Indigenous Spirituality

This book explores indigenous spirituality from an African perspective. It is based on a research aimed at broadening the understanding of indigenous spiritual experiences in Nigeria, particularly in light of Christian missionary activities during the first half of the twentieth century. By applying form-descriptive and mystagogic methodologies to four biographies, different levels of divine-human relationships were discerned, revealing enduring features of indigenous spirituality within historical contexts. The findings provide evidence of authentic indigenous spirituality, grounded in time and unique conditions specific to certain places. This work serves as a testimony to how the dynamism of the human spirit in indigenous communities shaped and guided responses to their deepest yearnings and fostered deep resilience in the face of unexpected interruptions over time. Past experience snippets of indigenous spirituality are examined in the present through the lens of Christian missionaries, and some features are discerned for their relevance in the future.