Learning to Be Christian: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Small ethnically-related adjacent groups view themselves as quite distinct from their neighbors — and tend to accentuate these perceived differences. This greatly influences their diverse responses to similar changes in social environment, such as the coming of Christian missionaries. Citing his study of two such adjacent groups in northern Nigeria, Professor Salamone suggests that the chosen approach to a specific people can be facilitated by recognizing that culture change, including conversion, involves a learning process.