Exploring Religious Experience in Nigerian Igbo Indigenous Religious Tradition: Toward a Christianity and Church with an Indigenous Face

Summary

Religious experience, though personal, is shaped by socially acquired beliefs rooted in tradition. This article examines how Igbo indigenous religious traditions, particularly the prominence of spirits and spirit possession, have influenced the translation and practice of Christianity in Igbo society. The authors argue that these indigenous elements have been creatively reworked in prophetic, Charismatic, and Pentecostal Christian contexts into experiences of the Holy Spirit, used for healing and community edification.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Various religious systems potentially generate religious experience for their adherents. Although religious experience is a particularly personal subjective involvement with the sacred, it, nevertheless, possesses a social element, in that socially acquired beliefs, rooted in religious traditions and symbolisms provide the cultural repertoire into which the individual is both socialized and draws upon for deeper personal meaning. This article explores how Igbo indigenous religious tradition shapes the translation and experience of the Christian faith in Igbo society. We argue that the dominance of spirits’ phenomenon in Igbo indigenous religious tradition, including spirit possession, has been creatively reworked mostly in prophetic, Charismatic, and Pentecostal versions of Christianity into experiences of the Holy Spirit for healing and edification of the community. KEYWORDS: Cross-Cultural Translation. Decolonial Turn. Public-Religion. Ecclesial Structures. Trinity.