SUPREME BEING AS A STRANGER IN IBIBIO RELIGIOUS THOUGHT

Abstract

This study examines the paradoxical conception of the Supreme Being, AbasiIbom, in Ibibio religious thought, where He is revered as creator and sustainer yet remains distant from daily worship. Within the Ibibio worldview, the Supreme Being's transcendence necessitates the role of intermediaries—divinities (ndem) and ancestors (ekpo)—who mediate between humans and the divine. This estrangement, framed within the concept of Deus Otiosus, highlights the tension between divine transcendence and immanence. The Ibibio thoughts reveal a broader African religious pattern in which God is acknowledged as supreme but approached indirectly. The study also explores the transformative impact of colonialism and Christianity, which redefined the perception of God from a remote “stranger” to a more personal and immanent being, thereby creating a hybrid religious consciousness. Theologically and philosophically, the Ibibio case raises questions about divine hidden nature, mediation, and moral authority. It concludes that the “strangerhood” of the Supreme Being reflects not irrelevance but a cultural affirmation of divine transcendence, enriching African philosophy of religion.