The Concept of IGBO Spirituality and Environment

Authors

  • Emmanuel Nweke Okafor Siam University

Keywords:

Igbo, spirituality, environment, belief, culture, religion, spiritual guide

Abstract

In a techno-scientific age where conflicting views on the reality of environmental ethics as well as ethical, environmental and ideological concerns emerge continuously, there is the need to constantly reinstate the vertical-horizontal dimensions of man’s peaceful co-existence with living and non-living things. Added to the above task is also the need for a thoroughly grounded work that sifts pragmatic ideas within some indigenous beliefs and practices which will be relevant to sound environmental and social development. As such, this research arises, among other reasons, from what the Igbo people actually believe and practice by focusing on the environmental values inherent in the Igbo spirituality. Adopting the expository and procedural tools of hermeneutics, the study contends on how to develop new environmental values that are parts and parcel of the Igbo spirituality. A major finding in the study is that in spite of the dialogue with modern styles, various features of the Igbo spirituality are still reserved and practiced, and have been practical means of existence and sustenance of the environment, peace and development to the entire community and each human person sharing the community life. Considering the nature and diversified forms of challenges to the Igbo spirituality in this age of science with some environmental devaluating attitudes of the human person, the study proposes that mankind should develop a deeper sense of love and care for the mother earth as a surer route to harmonious co-existence between the living and dead in the Igbo spirituality. 

Author Biography

Emmanuel Nweke Okafor, Siam University

Supervisor Language Lab Center

References

Achebe, Chinua (2008). Things Fall Apart. England: Heinemann, AWS.

Arinze, F. (2008). Sacrifice in Igbo Traditional Religion. Onitsha: St. Stephen’s Press.

Asiegbu, M. F. and Agbakoba , J. A.. (2006). Globalization and African Identity: Philosophy and Praxis in Africa, Ed. Ibadan: Hope Publications.

Dirkirr, P. M. (2008). The Challenges of Indigenizing African Environmental Goals. The Journal of Pan African Studies, 2, pp. 81-99. Dirkirr, 2008, p. 28

Edeh, E.M.P. (1985). Towards an Igbo Metaphysics. Chicago: Loyola University Press.

Ekennia, Justin. N. (2000). African Modernity Crisis. Benin, Nigeria: Barloz Publishers.

Mbiti John. (1975). The Prayers of African Religion. London: SPCK

Mbon, Friday M. (1991). African Traditional Social-Religious Ethics and National Development: The Nigerian Case. In African Traditional Religion in Contemporary Society. Edited by J. K. Olupona. MN: Paragon House.

Metuh, (1992). Comparative Study of African Traditional Religion. Onitsha: IMICO Publishers.

Mozia, M. I. (1982). Solidarity in the Church and Solidarity among the Igbos- An Anthropologico-theological Study. Rome: Tipografica.

Nkrumah, (1968). Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology of Decolonization. London: Panaf Books.

Nwala, Uzodinma (1985). Igbo Philosophy, p. 30. Lagos: Lantern Books.

Oladipo, O. (2009). Philosophy and Social Reconstruction in Africa. Ibadan: Hope Publications.

Olorunsola,V. A. (ed.) (1972). The Politics of Cultural Subnationalism in Africa. Anchor Books.

Onunwa, Udobata (2005). Tradition, Culture and Underdevelopment in Africa. Suffolk, UK: Amina Publishing.

Onuoha, F. C. (2008a). Oil Exploitation, Environmental Degradation and Climate Change: Assessing the Vulnerability of the Niger Delta to Natural Disasters. Conference Proceedings of the International Conference on the Nigerian State, Oil Industry and the Niger Delta. Port Harcourt: Harey Publications Company.

Rolston, H. (2003). Feeding People versus Saving Nature? In A. Light and H. Rolston (ed.), Environmental Ethics. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. (1992). Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. Retrieved from http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=78&ArticleID=1163&l=en on 20.04.2015.

Downloads

Published

2017-02-11

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2016): July - December 2016

Section

Articles

License

Consent to Publish and Transfer of Copyright
By publishing in Prajñā Vihāra, the author agrees to transfer and assign to Assumption University of Thailand as the Publisher of the Journal, the copyright to the Article in any form, including any and all rights, interests and claims related to it.

The author does retain the following rights:

  1. The right to make further copies of the published article for their use in classroom teaching.
  2. The right to reuse all or part of the published article in a compilation of his or her own works or in textbooks of which they are the author or coauthor.
  3. The right to make copies of the published article for internal distribution within their academic institution.
  4. All proprietary rights other than copyright, such as patent rights.
The author must also guarantee that:
  1. The Article is his or her original work, and has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
  2. It does not contain any matter that is obscene, libelous, or contrary to law.
  3. They have obtained the necessary license or written authority and paid any and all related fees for the use and reproduction of text, tables, illustrations and other copyrighted work from the owners of the intellectual property rights, and can furnish the Publisher copies of the license/written authority and proof of payment of related fees upon the signing of this Agreement.
  4. They have the consent of the Co-Authors of the article upon the signing of this Agreement.
  5. In the event that they intend to republish, reprint or translate all or part of the Article in other publications, they will secure the prior written permission from the journal Editor.

Prajñā Vihāra adopts the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC-ND) license