Browsing by Author "Mepaiyeda, S. M."

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African christianity and the modern challenges of ecumenism: the Nigerian context
(The Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 2019) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The engagement of the founding fathers of ecumenism in bringing church leaders to the realisation of the need for collaboration towards the achievement of unity especially among Christians in Nigeria is laudable. Even evidences abound that in recent times those who had shown apathy to ecumenical activities in Nigeria in the past are beginning to embrace the ideals it stands for with apparent commitment. However, in contemporary times, some attitudes and practices which nearly frustrated the efforts of ecumenism at inception are rearing their heads again; and this is inimical to the unity of churches in Africa. This paper, therefore, attempts an investigation into such attitudes and practices with a view to ascertaining their effects on the unity of the church and making useful recommendations for the promotion of ecumenism in Nigeria
An appraisal of the perspectives of the pentecostal and charismatic on theological education in Nigeria
(West African Association of Theological Institutions, 2014) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
This paper aims primarily at investigating the bases for the unfriendly attitude towards theological education. In addition, using historical antecedents as a benchmark, the paper will articulate the relevance of theological education in the expansion of God’s kingdom, with a view to reducing mediocrity in religious parlance and inculcate proper orientation in the development of church leaders in Nigeria. Though theological education remains a veritable platform to bring enlightenment to the souls and minds of individuals about God and his activities for the singular purpose of transforming and liberating men from the bondage of ignorance to knowledge; yet, a cursory look at the happenings among the Pentecostal and Charismatic circles in Nigeria suggests that majority of them have developed apathy towards such training. Even the few who have Bible Colleges de-emphasize rigorous theological study in their curricula, hinging such stand on many factors and assumptions.
Assessing the hypotheses against women leadership in African christianity
(Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture, 2013-08) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Despite the undisputable roles of women as homemakers and nation-builders, many hypotheses had been advanced in support of male chauvinism mostly prevalent in African society. Such discrimination is attributable to two sources; culture and religion. The prejudices, inequalities and injustices suffered by women seem to be deep-rooted. What is even more unfortunate and scandalous is that religion has been and is still being misused to reinforce the oppression and subordination of women. Equally disconcerting is the fact that among the womenfolk themselves there are quite a number who have accepted these conditions as normal and therefore have had no inclination to demand and work for a change. Such women have resigned themselves to an inferior status and sincerely believed that such is their divinely ordered fate. This paper, therefore, is aimed at evaluating the theological, cultural and philosophical hypotheses that serve as roadblocks against women leadership in order to disprove their logical veracity; and to establish that leadership in the church should transcend the factor of gender but be based on God’s prerogative and infinite grace.
A brief survey of the emergence and impact of the Anglican church in Kogi and Kwara states (1854-1999)
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2009-12) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Church’s involvement in inculcating ethical values: a key to change agenda in Nigeria
(Hope Publications, 2019) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
A critical assessment of the Anglican mission in Ora land
(Department of Religious Studies Department, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, 2010-12) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Critiquing the motivations for Luther’s reformation
(2018-06) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
What informed the engagement of this topic is the mixed feelings or misrepresentations that some Christians express about Martin Luther, the Chief Pioneer or Prince of what we call Protestantism. While it is an established fact in a section of Christianity that Luther was a political reformer, others see him as a religious reformer. Such divergent opinions are capable of distorting historical facts and have the tendency of promoting erroneous ideas about the ideal that Luther stood for. Therefore, the concern of this paper is to investigate the socioeconomic, political and religious contexts which spurred reactions by some intellectual church men that eventually culminated in the 16th century reformation. This attempt becomes imperative in order to have a clearer picture of the situations before the reformation and to assess the strategies adopted by the reformers, especially Martin Luther in order to determining the veracity of the claim that Luther's reformation was politically motivated.
Emerging trends in fostering the concept of community among the pentecostal churches in Nigeria
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2013-12) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The establishment of the Pentecostal churches in Nigeria poses many challenges to the Mainline or established Churches such as the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and Baptist churches, to mention just a few. One of such challenges is the prevalence of the “attitude of belonging” among the Pentecostal movements. In dealing with one another, members of the latter discretely demonstrate unique concern in fulfilling the biblical injunction to be “their brother’s keepers,” a rediscovery of one of the practices in the early church, where communalism was modus operandi. Therefore, this paper aims at exploring this emerging trend in fostering communal life or belongingness in the churches of our study, a reminiscence of communal living in the early church. The paper is not aimed at asserting the total absence of such gesture in the mainline churches, but the dimension of the practice among the Pentecostals which inculcates a sense of belonging in their members, is the concern of this research. In addition, the paper also harped on the fact that, although the concept of belonging is the underlying factor responsible for an astronomical expansion among the Pentecostals today, the factor of communalism generates a negative tendency of exclusion of non-members of the community in the distribution of helpline. Thus, the paper adopts a historical research method as well as fieldwork through oral interviews, library and archival materials.
Evaluating the significance of radical reformation exemplified by Lutheran spiritualists and the Anabaptists to global christianity
(2021) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The efforts of the fourteen century revivalist movements served as eye-openers to the rots in the Church. All of them leveraged on Biblical information as strategy to sanitize the Church that was invaded by worldliness and guided largely by traditions, human pronouncements as well as some unscriptural practices. With the sixteen century decisive reformation masterminded by Martin Luther, people had thought that the efforts of the reformers were the last move that Christianity needed to sanitize the Church but the rise of radical reformers suggested that over-emphasis of some doctrinal issues at the expense of others of great importance by the classical reformers deprived the Church of reconstruction it needed. This paper attempts to examine the roles played by some individuals and groups to radicalize Christianity through their brand of reformation; and consequently bring to the fore the implications of their expressed concerns on the Church, using historical method.
An examination of the ethical implications of violence in Abrahamic religions for Nigerian commonwealth
(Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions (NASR), 2018-07) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Religion is a terrain that guarantees communion between the object of worship and adherents. This implies that religious beliefs and activities or practices of a particular religion should not be forced on adherents of other religions. But the contrary is the case in many climes, especially in Nigeria, where people flout the principles of religious pluralism. Often times, such disregard for tolerance of adherents of other religions in a diverse society, breeds violence that leads to monumental loss of lives and property thereby impinging negatively on Nigerian Commonwealth. Therefore, this research is highly interested, firstly, in the examination of the veracity of the claim by adherents of Christianity and Islam that their religions epitomise peace and secondly examine the factors that trigger religious violence vis-a-vis the ethical implications of such religious induced violence on the societal psyche. This becomes imperative in order to critically address its effects with a view to reducing inter and intra religious conflicts that have engulfed Nigeria in particular and some nations of the world in general. In view of the fact that this research falls within the ambit of contextual study, phenomenological method will be employed to carry out the primary investigation; while literary works of scholars shall be consulted in order to elucidate information on the subject matter.
Historical analysis of the ecumenical development in Nigeria
(2018) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The attempt to embark on this study was borne out of the desire to trace the origin of ecumenical efforts in their local and global contexts. Among many Orthodox Christians,1 it is generally accepted that the contemporary Ecumenical Movement began with the Encyclical of 1920 that emanated from the Patriarch of Constantinople but historical record disproves this assertion and shows that the contemporary Ecumenical Movement has its roots in the Protestant missionary movement of the 19th century. In addition, this paper argues that ecumenical engagements were driven by the desire of Evangelical Protestants to achieve a “unity in fellowship” amongst themselves for greater success in the mission field. This contradicts the notion that ecumenism arose out of the desire for “unity in truth” or doctrinal agreement. This research becomes necessary so that the historical facts of ecumenism from global context would be put in proper perspective in order to avoid the implication that any distortion could have on ecumenical development in Nigeria which is a fall-out of the World Missionary Conference that held in Edinburgh in 1910. The objectives of this study are to bring to the fore the synergy that existed among some Protestant churches that championed ecumenical developments in Nigeria and to articulate that mission is the force that drives ecumenism both globally and locally. Using historical and sociological approaches in this study, the paper submits that since the emergence of organized ecumenism in Nigeria, there has been a paradigm shift from sustaining the legacies and vision bequeathed by the founders because modern ecumenism leadership seems to be more interested in playing politics by their actions thereby causing more disunity among the Christians in Nigeria.
The impact of the social media on the evangelical outreaches of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)
(2017-12) Oluwadoro, J. O.; Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The interface between the sacrificial rites in yoruba religion and African indigenous churches
(Nigerian Association of Church History and Missiological Studies, 2020-12) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The idea of sacrifice which by definition has remained multi-dimensional and generalised has continued to be an attractive concept in religious and theological discourse. The reason is that sacrifice seems to connote different meanings to different people, especially adherents of different religions. Even in the same religion such as Christianity for instance, people express divergent understanding of the concept. To some groups of Christians, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ epitomise the sacrifice sufficient for all generations. But some Christian denominations share the view of African Religions, which is similar to Judaist religion on sacrifice as a daily and practical offering of food, objects or the lives of animals to God, the ancestors or spirits for the purpose of achieving individual or general well- being of the society. This paper therefore seeks to bring to the fore some sacrificial practices among the African Indigenous Churches which have resemblance in Yoruba religion with a view to determining the validity of such practices within the biblical context and the history of African Christianity.
Interrogating the theological argument for the reality of God within African religious milieu
(Macrothink Institute, 2014-02) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Empirical philosophers, down the ages have argued against the existence of God, employing the use of reason as a premise for establishing their argument. This exercise resulted in atheism – the belief that there is no God. While some atheists maintain that God never existed in the past, there are others who contend that he existed but is now dead. Hence, Anselm's theism and other arguments for God's existence pervaded the academic spectrum. This paper, therefore, establishes the manifestation of theistic arguments within the religious context in Africa. Furthermore, the paper concludes by debunking the misrepresentation of African ideas of God whom some sit-at-home writers described as Deus absconditus or Deus remotus.
The legacies of Cyprian’s leadership policies for Nigerian christianity
(Department of Religious Studies Department, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, 2014-12) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Materialism in early and modern pentecostal movements in Nigeria
(Centre for Advanced Training and Research with MPYRAA, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon, 2013) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The emergence of Pentecostal movements within the landscape of Nigeria was characterized with emphasis on second birth, holiness, sanctification, indwelling of the Holy Spirit and possession of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit by a Christian. This way of life was not only verbalized but adequately demonstrated by the Early Pentecostal leaders. Conversely, there are sufficient evidences that there is a change in focus by modern Pentecostals from holiness messages to “prosperity ” message. This trend has affected their psyche to the extent that most Pentecostal preachers in Nigeria seem to be driven by the quest for materialism; a situation that negates the original Pentecostal ideals and principles. Therefore the aim of this paper is to articulate in strong terms the deviation of the modern Pentecostals and to suggest a revisit of the biblical principles imbibed by the early Pentecostals.
The practical approach of the African apostolic church in contextualizing christianity in Nigeria
(2012) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The question some conservatives and evangelicals often ask is whether contexualization will not lead to a scientific syncretism or a kind of christo-pagan religion? Such enquirers must not forget the history of Christianity in Africa and especially Nigeria. It must be noted that there was a church in North Africa that produced great church fathers and thinkers like Augustine, Tertullian, Athanasius and their like, but today, that church has gone into extinction. The reason given by some critics of the church is that it was never a grass root religion. It remained foreign to the people and seen as the church of aristocrats. Thus, the Islamic invasion wiped out of existence the rootless religion that once existed there. It must also be recalled that the first attempt to christianise Nigeria in the 15th century by the Portuguese and Spanish Missionaries failed because the church’s activities remained in the palaces. Historically, Henry Venn of the Church Missionary Society reeled out an epoch-making policy aimed at achieving a contextualised and indigenised Christianity in Africa. Against all odds, he contended that the African Church must be self supporting, self governing and self propagating. The first patriarch of the Methodist Church Nigeria, his Pre-eminence Bolaji also took a bold step to contextualise Methodist worship and clerical vestments. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent at which The African Apostolic Church has contextualised Christianity. This became pertinent because since its emergence in Nigeria, it has witnessed astronomic growth due to its conscious efforts at divesting itself with European garbs which identified with the western education and culture.
Prophetic movements in the anglican Church in pre-independence Nigeria
(Zenith BookHouse Ltd., Ibadan, Nigeria, 2018) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The main focus of this paper is to debunk the erroneous notion that prophetic ministry first emerged within African Indigenous Churches in Nigeria and establish the fact that there were manifestations of prophetic movements shortly after the inception of Christianity in the Church Missionary Society that later metamorphosed to the Anglican Church. Evidences abound of prophetic figures among who were Garrick Braide, Daddy Alii, a sexton at Our Saviour's Anglican Church Ijebu-Ode, Sophia Odunlami and of course Joseph Ayo Babalola. These people exhibited prophetic gifts but due to certain reasons the Church authority excommunicated them. However the fact remains that the Anglican church served as the incubator of their prophetic activities in later years. The historical and phenomenological approaches are adopted to gather data for the exercise.
A re-examination of the role of religion in education
(Faculty of Humanities, Management and Social Sciences, Federal University, Kashere Gombe State, Nigeria, 2013) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
Religion has played major roles in other facets of human endeavours, be it political, economic, medical or educational. Right from the Middle Ages when the church reached its zenith of expansion, the field of education was positively enhanced with the establishment of about eighty universities in Western Europe. Interestingly, records showed that these universities were theologically oriented because they metamorphosed from schools attached to churches, Furthermore, the missionaries who propagated Christianity took along with the Gospel a certain kind of Education in order to enlighten their converts and train them in institutions they established. However, in recent years, some government’s policies have undermined the place of religion in education most especially in Nigeria. Religious subjects have been de-emphasized while science related courses are promoted in order to boost technological advancement. Secondly, individuals, corporate organizations and some educational institutions seem to have the notion that religion today has little or no relevance in education. No wonder the population of students into the Department of Religious Studies in few universities that offer them is low when compared with other departments in the Faculty. Furthermore, it is saddened to note that most of the private universities especially the mission-established ones do not give the study of religion the priority it deserves. This paper, therefore, seeks to investigate the reasons adduced the stakeholders on the neglect of religious education in academic circles with a view to determining the relevance of religion in the contemporary world.
The relevance of the world council of churches in global ecumenism: an African overview
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2011-12) Mepaiyeda, S. M.
The effects of Reformation masterminded by Martin Luther in the sixteenth century cannot be underestimated. Apart from different opinions held by the Catholic Church and the Reformers, various denominations emerged within the latter because each one separated from the rest. Such separation and lack of mutual trust and understanding existed for centuries before the “Spirit of Ecumenism” fell on Church leaders. In the sixteenth century, only four major divisions separate the churches of the Reformation: Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist and Anglican. Soon, however, a number of denominations appeared on the scene, most of them established by adherents convinced of the importance of some particular teachings of scripture. By the twentieth century, more than two hundred denominations crowded the landscape in the United States alone. In the same century however, a force drew Christians toward co-operation, merger and united action. This force f is referred to as “ecumenism”. Therefore this paper highlights the contribution of the World Council of Churches to Ecumenism project. It concludes that the reason for the reestablishment of the WCC has not been justified, owing to the prevalence of the wounds created by schism and lack of its impact on grassroots churches.