2 research outputs found
The Catholic Church and governance: an exploration of the relevance of the Ohacracy indigenous model of participatory governance in Igboland of South-Eastern Nigeria.
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.More than half a century ago, the Vatican II ecumenical Council took place to redefine the
influence of the Roman Catholic Church in the modern world. Ecumenical as the Council is
known; the Vatican II theology re-established the Church anew as to be relevant in the
contemporary world, thereby opening doors for lay participation in the Catholic Church
governance. Despite the Council and its leaning towards lay participation in the universal
Catholic Church, the Catholic communities in the Igbo Ohacracy of the South-eastern Nigeria
and the larger Nigerian communities continue to battle towards the determination and
realization of the roles or duties of the laity. A Church identified to be communal,
consultative; and collegial in its ecclesiological understanding applies the image of a Family
of Godâs People envisions a participatory Church which the Vatican II had proposed. This is
yet to be fully achieved especially among the Igbo Ohacracy people.
This study is located between two opposing ideologies of governance: It therefore investigates
the centralized system of governance of the Roman Catholic Church and the decentralized
Igbo Ohacracy order. The study also analyses the collective lay participation in the common
governance of the Catholic Church as recommended by Vatican II council. It also examines
authority, the laity, participation of women and inculturation to interrogate governance in both
the Catholic Church and Igbo Ohacracy systems of governance. Indeed, this study reveals that
in order for the Catholic Church tradition to continue to make sense and meaning, the values
of dialogue, listening and consensus decision making should guide its style of governance in
dealing with the Igbo Ohacracy people of South-eastern Nigeria. The Igbo Ohacracy form of
indigenous governance is the inspiration behind the study.
The study focuses on the Roman Catholic Church among the Owerri-Okigwe Igbo of Southeastern
Nigerian communities. As a theological project, this study is located within the field
of ecclesiology under the discipline of Practical Theology. Church as home for millions of
Roman Catholic adherents around the world can no longer remain isolated and less concerned
in matters related to governance which the Church in general has inspired all around the
world; not just among the Igbo Ohacracy people of South-eastern Nigeria. Each day, human
beings experience governance in various ways as it affects them; whether in the family, the
community, place of work, in the Church or society at large.
This study has applied both âLarge Earsâ and âInculturationâ theoretical frameworks. The
former refers to the âManja Metaphorâ used in the Central African Republic. It signifies the
eldest brother as the one who has developed the greatest capacity for âlisteningâ to the will of
the ancestors and to the conversations going on in the family community Uzukwu (1996:143).
As a major theory for this study, it represents dialogue, consensus and communal participation
in the common ownership of community activities and decision making. The latter,
inculturation remains a term used to signify the movement which takes local cultures and their
values as basic instruments and powerful means for presenting, reformulating and living;
Christianity Waliggo, (1991:506). It describes the contextual or cultural application in
understanding and practising the Christian values.
This study investigates how both the centralized model of the Roman Catholic Church
governance and the decentralized Igbo Ohacracy indigenous orders affect the Igbo people
who are caught up in between these two influential systems.
It is therefore meaningful to note that this study shows the Vatican II Councilâs
recommendation and opens doors for lay participation in the governance of the Catholic
Church. The Igbo Catholic communities are yet to realize this vision fully for its Catholic
adherents. Surprisingly though, through the Ohacracy institutions as analysed, this study has
demonstrated a high level of individual and group participation among the Igbo governance
order. From all indications of the analysis of both the centralized Catholic Church and the
decentralized Igbo Ohacracy orders, it reveals that though these two systems are directly
opposed to each other, the receptive nature of the Igbo culture has rather encouraged coexistence
of the two. Moreover, the aggressive, dynamic and vibrant developmental pursuit
nature of the Catholic Church (for example, Western education and medicine) has also
propelled the Igbo Ohacracy communitiesâ receptivity of the ways and activities of the
Roman Catholic Church among them.
Finally, the study concludes that true and meaningful co-existence is highly probable between
two traditions. With the aid and application of listening, dialogue and consensus in decision
making (âLarge Ear Theoryâ) between these two systems, peaceful co-existence and
progress/development will continue to be achieved. The respect of both traditions among the
Igbo communities through the utilization of the values of inculturation in the Catholic Church
as fully described in this study will go further to propagate the realization of value and
cultural insights that have emerged in this study
Cultural solidarity among the Igbo of South-eastern Nigeria : a tool for rural development
The pillars on which this study is based (stands) could be compared with the observations of Ejiofor (1981: 4), who says the modern-and-African political models have not been sufficiently discovered, developed, and operated in African states. One thinks that the social and political behaviour of African people are in conflict with the present day political structures and institutions. Political and economic actors fail to harness the knowledge, attitudes, and responses with the indigenous values. Own to these reasons the present political dispensations in Africa are misconceived and ill-adapted to their reality. Hence, the call for detailed study of home-grown African values as a means to redress these imbalances has become inevitable. This study is based on Igbo cultural solidarity as a means to address and achieve rural development in Africa.
Meanwhile, this study attempts to re-ignite and re-echo âpeople-basedâ and understood âhome-basedâ models of achieving rural development as focused on Okigwe-Owerri-Orlu political divisions among the Igbo of South-eastern Nigeria.Development StudiesM.A. (Development Studies