Christian Churches and the Boko Haram Insurgency in Cameroon: Dilemmas and Responses
Journal Title: Religions - Year 2017, Vol 8, Issue 8
Abstract
The spillover of the terrorist activities of Boko Haram, a Nigerian jihadi group, into Cameroon’s north has resulted in security challenges and humanitarian activity opportunities for Christian churches. The insurgents have attacked and destroyed churches, abducted Christians, worsened Muslim-Christian relations, and caused a humanitarian crisis. These ensuing phenomena have adversely affected Christian churches in this region, triggering an aura of responses: coping strategies, humanitarian work among refugees, and inter-faith dialogue. These responses are predicated on Christianity’s potential as a resource for peace, compassion, and love. In this study we emphasize the role of Christian churches in dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency. It opens with a presentation of the religious configuration of Cameroon, followed by a contextualization of Boko Haram insurgency in Cameroon’s north. The paper further examines the brutality meted out on Christians and church property. The final section is an examination of the spiritual, humanitarian, and relief services provided by churches. The paper argues that although Christian churches have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram insurgents, they have engaged in various beneficial responses underpinned by the Christian values of peace and love.
Authors and Affiliations
Lang Michael Kpughe
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP25736
- DOI https://doi.org/10.3390/rel8080143
- Views 347
- Downloads 10
Religious Affiliations of the Chinese Community in Australia: Findings from 2016 Census Data
Through a systematic investigation—the first attempt of this kind—into the recently released 2016 Australian census data, this article presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the religious identity of the C...
Rebirth According to the Bhagavad g¯ıta¯; Epistemology, Ontology and Ethics
This paper is engaged with the topic of reincarnation in the Bhagavad g¯ıta, ¯ better termed “rebirth”. It first looks into the epistemological aspects of rebirth, and highlights the type of knowledge or terminology un...
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Religions in 2017
Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Religions maintains high quality standards for its published papers. In 2017, a total of 265 papers were published in the journal. Thanks to th...
The Partisan Trajectory of the American Pro-Life Movement: How a Liberal Catholic Campaign Became a Conservative Evangelical Cause
This article employs a historical analysis of the religious composition of the pro-life movement to explain why the partisan identity of the movement shifted from the left to the right between the late 1960s and the 19...
Margaret Cavendish, Feminist Ethics, and the Problem of Evil
This paper argues that, although Margaret Cavendish’s main philosophical contributions are not in philosophy of religion, she makes a case for a defense of God, in spite of the worst sorts of harms being present in the...