TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page
Approval page
Dedication
Acknowledgment
Abstract
Table of content
CHAPETR ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of problem
1.3 Research questions
1.4 Objective of the study
1.5 Significance of the study
1.6 Scope of the study
1.7 Definition of terms
CHAPETR TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 introduction
2.2 conceptual review
2.3 empirical review
CHAPETR THREE
3.0 Research methodology
3.1 sources of data collection
3.3 Population of the study
3.4 Sampling and sampling distribution
3.5 Validation of research instrument
3.6 Method of data analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introductions
4.2 Data analysis
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendation
Appendix
Abstract
Many religious groups, by design, exist in high “tension” with their surrounding socio-cultural environments. Often, high tension groups enact strict, (internally) legalistic, and highly exclusive versions of long-established religious traditions, formally making them “sectarian” according to the sociology of religion. Such groups can be categorized into three types of reactions against the outside world: passive (insular), assertive (externalized non-violent), and impositional (externalized violent). Examples from each of these categories drawing from Christianity in the Nigeria are analyzed from the perspective of deviance and social control. The researcher adopted the survey research design and the population of the study was randomly drawn from selected youth of different churches in Langtang North LGA. The data for the study was obtain with the aid of structured questionnaire, the data were analysed with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Nigeria is populated by the adherents of Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion. However, the adherents of three religions, especially Muslims and Christians are often engaged in conflicts, leading to lose of lives and property. A day hardly passes without the adherents of these two religions engaging in one conflict or the other. Drawing on the ideal types of Max Weber (1991), Ernst Troeltsch (1992) formalized a typology of “church” and “sect,” with the latter referring to groups that attempt to live out Christian ideals in radical, textually literal, and often separatist fashion. Much confusion and elaboration followed the initial positing of these ideal types (Stark and Bainbridge 2009), but perhaps the most parsimonious, generalizable, and useful articulation of the differences between churches and sects was put forward by Johnson (2003), who proposed the following definitions: “A church is a religious group that accepts the social environment in which it exists. A sect is a religious group that rejects the social environment in which it exists.” This continuum between acceptance and rejection of the surrounding social environment can be further specified or subdivided, but it provides a simple and useful baseline for categorizing religious groups that has been termed “tension,” which “refers to the degree of distinctiveness, separation, and antagonism between a religious group and the ‘outside’ world” (Stark & Finke, 2000). Put another way, groups that are more sectarian in nature will be viewed by members as exclusive, with definitive boundaries between in-group members and out-group others, while groups that are lower in tension will be less exclusive and more pluralistic, with less distinction between in-group members and outsiders. Although the general conceptualization of tension allows for the exporting of the sect concept out of the Christian, particularly Protestant context Troeltsch examined, here we will focus on various expressions of Christian sectarianism. In essence, we are interested in groups that take Christianity to high levels of socio-cultural tension, often through the extensive use of behavioral proscriptions and prescriptions, as well as exclusivist dogma and apocalyptic ideology. Within the broader concept of sectarianism, we can further distinguish the manner in which a group retreats from or engages the outside world. In many cases “sectarianism” and “fundamentalism” can be used interchangeably, and the extensive study of fundamentalisms has in many ways superseded the study of sectarianism. Much like the concept of sectarianism, fundamentalism was born of Protestant Christianity, but has wider applicability. A unique and useful take of what constitutes fundamentalism is provided by Hood et al. (2005), who argue that an “intra-textual” perspective is the key feature fundamentalism, meaning that all ideas and information must pass through a singular and authoritative interpretation of sacred scriptures. Notably fundamentalist groups often deny interpretation at all (e.g., textual literalism) in an effort to restrict the (perceived) Truth from alternative interpretations. The tertiary institutions in Nigeria need to produce people with critical minds that challenge religious extremism. Extremists use religion as a shield either for political or economic agenda and manipulate their victims in order to impose their ideology on them. In this context, thinking directed towards solving problems is important. All thinkers ought to be part of the solution, so those who use their thinking destructively are part of the problem. Religious extremism manifests itself through criminal acts such as killing, kidnapping and other forms of attack. The rapid growth of religious extremism has raised an alarm and is a concern in the globe. On this account, Nigerian tertiary institutions are challenged to take decisive measures against this menace. It must be noted that static cultural, religious mental attitudes, mindsets and stereotypes are dangerous; hence empowerment of young people with religious knowledge is vital. With the teaching and researches carried out in Nigerian tertiary institutions, a common ground, a meeting point acknowledgement and respect of religions is crucial for promotion of human dignity. When posed, knowledge becomes a powerful tool which can be used to build and liberate people from various oppressive chains. Tertiary education can help the learner to understand religious diversities and what is venerable in other religions. Religion is a powerful motivator for both positive social change and mass violence (Ugwueye and Umeanolue, 2013; Kimaro, 2014). It is an institution that is protected in civil society, but it poses a threat, that is why critical examination and analysis of religious extremism is vital. The present study gives an overview of religious extremism, reality and extremist tendencies in Christianity and Islam that jeopardize peaceful and harmonious life in contemporary Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
All religions have within the practices ensuing from their foundational beliefs both violent and peaceful tendencies (Bercovitch and Kadayifci-Orellana 2009; Chapman 2007; Fox 1999). In well-established global religions such as Christianity and Islam, there exist ideologies and doctrines that are so diverse and complex that justification for both violence and peace can be found within their traditions. It must be noted that static cultural, religious mental attitudes, mindsets and stereotypes are dangerous; hence empowerment of young people with religious knowledge is vital. These religious crises are more frequent in the Langtang North and they sometimes give birth to reprisal attacks in Eastern part of Nigeria. The reprisal attacks by Christians in Eastern Nigeria are directed to all the Northerners without distinction of religious affiliation. This repraisal attact is as a result of religious sect within the christiandom who believe the are charged with the responsibility of self-defense (Dzurgba, 2006). The Northern Christians particularly suffer death casualties at every twist of events. They loss lives in the Langtang North LGA of Plateau State, Nigeria during reprisal attacks. This ugly situation calls for reflection on education as one of the possible measures of preventing sectarian conflicts and insecurity in Nigeria.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The study has one main objective which is further divided into general and specific objective; the general objective is to examine the effect of sectarian crisis on the education of Christian youth in Langtang North LGA of plateau state. The specific objective are;
- i) To examine the effect of sectarian crisis on the education of Christian youth in Langtang North LGA of Plateau state
- ii) To examine if there is any significant relationship between education and sectarian crisis among Christian youth in Lantang LGA
iii) To examine the effect of sectarian crisis on the growth and development of Langtang LGA
- iv) To proffer suggested solution to the identified problem
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
The following research questions were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study:
- i) Does sectarian crisis have any effect on the education of Christian youth in Langtang North LGA of Plateau state?
- ii) Is there any significant relationship between education and sectarian crisis among Christian youth in Lantang LGA?
iii) Does sectarian crisis have any effect on the growth and development of Langtang LGA?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study;
H0: There is no significant relationship between education and sectarian crisis among Christian youth in Lantang LGA
H1: There is a significant relationship between education and sectarian crisis among Christian youth in Lantang LGA
H0: sectarian crisis does not have any effect on the growth and development of Langtang LGA
H0: sectarian crisis does have an effect on the growth and development of Langtang LGA
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of importance to church leaders as the finding of the study will aid them in teaching and educating the youth on the nemesis of extremism and sectarianism in Christendom, the study will also be of great importance to the educational sector as the study explore the importance of education in ameliorating the effect of sectarian crisis among youth in Langtang North LGA, the study will also be of great importance to researchers who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic as the findings of the study serve as a pathfinder to further study. Finally, the study will be of great importance to the students, teachers, academia's and the general public as the study will contribute to the pool of existing literature and also contribute to knowledge on the subject matter.
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study cover the effect of sectarian crisis on the education of Christian youth in Langtang North LGA of plateau state, but in the course of the study, there are some factors that limit the scope of the study;
AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
FINANCE: The finance available for the research work does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Sect
A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political, or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger group
Sectarianism
Sectarianism is a form of prejudice, discrimination, or hatred arising from attaching relations of inferiority and superiority to differences between subdivisions within a group
Crisis
A crisis is any event that is going to lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community, or whole society
Sectarian violence
Sectarian violence and/or sectarian strife is a form of communal violence inspired by sectarianism, that is, between different sects of one particular mode of ideology or religion within a nation/community
1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows
Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), statement of problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance or the study, research methodology, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlight the theoretical framework on which the study its based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.
