ABSTRACT

Religion is a major issue in Nigeria, Africa and the world as a whole. In Nigeria, religion has proven to be a major cause of social unrest over the years. This is largely, if not totally, between the two dominant religions: Christianity and Islam. Most crises in Nigeria, especially in Northern Nigeria, often had religious undertones. Religion is also a major determinant in political matters in Nigeria, sometimes to the extreme. Over the years, efforts have been made by government, religious bodies and other NGOs to engender long-lasting peace between these two major religions in Nigeria. While these efforts are yielding fruits, there is still a long way to go. In this work, we set out to discuss inter-religious dialogue as an obligation for the Church as a family of God. We shall trace the origins of religious conflicts in Nigeria. We shall examine some major causes of religious conflicts in Nigeria. Then we shall discuss the Church as a family of God. We shall x-ray some Church documents on Christian-Muslim relations in Nigeria. Then we shall make recommendations towards harmonious Christian-Muslim relations in Nigeria. It is hoped that this work will aid towards the reduction of unnecessary tension between adherents of bot religions.