BY
Dr. Kingsley Okoro
Department of History and Strategic Studies/ Philosophy/ Religion and Cultural Studies
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike,
Ikwo [AE-FUNAI] Ebonyi State- Nigeria.
Okoro_kingsleyn@yahoo.com
+2348037026069
ABSTRACT
It is a sound ideality that human existence operates on the natural law of dynamism. Thus changes and chances order life activities. Hence, life cannot be determined as it swings in a pendulum with the result that humanity is always faced with odds at every sphere. Some of these odds include but not limited to poverty, sickness, loss of property, source of income, health and bereavement. We also lose family through divorce and lose peace and home through wars, crises and natural disaster. We are therefore triggered with depression, frustration and social alienation. These may lead to committing suicide, rejecting the society and other antisocial behaviors as an escape route. Therefore, this paper is dedicated to finding out the role of religion as an aide vide to coping meaningfully with these odds of life. The paper adopts the socioreligious and psychological methods of investigation. While the interest of this paper centers on faith-based coping strategy, it observes that people have adopted other strategies to coping with their odds, some of these strategies include gambling, prostitution, drinking, singing, dancing, philosophizing etcetera. Here, the paper notes that religion as a coping strategy has helped the religious redefine his/her life and mission in this temporary existence. It also provides the victims of life with a ready community to serve as care-giver. The paper concludes that if religious/ faith based coping/healing strategy is provided and emphasized in all sectors of life in the modern world, the negative and fatal means of solving social odds will be minimized.
KEYWORDS: Religion, Coping, strategy, Society.
RE-THINKING RELIGION AS A COPING STRATEGY IN MODERN NIGERIAN SOCIETY
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