The Nigerian Nation & Religion
Interfaith series, Vol.1
Hyacinth Kalu
Published by iUniverse, 2011
This book, which is the first of a-three-volume series of interfaith
relationships in Nigeria, presents Nigeria as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious
nation, with religion controlling almost every aspects of life. It
highlights the deep-rooted religious divide in Nigeria and looks into various
ways that we can move beyond the religious bitterness existing among the
three dominant religions in Nigeria (African traditional religion, Islam,
and Christianity) and live, work and co-exit peacefully with one another
as sisters and brothers. Although this volume begins with the history of
Nigeria as nation, its primary interest, and indeed, the interest of the entire
series, is not with the politics, economics, and culture of the Nigerian people
per se; its primary focus is the religion of the people. Hence, it is a study
of African Traditional Religion, Islam, and Christianity in Nigeria. The
focus is not the theological and dogmatic principles and faith life of these
religions, nor the individual and various sects within these religions; rather
these religions are studied from the standpoint of interfaith encounter and
relationships, as a requisite for peace, unity and harmony in Nigeria.
Hyacinth Kalu, Ph.D., is a Nigerian born Catholic Priest and a scholar with great
passion for research, teaching and learning. He holds degrees in diverse academic fields
of study including Religion, Education, Theology, Philosophy, Interfaith, and Culture,
from Universities and Institutions around the World. He studied at University of the
West, Rosemead, California; California Coast University, Santa Ana, California; Loyola
Marymount University, Los Angeles, California; Norwich University, Northfield,
Vermont; and United States Institute of Peace, Washington D.C.; all in the United States
of America. He also studied at St.Joseph Major Seminary, an affiliate of Pontifical Urban
University, Rome; and Bigard Memorial Seminary, Nigeria. He specializes in Comparative
Religion, and translates his research and scholarship into classroom and concrete daily-live
examples. He is the author of the following books, The Word Took Flesh: Incarnating the
Christian Message in Igbo Land of Nigeria in the Light of Vatican II's Theology of Inculturation;
Essays on World Religious Thoughts: A Comparative Study.
(The text above comes from the back of the book)