Marriage Institution and Christianity in Nsukka, Nigeria: Between Acculturation and Syncretism, 1970-2013

Abstract

Religious influence on marriage institution in Nsukka society has not enjoyed robust scholarly investigation. The upsurge of different Christian denominations with the competitive drive for evangelization of Nsukka opened new vistas for disconnects in some institutions. Christianity, in its acculturation effort, has become increasingly syncretic with respect to the sacredness of marriage institution. This study is an attempt at an insightful interpretation of traditional control mechanisms that have sustained marriages for both Christians and traditionalists. The study submits that Christians’ profane attacks on the indigenous religion; notwithstanding, it has at the centre-stage controlling the dynamics of marriage institution among the Nsukka Igbo.

Keywords

• African Traditional Religion
• Christianity
• Marriage
• Acculturation
• Syncretism