Papers by Revd John Arierhi Ottuh
The Quest for Change in Nigeria (Matthew 3:1-9): Challenges and Implications for the Nigerian Christian
AGOGO: Journal of Humanities, Nov 1, 2017
Pharos Journal of Theology, 2022
Scholars in the field of theology and biblical studies have extensively explored eco-theology fro... more Scholars in the field of theology and biblical studies have extensively explored eco-theology from Genesis creation narratives especially 1:26 and 28. In spite of the good numbers of literature in this field of study, less is known in the area of contextual eco-theology that focuses on Christians and environmental care in Uvwie, Nigeria. Therefore, using the eco-theology approach in the interpretation of Genesis 2:15, this paper examines the importance of Christians’ involvement in environmental care by using Uvwie Local Government Area of Nigeria as a focus point. Drawing on the understandings of דַ בָע) abad) and רַ מָ ש) shamar) in Genesis 2:15 which are translated to mean ‘to serve’, to ‘tend’, ‘to dress’ or to ‘care’, it argues that דַ בָע) abad) and רַ מָ ש) shamar) are veritable Biblical and theological bases for Christian involvement in environmental care in contemporary society such as Uvwie. It shows that Genesis 2:15 implies environmental stewardship and environmental con...
The Concept of Religion in James 1:26-27 and Its Implication for the Nigerian Christian
Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2014
A Study on the Exclusion of Graduates of Church Oriented Theological Institutions from NYSC in Nigeria: A Case Study of Selected Theological Institutions of Higher Education
. The continuous exclusion of Church oriented theological institutions’ (COTI) graduates from the... more . The continuous exclusion of Church oriented theological institutions’ (COTI) graduates from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Nigeria calls for concern in theological education as an aspect of higher education. The important role NYSC plays in the life of a graduate in Nigeria is a veritable prove that COTI graduates need the NYSC for their future endeavours. The main objective of the study is to determine whether there is the exclusion of COTI graduates from the NYSC. Therefore, using the retrospective approach as a method, two theological institutions, one each representing Northern and Southern Nigeria were selected as case study for a retrospective analysis within the period of 9 years (2008-2017). The result showed that for the past nine years, out of the 1917 graduates from both Theological College for Northern Nigeria and Baptist Theological Seminary, Eku, none (99.9%) was mobilized for NYSC or exemption. A survey conducted subsequently revealed that one of the maj...
Aphrodite and Iyogbo mythologies: A comparative study of New Testament Corinth and contemporary Urhobo cultural settings
Pharos Journal of Theology, 2017
This article focuses on comparison of mythology of Aphrodite in New Testament Corinth and Iyogbo ... more This article focuses on comparison of mythology of Aphrodite in New Testament Corinth and Iyogbo mythology in contemporary Urhoboland, in Nigeria. Using the comparative model as a method, the paper aimed at doing a comparative study on the First Century Graeco-Roman Corinthian cultural setting and the contemporary Urhobo cultural setting in Nigeria. The paper argues that Aphrodite, in first century Graeco-Roman Corinthian cultural setting, is similar to the Iyogbo festival in Urhobo cultural milieu of Delta State in Nigeria. The article asserts that their mythological love symbols in human society palliate indiscriminate sex and as such encourage promiscuity and thus possess health dangers for society because of the sexual promiscuity which it promotes and which is capable of promoting sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. The paper also posits that the Iyogbo festival can and should be modified into a social-cultural engagement that has educational value and must be devoid o...
Using the socio-rhetorical method, this study aimed at pointing out that Nigeria is a giant witho... more Using the socio-rhetorical method, this study aimed at pointing out that Nigeria is a giant without gallantry. Drawing inference from Africa literary scholars like Chinua Achebe and playwrights like Ahmed Yerima and Wole Soyinka, the paper argued that Nigeria is very rich in planning and very victorious in speech making but very weak in implementations. The paper showed that a giant without gallantry is a depiction of Nigeria as a giant of Africa in terms of population, rhetorical economic growth, land space and potentials not in terms of infrastructural developments. Moreover, using the story of Goliath and David in 1 Samuel 17:1-58 as a biblical depiction of Nigeria as a giant without gallantry, the study has also showed that Nigeria is a giant in terms of quantity not quality. Although, Goliath was said to be bigger than David, the reality of the result showed that David made more concrete success than Goliath. This depiction of David and Goliath in the context of Nigeria juxtapo...
The 3Cs of Colonisation and their Impacts on African Slavery: The Nigeria’s Experience
Black Theology, 2022
ABSTRACT This paper examines Christianisation, commerce and civilisation (3Cs) as strategies of E... more ABSTRACT This paper examines Christianisation, commerce and civilisation (3Cs) as strategies of European imperialist movements and considers the impact such endeavour made on Nigeria’s enslavement. Using the historical method, the paper argues that the methods of the 3Cs adopted by the colonial imperialist, though with some positive impacts, eroded Nigeria’s socio-cultural and politico-economic heritage and consequently breeds the foundation for socio-cultural and politico-economic slavery in contemporary Nigerian society. Specifically, the paper interrogates how the 3Cs fuel some forms of slavery in contemporary Nigeria. By so doing, this paper will contribute to African postcolonial studies.
UJAH: Unizik Journal of Arts and Humanities, 1970
Human activities on earth either pose threat or safe haven to human environment because such huma... more Human activities on earth either pose threat or safe haven to human environment because such human activities contribute to climate situation. Using the exposition method, the aim of this paper is to explore religion in the prevention of possible environmental disaster and the mitigation of post disaster scenario. Drawing from the 2011/2012 flood disaster in Nigeria, it shows that it was human induced in the sense that it was partly caused by blockage of water channels such as drainages. The paper argues on a general note that weather and environmental scientist set the agenda for environmental prevention through scientific means but religion helps to work on the mind of the stake holders and carry out the campaign of the agenda to their adherents. By so doing, religion is playing its role in environmental protection.Key words: Climate Destabilization, Study of Religion, the Role of Religion, Climate Change, Nigeria
The concept of faithfulness in the management of sacred and economic resources could be seen at t... more The concept of faithfulness in the management of sacred and economic resources could be seen at the center of Jesus ’ parable in Luke 16:1-15. Although the parable could be seen as crux interpretum, it drove home the intended message in the conclusive part. While the kurios (master) and oikonomon (manager) were at the center of economic distribution and management, the masses were at their mercies for survival. Therefore, using evaluative model as a method, this paper aimed at the examination and evaluation of the Palestinian economic situation underlying Luke 16:1-16 as against the socio-economic situation in Nigeria and to apply the positive lessons learnt as part of the solution to the situation of corruption in Nigerian. The work showed that greed and dishonesty were seen in both the immediate (Palestinian) and contemporary (Nigerian) contextual milieus. All of these amounted to moral and economic corruption and it manifested itself mismanagement of resources. Luke 16:1-15 was r...
Poverty with its concomitant effects of alienation, marginalization and dependency posed serious ... more Poverty with its concomitant effects of alienation, marginalization and dependency posed serious challenge to the church and society in Niger Delta. Though poverty is not peculiar to Niger Delta of Nigeria alone, the environmental and economic challenges the Niger Delta people contend with on a daily basis is left much to be desired. Both the Old and New Testaments condemned oppression and injustice especially that of the poor, orphans and needy in the society. The aim of this study therefore is to arouse the consciousness of political leaders and the Church in Nigeria of the urgent need to address the issue of poverty in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. To achieve this, the liberation theology paradigm was adopted as the methodology for this study and the passage Isaiah 10:1-4 under study was used to anchor a reconstruction of an economic liberation theology for Niger Delta. Moreover, the findings in this study showed that the problem of poverty in the Niger Delta is caused by Unemploym...
The Urhobo Concept of Adultery in the Light of John 8: 1-11
The attitude of Jesus in the New Testament towards the treatment of women in the society is that ... more The attitude of Jesus in the New Testament towards the treatment of women in the society is that of fairness and equity. The aim of this study therefore, was to examine how the Urhobo traditional understandings of adultery are linked with that of the Jews and how they affect women negatively in Urhoboland and to use Jesus’ critical response in John 8: 1-11 to call for a change of the status-quo in Urhoboland. In order to do this the Feminist Liberation Theology model was explored as a method. It was seen that the Urhobo and Jewish understanding of adultery are similar in some areas and that these cultural status-quo are oppressive to women and apart from the oppressive nature of the Urhobo understanding of adultery on women, it can also become a basis for men’s promiscuity which can become a gate way for the acquisition and transmission of sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS, and as such could also lead to divorce and family disintegration. This work therefore was a critique ...
Low and Late Remuneration In Nigeria (1 TIMOTHY 5:18): An Economico-Theological Perspective
The Nigerian pastor and civil servants are faced with poverty in the society due partly to low re... more The Nigerian pastor and civil servants are faced with poverty in the society due partly to low remuneration. Both in the Old and New Testaments the remuneration of the priest and church overseers respectively were not neglected. Paul’s use of misthos (labourer) and ergates (wages) in 1 Timothy 5:18 suggested the idea of good remuneration for the church pastor. Using the liberation theology model as a methodology, this work aimed at critiquing the status-quo of low and late remuneration by some churches in Nigeria by drawing some theological inferences from 1 Timothy 5:18. This work has shown that low and late payment of salary in and outside the church in Nigeria is an injustice to the worker. It also showed that 1 Timothy 5:18 encourages the church and state to adequately take care of their workers. The economico-theological inference drawn from 1 Timothy 5:18 showed that God is interested in the welfare of the Church leaders and other workers, under-paying a hardworking employee in the midst of plenty is an injustice to such employee, God wants the workers to be cared for by those they are serving, Church ministry is real work, which involves the reciprocity of giving and receiving-not the transaction of buying and selling, and Christian leaders are part of the society of the poor. From the lesson, it was expected that both the church, state and private employers of labour would be fair to their workers in terms of remuneration.
Poverty with its concomitant effects of alienation, marginalization and dependency posed serious ... more Poverty with its concomitant effects of alienation, marginalization and dependency posed serious challenge to the church and society in Nigeria. Both the Old and New Testaments condemned the dehumanization and neglect of the poor in the church community. Using the methodology of the popular reading paradigm to read Luke 16:19-31, the paper aimed at discouraging the dehumanization of the poor in the church and in the society. The study showed that both in the immediate and contemporary milieus of interpretation, the poor were illtreated by some few rich persons in the society. Moreover, giving the poor a more human face can reshapen the economic and psychological disposition of the poor when they come around the rich. Some theological lessons derived from the study of Luke 16:19-31 showed that ungenerosity towards the poor is a sin, status in God’s view is immaterial when dealing with others, dehumanization of poor people in the society is inhuman, a rich Christian must care for the ...
Election tension and economic corruption in Nigeria are almost becoming a socio-economic and poli... more Election tension and economic corruption in Nigeria are almost becoming a socio-economic and political epidemic influenza in the sense that Nigeria’s politico-economy is rapidly being affected due to moral decadence in the society. The withdrawal of Christians from politics is rather posing more problem than solution. Therefore, using the exposition approach, this paper sought to challenge and sensitize the church pastor (priest) in Nigeria to play the role of national transformation especially in relation to Christian ethics and electioneering process. The paper argued based on the premise that the pastor’s role in the promotion of moral values, ethical reorientation, epitomization of righteousness in the Society and civic education will act as an antidote to moral decadence, political demagogue and economic sabotage in Nigeria. This work was concluded on the presupposition that the role of the Nigerian Church pastor in national transformation is very key to the development of Nige...
The Journal of Pan-African Studies, 2017
Using the comparative analysis model, this paper examines the Urhobo traditional world view about... more Using the comparative analysis model, this paper examines the Urhobo traditional world view about God and the afterlife, and compared it with the Christian theology of eschatology. The study shows that there was similarity and dissimilarity between the Urhobo cultural concept of afterlife, and the Christian theology of eschatology. The similarity portrayed that the concept of immortality is similar in both Urhobo concept of afterlife and in Christian eschatology. The dissimilarity is that while there is the concept of resurrection in Christian eschatology, Urhobo does not have such a concept. It also showed that the Urhobo cosmology reflects the afterlife and believe in ancestral spirit and other many gods with the understanding that Oghene the Supreme Being created other gods to represent Him in carrying out order and justice among humans. The work concluded on the presupposition that the consciousness of the afterlife in Urhoboland engenders quality ethical discipline so as to see...
Canadian Social Science, 2015
Crude oil exploration and production is a blessing to the region where it is being carried out in... more Crude oil exploration and production is a blessing to the region where it is being carried out in developed nations but in the case of the Niger Delta of Nigeria it is like a curse. Using the economic liberation theology model as a method, this paper aimed at examining the situation of economic injustice in the Niger Delta of Nigeria in the light of Acts 2:44-45; 6:1. It also aimed at proffering some kind of solution to the problem by arousing the interest of and challenging the Nigerian church and state leaders to re-examine the issue of the Niger Delta region. The paper showed that the economic injustice being perpetrated against the region is the neglect of the region by the Federal Government and the Multinationals operating in the region. The work also showed that commissions and ministry such as the Niger Delta Development Commission and Federal Ministry of Niger Delta were set as a way to remedy the problem but monies being appropriated and released by the Federal Government...
British and French Educational Policies in Africa: Church Missionary and Enculturation Perspective
Both British and French African colonies have experienced some sort of civilization through their... more Both British and French African colonies have experienced some sort of civilization through their educational agenda which was done through missionary and trade activities. While the church missionary activities from the land of the colonial masters were commended on the one hand, they were criticized for upholding slave trade and racial discrimination on the other hand. Therefore, using the historical research method, the paper aimed at elucidating the British and French educational policy in Africa through church missionary and enculturation processes. The paper showed that the colonial masters irrespective of the medium used in carrying out their educational policies, were domineering and discriminating to African cultural heritage either by way of assimilation or indirect rule. While the policy of assimilation by French subjugated the language and culture of their African colonies, that of British used their African colonies to perpetuate their agenda through indirect rule and n...
This paper discusses the character of Samson as an historical figure within Judges 13-16 narrativ... more This paper discusses the character of Samson as an historical figure within Judges 13-16 narratives in the Old Testament Bible. The main aim of this paper is to find out through theoretical inference whether there were circumstances surrounding Samson’s sexual behaviour. Drawing from causal theory, the paper argues that there is a possible nexus between Samson’s failed marriage and his subsequent relationship with other women. It shows that Samson’s problem was not metaphysical but human induced and as such it is causal. It constructs, Samson as human figure in the narrative and analyses the text from the perspective of causal theory and concludes that Samson’s failed marriage could be responsible for his subsequent relationship with a Harlot in Gaza and Delilah. In the Narrative, apart from the harlot in Gaza, the ex-wife and Delilah betrayed his love. Within this line of theoretical thought, Samson was seen as a victim of emotional catharsis, human intrigue, insensitivity, naivety...
I. The Bible Passage in View (Mark 14:3-9) A. The Greek Version of Mark 14:3-9 3 Καὶ ὄντος αὐτοῦ ... more I. The Bible Passage in View (Mark 14:3-9) A. The Greek Version of Mark 14:3-9 3 Καὶ ὄντος αὐτοῦ ἐν Βηθανίᾳ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ Σίμωνος τοῦ λεπροῦ, κατακειμένου αὐτοῦ ἦλθεν γυνὴ ἔχουσα ἀλάβαστρον μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτελοῦς, συντρίψασα τὴν ἀλάβαστρον κατέχεεν αὐτοῦ τῆς κεφαλῆς. 4 ἦσαν δέ τινες ἀγανακτοῦντες πρὸς ἑαυτούς· εἰς τί ἡ ἀπώλεια αὕτη τοῦ μύρου γέγονεν; 5 ἠδύνατο γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ μύρον πραθῆναι ἐπάνω δηναρίων τριακοσίων καὶ δοθῆναι τοῖς πτωχοῖς· καὶ ἐνεβριμῶντο αὐτῇ. 6 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· ἄφετε αὐτήν· τί αὐτῇ κόπους παρέχετε; καλὸν ἔργον ἠργάσατο ἐν ἐμοί. 7 πάντοτε γὰρ τοὺς πτωχοὺς ἔχετε μεθ ̓ ἑαυτῶν καὶ ὅταν θέλητε δύνασθε αὐτοῖς εὖ ποιῆσαι, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐ πάντοτε ἔχετε. 8 ὃ ἔσχεν ἐποίησεν· προέλαβεν μυρίσαι τὸ σῶμά μου εἰς τὸν ἐνταφιασμόν. 9 ἀμὴν δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅπου ἐὰν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη λαληθήσεται εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς. (BGT)
Using the comparative analysis paradigm as a method, the study aimed at comparing Okonkwo‟s tragi... more Using the comparative analysis paradigm as a method, the study aimed at comparing Okonkwo‟s tragic flaws in Chinua Achebe‟s things fall apart with that of Judas Iscariot in the New Testament. The duo characters in view were victims of ego and greed respectively. The paper showed that Okonkwo‟s tragic flaws in Chinua Achebe‟s things fall apart and that of Judas Iscariot in the New Testament were that of strength and villain respectively. The paper also showed that a cultural and religious rift was created between imperialist dogmatism via colonialism and indigenous religious beliefs when the white missionaries introduced Christianity to Umuofia.
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Papers by Revd John Arierhi Ottuh