Interrogating the feminine conception of the ‘supreme being’ as a religio-cultural practice among the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta

Abstract

Culture which provides order and meaning to the social, political, economic, aesthetic and religious norms and modes, forms the basis of a people’s heritage and existence. Cultural expressions and religious manifestations engender the thought-process and development of societal values and behavioural traits, the world over. Although, several studies have been carried out on the Ijaw People of the Niger Delta, little attention has been devoted to their cultural practices and belief systems. This paper thus, interrogated the Ijaw People’s conception of the Supreme Being (God) as Feminine, which is reflective of their matrilineal lineage system. This is with the aim of bringing to the fore, the people’s cultural practice and religious belief that God is a woman and its manifestations in their communal existence.

Keywords: God, Femininity, Religion, Culture, Ijaw People, Niger Delta