The Role of African Traditional Religion in Shaping Christian Practices in Ebonyi State

This study examines the influence of African traditional religious beliefs and practices on contemporary Christian worship and everyday piety among church members in Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria. Despite decades of Christian presence in the South East, anthropologists and theologians continue to observe the persistence of traditional religious elements within ostensibly Christian communities, raising important questions about the depth and nature of religious conversion. Using a descriptive qualitative design, data are gathered through participant observation in five churches across Abakaliki, Izzi, and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas, supplemented by thirty interviews with church members, pastors, and traditional elders. Findings indicate that practices such as ancestral veneration, use of traditional healers in times of illness, and observance of communal taboos continue to coexist with Christian profession in many households. These practices are often rationalised through syncretic theological frameworks that blend biblical language with indigenous cosmological beliefs. The study identifies theological ambiguity, inadequate contextual preaching, and the pressure of community belonging as the primary drivers of syncretism. The research recommends the development of contextual theology curricula for churches in Ebonyi State that engage traditional beliefs critically and constructively rather than dismissively. Keywords: African traditional religion, syncretism, Christian practice, Ebonyi State, contextual theology