
Abstract
In Christian religion, the Holy Spirit has an irreplaceable role to play in uplifting the moral standard of the adherents. In order to strengthen and assure the people of His abiding presence, God poured out His spirit, the Holy Spirit on the face of the earth. Hence, among other things, the Holy Spirit becomes the distinguishing mark of the community that accepts Jesus and upholds the values of the Kingdom of God. However with the advent of Pentecostalism in Africa and Nigeria in particular, the reality of the Holy Spirit has been abused and confused with other spirits. The paper therefore examines the reality and function. of the Holy Spirit in religions. The paper applied historical and analytical methods in tracing the etymological awareness of the Holy Spirit and the present day Nigerian experience. Based on the discussion, recommendations are made to enable people to make discernment.
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Keywords
Holy Spirit, Christian Religion, Pentecostalism, African, Nigeria