APPRAISING THE ROLE OF PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY FOR WRITING LOCAL AFRICAN CHURCH HISTORY

Abstract

Church histories, written by Africans on a variety of topics are currently in circulation in Northern Nigeria. Some of these reconstructed local church histories ignore some major rules guiding historical reconstruction. As a result, such local histories leave more questions than answers in the minds of their readers. This study appraises the value and role of the philosophy of history in the task of local church history reconstruction. The qualitative method of research was used for this study. The findings reveal that philosophers and scholars of history made critical reflections on the historical process, and the meaning and nature of history as a subject of study. Through these reflections, they were able to come up with methods, rules, standards, patterns and theories that should guide the historians in their task of reconstructing local histories. The findings also reveal that the German equivalent of the English word ‘history’, wissenschaft, means ‘the systematic quest for ordered knowledge’. This suggests that history is a science, but not in the manner of the natural sciences. It is a science because it requires investigation and questioning. It examines evidence meticulously and is critical of received views. It also presents its discoveries analytically in a systematic fashion. The study, therefore, recommends that writers of local church histories should approach the task of local church history reconstruction with a critical frame of mind. Besides, African church historiography should not be an elective, but a core course in the departments of religious studies and seminaries in Nigeria, as these are the constituencies from which many African church history writers often emerge. It should also be made part of the orientation needed for new priests and church workers who may find themselves saddled with the task of reconstructing local church histories.