CHRISTIANITY AND AFRICAN INDIGENOUS RITUAL PRACTICES: NEGOTIATING CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITY IN 21ST-CENTURY NIGERIAN CHURCHES

Abstract

The interaction between Christianity and African Indigenous ritual practices continues to generate significant debate within African theology and religious scholarship. Early missionary expressions of Christianity largely rejected indigenous rituals as incompatible with Christian belief, creating tensions that still influence church life in 21st-century Nigeria. This study explores how contemporary Nigerian churches negotiate questions of continuity and discontinuity in relation to these practices within an increasingly globalized religious environment. Drawing on inculturation theory and contextual theology, with reference to the works of Lamin Sanneh and Andrew F. Walls, the study employs a qualitative interpretive approach. This involves textual analysis of theological writings and liturgical materials, alongside observational insights from selected mainline and Pentecostal churches in Nigeria, with attention to liturgical expressions and congregational practices. The study finds that, although official church positions often stress doctrinal separation from indigenous traditions, everyday Christian practice reflects a more complex reality. Elements of indigenous ritual life such as naming ceremonies, healing practices, and communal rites are frequently reinterpreted and reshaped within Christian contexts rather than being entirely discarded. The paper contends that both outright rejection and uncritical acceptance of these practices fail to adequately support the development of an authentic African Christian identity. It therefore proposes a balanced interpretive framework that engages indigenous traditions critically while remaining grounded in Christian theological commitments. This study contributes to ongoing discussions in African theology by offering a nuanced account of how Nigerian Christians navigate the relationship between inherited traditions, ecclesial teaching, and lived religious experience.