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Accepted Paper:
Paper short abstract:
Drawing from the Ujama theoretical lens and the Sankofa research method, the paper probes the intermingling of Igbo endogenous spirituality/religion and the expressive culture of the Ofo institution in the Igbo culture area of Southeast Nigeria.
Paper long abstract:
The paper probes the intermingling of Igbo endogenous spirituality/religion and the expressive culture of the Ofo institution in the Igbo culture area of Southeast Nigeria. The Ofo stick, a branchlet of the tree known as detarium elastica, is a material and mystical symbol of truth, justice and authority among the Igbo ethnic group. Upon procurement, it is consecrated and ritualized by the eldest male member of the family, lineage, kindred or village. This confers him with the requisite human and spiritual authority to administer the group in all matters through regular communion with the divinities - the Supreme Being or God, deities, gods, spirit beings and the ancestors - for peace, harmony and overall development of the collectivity. The inherent fundamental principle in the Ofo institution is that right (justice) is might; and justice is believed to foster peaceful co-existence, social cohesion and harmony. The commingling of the cultural, spiritual and metaphysical dimensions/import of the rituals and practices associated with Ofo has been an understudied aspect of Igbo religious culture. The study adopts the Sankofa African research method, leveraging contextual-descriptive analysis of data gathered through ethnographic, historical, and documentary approaches. The Ujama theoretical lens (African community theory) is adopted, and I argue for the interconnection or unity of Igbo culture and spirituality. Moreover, the rationale for the continuity and resilience of the Ofo institution is its enduring significance in spite of the onslaught of external influences in the colonial and postcolonial eras of African history. The paper aims to make informed contribution to the discourse on decolonizing Africa’s endogenous spirituality/religions.
Reconfigurations of African Religious Traditions: Living and Theorizing Endogenous Religions in African Lifeworlds
Session 1 Wednesday 2 October, 2024, -