Table Of ContentUniversity of Nigeria
Research Publications
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r ONUNWA, Udobata Rufus
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The Study of West African Traditional Religion in
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THE STUDY OF WEST AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION
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QNUNWA, UDOBATA RUFUS (REV,)
B.A. (Had), M.A. (~ig.1, Dip,Th. (London)
PG/Ph, D/8l/l284
A Thesis submitted to the Department of Religion
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy i n
Religion.
NOVEMBER 1984
D E D I C A T I O N
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To Dorothy,
For all she has been and done i n the family.
ABSTRACT
European contact with West Africa started a few
centuries ago, Love of adventure and commsrcial
interests wore among the principal motivating factors
t h a t prompted the desire t o travel. Nonetheless,
missionary interest was included i n the scheme,
The early European explorers, travellers,
missionsrics, merchants, colonial administrators and
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anthropologists m-t a form of reliqion i n West Africa
one which had b cAn i n prncticc long bcforc their arrival,
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They did not bother to undertzk? a formal study of the
system immediately, but mad thcir remarks and impressions
A.
known. A systematic study of tlw f a i t h is therefore
f a i r l y nt:w,
The early studizs pioncercd by those early European
(visitors, travellers, missionaries) eithcr misrepresented,
misunderstood or misinterpreted the religion, Some indi-
genous West African scholars who joined them later, over-
reacted in their defence of the religion by being too
polemicnl, Others saw it as a means through which an
effective evangelization of fellow Africans could be made.
When a formal study began, each interest group pursued
it with its own presupposition and goal i n view, The
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present writer has considered a study of the various
attempts (by Europeans and Africans) to explain the West
African Traditional religion as a viable research project
for a doctoral thesis. The chronological sequence of the
various approaches since the period of early contact
brings i n the concept of 'time perspectivel. It has
within t h i s volume condcnscd the analyses of the various
attempts by scholars (from the early period of European
contact with Africa t o the prcs;int t i m e ) t o explain,
interpret and study the traditional religion of West
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Rf rican people.
The f i r s t five chapters of t h i s work (which form
the first part) focusscd attention on the various
approaches by which scholars have pursued the study of
thc West African Trsdi tional Religion, analysing the
valuable contributions 2nd p i t f a l l s of each, A t the
closing par t of t h i s section, we have posited our own
choice methodology as a ncw way forward to the study of
West African Traditional Religion. The new approach is
christened the 'Culture-Area and Phcnomenoloqical Approacht,
This new approach has enriched the
current study with a wealth of scholarship already existing
and available in the previous approaches, incorporating
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historical, ankhfopological, and theological methodsv
The materials have come from the published works of
past and recent scholars and old official records. They
have been f u l l y sup~lcmentedw ith oral evidence collected
from various people i n the fie ld, especially the living
practitioners of thc f a i t h -
Thc new approxh is applied i n a case study of two
selected themes in Igbo rcliqion t o test its viability as
a means t o correct thz crrors i n e a r l i e r studies. This
forms the ~ * > ~ qpnadrt of thc work contsincd in chapters
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six and scven,
It is concluded that i n thc liqht of previous mis-
representations of thc trlditiona l rcligion the culture-
nrsa and phr-?nomenological approach solves the problem of
over-gcner?tions and misinterprctation, It is therefore
recommended a s a new way forward to the study of West
African Traditional Religion,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I was fortunate to meet a good number of people at
the various stages of t h i s work who willingly and
graciously rendered some help, Although it is not
possible t o put down a l l their names here, I remain
grateful to them all. However, a few names must be
mentioned ,
I am decply awarc of thc privilcge offered to me by
H i s Lordship, the l?to Rev. E, C. Nwankiti t o cnjoy uni-
versity education, Hc granted mc an uninterrupted study
leave and also supportcd with his prayers,
md
My sincere thanks gn t o Professor Ogbu U. Kalu, It
was a privilege t o work under Professor Kalu. He has
not only supervised t h i s work, but has also exposed m e t o
his own type of academic life-style which I am now
committed t o emulate. We have worked closely together
from my undergraduate days t o t h i s stage. There is nb
'protocol1 in seeing him. Every available space is a
class-room. Any student of his, can mect him anywhere
and anytime. He introduced me t o a good number of
scholars in the related disciplines who helped me through
personal discussions, lendinq of journal article s and
re kvsnk hooks, H i s own personal library was at my
disposal.
v i
He followed up the supervision of this work to
Britain when he flew i n from Canada to see how I was
getting on. He wanted t o make sure that I got the
relevant documents, used good libraries and consulted
somc other scholars, tIis generous g i f t s t o me i n
London helpcd to sustnin me a t a time when things were
hard, I-ie has patil.!ntly anil c r i t i c a l l y supervised t h i s
work, always pointing out t o mc that it is not enough
to get n doctorat<: d q r m , but also to 'remain academic'
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a t a l l times,
The lecturers in thc Department of Religion helped
i n various ways, Rev, Dr. Ma E. Glsssweli made several
attempts t o sccure aid f o r me from thc Diocese of Owerri
t o enable me t o travel overseas f o r my research work.
Dr. Rosalind Shaw gavc m c addresses of some scholars whom
I contacted i n Britain, Rev, Fr, (Dr.) E. I. Ifesieh was
kind to invite me to join him i n a f i e l d trip. The
experience was vcxy rewarding and helpful, Rev. Dr.
P. Mathcw read through my synopsis several times and
gave his suggestions. Rev. Dr. G. E, Okeke supplied me
with stationeries. Dr, (Mrs.) R. L, Okonkwo of the
Division of General Studies, Enugu Campus, supplied mc
.
'
l~'.Lh historic-l m ~ t c ? rr?l ls on the Af ricnn 'Nationbsts
v i i
My c o l l e a g u ~ si n the department have i n no small
measure challenged my thought-pattern, I had several
useful discussions with Rev. Dr. N, Qnwy, Rev. D.J.I.
Ebo, Messrs S, C, Chuta, Goodwill C. Ukwuoma, Emma,C.
Ilogu, Rev. Fathers C, I, Ejizu and Anthony Ekwunife,
They read through some of thc chapters, suggested some
corrections and lcnt some hooks and journlls, The Rev.
& Mrs. C, C, Anyanwu, of Christ Church Chapel of the
University allowed me the comfort of thcir house at a11
times, Mr, A, Chukwu and his wife Nornnso, offered m e
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accommodcztion i n thcir house. They also h ~ l p c d t or ead
through the typed dra ft of t h i s thesis,
Some students i n the Department of Religion helped
me immcnscly during the f i e l d trips, Som2 acted as
interpreters and others did the oral interview on my
behalf and brought me back th2 tapes, Among them are
Humphrey Eze, Revds. E. E, Odo, A, C. Okenwa, Mr. Godson
Nzeadu, Augustine Ekeopara, Rcvds, J, C. Akubueze and
E. C, Nwangwu, Fidolia Munonye, Catherine Okosisi and
Emmanuel Inyama,
Professors A. E. AEigbo and C. C, Iferncsia both
formerly of thz Dc2partment of History of this University
but now Cornrnissioncr for Educ~tioni n Imo State and
Provost of Anzmbra State College of Education, ;wka
v i i i
respectively, showed interest i n t h i s work and helped
me much a t the early stages t o cla rify the outline I
wanted t o use, Two of my former teachers have continued
to show intere st i n my progress, They are Professor
E.C.O. Iloyu,now Commissioner, Public Complaints
Commission, Enugu and Mr, E, 0, Nwankwo, #at present,
Principal of i1nqlic:~n Gr;~rnmar School, Nsukka, The
former made it possibl- for m? to u n d ~ r s t x dm ethods of
conducting fic:ld resczrch i n Religion, Through the later,
I learnt thc virtu? of pa.ticncc an3 hard work,
Many traditional rulers? priests? medicinemcn and
diviners taught me some fa cts about the ir work as
religious lenders i n thi..i.r car.,.~unitics, Somc have
chosen t o remain anonymous? b ~ It t hank them a11 f o r
allowing me t o scc them at work, They showed genuine
intere st i n t h i s work when I explained its aim to them
especially when they discovered that I was not a spy but
one who came out for genuine enquiry and investigation
into their traditional beliefs and practices, I thank
particularly the members of the masquerade group which
gave me free initiation into th eir Society before I was
allowed to ask questions about thcir beliefs and
practices. I was warned not t o divulge any of the
secrzts that w i l l discredit the Society to
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