Obaji Agbiji | University of South Africa (original) (raw)

Papers by Obaji Agbiji

STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal

This article considers anew the important role of leadership in a meliorating violent conflict an... more This article considers anew the important role of leadership in a meliorating violent conflict and achieving reconciliation in African societies, using the Lukan Jesus’ model of subversive leadership. The article critically engages Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ leadership style in achieving reconciliation in the context of violent conflict by using theological-sociocultural hermeneutical lenses. The Lukan Jesus, his leadership style and the manner in which he sought reconciliation in contexts of violent conflict offer African socio-political and religious leaders a model of effective leadership that could assist them in dealing with the social challenges Africa faces, such as poor leadership, violent conflicts and underdevelopment.

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2015

This article embarked on a critical evaluation of religious leadership and ecological consciousne... more This article embarked on a critical evaluation of religious leadership and ecological consciousness in Africa, using the case of the Nigerian Christian religious community. The article argued that the concept of ecological justice lacks strong theological conceptualisation in the Nigerian ecclesiastical community. Therefore, Ime Okopido’s argument in favour of stewardship for the involvement of religious leadership in the pursuit of ecological and socioeconomic justice served as the starting point for this engagement. However, such engagement of the religious leadership and of the faithful should include developing ecological theological concepts, such as value for community, which are relevant to the context and resonate with indigenous cultures. Embarking on ecological activism, a change of lifestyles and finding other concrete ways of protecting the environment and biodiversity could ameliorate the crisis of ecological and socio-economic injustice in Africa by promoting, in parti...

Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2015

This article seeks to make an initial contribution towards a reappraisal of how the Christian rel... more This article seeks to make an initial contribution towards a reappraisal of how the Christian religious leadership in Nigeria is beginning to chart a new course in social transformation that has the potential to engender sustainable transformational development in the country. This aim is met by first providing the necessary contextual orientation of how the two broad areas of political governance and economic development present themselves as prevailing major social challenges in present-day post-military Nigeria. This is followed by a discussion of the role of leadership as a primary causal and redeeming factor in meeting the challenge of sustainable transformational development both in Nigeria and African society at large. The authors proceed then towards the main focus of the article, namely to move-on the basis of a literature and empirical explorationtowards a reappraisal of how the Christian religious leadership in present-day Nigeria is beginning to exert itself as an emerging movement for sustainable transformational development through particular institutional arrangements and modes of social engagement. This reappraisal leads the authors to end with a synthesising reflection on what they consider to be not only the most outstanding contribution to date by the Christian religious leadership in present-day Nigeria in advancing a sustainable transformational development agenda, but also the crucial challenges that this leadership still faces in meeting such an agenda.

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the content of this dissertation is my own original work ... more I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the content of this dissertation is my own original work and that I have not previously submitted it to any other university for a degree, either in part or in its entirety.

The spate of religious violence in African countries such as Nigeria and Kenya by Islamic militan... more The spate of religious violence in African countries such as Nigeria and Kenya by Islamic militants has taken a new turn in recent years. The new waves of violence now includes the use of sophisticated strategies and weapons of mass destruction by well-trained agents of terror such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab drawn from within Africa and beyond to gain socio-political and economic power, convert non-Muslims to Islam and to establish Islamic Caliphates. Through Ninian Smart’s phenomenology of religion and the concept of religious (Christian) diaconia, this paper interrogates the factors that have given rise to Islamic militant groups, the dilemma of religious communities in response to the crisis and further explores appropriate religious strategy(ies) that could ameliorate Islamic militancy in Africa.

Various sources have influenced and shaped the ideological orientation and outlook of Christian r... more Various sources have influenced and shaped the ideological orientation and outlook of Christian religious leadership in successive epochs in Nigerian history. This orientation and outlook have by and large been sustained in the contemporary post-military dispensation. This article develops a more informed identification of the historical sources that have shaped the leadership ideology of Nigerian Christian leaders. Based on this identification, the discussion reflects critically on the socio-political implications of, and challenges posed by, the various historical influences for achieving positive social transformation in contemporary post-military Nigerian society. The article appreciates the prevailing relevance of particular elements from the leadership ideology and outlook that existed in primordial Nigerian and African society to guide a contemporary Nigerian Christian religious leadership towards a fundamental reorientation. The article closes by challenging especially Niger...

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2016

Development is concerned with the transformation of people to foster their health, wholeness and ... more Development is concerned with the transformation of people to foster their health, wholeness and growth. The link between health and development points to religion as potential social capital for development. There is an ongoing debate about the role of pastoral care as a religious resource in global healthcare contexts. This is unfortunately not the case in Africa, as pastoral care has not received sufficient attention for its role in healthcare and development in development discourses. The limited research on pastoral care in healthcare contexts in Africa has implications for African healthcare systems, pastoral care and the delivery of an effective, holistic and quality healthcare service. Taking as its point of departure a thesis about the potential of religion as a social capital resource for development, the article argues for pastoral care as a viable religious resource for healthcare and development. Osmer’s theological task of good practice is employed as an interdisciplin...

STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal

Human migration and xenophobic responses to the phenomenon are realities that have always been a ... more Human migration and xenophobic responses to the phenomenon are realities that have always been a part of human history. The concept of reconciliation in Luke’s Gospel through the Lukan Jesus and his approach to strangers present African communities with a more humane approach towards the inevitable phenomenon of migration. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus’ ability to recognise a stranger and treat him/her as his brother/sister presents to us a redefinition of the stranger in a context where people were hostile to strangers. The attitude of Jesus towards strangers in this Gospel can be better appreciated through the socio-historical lens of biblical interpretation. In this approach reconciliation is understood through the use of actions, metaphors and the teachings of Jesus in Luke. Here Jesus provides a vital example to African communities and to Christian faith communities in particular, on how to relate to the stranger or immigrant, especially in the context where strangers are perceived as enemies.

Religion constitutes an inextricable part of African society. As such, political and socio-econom... more Religion constitutes an inextricable part of African society. As such, political and socio-economic activities are often flavoured with religious expressions and rituals. Whilst Africans are steeped in religiosity – this is expressed in many ways – poverty and corruption are rife on the continent. The question thus arises as to whether African religiosity gives impetus to poverty and corruption on the continent or whether religion has a crucial role to play in the liberation of African societies from poverty and corruption. By using the concept of religion in relation to African Traditional Religion, Christianity and Islam, this article investigates the role of religion in the crisis of poverty and corruption in African society and argues that whilst religion has been instrumentalised in some instances to perpetuate poverty and corruption on the continent, it remains a crucial component of ‘Africanness’ and could contribute to moral, socio-political and economic transformation.

This article embarked on a critical evaluation of religious leadership and ecological consciousn... more This article embarked on a critical evaluation of religious leadership and ecological consciousness in Africa, using the case of the Nigerian Christian religious community. The article argued that the concept of ecological justice lacks strong theological conceptualisation in the Nigerian ecclesiastical community. Therefore, Ime Okopido’s argument in favour of stewardship for the involvement of religious leadership in the pursuit of ecological and socio-economic justice served as the starting point for this engagement. However, such engagement of the religious leadership and of the faithful should include developing ecological theological concepts, such as value for community, which are relevant to the context and resonate with indigenous cultures. Embarking on ecological activism, a change of lifestyles and finding other concrete ways of protecting the environment and biodiversity could ameliorate the crisis of ecological and socio-economic injustice in Africa by promoting, in particular, the praxis of value for community.

This article seeks to make an initial contribution towards a reappraisal of how the Christian rel... more This article seeks to make an initial contribution towards a reappraisal of how the Christian religious leadership in Nigeria is beginning to chart a new course in social transformation that has the potential to engender sustainable transformational development in the country. This aim is met by first providing the necessary contextual orientation of how the two broad areas of political governance and economic development present themselves as prevailing major social challenges in present-day post-military Nigeria. This is followed by a discussion of the role of leadership as a primary causal and redeeming factor in meeting the challenge of sustainable transformational development both in Nigeria and African society at large. The authors proceed then towards the main focus of the article, namely to move – on the basis of a literature and empirical exploration – towards a reappraisal of how the Christian religious leadership in present-day Nigeria is beginning to exert itself as an emerging movement for sustainable transformational development through particular institutional arrangements and modes of social engagement. This reappraisal leads the authors to end with a synthesising reflection on what they consider to be not only the most outstanding contribution to date by the Christian religious leadership in present-day Nigeria in advancing a sustainable transformational development agenda, but also the crucial challenges that this leadership still faces in meeting such an agenda.

STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2015

Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship, 2015

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2016

STJ | Stellenbosch Theological Journal

This article seeks to make an initial contribution towards a reappraisal of how the Christian rel... more This article seeks to make an initial contribution towards a reappraisal of how the Christian religious leadership in Nigeria is beginning to chart a new course in social transformation that has the potential to engender sustainable transformational development in the country. This aim is met by first providing the necessary contextual orientation of how the two broad areas of political governance and economic development present themselves as prevailing major social challenges in present-day post-military Nigeria. This is followed by a discussion of the role of leadership as a primary causal and redeeming factor in meeting the challenge of sustainable transformational development both in Nigeria and African society at large. The authors proceed then towards the main focus of the article, namely to move – on the basis of a literature and empirical exploration – towards a reappraisal of how the Christian religious leadership in present-day Nigeria is beginning to exert itself as an emerging movement for sustainable transformational development through particular institutional arrangements and modes of social engagement. This reappraisal leads the authors to end with a synthesising reflection on what they consider to be not only the most outstanding contribution to date by the Christian religious leadership in present-day Nigeria in advancing a sustainable transformational development agenda, but also the crucial challenges that this leadership still faces in meeting such an agenda.