Defense Date

4-5-2018

Graduation Date

Spring 5-11-2018

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Theology

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Marinus Iwuchukwu

Committee Member

Elochukwu Uzukwu

Committee Member

Maureen O'Brien

Committee Member

Julia Williams

Keywords

Confessional-Centric Curriculum, Jacque Dupuis, Nigeria, Colleges of Education, Inter-religious Dialogue

Abstract

Desire to live in peace and unity despite the multi ethnic and multi religious composition of Nigeria, remain ideals that are constant in the nation’s Constitution. However, accruable benefits of a culturally and religiously pluralistic society have continued to elude Nigeria due to incessant religious violence arising from the mutual suspicion of Christians and Muslims in the country. Nevertheless, the nation’s National Policy on Education proposes the education sector as one of the platforms to inculcate a sense of unity and religious tolerance in the country. The policy considers the nation’s learning centers and religious courses offered in such institutions as media to attain the goals of peaceful co-existence and unity of all citizens. Unfortunately, this goal has remained unrealized. It is from this background that this dissertation conducts a theological analysis of the curriculum of Christian Religious Studies operative in Nigeria Colleges of Education and finds it defective by default for the purpose of facilitating religious harmony in the country. For one, the curriculum is mostly catechetical in content, and transmits a confessional orientation of religious studies across board from the training of CRS teachers, to their engagement in teaching at primary and secondary school levels. The project deploys Jacque Dupuis’ ‘inclusive religious pluralism’ in drafting a Christian religious studies curriculum for Nigeria Colleges of Education. The submission is made on the assumption that a robust community of religiously pluralistic society operates on respect for each other’s’ religious views, and avoidance of attempt at relegating adherents of other religions and their religious views to an inferior status.

Language

English

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