Impacts Of Christianity

Impacts Of Christianity

Abstract

Christianity as a religion has affected all spheres of life among the people of Nigeria. A careful study of the religious background of the Nnewi people will show that Christianity has set up its way into both the civic and pastoral areas of the Nnewi society. This study is aimed at looking into the applicability of Christianity in the development of the Nnewi nation. For better understanding of the design, a brief preface to the life of the Nnewi people previous to the arrival of Christianity will also be made. The division of work for this study is as follows- 1 General background study via the points, methodology and explanation of terms.2 The literal origin and organizational life of the Nnewi people. 3 The arrival and expansion of Christianity looking at the Nnewi traditional setting before Christianity. 4 benefactions of the Christian religion to the Nnewi nation. 5 Evaluations, Recommendations and Conclusions.

Chapter One

General Introduction

Background

Christianity as a religion has been involved in numerous metropolises of the world since the emergence of the world. still, with the colorful appellations in Christianity, I would concentrate more on Anglicanism. This design work would thus encompass the history of Christianity in Nigeria, the spread to Nnewi in Anambra State with the case study of the Anglicans stressing out its impacts. The history of Christianity in Nigeria especially in Nnewi city which is among the municipalities in Igboland located in Anambra State in the South eastern part of Nigeria present certain discoveries that are both positive and negative. Discoveries has been made on the people of Nnewi and their culture, they’re known to have great artistic value that makes them unique. Religion is part of them and therefore they can not live without it. An word says- “ Okpukpem bu ndum. Onye nwere Okpukpem Nwere ndum ”. This means- “ My religion is my life. Whoever takes down my religion takes my life ”.1 The Igbo people place so important values and attachment to their religion. With the arrival of Christianity in Nigeria, especially in the Igbo land, the traditional religion of the Igbo people began to encounter some challenges. Some of the traditional practices were abandoned when Christianity took a firm ground in Nnewi city. The first Christian contact in Nigeria passed in the fifteenth century when the Portuguese introduced Roman Catholicism. still, it was nearly extinguished over the following 200 times until Roman Catholic missionaries returned in the 1800s. Since also, the unqualified church has grown and now claims roughly 19 million members and votaries substantially in the south east. The Anglican church of Nigeria now figures over 11 million members and votaries. The growth of the church of Nigeria( Anglican Communion) since the end of the slave trade has been a veritably rapid-fire bone . It’s intriguing to know that within two centuries, Christianity and indeed Anglicanism which started like child’s play in Badagry and Abeokuta has spread like wild fire to all recesses and cracks of our country Nigeria. Christianity came into Nigeria in the 15th century through the sweats of Augustinian and Capuchin monks fromPortugal.However, it wasn’t until 1842 that Henry Townsend of the church missionary society sowed the seed of Anglicanism duly when he landed in Badagry from Freetown, Sierra Leone.2 The background of this study is that Christianity has come to stay in Nigeria and countries within the country. Although, Christianity poses a form of trouble due to its colorful appellations which occasionally speak in different voices. Christianity in Nnewi, Anambra state is what I would probe on and expose in this work, I would specialize more on the Anglicans, other effects to be considered in this work include the origin of the people of Nnewi, their religion and conditioning of the missionaries and how they affected the traditional religion of the Nnewi people.

1.2 Points And Objects Of The Study-

This work sets to expose the impacts of Christianity in summation to the Nnewi people but fastening on the Anglicans. – To put away the people’s faith in the powers of hero idolization and to help them find peace in Christianity. – This work is aimed at looking into the applicability of Christianity in the development of the Nnewi nation. – To expose the relation of the Anglican church to other appellations and its emergence in Nnewi nation. – To examine the origin of the Nnewi people and their religion, how peculiar it’s to them and also the conditioning of the Christian missionaries in Nnewi, Anambra state. – To make suggestions recommendations on how the Anglican church of Nigeria can reflect the life patterns of Nnewi traditional society.

1.3 Explanation Of Terms And Generalities

There are three introductory terms that needs explanation in this work Christianity, Anglicans and Traditional society.1.3. 1 Christianity A monotheistic system of beliefs and practices on the old Testament and the training of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the part of Jesus as rescuer. The Christian religion was innovated on the life and training of Jesus of Nazareth.3 Christianity is moment the world’s most wide spread religion, with further than billion members, substantially divided between the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox churches. It began among the Jewish followers of Jesus of Nazareth, who believed that he was the promised Messiah( or ‘ Christ ’) but the Christian church soon came an independent association, largely through the missionary sweats ofSt. Paul. In 313 Constantine ended sanctioned persecution in the Roman Empire and in Theodosius I honored it as the state religion. utmost Christians believe in one God in three persons( the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) and that Jesus is the son of God who rose from the dead after being crucified; a Christian expedients to attain eternal life after death through faith in Jesus Christ and tries and try to live by his training as recorded in the New Testament.1.3.2 Anglicans The name “ Anglican ” means “ of England ” but the Anglican church exists worldwide. It began in the sixth century in England, when Pope Gregory the Great transferredSt. Augustine to Britain to bring a more disciplined Apostolic race to the celtic Christians. The Anglican Church evolved as part of the Roman Church, but the celtic influence was folded back in the Roman portion of the church in numerous ways. The Anglican church was spread worldwide first by English colonization and also by English- speaking missionaries. The votaries of these practices are known as ‘ The Anglicans ’.4 The word “ church ” has been misused, therefore Billy Graham one of the American evangelist of the twentieth century says The Invisible Church is that larger body of religionists who, down through the periods, have unfeignedly trusted Jesus as Lord and rescuer. One becomes a member of the Church when he receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. The visible church is the present day universal church, composed of the original group of Christian. In it are both the wheat and tares.5 The Anglican church is the church of England and its overseas off shoots. Anglicanism is a protestant establishment of Christianity. It’s occasionally seen as being the middle way, between Roman Catholicism and extreme Protestantism. This is because, in the English Reformation, the English church kept the early unqualified ministry of bishops, preachers and dominies. The critical point which led to the Anglican church was the outright rejection of the Pope and so of the unqualified church as an association.1.3.3 Traditional Society This is the third term I would like to clarify for the progresss of this work. In sociology, traditional society refers to a society characterized by an exposure to the history, not the future, with a predominant part for custom and habit.6 The term “ traditional ” refers to those societies that are small scale, are deduced from indigenous and frequently ancient artistic practices.

1.4 Methodology Of The Study

The system or exploration for this study is the radical, practical approach. I would calculate on quantitative and quantitative sources of social exploration similar as checks, interviews with some lay and ordained members of the Anglican church of Nigeria, analysis of documents from academy libraries, institutes, online exploration( E- library), journals, textbook books and exploration papers. This course is illustrated with a wide range of academic and real- life case studies.

1.5 Compass And Limitation Of The Study

This work would concentrate on Christianity in Nnewi, Anambra State. An attempt will be made to bring out the styles the Christian missionaries( Anglicans) used that led to the establishment and growth of Christianity in Nnewi. The compass so indeterminate and the interested parties amongst implicit compendiums nearly infinitely varied.7 Limitation to indepth stories histories from accoutrements . ENDNOTES 1 Paul Todd, “ Christianity in Nigeria ”. 2H. Nkem andM.V. Chigeze, “ Foreign Missionary Background and Indigenous Evangelization in Igboland ”( Germany LIT Verlag Munster, 1972)p. x 3 The free wordbook at Farlex, the free wordbook. com. oxford University press. 4 The Anglican sphere “ Church history ”( Wikipedia) http//anglican.org/church/churchHistory.html. 5 Billy Graham, “ The Billy Graham Christian workers hand book ”,( Worldwide publication, Minneapolis, 1984)p. 58 6S. Langlois, Traditions, Social 7 Bruce Kaye, “ An preface to World Anglicanism ”,( Cambridge University Press 2008).