Research Papers/Topics in Religious Studies and Theology

TITHING CONTROVERSIES IN 21ST CENTURY NIGERIAN CHURCHES

ABSTRACT This work addressed controversies surrounding the payment of tithe and its upshot in the 21st century Nigerian churches. While some Nigerian churches claim that tithing is not part of the responsibility of the churched formed after the time of Christ, some are of the opinion that since there was no record of tithing in the New Testament, the church of today should not pay tithe, another group of scholars and teachers postulate that if tithing should be accepted in today’s church, i...

The Church and Poverty Reduction in Arochukwu Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria

ABSTRACT This research work is titled, “The church and poverty reduction in Arochukwu Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria.” The persistent problem of poverty in the society and in the church especially in Arochukwu Presbytery has made the land and the church impossible to sustain internal growth. Poverty rate in Arochukwu Presbytery advance from bad to worse thereby keeping the community in stagnant position in terms of human and social development. This Presbytery Long Essa...

PAUL’S TEACHING ON PARITY FOR ALL (ON INCLUSIVUS ET EXCLUSIVUS ARGUMENT): A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GALATIANS 3:28

Parity is the condition of being equal especially as regards status or pay. The quest for parity has generated much passion in our contemporary society and the church, which has caused misinterpretation of Galatia 3:28 without proper care and attention to the context. This has led to feminism, quest for women ordination, confusion in the youth as regards gender role and caused marital problems. In the light of the above, this paper investigated the text using historical grammatical method of ...

Does Interreligious Dialogue Negate Evangelism and Conversion?

Christians engage in dialogue with their religious and non-religious neighbors for a variety of reasons. They might want to get to know them better, or they might want to draw from the wisdom that their neighbors have acquired in the course of their lives. They might want to work out how to live together when their communities are in tension, or they might want to discuss projects of joint interest for the benefit of our communities. One of the principal reasons for engaging in such attentive...

Against Prosperity Gospel (Theology) in the Christian Community Today: An Exegetical Study of Galatians 1:6-12

Prosperity theology has remained a religious phenomenon contemporary Christianity still contends with. This teaching is justified by those who argue that Jesus came to liberate the “poor” from the bondage of poverty and brought healing to all areas of a believer’s life. Healing, it is believed, was linked to the work of Christ on the cross and demonstrated his victory over all forms of affliction. The Prosperity Gospel is the doctrine that God wants people to be prosperous, especially f...

RASTAFARIANISM AND ITS IMPACT ON RELIGION AND THE CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

Rising from the proliferation of Ethiopianism and Pan-Africanism, Rastafarianism took root in Jamaica following the coronation of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I in 1930. A spiritual movement based on the belief in Selassie’s divinity, its followers congregated around preachers like Leonard Howell, who founded the first prominent Rastafarian community in 1940. Additional branches surfaced by the 1950s, and within two decades the movement had earned global attention thanks to the music of...

Impact of Single Parenting on Child’s Spiritual Development and its effects on the Society using Ohafia Community

This research work is on the, “Impact of Single Parenting on Child’s Spiritual Development and its effects on the Society using Ohafia Community”. Single Parent homes are increasing in our society. The major causes of this are divorce, death and choice to remain single either as a lesbian or gayest. This is almost applicable in some communities in Igbo land even in Ohafia. This has a lot of negative impacts and effects on the child’s spiritual development and the society with little p...

The Impact of the Holy Spirit on Church Growth

Abstract This work “The Impact of the Holy Spirit on Church Growth” addressed the neglect of the churches on the place of the Holy Spirit in Church growth. It is aimed at bringing to limelight the birth of the church at Pentecost in Jerusalem and the explosive growth from that moment was the beginning of the church planting and growing. It adopted a descriptive method of research. It observed that there are impacts of the Holy Spirit in Church growth as found in the New Testament and by d...

Paul's Bodily "Marks of Jesus" in Galatians 6:17 and Its Implications to Christian Witness in the 21st Century Nigeria

ABSTRACT The issue of stigmata with reference to Galatians 6:17 has raised a number of theological issues which centre on Paul’s spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. This paper sets out to investigate the correct interpretation of the text. In doing this a historical critical method of exegesis is adopted. This enables the research to place the text within its historical context in an attempt to understand what Paul meant when he wrote Galatians 6:17. The researcher has carried out an ...

EXPLORING THE (POETIC) BOOK OF JOB

The book of Job explores the relationship between prosperity, adversity and faith in God. The Book of Job, book of Hebrew scripture that is often counted among the masterpieces of world literature. It is found in the third section of the biblical canon known as the Ketuvim (“Writings”). The book’s theme is the eternal problem of unmerited suffering, and it is named after its central character, Job, who attempts to understand the sufferings that engulf him.

A REFLECTION ON ‘KERYGMA’ AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE CONTEMPORARY CATHOLIC BELIEVER

The Kerygma has come to mean the core of apostolic preaching, the good news of salvation through Jesus -  His birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection, His sending of the Spirit, His coming again – with the call to faith and repentance, leading to forgiveness, a personal relationship with Jesus and baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is proclaimed with a view to engendering faith in the hearers, which is the essential foundation for further teaching and catechizing. “So faith comes from ...

SUSTAINING THE REFORMED WITNESS AND MISSION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NIGERIA (SUMMARISED VERSION))

A reformed understanding of Church will clearly reveal that it is the creation of God. As a creation of God, it is accountable to God and work in different ways to please its creator. One of such ways is to promote reach out to the unreached and hold firmly the word of God. God in His sovereignty also calls the church to collaborate with Him in mission; and as Onwunta quoting Emil Brunner said that “The Church lives by mission as fire lives by burning.”1 This means that the Church and mis...

SUSTAINING THE REFORMED WITNESS AND MISSION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NIGERIA (UNABRIDGED VERSION)

A reformed understanding of Church will clearly reveal that it is the creation of God. As a creation of God, it is accountable to God and work in different ways to please its creator. One of such ways is to promote reach out to the unreached and hold firmly the word of God. God in His sovereignty also calls the church to collaborate with Him in mission; and as Onwunta quoting Emil Brunner said that “The Church lives by mission as fire lives by burning.”1 This means that the Church and mis...

Towards Transformed Gender Relations For Personal Development of Women And Men Within The Reformed Church in zimbabwe: a case study of masvingo south province.

ABSTRACT The dissertation explores transformed gender relations for personal development in The Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) of Masvingo South Province by investigating leadership history from its formation in 1909 to the present. Chapter 1 investigates the historical background of the problem, unequal representation of female church members in leadership positions and decision-making boards. This tradition is against transformed gender relations between females and males in the church....

An African Thelogy Discourse On Marriage With Special Focus On The Methodist Church In Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT The issues raised in the African theological discourse on marriage with special focus on the Methodist church in Zimbabwe are crucial and pertinent to the faith and well-being of the African Christians who make up its congregation. The research document seeks to come up with a sound theology of marriage that will reconcile the three worlds of marriage that has caused confusion and dilemma to African Christians who find themselves torn apart in their traditional culture, the civil or...


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