Isupo: Assessing the relevance of Deuteronomy 25:5–10 in the Nigerian Christian context, with particular reference to the Yoruba

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Isupo: Assessing the relevance of Deuteronomy 25:5–10 in the Nigerian Christian context, with particular reference to the Yoruba
 
Creator Ademiluka, Solomon O.
 
Subject — Deuteronomy 25:5-10; levirate marriage; polygamy; Nigerian widows; Nigerian Christians
Description The description of levirate marriage in Deuteronomy 25:5–10 has reminiscences with the same practice in Africa, especially isupo (levirate marriage) among the Yoruba of south-west Nigeria. The article seeks the relevance of this text in Nigeria in the possibility of levirate marriage still being of some socio-economic value to Christian widows and the society at large. It employs the historical-critical and descriptive methods. The work finds that in both the Hebrew and African cultures, levirate marriage served the purpose of raising children for the deceased, who would perpetuate his lineage and inherit his property. But in Africa the institution was most significant in providing economic and social protection for widows and their children. Unfortunately, levirate marriage is fast disappearing in Nigeria because of Western influence, particularly Christianity. The effect of this for many widows is abject poverty, by virtue of which some of them resort to illegitimate and dishonouring means to make ends meet. The work, therefore, concludes that resuscitating levirate marriage would be of immense socio-economic value to Nigerian widows and the society.Contribution: The article is a contribution to Old Testament theology and Christian ethics. It proposes that levirate marriage can still be employed as a means of socio-economic protection for Nigerian Christian widows.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2023-02-28
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v79i2.7551
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 79, No 2 (2023); 9 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7551/24522 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7551/24523 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7551/24524 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/7551/24525
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Solomon O. Ademiluka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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