THE ANGLICAN CHURCH AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION AMONG THE IKWERRE OF NORTH EASTERN NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA
Abstract
Ikwerre of the North Eastern Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Before the coming of
Christianity and other modern forces of change into Africa in general and Ikwerre
ethnic nationality in particular, Ikwerre have had various ways of expressing
their religious and cultural experiences about the humans relating with the
supernatural invisible sacred being. These ways are expressed in symbols, idioms
and metaphors which are indigenous to them. The use of Ikwerre names in
liturgy, names of Ikwerre in African cosmology, the use of Ikwerre songs and
musical instruments in worship, the use of native agencies, the use of indigenous
Ikwerre ritual objects and symbols, oath-taking and investiture, as well as
initiation into manhood (igbaiku) and other findings in the research work make it
a boon in the Ikwerre religious life because Ikwerreman cannot do without his
religion. However, some features of the Ikwerre belief systems elapsed and others
remain resolute. The work adopted the phenomenological methodological
approach in the interpretation of data because this enabled the researcher to
observe the phenomenon he was investigating over time allowing it to unravel
and reveal itself instead of forcibly reading in or reading out meaning on the
object of the research. However, when the missionaries came to Ikwerre from the
19th century, they adopted or borrowed these idioms and metaphors and
incorporated it into their Christian liturgy (Anglicanism), hence, intercultural
communication. The work recommends that the good side of African traditional
religion should be allowed to take place and should be incorporated into the
Nigerian educational curriculum.
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