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| Title: | Meeting Point of Culture and Health: The Case of the Aladura Churches in Nigeria |
| Author: | Ogungbile, David Olu |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Periodical: | Nordic Journal of African Studies |
| Volume: | 6 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 98-112 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Nigeria |
| Subjects: | African Independent Churches Yoruba Health and Nutrition Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Religion and Witchcraft |
| External link: | https://njas.fi/njas/article/view/663/486 |
| Abstract: | The Aladura brand of Christianity, which falls within the group of Independent Churches, has a long Yoruba tradition. The phenomenal growth of the Aladura Church in Nigeria is traceable to the successful and effective preferment of solutions to members' and clients' existential problems. This paper argues that the popularity gained by these churches through their healing ministry is due to their effective utilization of certain Yoruba cultural practices. The elements of Yoruba cultural values which serve as the bedrock of Aladura methods of healing are discussed using N. Smart's (1969) model of six dimensions: doctrinal (Yoruba belief in the multiplicities of spiritual beings), mythic (Yoruba traditional cosmogonic and cosmological myths), experiential (divine communication through spirit possession), ethical (Yoruba belief in taboos), social (Yoruba 'communitas', social life characterized by compound dwelling, mutual respect, cooperation, toleration, etc.) and ritual (rituals are the major functional and elaborate aspect of healing in Yoruba tradition). Bibliogr., notes, ref. |
