CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND THE CHURCH A CASE STUDY OF ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF ENUGU

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

Human society is constantly fraught with struggle, fighting, squabble and crime as emphasized by Igbo (2001). Each section of the social stratification at one time or the other complains of being marginalized, deprived of their basic right and therefore seek for redress. In advanced societies, series of ways for seeking redress over human right violation abound and each when properly adhered to attract the attention of the authority. As such, social conflict could be said to have been checkmated to an extent in advanced society, (Neuman: 2008). However Okwueze (2004) noted that, in the African setting majority of social restiveness account for the constant total conflicts experienced in the form of civil war and community crises.

Best (2009) noted that an overview of the causes of these constant conflicts in our society suggests that human society hardly will ever exist without conflict. Hence the major problem confronting us in such a socio-economic and political environment fraught with conflict is how we can succeed in conflict management and resolution. If therefore we consider value of peace to any society, we can at least, must have understood the essence of conflict management. Best (2009) suggests that in every given society peace and conflict exist in a given ratio at which its proportion is a measure of the development status of such society. The developmental value of a society therefore depends to a large extent on the coherent elastic relative relationship between it and peace and conflict.

Conflict management, as important as it is demands a long time planning which can only be achieved through the establishment of both international, national and community bodies with the aim of instituting peace and stability in the society. For such a body to be effective therefore, we must put in consideration the vast nature of security management in our vase scientific and technologically advancing society. At this stage therefore one’s mind will be instantly focused on the persevering roll of the uniformed organizations and the judicial body towards maintaining peace and order in the society. However we are more inclined to studying, as to understand and emphasis more on the roll of the Church towards conflict management.

Piven (1988) commented that the Church as the body of Christ had over the years built the foundational frame work of striving societies like Great Britain, United State of America and Italy. The Church had always maintained a very close relationship with the society through its religious beliefs and doctrines. The Church has herself suffered constant internal and external crisis as a result of conflict. Her hierarchical order was established to institute order and as well harness the resources of the Church as to influence positively the society and as well create an enabling environment for human engineering and empowerment. The Diocese of Enugu has an out standing record of having dealt with human and social relationship for close to two decades. It has survived both eternal and external crises and therefore is suitable case study for the discussion of conflict management and the Church.

• Statement of Problem

Quite often mentioned are the existence of religious crisis in multi-religious environment and the prevalent nature of the constant internal conflict existing within the Church. Little have been said concerning the contributions of the Church towards conflict management and resolution in our society.

Best (2004) agrees to a large extent that scholarly attention obviously has been centered on the exploits of the law enforcement agencies, the government, the judiciary and other non-religious organizations over conflict related issues. The Church which is one of the major stakeholders as long as our society is concerned has contributed enough towards conflict management and therefore deserves to be given a line on writing in appreciation of this fact.

Ibenwa (2012) pointed out that the Church has not been able to measure up to the wide expectation of the society over issues concerning conflict management and some factors are responsible for this laxity. Some of these factors which include secularism, denomination differences, doctrinal issues, segregation, in balance between political/philosophical/theological issues are also responsible for the co-existence of external and internal conflict within the Church. It is therefore reasonable to say that this problems need to be properly addressed.

• Purpose of Study

The major aim of this research is to point out vividly the over looked contribution of the Church towards conflict management in our society. We therefore are look at the lapses of the Church conflict management as to create an enabling environment for the Church to add more grease to her elbow. We are paying more attention on the Church and conflict management with the Diocese of Enugu as a case study.