IMPACT OF EGGON CULTURAL PRACTICES ON EGGON CHRISTIANS

(A CASE STUDY OF NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA)

By

Author

Presented To

Department of Education

ABSTRACT
Since the advent of Christianity in Eggon land, the church has been growing in leaps and bounds. However, there is cultural contrasts between Christianity and the African Traditional Religion (ATR). Most followers of ATR who accepted Christianity are at threshold, that is, neither here nor there and hence they live a double life. This study set out to identify the impact of Eggon cultural practices on Eggon Christians in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. To do this, three objectives were formulated. They are: find out the opinions of rural and urban Christians on the negative impact of Eggon cultural practices on Eggon Christians; examine the views of the members of the various church denominations on the positive impact of Eggon cultural practices on Eggon Christians, and; examine the opinions of male and female Christians on whether some Eggon Christians are still engaged in their cultural practices despite their conversion to Christianity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted for this study with a population of 200,000 in the state. A form of questionnaire divided into two parts with close-ended interview capable of identifying the impact of Eggon cultural practices on Eggon Christians in Nasarawa State was designed and distributed to 800 respondents. Descriptive data analysis was adopted using means, t-test and one-way Anova. The major findings of the study are: there is a significant difference between the opinions of rural and urban respondents with regards to the negative impact of Eggon cultural practices on Eggon Christians in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. This is because some Eggon Christians are still being negatively influenced by their culture since they do resort to cultural means if found with issues of witchcraft, infertility, and are being syncretic; there is a significant difference in the views of the members of the various church denominations with regards to the positive impact of Eggon cultural practices on Eggon Christians in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. This is because they also have some positive cultural practices that should be upheld ix and promoted such as societal values: obedience, hard work and many others; and there is a significant difference in the opinions of male and female Christians on whether some Eggon Christians are still engaged in their cultural practices despite their conversion to Christianity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Conclusively, most Eggon Christians are still being negatively influenced by their culture; Eggon culture also has some positive aspects which influenced their Christians life; and some Eggon Christians are still engaged in their cultural practices despite their conversion to Christianity. From these findings, the following recommendations were made: efforts by the clergy men, ministers and church elders should be intensified towards educating Eggon Christians on the need to discard their negative cultural practices. This can be achieved through sound teaching, organizing seminars and educative Christian programmes in towns and villages where they reside; efforts should be intensified by clergy men, ministers and church elders on the need for all Eggon Christians to strongly uphold the positive aspects of their culture. This can be done through sensitization on Christian literature, newsletters and tracts in Eggon language. This will help them to remain faithfully to one religion and avoid serving two masters.