Browsing by Author "Tuduks, Oholiabs D."

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    Dysfunctional exclusion within Christian/Muslim relationships in Gombe state, Nigeria : a co-pathic approach
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-03) Tuduks, Oholiabs D.; Thesnaar, C. H.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Dysfunctional exclusion between Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria in general, and Gombe State in particular, is understood to be a trigger of religious crises in Northern Nigeria. History has shown that Northern Nigeria has been experiencing religious crises from 1980 to the present. The crises have grossly affected the relationship between these two religious groups, despite the fact that they all live in the same community and in some cases in the same family. The reoccurrence of religious crises has created fear and suspicion of one another between the adherents of the two religions, thus giving more ground to the practice of dysfunctional exclusion. In 1999, the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) formed a forum, called the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), for the purpose of tackling the problems of dysfunctional exclusion and religious crises between Christians and Muslims. Dialogue is one of the most relied approaches adopted by NIREC in addressing the challenges. Unfortunately the application of dialogue among the Christians and Muslims in Gombe state has not been effective as the problem of dysfunctional exclusion persist. This calls for reconsideration of the application of dialogue or to consider an alternative approach which will effectively deal with the dysfunctional exclusion among the two religious adherents in Gombe state. As a contribution to the fight against dysfunctional exclusion, I suggests a co-pathic approach. The research question is can co-pathy effectively contribute in addressing the challenge of dysfunctional exclusion within Christian/Muslim relationships? This will be answered with a focus on the outlined goals of the research following the methodology of Richard Osmer (2008) – the four tasks of practical theology. First, the descriptive-empirical task; this task answers the question what is going on? It examines the practice of dysfunctional exclusion among the Christians and Muslims. Second, the interpretive task, which answers the question why is this going on? This will discuss the concept of co-pathy, and its relevant application to the Christian/Muslim relationship. Third, the normative task; this task answers the question what ought to be going on? It explores a co-pathic theological foundation for interreligious understanding. And lastly, the pragmatic task answers the question how might we respond? This presents, in the concluding chapter, the contribution of the research to the fight against dysfunctional exclusion. The research will create an awareness of a pluralistic religious society and the need for interreligious understanding and consciousness. Co-pathy will be used as a point of convergence between Muslims and Christians and will stand at the centre of their relationships, as both religions recognise and value the virtue of co-pathy. This will motivate the life of togetherness in passion, thus paving the way for the recognition of each other‘s religion with regard, tolerating religious practices, and considering one another as members of the same community without religious segregation. The research is significant, as the issue of dysfunctional exclusion dehumanises and triggers religious crises, which have claimed many lives in the northern states of Nigeria.
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    An empirical interrogation of the Christian/Muslim inter-religious challenges in Northern Nigeria
    (Pieter de Waal Neethling Trust, 2020) Tuduks, Oholiabs D.
    Various researches indicate that Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria experience a tense and violent relationship that arises from a dysfunctional relationship embedded in a superiority/inferiority complex, discrimination, exclusion, and marginalization. The crisis has created deep-rooted trauma that has caused the two religious groups to co-exist in fear and suspicion. The dysfunctional relationship continues to propagate exclusive and discriminative lifestyle, and triggers tension and violence among Christians and Muslims in the region. This article uses an empirical study approach to engage in an investigation of the experience of Christian/Muslim co-existence in Northern Nigeria. The data collection method of interview was used in drawing the in-depth contextual experience of the people. Findings reveal challenges of Christian/Muslim co-existence, with alarming violence that continues to threaten inter-religious co-existence. Healing and reconciliation were recommended for creating inter-religious functional relationships among the Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria.
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    Healing and reconciliation in a dysfunctional relationship : towards inter-religious functional relationship in Northern Nigeria
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12) Tuduks, Oholiabs D.; Thesnaar, C. H.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria experience dysfunctional relationship responsible for the recurrent inter-religious crises that creates a deep-rooted trauma with the adherents co-existing with anger, fear and suspicion. As a result of the volatile relationship, the two religious groups live with encapsulated mind-set that spurs the practices of exclusion, discrimination and marginalization. The study through healing and reconciliation from a pastoral care perspective addressed the dysfunctional relationship among Christians and Muslims in Northern Nigeria. As a theory seeking research, the study first conducted the empirical investigation for understanding the in-depth context of dysfunctional relationship before embarking on normative and pragmatic contributions. In view of this, the research was guided by the methodology of practical theological interpretation of Richard Osmer’s four tasks. The descriptive-empirical task investigated the context of Christian/Muslim dysfunctional relationship from both theoretical and empirical studies where the findings reveal the prevalence of religious crises, exclusion and discriminations. To understand the reasons behind the occurrence of the dysfunctional relationship, the interpretive task explored the context of British colonial era and its influence on the religious groups. In addressing the normative task, healing and reconciliation were discussed through pastoral hermeneutical process for setting a norm in approaching dysfunctional relationship. Furthermore, the examples of Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed in their inter-religious encounters and the theological discussions on the ‘charter of compassion’, ‘a common word between us and you’, ‘the Marrakesh declaration’ and inter-religious dialogue were argued as practices for healing and reconciliation processes. As a pragmatic task, the hermeneutical process advocated for a critical engagement with the past inter-religious relationship to transform it in the present and the future. In response to the colonially motivated discriminations, decoloniality was stressed as means of breaking the hierarchical structures that promotes the superiority/inferiority complex. To facilitate the processes of healing and reconciliation, transformational relationship was argued through the theories of inter-pathy, entanglement and wasatia for moderating and protecting the inter-religious relationship. The use of local proverbs was also argued as ways of communicating messages of healing and reconciliation. As a hermeneutically motivated research which was not based on cause and effect, the study presented the findings, contributions, and recommendations for necessary implementation by the relevant authorities in Northern Nigeria.
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    The praxis of reconciliation among religious groups in northern Nigeria : a pastoral care approach
    (African Sun Media, 2020) Tuduks, Oholiabs D.
    Nigeria as a multi-religious country has three main religious groups – Christians, Muslims, and the adherents of traditional religions. But the most populous of the three are Christians and Muslims, while the former are found more in the south-east and south-west of the country among the Igbo and Yoruba major ethnic groups, the latter are concentrated more in the north among the Hausa/Fulani2 major ethnic group. Impliedly, in Northern Nigeria Christians constitute the minority who comes from the minority ethnic groups and a meagre number from the Hausa/Fulani major ethnic group. The two religious groups live together in the same communities with some families having mix-religious adherents as a result of inter-marriages and or proselytisation. But despite this togetherness, Christians and Muslims continue to experience inter-religious tension.