Toward an Understanding of a Misconceived Igbo Deity

IF 0.4 4区 哲学 0 RELIGION
Tobias Chibuike Onah, Kingsley Ikechukwu Uwaegbute, Virginus Uchenna Eze
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Abstract

This ethnographic study investigates the misconception among Christians and adherents of African Traditional Religion in their view and understanding of the deity ‘ekwensu’, commonly called Satan in Christian theology. The study area is Nsukka, a culture area in Nigeria. The adherents of the two religions use the words ‘Satan’ and ‘devil’ for ekwensu interchangeably. Many Christians claim that Satan is the sole equivalent of the traditional deity ekwensu in the Igbo cosmology. The aim of the work is to compare the Christian views of ekwensu as Satan, bringing out the origin, attributes, and activities of the two concepts ekwensu and Satan. The findings show significant differences between Satan and ekwensu, that Satan and ekwensu vary in their origin and attributes, and that they have different geographical locations. It is shown that some shrines and forests were dedicated to the ekwensu deity in Nsukka, and that masquerades also honour the festival of ekwensu (afor ekwensu). It is also evident that Christianity had a significant impact on the culture of the Nsukka people, which engendered the misconception of the ekwensu deity. This was partly based on Igbo Christian theolinguistics occasioned by Christian missionary activities in the area.
了解被误解的伊格博神灵
本人种学研究调查了基督徒和非洲传统宗教信徒对神灵 "ekwensu"(基督教神学中通常称为撒旦)的误解。研究地区是尼日利亚的文化区恩苏卡。两种宗教的信徒交替使用 "撒旦 "和 "魔鬼 "来称呼 ekwensu。许多基督徒声称撒旦是伊格博宇宙论中传统神灵埃克文苏的唯一对应物。这部作品的目的是比较基督教将 "埃克文苏 "视为 "撒旦 "的观点,揭示 "埃克文苏 "和 "撒旦 "这两个概念的起源、属性和活动。研究结果表明,撒旦和 "ekwensu "之间存在重大差异,撒旦和 "ekwensu "在起源和属性上各不相同,它们的地理位置也不同。研究表明,在恩苏卡,一些神社和森林供奉着埃克文苏神,化妆舞会也纪念埃克文苏节(afor ekwensu)。同样明显的是,基督教对恩苏卡人的文化产生了重大影响,这导致了对埃克文苏神的误解。这在一定程度上是基于基督教在该地区的传教活动所产生的伊格博基督教语言学。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
0.60
自引率
0.00%
发文量
53
期刊介绍: The Journal of Religion in Africa was founded in 1967 by Andrew Walls. In 1985 the editorship was taken over by Adrian Hastings, who retired in 1999. His successor, David Maxwell, acted as Executive Editor until the end of 2005. The Journal of Religion in Africa is interested in all religious traditions and all their forms, in every part of Africa, and it is open to every methodology. Its contributors include scholars working in history, anthropology, sociology, political science, missiology, literature and related disciplines. It occasionally publishes religious texts in their original African language.
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