CHIATECH JOURNAL · Registered Version of Record

Church Engagement and Human Security in Nigeria: An Integrative Review of Practical Theology, Conflict Transformation and Social Capital with Implications for Abuja

1. Syrenius Dangana Okoriko
   Department of Christian Studies and Religious Communication, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
2. Charles Ogundu Nnaji
   Department of Christian Studies and Religious Communication, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
3. Adeola Kehinde
   Department of Christian Studies and Religious Communication, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Nigeria’s insecurity is multidimensional, and the social reach of religious institutions has generated recurring claims that the Church can contribute to peace and community resilience. Those claims require a framework that distinguishes legitimate complementary action from coercive or state-substituting roles. Objective: To synthesize theological, peacebuilding, human-security and Nigerian evidence into a defensible framework for evaluating Church engagement with insecurity, with particular attention to the FCT. Methods: A critical integrative review synthesized foundational theory, Nigerian empirical/theological scholarship and recent official security evidence used in the doctoral research corpus. Sources were organized around five practice pathways: peace formation; mediation/advocacy; socioeconomic/psychosocial care; early warning/community safety; and institutional/interfaith collaboration. Synthesis: Human Security defines the people-centred outcome; Conflict Transformation explains changes in relationships, patterns and institutions; Social Capital explains the mobilization and risk of trust-bearing networks; practical theology disciplines the movement from description to normative judgement and action. Recent Nigeria/FCT evidence supports a multi-actor preventive approach but also shows why religious authority must be bounded by law, inclusion, verification, professional referral and public accountability. Conclusion: The Church’s most credible security role is complementary rather than substitutive. It lies in forming nonviolent moral agency, mediating and advocating without partisanship, reducing vulnerability through fair care, supporting verified/lawful early warning, and sustaining cross-boundary collaboration. Empirical evaluation should measure these practices and human-security outcomes without claiming causal crime reduction from institutional visibility alone.

Keywords: human security; practical theology; conflict transformation; social capital; religious peacebuilding; church and insecurity; interfaith collaboration; Nigeria

Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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