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TOWARDS A CONTEXTUALIZATION OF WORSHIP: A CHALLENGE TO THE NIGERIAN BAPTIST CONVENTION
[Thesis]. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester; 2012.
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Name of the University: UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER, UK.The Candidate’s Full Name: CORNELIUS OLUSEGUN OYEMOMILARADegree: Ph. DThesis Title: TOWARDS A CONTEXTUALIZATION OF WORSHIP: A CHALLENGE TO THE NIGERIAN BAPTIST CONVENTION.Date: 2012ABSTRACT.The worship service of the Yoruba Baptist Churches of the Nigerian Baptist Convention reflects the Western ways of life. The Nigerian Baptist pastors are oriented from the seminary where suits and ties are the official dress for ministration, the teaching of theology is Western oriented, many of the worship services are conducted in English language, most brides and bridegrooms often put on Western clothes during their wedding ceremonies and Western music and musical instruments are used to the detriment of the indigenous ones. Most of the African ways of life are not encouraged. Consequently, the worshippers are alienated, confused, disoriented and dissatisfied. This alienation is the result of what I describe in this research as ‘psychological slavery’.In this research, I argue that the Yoruba Baptist Christian of Nigeria, like other tribes in the world, have their cultural heritage which ought to be used in the place of the foreign elements/materials of worshipping the Lord. Some of the elements/materials I emphasize in this research include akara (local cake) and sobo drink (juice extracted from Hibiscus sabdariffa) in the place of bread and wine for Eucharist, indigenous clothes for the pastors and couples in the place of Western clothes during ministration and the wedding service respectively, indigenous music and musical instruments, oriki Olodumare (God praise-name) and the use of the Yoruba command-language in prayer. The aim of this thesis is to propose a contextual form of worship whereby the Yoruba Baptist Christians have a holistic worship fulfilled within their socio-religio-cultural context.