A Comparative study of Some Religious Elements in Celestial Church of Christ and Yoruba Religion” CenterPoint Journal, Humanities Edition,

Abstract

The use of religious elements explains an integral aspect of African indigenous churches and Yoruba religion. Religious elements are representative objects or images that express and signify something else, other than that which is perceived in symbolic reality. It is of essence that the use of religious elements aids religious worship in driving home the desired goals as associated with belief. Thus, the abstract faith brought by Christian Missionaries could not solve all of the people's existential challenges especially Yoruba Christians. The intention of this paper is to comparatively evaluate the use of religious elements in Celestial Church of Christ, which is one of the African Indigenous Churches established by S.B.J Oshoffa in 1947 and Yoruba Religion. The study adopts historical and comparative methods leading to the fact that Celestial Church of Christ and Yoruba Religious adherents use some symbolic elements to enhance their beliefs and faith. This study seeks to posit that these religious elements are symbolic and are means to an end. To this end, these religious elements in both religions remain ever important aspect of the people's profession of their faith and experience, despite variations in typology and perception between the two faiths under review. Keywords: Religious elements, comparative study, Yoruba, Religion and Celestial Church of Christ.