Religious Studies
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Item Religion and the Nigerian state(VEDA Publications, 2019) Mepaiyeda, S. M.One interesting character observed about religion in Nigeria is that it has played both the anabolic and catabolic roles in the society. It has been used as a catalyst for building up as well as instrument for demolishing peaceful coexistence of the citizens of the country. Historical evidences attest to the fact that religious resurgence most especially in the northern part of the country led to violent riots that claimed the lives of more than 100,000 Christians and Muslims within a space of 34 years (1977 and 2011). From examination carried out on the perennial incidence of religio-political crises in Nigeria, factors responsible include the missionary spirit of the Christian faith which the Muslims could not tolerate; persistent attempts to nationalize sectional interest; the surreptitious use of religion by the government to achieve economic or political advantages and the reluctance to accept a change in certain areas. Having considered the effects of religious crises on the psyche of the citizens, the paper recommends that Nigerians must come to terms with the religious plurality of the country and the imperatives of secularity. Harmonious coexistence demands sacrifice from various religious groups within the state while attitudinal re-engineering is recommended at all levels of religious and political leadership. The expectation of humans to live in a world that is peaceful has been a mirage because of their failure to recognise the nexus between justice and peace. It is no doubt that the concept of peace has taken central position in global conferences- political, economic or religious, yet, it seems people have only been paying lip-service to its realisation. Also, they fail to adequately address gender inequality, dehumanizing attitude of some stronger nations towards the weaker ones, and more significantly, the trending issue of the destruction of non-human creatures by humans. These factors among many others have orchestrated the tension that is being experienced in the cosmic order. This paper therefore advocates for mutual respect among humans irrespective of gender or race and responsible earth stewardship, especially by all Africans, so as to achieve peace in the society. Special emphasis has been placed on eco-justice considering its far-reaching significance to the restoration of peace. Sociological approach was adopted in gathering data that cut across many disciplines.Item 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.