ABSTRACT
This research
work was designed as a surgery to assess the impact of Christianity on the
Traditional Religion. Africa has a mode of
worshipping God who they called many names in the language of each ethnic
group. For instance, the Yoruba called Olodumare,
Urobo called Oghene, Igbo called
Him Chukwu, while Hausa called Him Allah and so on. With the coming of
Christianity and the Islamic religion, they condemned the indigenous African
religion, in the seen that indigenous religion is not ideal in the society for
the people to fetch Christian religion. The above statement led to conflict,
indifferences and confusion among the society. The study is concerned with the
aspect of conflict between indigenous religion and impact of Christianity in
Ilutitun-osooro in okitipupa local government area of ondo state. In spite of
the intensity of Christian missionary effort and centuries of Muslim
proselytizing whish have marked the history of different parts of Africa, indigenous religion continued to manifest
vitality everywhere. This is to be seen in the worship of Africa
deities, sacrifices to the ancestors and practices of divination and magic. Many
African now have the notion and belief even regarding their indigenous religion
as superstitions, immoral and un-ideal and also reject other beliefs and
customs as primitive. In spite of all the effort made by Christianity to wipe
it away, the beliefs are still practiced widely. From this study or course, it
is discovered that indigenous Traditional Religion seems barbaric or fetish as
the missionary had described it. The purpose for this is, some aspect of
practice of this belief that claimed human fornicator, killing of twins,
kidnapping during some festivals and alot of taboos which were condemned by the
adherents. It is discovered that with the advent of Christianity to
Ilutitun-osooro in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State,
it has alot of positive effects on the indigene in many ways such as social,
political, economic, education, religious and communication. It was also
discovered in Africa generally that
Christianity had a great effect on every part of their lives in one way or the
other.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title page ……………………………………………. i
Certification ……………………………………………. ii
Dedication …………………………………………….. iii
Acknowledgement ……………………………………………. iv
Abstract …………………………………………….. vi
Table of
Content …………………………………………….. vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study …………………………………….. 2
1.2 Purpose of the Study ……………………………… 3
1.3 Scope of limitation the Study ………………………. 4
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The Coming of Christianity to Nigeria ………………….. 5
2.2 The Missionaries Attack on the
Traditional Religion in Nigeria
…. 8
2.3 History of Ilutitun - Osooro ……………………..…. 11
2.4 The Advent of
Christianity to Iluitun – Osooro
in
Okitipupa Local Government …………………………………… 14
2.5 Some Aspects
of Missionaries Attack on Indigenous
Practices
in Ilutitun - Osooro …………………………. 16
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURE
3.0 INTRODUCTION ……………………………………….. 18
3.1 Instrument and Research Design ………………………………… 18
3.2 Purpose of the Study …………………………………………. 19
3.3 Sample and Sampling Techniques …………………………… …….. 19
3.4 Procedure of collecting Data …………………………… 20
3.5 Treatment of Collecting Data ……………………………. 20
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS ON DATA COLLECTION
4.0 INTRODUCTION ……………………………………. 21
4.1 Indigenous
Religion and Culture of the People of Ilutitun
– Osooro
before the arrival of Christianity to the Society ……….. 21
4.2 The Impact of
Christianity on the Traditional
Religion
towards the Development of Ilutitun – Osooro
…….. 27
4.2.1 Economic Impact …………………………………………… 29
4.2.2 Social Impact ……………………………………………. 30
4.2.3 Educational
Impact …………………………………….. 31
4.2.4 Political Impact
……………………………………. 32
4.2.5 Communication
Impact ……………………………………. 33
4.2.6 Religious Impact
…………………………………….. 33
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary of Investigation …………………………………… 35
5.2 Conclusion …………………………………………………. 36
5.3 Recommendation …………………………………………. 37
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………….. 39
ORAL SOURCE …………………………………………………... 41
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
African
Tradition Religion is the sum total of life of the African people. It is
indigenous religion of African fore fathers. African traditional religion is a
religion that has been handed from one generation to others. Despite the fact
that it has no written Literature, yet it written everywhere for those who care
to see and read.
It is
frequently written in the people’s myths and folktales in their songs and wise
sayings. Historically, the founder of African tradition religion is not known
or to be worshipped. It is a religion that has no Fanatism for membership
drive. Despite the fact that African Traditional Religion is as old as the
emergency of mankind in African, yet its development was greatly affected by
the stiff opposition mounted by the two foreign religions, that is, Christians
and Islamic religion; which was alien to our own culture. This Religion was
alien to the African ways, norms& values.
To be
precise, the impact of Christianity on the Traditional Religion of
Ilutitun-Osooro cannot be fully discussed without mentioning some of the
festivals in Ilutitun-Osooro such as; Iwo festival, ERUN festival, UMALE
festival etc
However,
Ilutitun which is in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, the notion
is not left out. The people share it with other Africans. Christianity was
brought to us from oversea countries by the Christian missionaries. The
missionaries condemned the African Religious practices and substituted Western
cultures and religious practices. The Muslim (Islamic) and Christian
missionaries opposed the theology of African Tradition Religion and its
practices which are in human, For instance, killing of human being
(cannibalism) to appease gods and goddesses. Another one is killing of twins
and using them for sacrifice. There also some towns or tribes where they are
still killing human being (strangers) to sacrifice to their gods. When the
Christians missionaries considered all these practices, critically, they
declare that African Religion is primitive, savagery and Heartens. An attempt
took by the Christian missionaries to stop this type of practices led to
conflict between the Traditional Religion and the Christianities in many part
of Nigeria.
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In spite of the will towards
missionaries that the indigenous Religion of African is outdated and primitive,
the Africans especially the Christian and Muslim convert also ahead the notions
about African Traditional Religion still the Religion did not loose its place
totally. Some of them are still worshipped and served the dead gods and
goddesses. The Gospel preached to them has little or impact in their lives.
They still appeal to gods through divinities and deity, whenever they have one
problem or the other, they will consult their oracle, Ifa, Osanyin, and their
problems will be solved.
Furthermore,
Ilutitun-Osooro, which is situated in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo
State, the notion was not left out. The African shared with the peoples around.
Despite all the efforts made by the missionaries, many areas/people are still
participate in the tradition of things in the town the people realized that the
indigenous Traditional Religion was most important to them and they felt that,
it should not be put aside as outdated. They also felt that Traditional
Religion is their ways of life and customs, which could be observed by every
people in the town
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.
For any act
one carries out, there must be a purpose towards the predetermined objectives.
In essence there are many reasons for the write up of this project.
Firstly, this
project is written in a particular for the award of Nigeria Certificate in
Education [NCE].
Secondly,
this project work is carried out so as to give a clear picture on the impact of
Christianity on the traditional religion of Ilutitun-Osooro in Okitipupa Local
Government Area of Ondo- State. Therefore in some years ago, an attempt has
been made by many educators or scholars to write on the coming of the
Christianity in many areas of Yoruba land, but no such attempt have ever been
made to account on the impact of Christianity on the traditional religion of
Ilutitun- Osooro.
Therefore,
this study is an attempt to write and account for the impact of Christianity on
the traditional religion of Ilutitun. In this project the major Objective is to
put into black and white that is into writing, the Origin and the traditional
beliefs of Ilutitun before the coming of Christianity, the Origin of
Christianity in Ilutitun – Osooro and the difficulties encountered in planting
it among the traditional religion believers before it is allowed to take its
foundation and the major impact it has on the traditional religion of Ilutitun
– Osooro.
1.4 SCOPE OF LIMITATION OF THE
STUDY
The
research is limited to Ilutitun as indicated in the title. In an empirical
study of this nature, it would be an illusion to claim that this nature of
research has covered all parts of Nigeria, all parts of Ikale land,
or Osooro as a whole. The research is limited to the verbal history of leader,
the Christian leaders, pastors also a personal contact to Rt. Revd. Ebunoluwa
Ogunele the Diocesan Bishop on the Coast (Anglican Communion) and the history of
Christianity in Nigeria.
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