Impacts of Christianity in Nnewi Anambra State: A Case Study of the Anglicans
CHAPTER ONE
Aims and Objectives of the Study
This work sets to expose the impacts of Christianity in totality to the Nnewi people but focusing on the Anglicans. – To put away the people’s faith in the powers of idol worshipping and to help them find peace in Christianity. – This work is aimed at looking into the relevance of Christianity in the development of the Nnewi nation. – To expose the relation of the Anglican Church to other denominations and its emergence in Nnewi nation. – To examine the origin of the Nnewi people and their religion, how peculiar it is to them and also the activities of the Christian missionaries in Nnewi, Anambra state. – To make suggestions/recommendations on how the Anglican church of Nigeria can reflect the life patterns of Nnewi traditional society.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED AND RELEVANT LITERATURE
Introduction
Increasingly, scholars recognize that African and Asian Christianity is ancient – beginning either before or concurrently with European Christianity. Much of what is now the Muslim world was once Christian. In fact four of the five patriarchates are now in predominantly Muslim/Jewish countries (Alexandria, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Constantinople/ Istanbul). Only Rome is now in a predominantly Christian area. Historically, Christians predominated in North Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey, and the Christian Fathers – Tertullian, Cyprian, Cyril of Alexandria, Athanasius, and Augustine – were North African. Even Christian monasticism began in Egypt. Christians also had significant presence in Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and most central Asian countries. By the second century Christians were in Afghanistan, and by 424 Afghanistan had over 12 metropolitan bishops. Thus, before there were Christians in Lithuania, there had been over 1,000 years of continuous Christian presence in Afghanistan. Yet now Christianity is considered indigenous in Lithuania and foreign in Afghanistan. Early Christianity also spread to parts of Asia that are not predominantly Muslim. South Indian Christians claim the Apostle Thomas spread Christianity there. This is hard to prove, but some non-Indian sources suggest the same thing and Christianity arrived very early. Ancient Christianity also spread to Sri Lanka, China, Mongolia, Tibet, and possibly to Indonesia and Malaysia. There are Christian inscriptions in Tibet/Xizang from before the start of Tibetan Buddhism. Important segments of the Mongols were Christian (including Kublai Khan’s mother and two brothers), as were many Turkic peoples (e.g., many Uighers). This Christian influence is still visible in the written languages of Mongol peoples – which are primarily based on Syriac, the language of the Eastern Church. Early Asian Christianity shaped other religious traditions (and was shaped by them as well). The prophet Muhammad interacted with both Jews and Christians and most Islamic rituals mirror earlier Jewish and Christian ones. Some scholars even suggest that parts of the Qur’an copy Syriac Christian liturgical texts. Sufism (i.e., Islamic mysticism) also contains many Christian elements.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the impact of Christianity in Nnewi, Anambra state.
Sources of Data Collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
Primary source and Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to reiterate that the objective of this study was to examine the impact of Christianity in Nnewi, Anambra State.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations are made which are clearly the opinion of the researcher
- Summary
Pentecostalism is one of the major contemporary religious developments which emerged in the 20th century as a result of perceived shortcomings of the mainline churches. It seems to have been one of the most significant new spiritual movements in the Christian Church for some time now. Achunike, (2004.11) remarked thus about Pentecostalism and its impact “the Pentecostal explosion in Nigeria and elsewhere is a glaring reality…” The Pentecostals pioneered and popularized the idea of baptism in the Holy Spirit the consequence of which must be the sign of speaking in tongues. Writing on how they became a distinct group, Achunike, (2004.21) says thus about the Pentecostals “because of their belief and charismatic ways of worship, they were expelled from the mainline churches and forced to start their own churches” Chatfield (1992. 102), says that “Western Church historians say that Pentecostalism began in the beginning of the 20th Century in the United States of America. However, references to the Charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity abound in the literature of the Eastern Churches from the earliest times”. The Bible contains the most vivid account of Pentecostalism in Acts of the Apostles 2:1–4. Thus Pentecostalism belongs to a very ancient Christian tradition of spiritual enthusiasm and ecstatic experience. Pentecostalism therefore is not a twentieth century faith or religious system. Long before the reformation, the spark of Pentecostalism has been there but it seems to be suppressed always by the mainline denominations. However, the twentieth century has seen the birth of Pentecostalism which led to the establishment of the Pentecostal Church. Pentecostalism has developed into the fastest growing and most influential movement within Christianity at the present time.
Conclusion
The impact of the Anglican faith is very glaring to the people of Nnewi, Anambra state. The church has greatly affected the spiritual life of the people. Nnewi has a great number of worshippers and faithful adherents. The church has touched their lives by giving them the mindset of Christ. This has succeeded in turning away their hearts from the gods which the worship and believe in to the almighty God who they have come to believe in as the Supreme Being and the master of the universe. Anglican Church has also affected the lifestyle of the people through the building of schools where the young people and mostly the Anglicans faithfuls attend. Although, they are taught secular education just as a non-denominational school, they also have a curriculum whereby the tenets of the Anglican faith are taught and inculcated into the young people. The Anglican faith has also sponsored some necessary provisional projects in Nnewi. Projects like good borehole water, employment opportunity, and community service development and so many others. The Anglican faith has also reached out to the less privilege around Nnewi and has been a strong inspiration to the people around her. The bone of the matter is that the Anglican faith has invested so much in the human development of the people of Nnewi communities.
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