The Dilemma of an Urhobo Baptist regarding Funeral rites: an Appraisal



Ajagbe, Samson, Ajagbe, Samson O Temioda and Ajagbe, Samson O Temioda
The Dilemma of an Urhobo Baptist regarding Funeral rites: an Appraisal. Doctor of Philosophy thesis, University of Liverpool.

[img] PDF (AjagbeSam_Aug2012_9435.pdf)
AjagbeSam_Aug2012_9435.pdf - Author Accepted Manuscript
Access to this file is embargoed until Unspecified.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

Download (3MB)
[img] PDF (University_of_Liverpool_Thesis_Access_Declaration_Form_Page_1.pdf)
University_of_Liverpool_Thesis_Access_Declaration_Form_Page_1.pdf - Unspecified
Access to this file is embargoed until Unspecified.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives.

Download (402kB)
[img] PDF (University_of_Liverpool_Thesis_Access_Declaration_Form_Page_2.pdf)
University_of_Liverpool_Thesis_Access_Declaration_Form_Page_2.pdf - Unspecified
Access to this file is embargoed until Unspecified.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives.

Download (393kB)
[img] PDF (AjagbeSam_Aug2012_9435_abridged_version.pdf)
AjagbeSam_Aug2012_9435_abridged_version.pdf - Unspecified
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.

Download (3MB)
[img] PDF (Nigerian_Baptist_Convention_Letter_of_Copyright_Permission_(AJAGBE,_Samson).pdf)
Nigerian_Baptist_Convention_Letter_of_Copyright_Permission_(AJAGBE,_Samson).pdf - Unspecified
Access to this file is embargoed until Unspecified.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives.

Download (358kB)

Abstract

Michael P. Adogbo argued that religion and culture are intrinscally interwoven in the Urhobo mindset. Addressing similar phenomenon generally among Africans, Musimbi K. A. Kanyoro stated that African Christian ‘often walks with one foot in African religion and culture and another in the church and Western culture.’ This phenomenon which Kanyoro argued that could be destructive if not well managed is the main issue examined more specifically in the context of culture and religion among Urhobo Baptists. The approach of the Delta State Baptist Conference (DSBC) to this reality among the Urhobo Baptists has created religious/cultural dichotomy in their funeral rites which this research addressed by examining two key questions: First, Could an Urhobo Baptist be faithful to the Baptist faith the way it is articulated in the DSBC policies, in view of Urhobo cultural identity during funeral ceremonies? Second, Could DSBC hold to its policy on burial rites and at the same time be relevant within the Urhobo society? My experiences as a pastor among Urhobo Baptists enabled me to evaluate symbols and functions of Urhobo funeral rites in the context of some ethnographic, anthropological, and hermeneutical theories examined in this study. A major discovery is that Urhobo Baptists hold on to certain key aspects of Urohobo funeral tradition evaluated in this study in spite of their conversion to the Baptist faith. Similarly, to the Urhobo Baptists, as analysed later in the thesis, the purpose of Urhobo funeral rites does not contradict the Baptist faith. These led to the major argument in this thesis that integration of certain vital aspects of Urhobo funeral rites into the Baptist funeral process is possible, valuable and advantageous for discouraging dual funeral faith practices among Urhobo Baptists.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy)
Additional Information: Date: 2012-08 (completed)
Uncontrolled Keywords: Contextualization, Contextuality, Baptist identity, Funeral Liturgy, Urhobo, Idjerhe, Funeral rites, ẹshẹ, ẹphọ (‘ancestral shrine’), aghwa rode (‘thick or evil forest’), agbẹrẹn, ẹrhuẹrhẹ (‘ritual burial’), ẹvwe ehun (‘waist goat'), esakpegodi, sakpregodi (‘fifth generation celebration’), ihurhẹ (‘ancestor’s figure’), iye ẹgọ (‘service to the ancestors’)
Divisions: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of the Arts
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 10 Sep 2013 11:32
Last Modified: 16 Dec 2022 04:38
DOI: 10.17638/00009435
Supervisors:
  • Jeyaraj, Daniel
  • McGrail, Peter
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/9435