Ekpenyong Obo

Followers

Following

Public Views

Interests

Uploads

Papers by Ekpenyong Obo

Islam and Global Ecological Crisis: An Eco-Theological Review

International journal of Asian social science, Jul 1, 2013

It is strongly recognized that man's hostile attitude to nature is not a new development. Humans ... more It is strongly recognized that man's hostile attitude to nature is not a new development. Humans have always seen their environment as something to be degraded, exploited and dominated. These human activities are responsible for the loss of bio-diversity and disruption of ecosystem processes which has led to the reduction and destruction of the number of species of plants and animals in the ecosystem. This work showed that Islam has the potential to situate humans in relation to both the natural and human worlds with regard to meaning and responsibility (stewardship), through its moral authority and institutional power that help effect a change in attitudes, practices and public policies in respect to addressing the urgent environmental problems of contemporary society and sustainability.

Download

Theism in Christianity, Islam and Sikhism: A Comparative Analysis

God is usually taken to be a necessarily existing being who is unsurpassably powerful, knowledgea... more God is usually taken to be a necessarily existing being who is unsurpassably powerful, knowledgeable and good. Theism is conceptualized in a single being that is monotheism in some religions and polytheism that is more than one being in some others. Yet some others see theism in everything of human concern that is pantheism. The doctrine of God is strong-minded by means of the religious experiences of men and evident in the conduct of such religious persons. This work intends to show here, the points of similarities and dissimilarities between the concept of theism in Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. This work exposed among others that their major point of way out is that in Christianity, there is a distinctive and central teaching concerning Jesus Christ as unique incarnations, the word of God, pre-eminently manifested in a historic person, on the ground that his moral character perfectly represents the character and purpose of the invisible holy God. While Islam, and Sikhism, have no such doctrine, or theory of incarnation.

Download

Pentecostal Environmentalism: A Symbiosis for Eco-Theology and Biodiversity Conservation

Pharos Journal of Theology

Pentecostal Movements are those Christian religious movements founded in the 1950s and 1960s to d... more Pentecostal Movements are those Christian religious movements founded in the 1950s and 1960s to date. Pentecostal environmentalism focuses attention on the need to maintain the environment according to the dictate of the Christian religious injunctions. This practice is achieved through the practice of sacred place, which is a designation of some earth surface as holy ground, and is retained for religious and spiritual purposes. These places include mountains, hills, rivers, streams, valley etc. and are deemed to possess religious mysteries and potent spiritual qualities. This practice is also observed in the Old Testament and is also part of the practice of the African traditional religions. In similar fashion, the Pentecostal movement shares many elements of traditional practices and the Old Testament, and as such sacred place has found its way into the practices of the Pentecostal movement. Environmental degradation, pollution, climate change, deforestation are all major global c...

Download

Boko Haram: A Threat to Nigerian National Security

European Scientific Journal, ESJ, Jun 29, 2014

We live in a world that violence now is the order of the day and prevalent in human relations. On... more We live in a world that violence now is the order of the day and prevalent in human relations. One of the greatest threats that the globe is facing today is terrorism. Our nation, Nigeria, is at the instant, confronted with intimidation from Boko Haram. The security of any nation is very important in that where peace, safety lives and properties are not guaranteed; there can be no meaningful development. This work showed that the insurgent is a threat to National Security in Nigeria. This work will also attempt to examine the state of affairs in Nigeria with regard to security by means of looking at carefully a number of the major factors so as to have helped to bring about the common growth in social dissatisfaction, with which the insurgent Boko Haram has been skilful to take advantage of.

Download

Preparative Factors to the Decline of Papal Influence in Europe

International journal of social sciences, Jul 31, 2021

St. Peter Known as the first pope was given the unique privilege, after Christ Himself, of being ... more St. Peter Known as the first pope was given the unique privilege, after Christ Himself, of being the principal foundation stone of the Church, and of possessing the keys symbolizing supreme authority in the Church. The other Apostles were to share as a group in the authority to teach and rule in the Church. Slowly the Church (Catholic) had universal authority in the Church, and the states where they have influence. Soon, the Vatican City began as a marginal player in the reshaping of the European international order after the First World War. The Vatican's interwar activism sought to disseminate a new Catholic vision of international affairs, which militated against the separation of church and state, and in many contexts helped undermine the principles of the League of Nations' minority rights regime. Thanks in no small part to the assiduity of individual papal diplomatswho disseminated the new Catholic vision of international affairs by supporting anti-communist political factionsthe Vatican was able to claim a more prominent role in European political affairs and lay the legal and discursive foundations for an alternate conception of the European international order, conceived in starkly anti-secular terms. This paper studies the decline of the decline of papal influence on Europe.

Download

The value of church history

Lwati: a journal of contemporary research, Apr 22, 2021

Theism in Christianity, Islam and Sikhism: A Comparative Analysis

Download

The Historical Era of Providential Preparation of the World for Christ and the Church

Lwati: a journal of contemporary research, Apr 22, 2021

Africanization of Christianity: Henry Venn’s indigenization of Christianity

International Journal of Humanities and Innovation (IJHI), 2021

The history of Christianity has always been a two-way process of transformation in any given cult... more The history of Christianity has always been a two-way process of transformation in any given culture. Christianity and paganism are reciprocal; Christianity is necessary for revelation to be fulfilled, but the actual quality of this fulfillment depends upon the quality of the religious man transformed by revelation. Christianity, as a result of this, needs a natural religion, the same way it needs all human realities as the sole mission is to save what has first been created. The link between Gospel and culture is that Gospel whenever its introduced and established in a new culture, is “transposed” in a particular way a sweet melody into a new key. Moreover, the Gospel, when transposed from its biblical world to other cultural worlds, undergoes change itself as well as causing these other worlds to change. Crowther created an astonishing impact and contribution after his consecration in 1864; as he strived to indigenize or Africanize Christianity to make it possible for the Christia...

Download

African Traditional Religion and National Development in Nigeria

Research on humanities and social sciences, 2016

There is a general misconception that religion and development do not mix, and a strong belief th... more There is a general misconception that religion and development do not mix, and a strong belief that religion has a negative effect on development. Against this background, this paper showed that African traditional religion can aid national development in Nigeria. This it does through its traditional ethical principles based on the communal concern for the well-being of all, principles founded not on the ethics of individualism, human autonomy and selfishness, but on a common unity-centered. These traditional ethical principles, sanctions and eschatological beliefs regulated the behaviour, conduct, and actions of individuals in African society. Ethical principles, sanctions and eschatological concepts were the factors that kept individuals and government in check. The paper also x-rayed how African traditional religion can play a vital role in the national development of contemporary Nigerian society through its ethical principles and practices. This argued that the moral salvation ...

Download

The Philosophy and Method of Integrative Humanism and Religious Crises In Nigeria: Picking Only The Essentials

This paper titled “Philosophy and Method of Integrative Humanism and Religious Crises in Nigeria:... more This paper titled “Philosophy and Method of Integrative Humanism and Religious Crises in Nigeria: Picking the Essentials”, acknowledges the damaging effects of religious bigotry, fanaticism and creed differences on the social, political and economic development of the country. The need for the cessation of religious hostilities in Nigeria is seen as “dire” and this means employing all resources at our disposal to tackle the menace. Alarmingly, most efforts made so far exclude a definite philosophy and have therefore proved to be lame. This paper calls for the adoption of the tenets of integrative humanism as a working philosophy in the drive for the amelioration of the evil of religious crises. This philosophy allows us to sieve the major or all of the religious persuasions in the country, picking and highlighting their common grounds while deliberately de-emphasizing their “irrelevant” differences. This model will promote unity while pushing the differences that cause crises into o...

Conflict Management. The Contribution of the Christian Church

It is true now that man lives in a world of conflict. Conflict is an ever-present process in huma... more It is true now that man lives in a world of conflict. Conflict is an ever-present process in human relations. Conflict situations indeed appear frequently in daily, public and private life. Conflict may occur within and among families, groups, communities or nations; and they may be fuelled by ethnic, racial, religious, or economic differences, or may arise from differences in ideologies, values and beliefs. Conflict may be on a small or large scale. Conflict charge the people with tensions, threats, fears, anxieties and uncertainties. What makes a society ideal is the extent to which the conflicting interests and needs in a society are constructively managed so that violence does not threaten its continued existence. Since it is obvious that conflicts in any given society is inevitable, management and resolution of conflict is the very essence of talking about conflict. This is what this work is set to achieve and to offer suggestions on how to manage and resolve conflict thereby reducing its negative and destructive effects. This work showed the church has the potential to contribute to the management and resolution of conflicts in Nigeria. Management here means an act or a skill of planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling the administration of a peace process. Administration, in this study, refers to all the activities that are involved in managing a given conflict (Dzurgba 133). In the same vein, Best posits that, conflict management is the process of reducing the negative and destructive capacity of conflict through a number of measures and by working with and through the parties involved in that conflict. It covers the entire area of handling conflict positively at brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk

Download

The role of the church in conflicts management, peace building and development in Nigeria

Sophia: An African Journal of Philosophy, 2018

This research is primarily centered on the Role of the Church in Conflicts Management. It examine... more This research is primarily centered on the Role of the Church in Conflicts Management. It examines the negative impact of conflicts occurrence in Nigeria and the role of the church in either curbing or managing conflicts. The work seeks to draw the attention of religious bodies like CAN and PFN, state policymakers and researchers to the “neglect” of conflicts affecting churches and the Nigerian nation. The historical methodology adopted for this research involved the use of both primary and secondary sources with the model of conflict management. Field survey and personal interviews used for the analysis of the paper constitute the primary sources. The secondary sources include published and unpublished works on the vexed issues of conflicts prevalence in Nigeria though it‟s evident that conflict in all human society is as old as the society itself constituting serious impediments that if not urgently attended to results in destruction of lives and property. The paper submits that, ...

The Lord’s Supper: A Comparative Study of the Reformed and Pentecostal Model

Anglisticum Journal, 2016

The Lord’s Supper is a ritual which Lord Jesus Christ himself instituted and designed for the chu... more The Lord’s Supper is a ritual which Lord Jesus Christ himself instituted and designed for the church to practice as a memorial of his death. Jesus instituted the ordinance of the Last Supper also known as the Lord’s Supper on the night of His betrayal. The Lord’s Supper, also known as “Holy Communion” is practiced by all Christian Churches. Yet, it has in fact kept back, and at a standstill does remain, right from history, what separate Christian groups from each other. This work analysed and explored comparatively the differences between the Reformed and the Pentecostal models of the Lord’s Supper. The paper concluded among others, that their major point of departure is the Reformed accept as true the actual attendance of Jesus in the Lord’s Supper spiritually or symbolically. Keywords: The Lord’s Supper, The Reformed Church, Pentecostal Church.

Download

The Social and Political Roots of Conflict in Nigeria: The Role of the Church

American Journal of Social Issues and Humanities, Nov 10, 2011

Conflict is a major problem in any given human society and often it is inevitable. In Nigeria, co... more Conflict is a major problem in any given human society and often it is inevitable. In Nigeria, conflict is very often the result of the interaction of political, economic and social instability frequently stemming from bad governance, failed economic policies and inappropriate development programs stemming from exacerbated ethnic or religious differences in society. The fundamental problems in conflict are the religious beliefs and practices, ethnicity, boundary disputes, land ownership and resource competition, poverty, marginalization, unemployment and underdevelopment. This work shows that the church and her leaders have the potential to manage and resolve conflicts in Nigeria through their religious values and principles involving love, forgiveness, justice, peace and tolerance. Some avenues of achieving this is through dialogue, seminars and workshop, as media of evangelizing and restoring hope in the country with their gospel of peace.

Peace and Justice as a Religious Panacea for National Development in Nigeria

American Journal of Social Issues and Humanities, Nov 10, 2011

It is now widely accepted that violent conflict is the major hindrance to the development of the ... more It is now widely accepted that violent conflict is the major hindrance to the development of the African continent and Nigeria in particular. It inflicts human suffering through death, destruction of livelihoods, constant displacement and insecurity. Violent conflict disrupts the process of production, creates condition for pillage of the country‟s resources and diverts their application from development purposes to servicing war. Thus, this work shows the factors that regularly threatened development in Nigeria. It examines peace and justice as a condition for sustainable and meaningful development. It finally shows the mediatory roles of Religious Leaders in conflict resolution.

The Principles and Motivations of Christian Ethics in Nigeria In the Twenty First Century

The issues of right and wrong, good and bad are issues that every right thinking person must not ... more The issues of right and wrong, good and bad are issues that every right thinking person must not fail to put into consideration on the daily basis. So many theories which seem to make ethics a matter of individual conscience seem to militate against ethical consideration in the society and especially in Nigeria. This paper examines the principles and motivations of Christian ethics with the view of determining its necessity in the Nigerian society. It explains these principles and motivations of Christian ethics and considers ethics and social morality in order to show why ethics is needed in every sphere of human endeavor especially in Nigeria. It recommends among others that Christian ethics is necessary especially among Christians in Nigeria for proper harmonious living. Keywords: Motivations; Principles; Christian; ethics;

Islam and Global Ecological Crisis: An Eco-Theological Review

It is strongly recognized that man's hostile attitude to nature is not a new development. Hu... more It is strongly recognized that man's hostile attitude to nature is not a new development. Humans have always seen their environment as something to be degraded, exploited and dominated. These human activities are responsible for the loss of bio-diversity and disruption of ecosystem processes which has led to the reduction and destruction of the number of species of plants and animals in the ecosystem. This work showed that Islam has the potential to situate humans in relation to both the natural and human worlds with regard to meaning and responsibility (stewardship), through its moral authority and institutional power that help effect a change in attitudes, practices and public policies in respect to addressing the urgent environmental problems of contemporary society and

Download

Major Factors Inhibiting the Growth of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in Cross River State (1953 – 2005), Nigeria

The International Journal of Humanities & Social Studies, 2019

Adventist (SDA) Church in Cross River State (1953 -2005), Nigeria In the book, Understanding Chur... more Adventist (SDA) Church in Cross River State (1953 -2005), Nigeria In the book, Understanding Church Growth and Decline, issues about growth problems in some Christian denominations in North America were raised in the following sentences: An unprecedented period in the life of the North American Church began in the mid-1960s. For the first time since records allow us to recall, many major denominations actually stopped growing in membership and began to decline, and the growth rate of most others slowed considerably (17). C. Peter Wagner indicates that, from 1965 to 1975, a period of ten years, this declining experience affected many Churches in North America, among whom are, the Episcopal Churches which lost 17 percent of its membership which was a total of 575,000 persons. The United Presbyterian lost a total of 12 percent of its membership, which is an equivalent of 375,000 members. And the United Methodists lost in this same vein 10 percent, that is, 1,100,000 of its membership (31, 32). Robert K. Hudnut, commenting on the reaction of the Church leaders of some of the denominations losing members in North America, says that these church leaders were proclaiming, "People are leaving the church. It could not be a better sign!" (xi). And Wagner, already quoted, commenting on the assertion of Church Growth Movement in North America and its divine acceptance says, "The Church Growth Movement has boldly asserted that not only is Church growth Ok, it is the will of Almighty God"(13).

Download

A comparative study of eschatology in Christianity and African traditional religion

Verbum et Ecclesia, Jan 30, 2024

Intradisciplinary and/interdisciplinary implications: This work discusses end-of-life issues that... more Intradisciplinary and/interdisciplinary implications: This work discusses end-of-life issues that strongly relate to systematic theology and African traditional religion, emphasising that while their eschatologies differ, they share a belief in life after death. African traditional religion should not be mocked as a religion without eschatology.

Download

Ekpenyong Obo

Uploads

Papers by Ekpenyong Obo

Log In