If pastors, church leaders, or missionaries promote use of the trade language in Christian contexts in an area where a minority language is the language best understood by church members, the result may be a linguistically neglected segment of people within the Christian church. This assertion is supported by data from two case studies in northern Nigeria. Responses to an interview schedule administered in one ethnic group indicated that 21 percent of those who claimed to be Christians lacked knowledge of Jesus. Suggestions are made for expanded use of local languages in Christian contexts.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BargeryG. P.1934A Hausa-English Dictionary and English-Hausa Vocabulary. London: Oxford University Press.
2.
BarrettDavid B.1987“Annual Statistical Table of Global Mission: 1987.”. International Bulletin of Missionary Research11(1):24–25.
3.
BarrettDavid B., ed. 1983World Christian Encyclopedia. Nairobi, Kenya: Oxford University Press.
4.
HastingsAdrian1976African Christianity. New York: The Seabury Press.
5.
McKinneyCarol V.1985“The Bajju of Central Nigeria: A Case Study of Religious and Social Change.” Ph.D. dissertation, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX.
6.
NiyangStephen Jel1988“Factors Affecting the Use of Translations in Northern Nigeria.” M.A. thesis, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, C.A.
7.
ScottonCarol Myers1975“Multilingualism in Lagos—What It Means to the Social Scientist.” In Patterns of Language, Culture and Society: Sub-Saharan Africa. HerbertRobert K., ed. Pp. 78–90. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University.
8.
U. S. Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. 1979World Population. Publication number 15P-WP-79. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
