Reinforcing Interfaith Dialogues Among Religions in Nigeria: Recipes for Conflict Transformation in Communities

Today’s world is a pluralistic society. This is evident in the multiplicity of cultures and religions, which should ordinarily have practiced mutual respect through interfaith and ecumenical dialogues, compromises, communal and peaceful transformation, with recognition of basic rights of all communities. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, particularly in Nigeria, dominated by three major religions: African Traditional Religions (ATR), Christianity, and Islam. These three, we must acknowledge, sometimes not only misunderstood other faiths, but scandalously eyed them with hostile suspicions and tragic distinction that we are the children of light and everyone else the child of darkness, breeding conflicts and violence. This article, using literary and theological analysis, addresses those issues that promote interreligious and ecumenical dialogue as recipes for overcoming conflicts and reinforcing positive and integral human transformation and development in communities.