RECONCILIATION AND HEALING FROM NEW TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE
TOWARDS A PRACTICAL THEOLOGICAL APPLICATION TO CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA
Keywords:
Reconciliation, Practical Theology, New Testament, Trauma, HealingAbstract
In Nigerian society today, many relationships face a myriad of complex problems that call for reconciliation and trauma healing due to various historical, social, economic, and political factors. Some of the current challenges that affect various spares of living are caused by religious extremism and radicalization in some communities, which bread into misunderstandings, stereotyping, and prejudices. The challenges further fuels mistrust and conflict with political and social factors that motivate tensions between the populations and impact of global events and media narratives on perceptions and attitudes of individual towards each other. From practical theological methodology, the paper explored the New Testament perspective of reconciliation that addresses healing. The research examines the concept of reconciliation in the New Testament, exploring its biblical and theological foundations to understand its implications for healing within contemporary contexts. The study investigates various dimensions of reconciliation presented in the New Testament, including reconciliation with God, within the Christian community, and with self and others. The research revealed the New Testament rich and integrative understanding of healing and reconciliation that emphasizes holistic restoration, encompassing physical, spiritual, and relational dimensions. On the other hand reconciliation stressed on the mending of humanity’s relationship with God and the fostering of harmonious relationships among people. The pragmatic contributions involve integrating the theological principles into daily practices and community initiatives by recommending engagement in personal spiritual practices, developing community-based programs, advocating for social justice, offering education and training, incorporating cultural sensitivity, and leveraging technology.