JONAH (1-3) IN DIALOGUE WITH JUDAIC NATIONALISTIC VIEW OF YAHWEH: THE UNIVERSAL ISSUE

The objective of Jonah’s dialogue with Judaic nationalistic view of Yahweh is to widen the spiritual horizon of his co-religionists. Jonah questions their religious and racist prejudices and finally makes them aware that God cannot be the monopoly or the property of any single religion or race. Jonah makes these important prophetic points about the nature of God without ever losing his sense of humor while creating his outrageous and outlandish story with its many separate plots. One outcome of the dialogue shows that no one has the capability at any point in time to run away from or stay outside God’s presence. To be outside God’s cultic presence means to be trapped more within his structural presence. The universality of God’s presence is an incontestable certainty. Another result of the dialogue reveals that God’s powerful deeds, salvation included, cannot be limited by what is customary in human behavior and tradition. Deliverance belongs to God. Deliverance was offered to Jonah, a self-conceited unrepentant Jew, irrespective of his vain proud attitude and why would it be denied self-reflective Assyrians, non-Jews, who actually are penitently self-flagellating. The study further discovers that obedience to God is the highest currency in prophetic service. Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish did great magic in accentuating his lesson on obedience and understanding of the universality of God to all people. Obedience to God is maturity in spirituality that engenders, amplifies and teaches universalism, as opposed to bigotry and narrow-mindedness.  Article visualizations

TORAH-ADONAI (תּוֹרָה־אֲדוֹנָה) AS THE SECRET OF ISAIAH’S VISION OF PEACE (ISA 2:2-4): AN ESCHATOLOGICAL DISCOURSE

Peace is an ever enduring objective of life sought after by all rational beings. Faith men of all times cling to peace as God’s cardinal teaching for societal building and stability. Isa 2:2-4 makes the link between the observance of Yahweh’s torah and the enthronement of peace in the society. Using the prophetic ‘far-off’(futurism) and historicism models of interpreting Isaiah’s vision, the study points up the torah as the (hr'At) secret of peace, the instrument of right judgment (jP'v.mi) , the foundation of the new social order and as a moral guide, directing people to higher values now and in the future time. Before the law there was chaos and no peace; under the law, it was fractional and half-done peace but under the messiah, whose period marks the last and final dispensation in Jewish division of the times, it is all encompassing peace for everyone. This universal religion of Isaiah’s vision of peace, as the study shows, has the truths and nuclei of torah-adonai as its bottom line. It is prophetically designed for the transformation of man by God for the peace of all and it will continue until the accomplishment of all things.  Article visualizations

Re-interpreting Genesis 34 in the Light of Religious Violence in Nigeria

Religion plays significant roles in social harmony, yet it also serves as a motivation for violence. In Nigeria, religion has been at the centre of most violent conflicts, thereby gaining notoriety as one of the prime security challenges confronting the country. Genesis 34 is an important chapter in the Old Testament Bible. It demonstrates the violence done to Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob by Shechem and also the violence done by the children of Jacob to Hamor, Shechem and the whole community. This shows the reality of violence in every nation that is made of up of various tribes and ethnic groups. The reality of violence in Nigeria is even more pronounced as the nation is made up of millions of people with many ethnic groups and with various religious affiliations. Genesis 34 also gives the causes of religious violence in both Israelite and Nigerian societies. Paramount among the causes of religious violence include religious intolerance, religious fanaticism, lack of forgiveness, poverty, unemployment, suspicion and lack of trust. In order to control religious violence in Nigeria, this paper recommends that there should be respect for one another, respect for sanctity of human life, forgiveness and rightful engagement of youths

Religious Language: Problems and Meaning

This paper examines religious language by x-raying both its meaning and the associated problems. The paper also looked at the relationship between language and religion. It argues that, inasmuch as there are identified problems with religious language, it has helped in understanding religious experiences which make belief or faith to be a reality. Therefore, the expression of Religious Language which essentially contains predicate about God and His nature, also have or show some meanings at least to the group of people who use such language. This paper concludes that Religious language communicates and expresses ideas, emotions and convictions to faith audience. It is the medium for the transmission of religious ideas between faith members. The end purpose of this expression and communication of religious ideas and emotions is to elicit acts that are similar to what is expressed and communicated in order to enjoy both religious communal body and life hereafter