Adewale Adelakun

The issue of human sexuality is a complex one, and it has been a controversial issue from time immemorial. Scholars have appealed to various evidences to support their arguments for or against any sexual issues they are interested in. One of the passages used to support or argue against homosexuality, for instance, is Gen 19 which contains the story of the destruction of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Traditionally, Sodom and Gomorrah were known and described as cities which God destroyed because of their sin of homosexuality. To call a man Sodomite is to refer to the person as a homosexual. This has been the interpretation of the Church until recently when certain scholars began to challenge this interpretation. Such scholars interpret Gen 19 differently in contrast to the orthodox interpretation. The sin of the people of Sodom is “inhospitality and not homosexuality ” as this new interpretation proposes. Hence, this paper examines some of the passages relating to Sodom and Gomo...

A quick glance at the second stanza of Nigeria national anthem attests to the fact that religion is valued by Nigeria. The whole stanza is a prayer to God to guide Nigeria into the right path and is sung intermittently with the first stanza which contains an appeal to all citizens to uphold the unity and sanctity of the nation. The second stanza of the national anthem implies that public practice of religion is not a problem as the stanza is publicly sung in both government and private organisations. This paper proceeds on the earlier works of scholars such as Mbiti1 and Idowu2 who assert that Africans are incurably religious. Nigeria national anthem is a pointer to this assertion. The paper adopts both historical and content analysis methods to gather and interpret data. We conclude that despite the fact that religion is held in high esteem in Nigeria, it is hard to see its positive effect on national development.

Introduction John S. Mbiti is one of the doyens of Christian theology in Africa. His immense contributions to the formation of academic African theology and philosophy cannot be underestimated. (1) The interest of this paper is in his theological reflections on salvation in African Christianity as presented in one of his books on theology in Africa. (2) Most of what he writes on this subject is discussed by Kenneth Enang in his book on the understanding of salvation among the Annang people of southern Nigeria. (3) Salvation is an indispensable element in all religions. It can be defined as "the deliverance of humankind by religious means from sin or evil, the restoration of human beings to their true state, and the attainment of eternal blessedness." (4) It is the ultimate concern of all religions because, as the definition implies, all religions aim at restoring human beings to their true state. All religions also have a belief that people must be saved from something: it...

Linking religion to poverty is not uncommon in the postmodern world. Religious crises, no doubt, are one of the major causes of indescribable suffering and untold hardship in many countries. Ironically, religious people have also been noticed to be happy in the face of poverty, especially, when it is necessitated by their religiosity. For this reason, Marxist philosophy is antagonistic to religion. Marxism argues that religion impoverishes people through its promise of a better place for believers who endure hardship on earth. Religion, Marxists argue, has been used to protect the oppressors while consoling the oppressed. In this regard, religion is described as the opium of the people. This paper agrees with the view that religion can be a spur for poverty. On the other hand, religion can serve as a catalyst for economic development. The second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians 3: 6-13 is interpreted to substantiate these propositions. The paper adopts historical-grammatical method to interpret the text. The paper points out that some Christians in Thessalonica misunderstood Paul's teaching about the imminence of the parousia, (that is, second coming of Jesus Christ). Consequently, they abandoned their work while waiting for Jesus to come. This compelled Paul to advocate No-Work-No-Food rule. The submission of this paper is that religious role in human development is ambiguous, depending on how religious adherents understand the teachings of their religions.

This article examines a new dimension in the Nigerian Pentecostal understanding of sexuality, which is influenced by the security gospel emanating from Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in Nigeria. This new dimension is noted in how Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries intricately connects sexuality with destiny. This article shows how Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries promotes a conservative understanding of sexuality as the key to securing believers’ destinies. Understanding sexuality from the security gospel perspective is an indication that the Pentecostal theology of sex is dynamic and ambivalent, especially when the theology is spiced with African traditional beliefs. This is demonstrated through a content analysis of the teachings and messages of Pastor Daniel Olukoya, the founder of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, which are available in print, audio and video clips. It is argued that the persuasive manner in which these teachings are presented ten...

This article examines Paul�s teachings on sexuality in 1 Corinthians 6:12�20 and the relationship between those teachings and the prevalent sexual practices in Corinth. It is argued that Paul�s quest for robust spirituality among the Christians in Corinth informed his injunctions against certain sexual acts which were permitted in the then Greco-Roman world. The text is also read in the context of Nigerian Pentecostals� theology of sex. The conclusion of this article is that Nigerian Pentecostals� theology of sex is diluted in the sense that it emerges from both the African cultural belief and biblical injunctions, especially Paul�s teaching about sex in 1 Corinthians 6:12�20.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The confusion and controversy this kind of theology generates will continue to be a major concern for scholars in the fields of biblical interpretation, theology, sociology and other related disciplines.