A Comparative Analysis of Sainthood and Ancestor Veneration in Traditional Religion: A Case Study of Reverend Fr. Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi

Abstract

The veneration of the saints among the Christians and the Ancestor worship among the adherents of African Traditional religion has been seen as a thing that is very sacrosanct in commemoration of both cults in the religious paradigm. The saints in the belief system of the Christians serves as mediators to them through God, while in the religious worldview among the adherents of the African Traditional Religion, the ancestors act as intermediaries in the extraterrestrial or spiritual landscape. This paper focuses on the features or characteristics that show cases their convergences and divergences which evidently supports the theme ‘dialogue' among the two world religions using deification theory of Hecataeus which was propounded more than 4000 B.C in relation to where the study of comparative religious scholarship is concerned. This article will investigate these religious steps, using some religious hermeneutic keys, will try to analyse the phenomenon of canonization to show that ancestors and saints are living dead that are venerated by both world religions. This paper also explores those qualities that are used as a yardstick or steps for canonizing Reverend Fr. Michael Cyprian Iwene Tansi as a case study.