HUMAN LIFE, HERE AND HEREAFTER
Eschatology and Anthropology
In Judeo-Christian and Etsakọ Religions
CORNELIUS AFEBU OMONOKHUA
Publication of Hexagon Press
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Copyright © 2011 by Rev. Dr. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua
All rights reserved: Except for brief quotations, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior permission of the author.
1st Edition 2011
Nihil Obstat:Rev. Dr. Victor Onwukeme, MSP
Imprimatur: Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel G. Dunia
Catholic Bishop of Auchi
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DEDICATION
To you Okhifo Aliu Omonokhua
To you Veronica Aleabu Omonokhua
My beloved father and mother
To you Joseph Ebuesomhi Omonokhua
My loving and wonderful uncle
I dedicate this book.
You remain my wonderful parents
The reason we have a past to look at
In our vision and destiny
We love you.
Rest in peace forever!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
When I am in difficult circumstances, I ask God to help me, but it is my duty to serve the Lord, and not his to serve me. As soon as I remember this, my burdens become lighter. I lift up my heart and voice in thanksgiving to Osinẹgba, God Almighty, for his gift of Wisdom to me in this project and for my entire being. I thank my Local Ordinary Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel G. Dunia and His Grace Most Rev. Dr. John Onaiyekan, for their support and encouragement. This book is the fruit of my doctoral dissertation in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. Some of the chapters were presented at various seminars where the professors, teachers and post graduate students of the Department of Religious Management and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts, Ambrose Alli University critiqued and offered suggestions and contributions to the richness of this work. I therefore thank the then Vice Chancellor, Prof. D.O. Aigbomian and the entire Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. I thank God for his divine gift of wisdom and for empowering erudite scholars of the type of Prof. I.O. Umejesi, (now the H.O.D) who scholarly supervised this work. I also thank the then H.O.D, Rev. Fr. Prof. John A. Onimhawo and the entire academic and administrative staff of the department of Religious Management and Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. Profoundly remembered and appreciated are: Prof. C.A Dime, Prof. Mrs C.O. Isiramen, Dr. D.O. Akhilomen, Mr. C.A. Obi, Mr. J.O. Osasona, Mrs. E.A. Falaiye, Mrs. B.G. Ogedegbe, Dr. P.O.O. Ottuh, T. O. Ebhomielen, Mrs. J.J. Eseigbe, Mrs. J.O Atoe and Mrs. P. Ogun. I also express a sincere gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Cosmas Adomeh and Prof. Julius Azelama
I extend my thanks to the authors and people I interviewed in this work especially, Daudu Ajayi Obotse, Mr. Joseph Omonokhua, Mrs. Helena Omonokhua, Mr. D. J Osigbemhe, Mr. Simon Awenegiemhe, Mr. Peter Musa and others. I thank every member of Omonokhua’s family especially my late parents who did not hide from me the wisdom of our ancestors and for bringing me up properly. The following people deserve my special thanks for helping in this project: Rev. Frs. Philip Ebakhaye, Ikhianosime Francis, Stan Williams Ede, Elogie Innocent, Isaac Oshomah, Dr. Imelda Ogbunugafor, Miss Grace Aluokhai and Miss Angela Aimua. I thank Mr. J.S. Emoabino, the Chairman of the laity Council and the entire laity of the Catholic diocese of Auchi to whom I was chaplain for bearing with me in the course of this work. I also thank St Jude Catholic Church, Afuze and Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Uzairue. I sincerely appreciate the support of Mr. & Mrs. Charles Omonokhua, Rev. Fr. Paschal Odemokpa, Mr & Mrs. Adolphus Omonokhua, Engr. & Mrs. Faustinus Brai, Mrs. Gladys Imokhai and Sylvia Nwobodo.
I appreciate very sincerely the encouragement of my brothers in the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria. May God bless Reverend Fathers Michael Otto Ekpenyong, Louis Odudu, Raphael Madu, Peter Audu, Peter Okonkwo, Hilary Osi Odenore, Emmanel Osigwe, Samjumi Zechariah, Bernard Asogo, and all the Staff of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria. I thank Msgr. Hypolite Adigwe and Fr. Oseni Ogunu for their encouragement and prayers. May God bless Reverend Sisters Esther Ekpo DC, Kate Edekhe SND, Anne Falola OLA, Mary Lucella Ukaegbu IHM, Dorothy Eze DDL, MaryAnn Ebujor DDL, Kathleen McGarvey OLA and Sr. Bibiana Madugba HHCJ for their encouragement! I appreciate very sincerely the contributions of Prof. G.O Abe and Prof. C.E Ukhun, my external moderators during my doctoral defence. Their contribution added colour to this book. I remain forever grateful to Rev. Fr. Dr. Victor Onwukeme MSP, Rector of St Paul National Missionary Seminary, Gwagwalada, Abuja for reading this work with the eye of a scripture scholar and for accepting to write the preface to the book. I am also grateful to Sr. Dr. Stella Bassey Esirah HHCJ, the H.O.D of the Department of Philosophy in St Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot-Ekpene for reading this work with the eye of a Philosophical Anthropologist and for writing the foreword to the book. My noble brother and friend, Prof. Paul and Mrs. Roseline Idornigie are highly appreciated for their scholarly and financial contibutions to this work.
A lot of thanks go to those who have supported me financially in the course of publishing this book. Almighty God, bless and protect Chief Mike and Chief Louisa Oghiadomhe, Sir Francis and Monica Alimhikhena, Hon. Philip and Marian Shaibu, Chief Christiana Otsebolu Atanda-Nze, Sir Peter and Lady Patrician Aliu, Chief Bruno and Chief Anthonia Oshiokpekhai, Chief John and Mrs. Ayi Doris Akhamie, Mr. Godwin and Becky Alegiuno, Sir Joe and Lady Comfort Alegieuno, Mrs. Uche Okwechime, Mr. Solomon and Mrs. Agharase Arase, Chief Tom and Mrs. Rose Uloko, Sir and Lady J.A.J Itakpe and all who have contributed to my life and this book. I congratulate and thank Comrade Oshiomole, the executive governor of Edo State for his love and support.
ABSTRACT
The creation of man is a mystery because of the sacred nature of his being. Man has a teleological destiny of either being with God in heaven or separated from God in eternal damnation. That a woman is created from the rib of man demonstrates the importance of collaborative ministry in preparing the world for a peaceful temporal home in view of the eternal perfect home that is the final destiny for the human person. Infact, we could not talk of a human being until a woman was created. The creation of man and woman makes humanity. This book, Human Life, Here and Here after: Eschatology and Anthropology is a theological comparative enquiry into the destiny of the human person in the Judeo- Christian and Etsakọ religions. Eschatology and Anthropology simply means human life on earth and what happens thereafter at death, in limbo, purgatory, heaven or hell. The state of an after life depends largely on how the physical life was expended on earth. In other words, “Human life: Here and Hereafter” is an explanation of the science of anthropology and eschatology. This study discusses the nature of man in creation, how the life of man is lived in time within the context of culture. This work also enquires into the reality of death and its meaning in Etsakọ and the Judeo-Christian religions. This meaning explains the burial rites of both the Jews and Etsakọ. The focus here is to propose a rite of burial for the Etsakọ Christian having explored the root from the Jewish tradition. The proposals and recommendations are not conclusive and final. This is rather a clarion call on others to assist in making the Christian religion relevant to Etsakọ people in response to the call of the second Vatican Council to plant the gospel message in the soil of a people with due respect to their contextual world view and culture. In discussing the destiny of the human person, in Etsakọ and Judeo – Christian Religions, the work explores the particular judgment in Judeo-Christian and Etsakọ religions. This judgment is consequent upon the particular life of the individual, his/her relationship to other people, traditions, customs, initiations and wisdom. All these are summed up in the sacraments of the Church which are outward signs of inward grace in the journey to the final destiny of the human person. The destiny, heaven or hell follows this discussion and the apogee is an enquiry into the nature of the resurrection, the second coming of Christ, and the end of the world. The restoration of the world is also examined. The work concludes with a call to contextual theology with the attendant evaluation of African culture and tradition.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication3
Acknowledgements4
Abstract6
List of abbreviations12
Preface14
Foreword17
CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION20
1.1Statement of the Problem20
1.2Clarification of Terms22
1.2.1Eschatology23
1.2.2Anthropology23
1.2.3Theology24
1.2.4Etsakọ24
1.2.5The Jews31
1.3Literature Review35
CHAPTER TWO: A THEOLOGICAL ENQUIRY INTO THE NATURE OF HUMAN PERSON IN JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AND ETSAKỌ PEOPLE40
2.1The Human Person in Creation42
2.2.1Man as Dust and Spirit46
2.2.2Man as Image of God49
2.3The human Body50
2.4The human Soul52
2.5The Human Destiny and Time54
CHAPTER THREE: DEATH AND BURIAL IN THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AND ETSAKỌ RELIGIONS60
3.1Concept of Death60
3.2Dying and Death in Judaism65
3.2.1Preparation for Death among the Jews68
3.2.2The Funeral Rites of the Jews69
3.2.3K’riah71
3.2.4The Week of the Shiver72
3.2.5Summary of the Burial Rites of the Jews73
3.3Dying and Death in Etsakọ 74
3.3.1Interment in Etsakọ76
3.3.2At the Graveside79
3.3.3Uvughiolimhi’avho79
3.3.4Itolimhi79
3.3.5Ishio’limhi80
3.3.6Ifanili 80
3.3.7Urema mie 81
3.3.8 Ichiokhio 82
3.3.9 Ugbaemo’olimi 82
3.3.10 Ide Udupia 82
3.4A Recommended Funeral Rite for the Etsakọ Christian 83
CHAPTER FOUR: ESCHATOLOGY AND THE DESTINY OF THE HUMAN PERSON IN JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AND ETSAKỌ RELIGIONS86
4.1Particular Judgment86
4.1.1Particular Judgment in Etsakọ (Ezọ nọkpitsi’ke)86
4.1.2Particular Judgment in Judaism 88
4.1.3Particular Judgment in the New Testament 90
4.2Limbo (Aminighuo) and Purgatory (Aghadava) in Etsakọ 96
4.3Limbo in the Judeo-Christian Religion 98
4.4Purgatory in the Judeo-Christian Religion 101
4.4.1A biblical attempt to locate Purgatory 101
4.4.2A Brief History of the Dogma of Purgatory 104
4.4.3The Need for Purification after Death 106
CHAPTER FIVE: SACRIFICE: A KEY TO THE GATE OF HEAVEN108
5.1Sacrifice in Etsakọ and the Judeo-Christian Religions 108
5.2The Sacrifice of Initiations and the Seven Sacraments111
5.2.1Child Initiation (Uruemhi) 112
5.2.2Adult Initiation (Uruamhi) 113
5.2.3Old Age Initiation (Ikpelo / Ibaki)114
5.2.4Marriage (Isomhi)114
5.2.5Anointing of the Sick (Unuọegbe) 115
5.2.6Confession (Okai or ozi)115
5.2.7Priestly Initiation (Okhe)116
5.3Theological Reflection119
5.3.1Baptism (Childhood Initiation – Uruemhi)119
5.3.2Holy Eucharist (Adult Initiation – Uruamhi)119
5.3.3Confirmation (Old age Initiation Ikpelo / Ibaki)119
5.3.4Penance (Okai)120
5.3.5The Anointing of the Sick (Unuawi yo egbe)120
5.3.6Holy Orders (Okhe- priestly initiation)120
5.3.7 Marriage (Isomhi)120
5.4Recommendations120
CHAPTER SIX: HEAVEN AND HELL IN JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AND ETSAKỌ RELIGIONS123
6.1The God of the Missionaries 126
6.2The God of Jesus Christ128
6.2.1The Testimony of the Evangelists128
6.2.2The Infant Jesus131
6.2.3The Public Ministry of Jesus132
6.2.4 The Testimony of St Paul 134
6.2.5The Teaching of the Church 135
6.3The Heaven of Etsakọ and the Judeo Christians 137
6.3.1Ripe Old Age 139
6.3.2Community Solidarity139
6.3.3Progeny 139
6.3.4The State of Man at Death 140
6.4The Kingdom of God – Egie Okwi- Ogbanakido140
6.4.1The Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism141
6.4.2New Testament142
6.4.3History of Interpretation 143
6.4.4The Kingdom of Heaven in the Context of Etsakọ Belief 144
6.5Hell in the Judeo-Christian and Etsakọ Religions 146
6.5.1Hell in the Old Testament 147
6.5.2Hell in the New Testament 148
6.5.3Hell (Igodogho) in Etsakọ Primal belief 148
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE RESURRECTION AND THE END OF THE WORLD IN JUDEO-CHRISTIAN AND ETSAKỌ RELIGIONS149
7.1The Resurrection of the Dead149
7.1.1 Impassibility of Risen Bodies (impassibilitas)153
7.1.2 The Subtlety of Risen Bodies (subtilitas)153
7.1.3The Agility of Risen Bodies (agilitas)154
7.1.4The Clarity of Risen Bodies (claritas)154
7.2The general Judgment155
7.3 The Rapture on the LastDay160
6.4The End of the World?163
6.5The Second Coming of Christ (The parousia - πάρουσίά)169
7.6Millenarianism: How long is a Thousand Years? 172
7.7 Preterism 173
7.8 Restoration of the World and Conclusion 176
CHAPTER EIGHT: SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS179
8.1That the Human Person Should Believe and Hope in God179
8.2That the Human Person Should be Conscious of the Last Judgment 180
8.3 That the Value of Human Person Should be Respected:181
8.4 That a Person Should Concentrate more on his/her Particular End181
8.5That we should make the Sacred Scriptures our Guide183
8.6That African- Christian Theology should be More Contextual 186
General Conclusion189
Works cited192
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
OLD TESTAMENT
GenesisGen
Exodus Exod
LeviticusLev
Numbers Num
Deuteronomy Deut
Joshua Josh
Judge Judg
Ruth Ru
1-2 Samuel 1-2 Sam
1-2 Kings 1-2 Kgs
1-2 Chronicles 1-2 Chr
Ezra Ezra
Nehemiah Neh
Tobit Tob
Judith Jdt
Esther Esth
Job Job
Psalm Ps
Proverb Prov
Ecclesiastes/QohelethQoh
Song of songsSg
Wisdom Wis
Sirach Sir
Isaiah Isa
Jeremiah Jer
Lamentation Lam
Baruch Bar
Ezekiel Ezek
Daniel Dan
Hosea Hos
Joel Joel
Amos Amos
Obadiah Obad
JonahJonah
Micah Micah
Nahum Nah
Habakkuk Hab
Zephaniah Zeph
Haggai Hag
ZechariahZech
Malachi Mal
1-2 Maccabees 1-2 Macc
NEW TESTAMENT
Mathew Matt
MMark
Luke Luke
John John
Acts of the ApostlesActs
Romans Rom
1-2 Corinthians 1-2 Cor
Galatians Gal
EphesiansEph
Philippians Phil
Colossians Col
1-2 Thessalonians1-2 Thess
1-2 Timothy 1-2 Tim
Titus Titus
Philemon Phlm
Hebrew Heb
James Jam
1-2 Peter 1-2 Pet
1-3 John 1-3 John
Jude Jude
Revelation Rev
Church Documents
AAApostolicam Actuositatem, Decree on the apostolate of the laity
AASActa Apostolicae Sedis, Rome, 1909
Actarefers to the Acta of a particular Pope
A.D.Anno Domino (the year of the Lord but used as “after Christ”)
ASSActa Sanctae Sedis, Rome, 1865-1908
AGAd Gentes, Decree on the missionary activity of the Church
B.CBefore Christ
ca.circa(about)
DH. Denzinger, Enchridion Symbolorum, Definitionum et Declarationem de
Rebus Fidei et Morum. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 1953
DSH. Denzinger and A. Schönmetzer, Enchridion Symbolorum,
Definitionum et Declarationem de Rebus Fidei Et Morum. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder, 1965
GSGaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the modern world
LGLumen Gentium, Dogmatic constitution on the Church
NANostra Aetate, Declaration on the relationship of the Church to non Christian religions
PREFACE
This is a wonderful piece of work, written in very good and simple English and so there is a smooth flow. The work has the mark of originality and it underscores salient points as far as eschatology and anthropology in Judaism, Christianity and Etsakọ religion are concerned. Its originality comes from its exploration of Etsakọ cultural, religious and social beliefs. Through this culture Omonokhua reaches out to other African cultures.
What gives the work its special colour, taste and uniqueness is his ingenuity in exploring Etsakọ culture. He notes in the exposition of the rites of initiation in Etsakọ of this work that some of the issues he discusses here are top secrets yet he has been able to dig deep and reveal some of these top secrets from his culture putting them on paper, otherwise people would have no other way of knowing these things, since until now, there are no written records on them. He has been able to dip them up and record them for posterity through series of interviews and in depth research. In this way, he has translated oral tradition into a written document for posterity. We thank Fr. Omonokhua for his courage, intuition and insight. Through Etsakọ culture he reaches out to other African cultures which in many ways are quite similar. According to Fr Omonokhua, Osi in Etsakọ is equivalent to Yahweh, the Transcendent being that is not created and so heis above all created order since he made all things. Egba is the equivalent of the angels and messengers. They are created and so they are inferior to Osi. Osinẹgba is not often called and he is not called anyhow. He is invoked in shrines and solemn assemblies.
In chapter one he gives the history of the origin of Etsakọ people noting that they are one of the ethnic groups in Afemai, Edo North Senatorial District of Edo State. Their emigration from Bini was spearheaded by Adaobi for political, economic and ethical reasons. Adaobi, having travelled a distance of about 23 miles from Bini, arrived Obada and settled there and a teeming population grew in just a few years.
In this work Fr Omonokhua deals with the most soul-searching questions of human existence. He examines the nature of the human person among the Jews, the Christians and Etsakọ (cf. chapter two) and observes certain fundamental questions common to these peoples and their religions. Such questions as Who am I? Where am I coming from? What am I doing here on earth? Where am I going? For the Jews and Christians, the Bible struggles to answer the above questions. In Etsakọ the story of the greedy woman Ovhabumhe tries to give answer to some of these pertinent questions about man's origin and purpose. Cornelius does a proper analysis of time to its minutest details and in the end concludes that the destiny of the human person can be achieved through a good and positive management of one's time here on earth. Everyone should dot his/her time with goodness and not evil and in this way attain the final destiny which is union with the transcendent being and eternity.
Fr Omonokhua explores death and burial ceremonies in Judeo-Christian Tradition (cf. chapter three), comparing this with death in Etsakọ. The striking thing in this chapter is that death is seen as sleep unto everlasting home by the Etsakọ. This is similar to Paul's understanding of death and so Paul uses the term koimaomai to describe the action of those who are dead (1 Thess 4, 13; cf. John 11, 11). This understanding of death among the Jews, the Christians and Etsakọ foreshadows the resurrection or life after death. Thus physical death should not frighten anyone; rather the death which is real death and so should be abhorred is separation from God. Death reminds us that we are traders here on earth. You finish your business, you go home. In Igbo culture this is the way death is seen.
Omonokhua frowns at the practice whereby many abandon their old parents. However, when the parents die, there is ostentatious show of wealth. They are kept in the mortuary for months and sometimes years because a house has to be built or renovated. On the day of the funeral a lot of cows are slaughtered and plenty of food and drink lavished meanwhile such parents were starved when they lived. This is pure contradiction and it does not make sense. People should look after their old parents and this is strongly recommended by Sirach (Sir 3, 1-6). According to Nwaibe, the ego makes one take loans from banks to bury one's parents who virtually starved to death. There was once a woman who gave birth to very rich children, occupying important positions -of authority in the society. But this woman was left to suffer in want. On the day of her funeral, a total of seventeen cows were slaughtered. It was time for her rich children to flaunt their wealth. They commercialized everything and so exploited the funeral ceremony. Praise-singers came uninvited to glorify her as help of the helpless when actually she was the very helpless. Such expensive burials do not make much sense. Christians need to borrow a leaf from Muslims in this area.
What becomes of a person after death is a question that has exercised the ingenuity of many religions for centuries. In chapter four Omonokhua delves into the difficult issue of eschatology. Here he notes that human life has its rhythm of birth, puberty, marriage, procreation, old age and death as one enters into the world of the ancestors. The adult dies and enters into the world of the ancestors but if a child dies it remains in Aminigho (limbo) where it waits to be re-incarnated. Good people are rewarded while bad people get their just desert. The summary of this section is: it is good to be good.
In chapter Six Omonokhua treats the concepts of heaven and hell. It is quite striking that these concepts in Jewish, Christian and Etsakọ milieu are very much similar. According to him, heaven is a state in which one beholds the beatific vision of God forever (1 Thess 4, 18; 13, 3), whereas hell is the deliberate NO to God leading to eternal loss of the beatific vision. In Etsakọ hell is called Alim 'igodogho which denotes the soul's separation from the ancestors and the living. In fact Igodogho means unreachable deep pit, the abyss, spelling everlasting doom. It is similar to okummuo in Igbo. The punishment is to be eternally lost, excluded from God's presence (2 Thess 1, 9-10).
Fr Omonokhua focuses on resurrection (cf. chapter seven) noting that although among the Jews the belief was that life ended in Sheol (Gen 42,38; 44,31; Job 7,7-10; 24,19; Ps 89,48; Qoh 9,4-5). However, later on from Daniel onwards the idea of dying and resurrecting surfaces (Dan 12, 2-3; cf. 2 Macc 7,7-10; 12,44-46). Jesus raises the dead (Mark 5, 39; Luke 8, 52; John 11, 11). Jesus himself died and rose. Paul expresses this idea vividly in many of his letters (1 Thess 4, 13-18; 1 Cor 15). It is confirmed by some of the Church Councils such as Lateran Council in 1215. Concerning the dead the Council states: "They will rise with their bodies which they have now because they like angels and are God's children being children of the resurrection (Luke 20, 36). Pastor Harold of US has predicted the end of the world so many times but none has come true. Despite the fact that many people have predicted the end of the world, it remains a mystery. Thus the author suggests that one should not preoccupy oneself with the end of the world, rather one should preoccupy oneself with the end of one's life.
Finally the author underlines the fact that Africans should be made to rediscover the inherent values in their cultures through contextualization of the Gospel message in such a way that one is able to be rooted in one's culture yet is able to live out fully the Gospel values. The book is a treasure and therefore a must read for all.
Fr. Dr. Victor Nwukeme, MSP
Rector: The National Missionary Seminary of St Paul
Gwagwalada - Abuja
FOREWORD
This book, Human life, here and hereafter: Eschatology and Anthropology in the Judeo-Christian and Etsakọ Religions isan effort to call the human person back to the original purpose and end that the Creator intended for his sons and daughters. The book points out the problem that has triggered its writing that People are being treated like material objects and human life is being wasted such that some people find it easier to kill the human person than killing a mosquito. So, using as a case study Etsakọ and the Judeo-Christian religions to make a clarion call on humanity to reflect more on the vision and mission of life as an attempt to remind human beings of death, judgment, heaven or hell, the author intends in eightchapters to address the anomaly in the way human beings are being treated in today’s world; and, with a prospect, to give more value to human life and make the world a better place, this is an achievement of fr.Cornelius Omonokhua in the chapters of his work respectively:
The notion, name and knowledge of God are comparatively analyzed in the Jewish and African contexts with the result that God is one and the same in all contexts. Thus, God is one and eternal. The God of Israel is the God of Africa. Every nation knows this same God in their different historical and contextual experiences. God is not a subject of evolution. It is the knowledge and experience of God that develops in human beings. This one God is the author and finisher of life. God is the controller of nature and the world will not come to an end in line with the predictions made by the many scientists and cosmologists but as God may have it, in the sense of religious eschatology which the church holds onto – backed by scripture; for The Church, to which we are all called in Christ Jesus, and in which by the grace of God we acquire holiness, will receive its perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come the time of the renewal of all things (Acts 3, 21). At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ (cf. Eph 1, 10; Col 1, 20; 2 Pet 3,10-13). Christ lifted up from the earth, has drawn all men to himself (cf. Jn 12, 32).
Furthermore, an anthropological discourse on the nature of the Human Person; highlighting: the essence of human companionship; the destiny of the human person; the origin of the human person, with a spiritual focus on creation, and, in which accounts the images of man are presented as dust with the breath of life and image of God; and with an explanation of how Stories, proverbs, riddles, poetry have been used by different peoples and cultures to explain the mystery of the human person., exposes the value of the human person from a theological point of view and Etsakọ primal religion, thus sources are drawn from the teaching of the Church and from non Christian religions to evaluate the value and dignity of the human person, with major concern in the human person, his religious culture and his life in the context of the Judeo-Christian and Etsakọ religions. Thus, the human person is called to a collaborative ministry in promoting the dignity of the human person and ecological harmony. Man and woman are called to be at peace with humanity and nature given that they are created in excellence and wonder. Thus emphasising the unique creation and role of woman in creation, we note that, God did not create a woman out of the skull of a man’s head so that he could rule over her, neither did God create woman out of the bones of man’s foot so that he could trample on her, rather God created woman out of the rib of man so as to enable the two walk side by side in a collaborative ministry for a perfect home which will lead them into a final destiny. The mission of life is designed for a divine vision to be executed not just by a single person but in unity and love of a people. The human person therefore is the subject of eschatology. Man has a universal nature but this nature is expressed within the context of culture, tradition and a particular environment.
More so, the mystery of death which has particularly been the chief inspiration for this writing is given a place for discussion in the context of the mystery of dying and death in Etsakọ, Judaism, and Christianity. Using the approach of comparative study, an exposition of the mystery of death in Etsakọ and the Judeo Christian religions is given. Thus, death remains a riddle that many tribes and authors have attempted to find answers to. And to do this many stories were told about how death came about and why it remains, and they show that the human person is always in search of the mystery surrounding death and eternal life, and also that humanity is one. The early thinkers of the Jews see death as a total annihilation because they did not believe in life after death and the resurrection. For the Etsakọ people, death is a transition into the ancestral world, Ọgbanakido or Alimhi’afemha. Death is personified as “olimhi obe”meaning a terrifying ghost. Death is feared because of the suddenness of its arrival. They see the dead and the living as still belonging to the same family. And the central point of the teaching of Jesus Christ emphasizes another life and the resurrection from the dead. As death approaches, a crisis of faith occurs as the life-cycle draws to an end so preparation for death is naturally necessitated in every traditional religion. For the Jews confession at the death-bed is encouraged. The confessional on the death-bed is the recognition of the ending cycle and the beginning of another. This together with the recitation of the Shema in the lastmoments before death helps to affirm faith in God precisely when it is most challenged and helps the dying person focus on those most familiar rituals of his life just at the moment when he enters the most mysterious and unknowable experience of his life. This kind of preparation for Death and many others among the other cultures and traditional religions allude to the fact that the mystery of death is inevitably an essential reality bordering all and sundry as indubitable, it is the inevitable and ultimate lot of every person who comes into the world. It is the philosophical query on why death is inevitable that has given rise to the many mythologies discussed in stories.
Death envisages human destiny and so a more comprehensive discussion of human destiny is considered in the context of eschatology which deals with life after death. Precisely, eschatology is an aspect of Christian Theology that deals with the last things. The “last things” (eschata) are various moments or stages in the final manifestation process: death, particular judgment, limbo, purgatory hell or heaven, the parousia that is, the Second Coming of Christ, resurrection of the body, general judgment, consummation of all things in the perfection of the kingdom of God. This concern the final destiny of humanity expressed in Christian theology of eschatology in particular and eschatology and the destiny of the human person in the Judeo-Christian and Etsakọ religions in general. But in a précis every discourse on eschatology and final human destiny gives credence to the fact that there is only one beginning and one end of all created reality: God. However, since human affairs are tainted by human tendency of leaning towards egotism in the form empty conceit, pride, tepidity, and the lack of love; fickleness, disloyalty, cruelty, bitterness, narrowness and obstinacy, then, for any human person who began in God to end peacefully in God as well as to have fulfilment in the end, a living in ethical consciousness and praxis is imperative; for the fulfilment of the human destiny is the culmination of a long life lived in ethical consciousness and praxis in happiness for all eternity with God. Thus, this is the final encounter and this final encounter is called the beatific vision. The opposite of this experience for those who were alienated from culture, humanity and God by living a meaningless life find themselves losing the final vision of God. These disobedient people experience hell which is a total separation from God and humanity.
Nevertheless, heaven and hell need to be considered more emphatically, and this finds fulfilment in the context of the discourse on heaven and hell in the Judeo-Christian and Etsakọ religions. Heaven is synonymous to the beatific vision and hell is synonymous to the loss of the beatific vision. Heaven is a state where the soul will recognize the true God and be at one with him in perfect love and union. Here the soul falls perfectly in love with God who is the eternal love and the absolute good in whom all values subsist. This God is the same to the African as to other people; for there is only one God. The Hebrew people call him Yahweh, Elohim and Adonai. The Etsakọ people call him, Osinẹgba, Ọghẹna and Ọmọlua. This same God revealed himself to Moses and the people of Israel in their concrete life situation. God revealed himself to the Etsakọ people also in their concrete life situation. Hence, Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God to the Jews and the African people.
In a nut shell, this work is a comparative analysis of the fundamental beliefs and practices in the Etsakọ and Judeo-Christian religions. This sounds so elaborate, that one could almost think it is an impossible task to accomplish, however, the author, who is best described as a man with words, did not find it difficult to compress and merge this vast topic and came out with this priceless masterpiece – Eschatology and Anthropology – a comparative analysis of the fundamental beliefs and practices in the Etsakọ and Judeo-Christian religions pointing out their reconcilable doctrines and totems; as such it is a must read for all especially the African theologians who should advance their intellectual prowess in the direction of reconciling the fundamentals of their own native cultures with the church’s in order to evangelize the root of their own people and to bring them to the lime light for the world to know and appreciate their own uniqueness as well as their similarity with others around them.
The author’s effort here sets a paradigm for other enlightened Nigerians to follow in the course of exploring the totality of our divers Nigerian cultures and African Traditional Religions which we should never attempt to discard in the face of Western cultures and religions as we mistakenly tend to accept that they are superior and different from ours whereas that’s just because we have failed to dig deep into ours which truly are as much authentic, unique, and par with them. I commend the author, an erudite scholar, a poet, a born genius of the Etsakọ people, a dramatist, a man with wealth of knowledge and experience, a prolific writer and a renowned contextual theologian for a job well done. This work thus, is a masterpiece and brainchild of the debris of his scholarly competence and so we recommend it for perusal by all and sundry, once again, BRAVO father.
Sr. Dr. Stella Bassey Esirah HHCJ
H.O. D, Department of Philosophy;
St Joseph Major Seminary, Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State
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