The Role of the Church in Ensuring Peace and Harmony in the Society
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the objectives of this study:
1. To examine the role of the church in ensuring peace and harmony in the society.
2. To examine the dictates of the church as regards peace and harmony.
3. To identify the factors disrupting peace and harmony of the society.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter gives an insight into various studies conducted by outstanding researchers, as well as explained terminologies with regards to the role of the church in ensuring peace and harmony in the society. The chapter also gives a resume of the history and present status of the problem delineated by a concise review of previous studies into closely related problems.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Conflicts In Nigeria
Discussing conflicts in Nigeria may require us to situate the clarification of the term “conflict”.
“A conflict is a situation between two or more people in which one person perceives that another person has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect”, (Holmes, 2010: p. 8). This definition contains three elements, all of which must be present in order for a conflict to exist. First, there is a specific perception on the part of one or more of the people involved in the conflict, whether the perception is accurate or inaccurate, it is held by the conflicting parties. Second, the perception is generally negative. One party believes the other is going to do something of negative effect directly or indirectly. Finally, the issue surrounding the conflict must be something both parties care about. Conflict is also seen, as a strain in a relationship that goes with emotion. The higher the emotion, the higher the tendency of evolving conflict intensity (Aja Akpuru Aja, 2007: p. 12). Hence, to many scholars, conflict is inevitable in social life process; for conflict occurs even in the best of human societies, (Sani Shehu, 2007: p. 12). Thus, we find conflict graduating into such phases like early conflict indicators, conflict resistance, explosive or exhaustive conflict and the most deadly spiral and the highest level of violence. Again, conflict can be a frustration-based attitude or protest against lack of opportunities for development and against lack of recognition and identity. Conflict can therefore originate in class, status, ethnicity, sex, religion, nationalism or resource control, yet same fundamental issues are being addressed.
The foregoing led us to postulate that conflict has both negative and positive underpinnings. It is considered negative when it is a setback, destructive and disintegrative. Conflict is considered positive when it leads to positive developments for the individuals, the groups and the society at large through corrective signal or warning. It also leads to integrative process of development. However, change is the real subject of conflict whether in its negative or positive form. Thus, it requires the need to tailor it towards the support of existing norms and rules of social existence for if conflict of any form is left uncontrolled, the situation may be counterproductive.
Other related concepts of conflicts, include conflict indicators, conflict prevention, conflict trigger, conflict resistance, conflict explosion, conflict dynamics, conflict intervention, conflict analysis, conflict resolution, conflict management, conflict reduction, conflict stability, conflict transformation, conflict suppression and identity conflict. Conflict indicators refer to the idea that conflict is no automatic imposition. It does not just occur in any given situation. It does not happen without signs. If action is taken immediately there is any sign, the damage is prevented or limited. Conflict prevention is a process of con-trolling and managing strained relationship early enough to avoid the threats of a conflict. It makes effective use of early warning system to detect and respond to early threats. Conflict trigger refers to provocative utterances, decisions or actions that suddenly give rise to an outburst of frustration or aggression through open violence.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
AREA OF STUDY
The study area for this research is Imo state in eastern Nigeria.
The choice of Imo state as the study area is because since the creation of the state in 1967 and in spite of the movement of Abia state in the state creation exercise of 1991, it naturally enjoys the benefits of being the fulcrum of the eastern part of the country. Imo state is built with many roads, estates , government establishments, all kinds of private developments, schools, hospitals, theaters, shopping malls, hotels to mention a few. All these infrastructures are the handiwork of construction. As such there cannot be a better place to obtain data for this study.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the cross–sectional survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out on the role of the church in ensuring peace and harmony in the society using selected churches in Imo State as case study. The categories of the selected churches include; Catholic, Pentecostal and Orthodox.
Hence, the population of this study comprise of the members of the selected churches in the study area.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of one hundred and twenty(120) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which one hundred (100) were returned and all were validated. For this study a total of 100 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on the role of church in ensuring peace and harmony in the society using selected churches in Imo state as the Case study. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was to examine the role of church in ensuring peace and harmony in the society using selected churches in Imo state as the Case study. The study is was specifically focused on examining the role of church in ensuring peace and harmony in the society, examining the dictates of the church as regards peace and harmony and identifying the factors disrupting peace and harmony of the society.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 100 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are members of selected churches in Imo State.
Conclusions
Based on the findings of this study, the researcher concluded that;
- The role of church in ensuring peace and harmony in the society include; to aid communities honor and dignify victims, to support conscientious objectors, to provide sanctuary, to engage in prayer and action for peace, to promote justice, to promote truth, to promote reparations and to promote reconciliation.
- The dictates of the church as regards peace and harmonyinclude; members should avoid all forms of conflicts, members should stand for the truths, members should long for justice, members should not hesitate to promote truths and members should ensure unconditional.
- The factors disrupting peace and harmony of the societycomprise of ; individual differences, cultural differences, clash of interests and social change.
- The church plays significant role in ensuring peace and harmony in the society.
Recommendation
Based on the findings and conclusion of the study, the researcher recommends that Churches should focus more in preaching the message of peace and harmony rather than prosperity message that is the order of the day in most churches today. And Churches should also discourage violence greatly as this aids peace and harmony in the society.
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