Traditional Healing Practices and Holistic Health: The Implication for Christian Families in South West Region of Nigeria

Abstract

The Christian family is considered as the first and basic expression of man’s social nature. The family is also the smallest social unit and a community of persons, where love and affection are demonstrated in a genuine way. In this community of persons, two partners stay together and accept each other. They give themselves in love as they profess their faith during the sacramental rite of marriage. Thus, because of the significance and the vital role the family plays in the entire community and in the society, there is the utmost need to safeguard the interest of the family, especially when religion and health issues are involved. If the family is healthy, its members will be able to worship God in truth and in serenity of hearts. The society too will remain cohesive. Hence, it is important to understand the role of cultural beliefs and how they affect the individuals in the family in order to promote the stable and functional families that make up society. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the influence of traditional healing practices Ifa (divination), rituals and sacrifices on holistic health among the Christian families in South-West Region of Nigeria. The goal is to discover different ways to help each family member gain the right knowledge about cultural beliefs and practices in order to achieve holistic health. Keywords: