A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CONCEPT OF PRIESTHOOD IN IGBO TRADITIONAL RELIGION AND CATHOLIC PRIESTHOOD

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is quite unfortunate that this Igbo noble institution has not received fair treatment from many scholars of African Traditional Religion. So, it has been the subject of wrong labelling, caricature, ridicule and disdain.  The worst part of it is complete misunderstanding, miss-interpretation and miss-representation or wrong labelling which Parrinder and Arinze rightly considered as serious obstacles to positive picture of the institution in African Religion.

Igbo traditional priests have been labelled fetish-priests, witch doctors, medicine men, sorcerers, magicians, juju-men devilish priests and so on.  The majority of Christians and many others in various religious sects regard them as the promoters of idolatrous worship.  In the whole world, moreover, this type of misconception has caused a negative attitude to the study and complete disdain for African traditional priesthood.  On the other hand, since a traditional priest in African society can also be a herbalist, diviner, witch-healer, and seer and so on; then the problem of identification of specialized boundaries emerges.  There are also problem of modern life in Africa whereby anything tagged traditional is equated with being archaic, obsolete, primitive, useless and irrelevant as the case may be.  So with all these in mind, reflections on the priesthood in Igbo traditional religion may not be considered worthwhile.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

One may ask what is it that still arouses interest in the study of priesthood in Igbo traditional religion at this modern era.  The reason is that the institution has witnessed a radical change caused by the attitude of the Christians.  This can be observed in what we call evangelization, conversion and so many other tenets, which they use to confront the traditionalist.  At the same time telling them that without entering their own religion that heaven is not for them; that is (salvation). And that is why I developed an interest in studying of the concept of the priesthood of the two religions meticulously to do a comparative analysis of both without any bias in mind.  

​​​​​​​SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The importance of this long-essay is to show that there is not much difference between the Jews and the Greeks.  We shall also understand that the Christians (Catholics) are serving their God in a conventional and accepted way, while the traditionalists are serving the same God in a traditional or natural but conventionally unaccepted way (albeit their own way) though it depends on the approach one wishes to take.  We should bear in mind that traditional religion was in existence before the Christian religion.  Therefore, we hope that this long essay wills also contribute in the domains of our intellectual pursuits, in trying to uphold this institution.

​​​​​​​SCOPE OF STUDY

It is difficult to deal on African Traditional Religion and Christianity in general.  Therefore, we want to examine one of the major elements that are in common to the both religions and then contribute our little quota to the intellectual domains.  Our areas of interest are on priesthood.  Then in the light of the call of the second Vatican council for dialogue between Christianity and other religions. (cf Vat. II, Nostra Aetate).  We shall examine some aspects of Igbo traditional priesthood in relation to the Catholic understanding of priesthood, so as to sift out the similarities and the differences.

​​​​​​​METHODOLOGY

The method to be employed in the work is a synthetic, interpretative and expository analysis. Synthetic in the sense that relevant insight of various scholars on this topic will be collated and utilized for more comprehensive knowledge of the topic under discussion.  Interpretative because as an insider with some experience of the activities of some Igbo traditional priests, I will try to make sense of this religious institution.  By expository we mean that all the hidden meanings and many ambiguous words will, be laid bare.  For proper understanding, these methods will bring out the comparative nature of the long essay.