Abstract
Various religions teach their adherents to imbibe and live out sound, moral, and ethical values that go a long way to create harmony in the human society, which is necessary for societal development. Religion cannot be practiced successfully without the teachings of its core ideas, principles, scriptural truths, etc. to its adherents. This study is hinged on the fact that the three religious traditions as practice in Nigeria have affected the way of lives of the people, thus giving Nigeria a unique religious identity. Religion, therefore, cannot thrive in any society without the culture of the people and that of the religion mixing. Every religion is borne out of a culture of the people. The study is an attempt to reveal that religious culture and tradition laid the foundation of educational development in Nigeria, for example, the establishment of mission schools and the development of Nigerian indigenous language.
TopConceptual Clarifications
Religion Defined
In the words of Metuh, “Religion is a very elusive concept to define. This is partly because the object of religion for the most part is invisible and immaterial beings who are not subject to observation and are conceived in different ways by different people. Besides the study of religion interest people such as theologians, anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists, in which each of them sees it from different perspective”. (Metuh, 1987)
The above statement by Metuh points to the fact that there is no generally acceptable definition of religion but for the purpose of this work, we will go with the definition of Madu 2006, who assert that “Religion means man’s recognition of the existence of a power or powers beyond himself, who as it were created the universe, sustains, preserves and provides for this universe”. (Madu, 2006)
Education
The word 'education' from diverse dictionaries and perspectives has been accepted to be “the act or process of acquiring knowledge, especially systematically during childhood and adolescence; the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge and of developing the power of reasoning and judgment; the act or process of impacting or acquiring general knowledge of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life”. (Colins, 2003)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Enculturation: The process or act by which an individual adopts the behavior patterns of another culture into his own culture.
Missionaries: People or group persons who travel from one place to another in an attempt to spread a religion or creed. Religious Messengers.
Western Education: An education system that characterize by the process of assimilation and learning of the customs and practices of western culture.
Indoctrination: The act or condition of introducing people or someone into something. An act of indoctrinating or the condition of being indoctrinated.
Christianization: The act or process of converting or being converted somebody or a group of people to Christianity.
African Traditional Religion: This is an indigenous religion practiced by Africans different from the world known religion.
Religious Tradition: The culture of the people that is rooted in the people’s religious belief that is passed from person to person or from generation to generation. A commonly held religious beliefs of the people.
Christianity: One of the worlds known religion base on the teaching of Jesus Christ believed to have originated from Jerusalem, an offshoot of Judaism.