A Spiritual Investigation Into Sickness Versus Healing Dynamics In Traditional Igbo Society And Its Implications To Christianity

Resumen

In recent times, the quest for the development of the Igbo man has been a burning issue. This is because of the problems associated with sufferings, hardships and challenges facing the Igbo man on daily basis. The implication is the quest for holistic healing because of the importance which the Igbo place on human life and the belief that there is always a cause for some happenings in nature. Life is precious and highly valued and any attempt to disrupt life is absolutely not accepted. Suffering of all kinds is seen as a disharmony between the spiritual and the physical world. Therefore, sickness is a disorder in the spiritual world and for effective and holistic healing, the causes of the disorder in relationship must be sought for in order to bring a harmony that will bring a holistic healing. This paper highlights the causes of sickness in Igboland, solutions to the problems of sickness and advocates proper re-orientation of the Igbo people in the modern scientific solutions to problems of man rather than maintaining the status-quo of the primitive age.