THE UNHEARD CRY OF THE IGBO PEOPLE

Book excerpt: In this book, which itself is the outcome of an Award winning research work, Fr chigbo utilized the resources in Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Meta-psychology of the Meaning of Human Life to study the Phenomena of the proliferation of prayer and healing ministries in Igboland. He states: The religious and spiritual world-outlooks of Ndi Igbo predisposed them to seek for meaning of life in a religious-spiritual setting. The double assaults of the invasive colonialism and Christian Missionary exploits, as well as, these catastrophes: slavery and slave trade, the Nigerian-Biafran war, Neo-Colonialism, the exploitation, marginalization, and oppression of the Igbo people motivated them to raise questions about the fundamental quality of ‘being human’ – who am I and what is the meaning of my life? The economic hardship, political instability and the attack on fundamental Igbo cultural heritage also joined forces with the other factors mentioned above to cause existential frustration and existential vacuum within the Igbo population. The author developed and explored what he calls “Heschelian Diagnostic Tool”, as well as, the ten psycho-pastoral phases in the search for the meaning in Human life. He proposed a new vision for prayer and healing ministry which is centered on the empowerment of each individual person to respond responsibly to the demand-quality of life – to engage in actions that are responses to the questions life poses before each unique individual. This is an invaluable resource for all those involved or interested in the diverse field of pastoral care.