THE EARLY CHURCH CONTROVERSIES AND THE PROBLEM OF ECUMENISM IN NIGERIA
Authors:
Rev. John Okwudiri Obineche (PhD)
Abstract:
As in every religion, the history of Christianity is encapsulated in a division as the fact remains that no religion is devoid of disagreement and oppositions that led to diversities of groups with different labels of identification. It was soon after the physical demise of Christ, the acclaimed founder of Christianity, that the Christian faith turned into shreds of beliefs that metamorphosed into denominations. This is known in the history of the Christian church as the “church controversies”. This topic: “the early church controversies and the problem of ecumenism in Nigeria” therefore examines the extent of the early church crisis (controversies) of the 4th to the 7th centuries from the historical perspective. It is observed that since 1910 when the call for ecumenism took a centre stage in world Christian history, the need for Christianity in her multifarious denominations to present herself as a formidable force in defence of the basic tenets of her faith has remained the focus. This work, therefore, is not only poised to examine the relationship of the early church controversies with the contemporary Christianity but also to investigate the extent at which ecumenism has helped the church in Nigeria to achieve the goal of unity. What are the possible factors militating against the success or otherwise the anticipated unity through the ecumenical bodies in Nigeria?