TRENDS IN THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE IGBOMINA SINCE THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
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Date
2018-12
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Ilorin Journal of Religious Studies (IJOURELS)
Abstract
Religion has always been an integral part of every human society. However, one of two things has happened to man’s religion in any given situation: modification with adaptation or extinction. The first may be said to have been the fate of religion throughout the world, of any religion. Again, there is no living religion that has not taken into itself elements from the other religious cultures. This study examines trends in the religious experience among the Igbomina people over the years. Acknowledging the indispensability of religion like any other human society as well as the God-factor phenomenon in all their multifarious activities, their traditional religious beliefs include: the existence of Supreme Deity associated with incomparable attributes; intermediaries; spirit world comprising of innumerable forces of both goodness and evil; moral order and the transient nature of the mundane world. Much later came Islam and Christianity, respectively, with ‘new’ beliefs and teachings. However, findings reveal that the identified traditional religious beliefs (though with noticeable differences especially in the mode of worship) can still be centrally established in the tenets of the alien religions. Furthermore, even though religious tenets are dogmatic and social institutions such as family, religious associations, etc are divine institutions in accordance with the natural order, change is forcing itself on societies and religious bodies as congregation after congregation today struggles with the problems caused by new world with trending patterns of life. Hence, human institutions –social, religious and cultural have changed over time and their future forms are not known with any certainty. The paper adopts a historical and phenomenological approach with a combination of primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study concludes that critical examination of trends in the religious beliefs among the Igbomina generally reveal liberalism, syncretism and consequently, the degree of change as each Igbomina community tends to depend on the kind of external pressure(s) to which it has been subjected as well as on the extent to which it is prepared to accommodate or embrace new ways.
Religion has always been an integral part of every human society. However, one of two things has happened to man’s religion in any given situation: modification with adaptation or extinction. The first may be said to have been the fate of religion throughout the world, of any religion. Again, there is no living religion that has not taken into itself elements from the other religious cultures. This study examines trends in the religious experience among the Igbomina people over the years. Acknowledging the indispensability of religion like any other human society as well as the God-factor phenomenon in all their multifarious activities, their traditional religious beliefs include: the existence of Supreme Deity associated with incomparable attributes; intermediaries; spirit world comprising of innumerable forces of both goodness and evil; moral order and the transient nature of the mundane world. Much later came Islam and Christianity, respectively, with ‘new’ beliefs and teachings. However, findings reveal that the identified traditional religious beliefs (though with noticeable differences especially in the mode of worship) can still be centrally established in the tenets of the alien religions. Furthermore, even though religious tenets are dogmatic and social institutions such as family, religious associations, etc are divine institutions in accordance with the natural order, change is forcing itself on societies and religious bodies as congregation after congregation today struggles with the problems caused by new world with trending patterns of life. Hence, human institutions –social, religious and cultural have changed over time and their future forms are not known with any certainty. The paper adopts a historical and phenomenological approach with a combination of primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study concludes that critical examination of trends in the religious beliefs among the Igbomina generally reveal liberalism, syncretism and consequently, the degree of change as each Igbomina community tends to depend on the kind of external pressure(s) to which it has been subjected as well as on the extent to which it is prepared to accommodate or embrace new ways.
Religion has always been an integral part of every human society. However, one of two things has happened to man’s religion in any given situation: modification with adaptation or extinction. The first may be said to have been the fate of religion throughout the world, of any religion. Again, there is no living religion that has not taken into itself elements from the other religious cultures. This study examines trends in the religious experience among the Igbomina people over the years. Acknowledging the indispensability of religion like any other human society as well as the God-factor phenomenon in all their multifarious activities, their traditional religious beliefs include: the existence of Supreme Deity associated with incomparable attributes; intermediaries; spirit world comprising of innumerable forces of both goodness and evil; moral order and the transient nature of the mundane world. Much later came Islam and Christianity, respectively, with ‘new’ beliefs and teachings. However, findings reveal that the identified traditional religious beliefs (though with noticeable differences especially in the mode of worship) can still be centrally established in the tenets of the alien religions. Furthermore, even though religious tenets are dogmatic and social institutions such as family, religious associations, etc are divine institutions in accordance with the natural order, change is forcing itself on societies and religious bodies as congregation after congregation today struggles with the problems caused by new world with trending patterns of life. Hence, human institutions –social, religious and cultural have changed over time and their future forms are not known with any certainty. The paper adopts a historical and phenomenological approach with a combination of primary and secondary sources of data collection. The study concludes that critical examination of trends in the religious beliefs among the Igbomina generally reveal liberalism, syncretism and consequently, the degree of change as each Igbomina community tends to depend on the kind of external pressure(s) to which it has been subjected as well as on the extent to which it is prepared to accommodate or embrace new ways.
Description
Even though every religion has its sets of beliefs which are expected to be strictly observed; there is no living religion that has not taken into itself elements from the other religious cultures. The evidence of this is obvious in the principal religions among the Igbomina: African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity. Observably, members of a faith are fast in condemning conversion from one religion to another. Each of these religions relates to the Igbomina people differently and they fulfill different roles which are deep rooted in the nature of each of the religions. It is obvious about the existence of religion in Igbominaland that the ones that exist have differing backgrounds and are consequently passing through disparate experience. Their varying backgrounds play no vague role in the experiences of the religions. Influences from other cultures and contacts with immigrants religions have brought, not only changes in the complexion of the religion but also modification in its tenets. The trend of religion in every society stems from the fact that every religion has been forced by the nature of things to give and take elements to and from even those religions which they regard as their enemies or rival.
Even though every religion has its sets of beliefs which are expected to be strictly observed; there is no living religion that has not taken into itself elements from the other religious cultures. The evidence of this is obvious in the principal religions among the Igbomina: African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity. Observably, members of a faith are fast in condemning conversion from one religion to another. Each of these religions relates to the Igbomina people differently and they fulfill different roles which are deep rooted in the nature of each of the religions. It is obvious about the existence of religion in Igbominaland that the ones that exist have differing backgrounds and are consequently passing through disparate experience. Their varying backgrounds play no vague role in the experiences of the religions. Influences from other cultures and contacts with immigrants religions have brought, not only changes in the complexion of the religion but also modification in its tenets. The trend of religion in every society stems from the fact that every religion has been forced by the nature of things to give and take elements to and from even those religions which they regard as their enemies or rival.
Even though every religion has its sets of beliefs which are expected to be strictly observed; there is no living religion that has not taken into itself elements from the other religious cultures. The evidence of this is obvious in the principal religions among the Igbomina: African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity. Observably, members of a faith are fast in condemning conversion from one religion to another. Each of these religions relates to the Igbomina people differently and they fulfill different roles which are deep rooted in the nature of each of the religions. It is obvious about the existence of religion in Igbominaland that the ones that exist have differing backgrounds and are consequently passing through disparate experience. Their varying backgrounds play no vague role in the experiences of the religions. Influences from other cultures and contacts with immigrants religions have brought, not only changes in the complexion of the religion but also modification in its tenets. The trend of religion in every society stems from the fact that every religion has been forced by the nature of things to give and take elements to and from even those religions which they regard as their enemies or rival.
Keywords
Religious Belief, Igbomina, Shrine, Supreme Deity, God-factor, Religious Belief, Igbomina, Shrine, Supreme Deity, God-factor
Citation
MLA, Pp. 67-84