Christian Response to Widowhood Practices in Anioma, Delta State: The Anglican Example

Abstract

Widows and not widowers are the more affected group of people especially in Igboland and Africa in general when it comes to mourning their dead husbands. They are often forgotten even by their closest relatives immediately after the burial of their husbands and most Church to a large extent, do not have an existing structure or budget plan that covers the welfare of the widows floating the church. This has constantly been a wound in the hearts of these widows when departing the church premises to the cold shell of their homes to fight loneliness. Widowhood is often covered in myth and its processes left to the governance of whatever social or cultural system a bereaved person finds him/herself in. It is often felt that cultural traditions constitute the best guide to be followed or authority in widowhood. Recent societal experiences on widowhood and adjustment process however, question this position. It is clear that a more critical understanding of the widowhood process within traditional cultural, legal and psychological contexts need to emerge. The researchers adopted the historical and culture area approach with analytical method of data analysis in synthesizing the data collected for the study