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Boko Haram: a Nigerian Brand of Thwarted Religious Fundamentalism and Terrorism

Jegede, A. E. and Olowookere, E. I. (2013) Boko Haram: a Nigerian Brand of Thwarted Religious Fundamentalism and Terrorism. In: A Panoply of Readings in Social Sciences. Department of Socinlogy College of Development Studies Covenant University Ota, Nigeria, Federal Republic of Nigeria, pp. 45-64. ISBN 978-978-49326-8-4

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Abstract

Historically, religion bequeaths man with the opportunity to relate with his creator for fulfilment and completeness. However, a new brand of acute religiosity which developed with the late modernity is notably characterised by an excessive emotional enslavement of men to strange dogmas devoided of basis in all known transitional societies. Existentially, the spate of fundamentalism explicable under the cloak of 'right to worship' in this era is continually assuming a dangerous dimension in its global context. The core of this deviation lies in the 'flexibility of meanings' often made possible by the chronological ethos 'eternally inherent' in most religious books and mostly found suitable by spiritual leaders to channel the potentials of their adherents to embark on causes that are diametrically opposed to the true intentions embedded in such religious ethos. Consequently, the boundary between such fundamentalism, sectional interest and criminality stands blurred and thus engenders disillusionment on how best to tackle the upsurge in violence often attendant . of fundamentalism. In line with this, this chapter interrogates the environment of religious teachings that promote the activities of the Boko Haram Sect and its resultant lethal conflict in Nigeria. It also seeks explanation to this trend in both interpretive and modernisation theories and finally, charts a pragmatic direction needed to avert in the future the dire consequences of religious fundamentalism in Nigeria.

Item Type: Book Section
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions: Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Humanities
Depositing User: Mr Solomon Bayoko
Date Deposited: 07 May 2014 11:49
Last Modified: 07 May 2014 11:49
URI: http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/2545

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