Introduction

Christians and Christianity are an integral part of the fabric of northern Nigerian society. As we have seen in the previous chapter, this community constitutes a significant minority of the population of different states in northern Nigeria. In this contribution, we synthesize the main findings from the research on ‘Christianity and Democratic Governance in Nigeria’, conducted by Jibrin Ibrahim and his colleagues (J. Ibrahim 2008a; Ojo 2008; Alubo 2008) and two working papers written as part of the Islam Research Programme (IRP) – Abuja project (Ibrahim & Ehrhardt 2012; Ehrhardt 2012b). We introduce the main Christian denominations in northern Nigeria and discuss some of the issues that are pertinent to understanding the Christian communities in the region (diversity, politics and gender). Given the extremely diverse and dynamic nature of Christianity in contemporary Nigeria, it can only fulfil this aim in a modest way by highlighting some of the major issues and developments that characterize the contemporary Nigerian ‘body of Christ’.

With this modest aim in mind, the chapter will focus on a few issues in particular. First, it will give a brief overview of the history of Christianity in northern Nigeria, a demographic sketch of the Christian population of the region, and a typology that helps to differentiate the main Christian denominations and organizations. The chapter will then go on to discuss some of the main issues in the relation between Christianity and politics, followed by an analysis of the internal and external leadership roles of Christian leaders and the corresponding (democratic) challenges related to this. Finally, the chapter will focus on gender in contemporary Christian movements in Nigeria, particularly concerning the role of women in Christian organizations. Before discussing these topics, however, it is important to define what we understand as the Christian religion. Who is a Christian and what is Christianity? In this chapter, we will resist the temptation of attempting to answer this question with reference to any specific religious doctrine, foundational principles, or religious practices. Instead, we will view Christianity as a multifaceted collection of beliefs, individuals, and organizations, which may be analysed through a wide range of analytical lenses. In this way, Christianity may simultaneously be seen as the provider of a social identity, a social group, a religious doctrine, a moral compass, a source of community, or a tool for political competition.