THE RELEVANCE OF THEOLOGY AS CULTURE OF FAITH TO PROMOTE HUMAN SECURITY WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON NORTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Theology is a culture of faith rooted in the trinity, with its fullness of revelation captured in the incarnation. God the Son, Jesus Christ, fully divine and fully human places Himself at the centre piece of human history, becoming the best human security as Redeemer and Saviour. Thus, He said, ‘…I came that you may have life, and have it abundantly, John 10: 10.’ The unfolding of the messianic mission of Jesus Christ, wrought through the Paschal Mystery, sets the motion in tune of the relevance of theology as an instrument to engage Catholics, Christians, Muslims and Traditional African adherents to the reasons why He came – Salvation of the World (Jn 3: 16). We seek for this fullness of life within the context of human security in Northern Nigeria. By constructive and historize analysis, the researcher develops the time-line (1900-2021) to capture the perspective of education, religion, politics, and socio-cultural world-view of Northern Nigeria unfolding these indices or perceptions within the interpretation of culture as history, as cosmology, as faith, as education, as justice and as emancipation. Our search therefore focuses on locating the seed of conflicts in Northern Nigeria planted by crude force or by the exploits of the task masters as colonizers: the Arabs/Fulani and the British. The faulty line created by them that differentiates us (non-actors) from them (task maters) on the basis of ethnic differences, doctrinal faith or on the basis of classism. Our quest also will unearth strong issues of injustices that dehumanizes, subjugates and delineate the supposed dignity bestowed by God to every human person at creation that ‘we are created in the Image and Likeness of God’ (c.f. Gen.1: 26.)