In instances of insecurity in many societies, churches “also” suffer. Yet there is a dearth of literature exploring the experiences of churches in connection with situations of insecurity. This study, therefore, explored the experiences of churches in the face of the high rate of insecurity in Rivers State, Nigeria. Information was elicited from 16 church leaders of different denominations in different communities in Rivers State. Using a descriptive narrative approach, the study found that churches’ experiences in some communities in the state are reflections of helplessness and despair due to the incidences of cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, etc. Many churches in some of the embattled communities have been deserted or left with a few older people. This has had negative impacts on evangelism and the churches’ economy, with the clergy at the receiving end. The implications of findings for the government and churches are discussed.
PurposeThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) identifies building and development, a major corollary of population growth and urbanization, as the number one primary threat to the conservation of heritage sites worldwide. With efforts at conserving these sites focussing on anthropocentrism and ecocentrism, this study introduces and examines the role of the traditional African religion as a conservation strategy using the Osun-Osogbo grove in Nigeria as a case study.Design/methodology/approachSatellite imageries of the grove and surrounding areas were analysed for land-use and land cover change using Geographic Information Systems (GISs). A review of documentary evidence and key-informant interviews were also carried out on the state of the grove and how religious beliefs impact same.FindingsResults showed that between 1986 and 2017, vegetal covers decreased by 77.1% while built-up areas grew by 342.4%. Despite the phenomenal rate of urbanization in the study area, the grove remained largely intact and even recorded a marginal increase in its vegetal cover and plant species. Qualitative data revealed that the fear of the religious taboos associated with the resident goddess of the grove, rather than a moral responsibility to the environment, was responsible for these outcomes.Originality/valueThe application of remote sensing and GIS in a transdisciplinary study of cultural heritage makes the work novel and contributes to the methodological approaches for such studies. The findings also show the potency of religion in environmental and cultural conservation.
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