COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE FIRST SON IN BENIN TRADITION AND THE BIBLE

ABSTRACT: The thesis is a comparative study of the challenges of the first son in Benin Tradition and the Bible. It is generally believed that children are gifts from the Almighty God including the first son. The coming of the first son always brings joy. Incidentally these first sons suddenly become the greatest anxiety for most families in Edo Land.The overall aim of this study is to undertake a comparative study of the challenges of the first son in Benin Tradition and the Bible with a view to proffering solutions to the challenges confronting the former.To achieve the set objectives of the thesis, the multi-dimensional research approach was employed. This includes the historical, analytical, evaluative, comparative and phenomenological methods. The theoretical framework of this research was based on Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers’ Theory of Humanism. At the end of this study, the following are the findings:that it is generally believed that all children are gifts from the Almighty God the Supreme Being including the first son, that the first son is usually given a place of prominence in Benin tradition and in the Bible, that most first son face challenges in destiny fulfilment in Benin tradition and  the Bible, that the first son becomes target of the evil forces because he is the first offspring of the parents and representative of the ancestors and that the total eradication of the challenges of the first son may not be feasible but using Benin tradition as well as Biblical counselling and prayers can reduce them.The thesis made recommendations that will help in reducing the stress or challenges that the first son, parents, other siblings and the society have been experiencing over a long time.