RELIGION AND SOCIAL CHANGE AS PARTCULARISTIC FORMS OF POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS: A REVIEW OF CHRISTIAN AND MOSLEM RELATIONS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper is looking into the role and place of religion in the nation building and state building processes in Nigerian societies. It took the course of social change dynamics of religion and ethnicity rivalries to bring the spells of social conflict in Nigeria. It discusses Christian-Muslim relations on the sphere of democracy in Nigeria. In this paper, the findings of the study therefore, support the thesis that there is a strong possibility of change to genuine democratic governance in Nigeria; if only the nation will adopt the principles of Reconstructionist contents of the constitutional review in restructuring the Nigeria’s state. The study concluded that the system of good governance could be realized in Nigeria, if there is a genuine restructure of polity in Nigeria. It will lead to a better national integration and democracy in Nigeria. This research does not involve any survey technique and approaches of quantitative method analysis. Rather, it is a historical and analytical research that draws heavily on the various theories on religion and politics in Nigeria.