CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Austin Cline (2017) a separation between social and profane objects is a Christian belief in a supernatural being (God). Christianity is a powerful institution that has a significant impact on our socioeconomic and political actions. Many people's socioeconomic and political actions have been strongly influenced by Christian education. In Nigeria, Christianity is an alien religion that was imported in the 13th century by European, respectively.

Micheal Bergunder (2014) the unexpected subject matter of Christian education; method and practice in the study of Christianity. Christen education can be traced back to the days of early man and sought a way of response to the unknown forces of nature in their various localities. The practice of Christian education has generated a lot of controversies among people of diverse opinions in Ogun state.

Christian education instructors and mentors instill Christian ideals derived from theological patterns, and their religious attitude aids in the direction of religious sentiments through their attitudes and emotions in both formal and informal realms of interaction and idea transmission. Their notions and comprehension of humanity and the essential nature, particularly in terms of God and his connection with human society, as well as the final eschatological goals, are critical in carrying out its duties as christian education tutors and mentors, who are essentially “Christian pharmacists” prescribing and administrating theological treatments for the body and soul of the society or nation which in return produce a moral society. It is for this reason that this study is undertaken to examine the impact of Christian education in the contemporary socio-political situations life of Nigerian populace towards stability and the attendant development.

According to Adua (2012) Christianity, like many other ideas, has many different interpretations. But consider Christianity as a system in which people acknowledge the existence of a supernatural ruler of the world -God- who is the focus of devotion, obedience, and love, and who eventually leads to real religiosity and morality. There are so many religions in the world with their varying religious traditions.

On the other hand, for Okeke (2012), Education is a society's device for passing the entirety of that current societal way of life to its younger generations. This is referred to as cultural transmission in this research. Education, on the other hand, is both a process and a product. The act of a society's education is the practice of instilling concepts, beliefs, truths, beliefs, conventions, practices, and so on to its younger members. The product of education is the final outcome. The subject matter could be technical, intellectual, scientific, religious, humanistic, or something else entirely.. Christian education and how it impacts socio political issues in this society is the interest of this study.

Christian education is the study of a Christian religion's doctrines. So our focus here is on how Christian education's teachings influence Nigerian society's sociopolitical structure. Meanwhile, "societal development," or the "development of society," has a number of indicators, including the availability of enough food, employment, social infrastructure, facilities, law and order in society, better government, and so on. According to Agunwa (2017:202), "Virtual qualities such as obedience, humility, modesty, love for one's neighbor, forgiving of offenses" can be instilled in individuals through Christian education. This study considers obedience, love for one's neighbor, and forgiveness to be particularly crucial for social integration and, as a result, societal growth. For Onah, (2017:8), "Through Christian education, man learns that certain activities are good or harmful, and this leads him to live a virtuous life. This is necessary for excellent interpersonal relationships as well as national growth." And for Ezeanya (2014), Christian education focuses on establishing a feeling of the sacred in people of the society and reminding them that human life has a terminus a quo (starting point) and a terminus ad quem (ending point) (point of arrival). This contributes to a more organized and led way of life, which promotes growth. Therefore the study centers on impact of Christian education in the contemporary socio-political situations in Ado Odo Ota local government area of Ogun state.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Every single being was made in God's image and has the right to be informed him. The researcher emphasizes that Christian education has an impact on current socio-political problems based on this concept. Individuals who lack knowledge of God and ethical ideals tend to be chaotic. Christian education teaches moral and Christian education that aids in the resolution of societal sociopolitical challenges. Many people in society have recently engaged in immoral behavior such as political thuggery, rioting, drug and alcohol misuse, gay, and lesbianism.

Christian education may help to eliminate such activities among society's members, particularly among young people who are enrolled in school. Individuals' moral values are enhanced by Christianity. However, there appears to be a disconnect between Christian education theory and practice, as seen by many people's unethical behavior in society, particularly when they face sociopolitical issues. Individuals face a variety of ethical issues in their lives, regardless of the fact that some students study Christian education in school. The researcher bridged this gap by looking at the impact of Christian education in the contemporary socio-political situations in ado Odo ota local government area of ogun state.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Christian education in the contemporary socio-political situations. Other general objectives of the study are:

1 To asses the nature of Christian education in the society

2 To examine if there is a significant impact of Christian education on the socio-political situations in ado ota local government area

3 To examine the benefits and purpose of Christian education in the society

4 To recommend ways in which socio political issues can be resolved through Christian education

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions shall guide this study and in the course of this research, we shall attempt to find answers to the following questions:

1 What is the nature of Christian education in the society?

2 Is there is a significant impact of Christian education on the socio-political situations in Ado Odo Ota local government area?

3 What are the benefits and purpose of Christian education in the society?

4 What are the ways in which socio political issues can be resolved through Christian education?

1.5 HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY

Hypothesis

HO: there is no significant impact of Christian education on the socio-political situations in ado Odo Ota local government area

H1: there is a significant impact of Christian education on the socio-political situations in ado Odo Ota local government area

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Conducting the research is an important exercise for both academicians and policy makers. The findings of the study will assist academicians, policy maker, administrators and Christian teachers to know the causes of immorality in the society and therefore be in a better place to create conducive environment devoid of high level of society immorality. The finding will also assist the government to identify the weaknesses of the existing strategies and also lead to the development of new strategies for addressing socio political issues using Christian education. Also, the study will enlighten parents on the need to train their children at home about Christian education so that they can be good mannered and behave well in the society, the school and the society as a whole.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 

The study would cover the impact of Christian education in the contemporary socio-political situations in ado Odo ota local government area of ogun state

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The researcher was faced with the following constraints in carrying out this study:

Time: The time within the researcher is too short to carry on the detail study on this topic.

Resources: Another constraint of the researcher is financial resources to carry on the detail study of this topic. Data: Another limitation to this study will be lack of data to make valid study on the research problem.

1.9 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION: Christian education is the process by which persons are confronted with and controlled by the Christian gospel. It involves the efforts of the Christian community to guide both young and adult persons toward an ever-richer possession of the Christian fellowship. It is both individual and social in nature

SOCIAL: Social organisms, including humans, live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or involuntary

POLITICAL: Politics is the way that people living in groups make decisions. Politics is about making agreements between people so that they can live together in groups such as tribes, cities, or countries.