Historic-Phenomenological Evaluation of the Christian Experience in the Threshold of Human Development in Nigeria

Abstract

Evolving discourses within the sphere of Christian experience and social development reveals that social transformation in the society cannot be separated from spiritual transformation. Religion as a social phenomenon has therefore become an acknowledged and strategic dimension in the development thinking and practice in contemporary society. But despite apparent contributions of religion to the development of many societies such as Nigeria, the role of religion, especially Christianity, has not been given due recognition in the history and development of a number of societies such as Ibesikpo Asutan of Akwa Ibom State. This study therefore examines the religious experience of the people towards development between 1912 when Christianity arrived and 2019. The method adopted for this work is the phenomenological and descriptive designs. Findings reveal that besides the consciousness of the transcendent and the question of God's existence, Christian missions in Ibesikpo Asutan have contributed immensely toward the development of the area.