Assessing the quest for miracles in Nigeria from the economic perspective

Abstract

In recent times, the quest for miracles among Nigerian Christians has become a social menace as many have fallen victim to fake miracle workers. The article studied the quest for miracles in Nigeria against the purpose and significance of miracles in the New Testament (NT), and sought to appraise this behaviour as a possible effect of the poor economic situation in the country. It applied the reader-oriented and descriptive methods. The work found that the manner of the quest for miracles by many Nigerian Christians indicates their lack of understanding of the essence of miracles in the NT. This wrong perception also explains the frantic efforts by some pentecostal preachers to work miracles, including commercialisation of miracles and certain occult practices. The essay concluded that Nigerian Christians wrong attitude towards miracles is an effect of the high rate of poverty in the country. The menace can, therefore, be ameliorated by addressing the economic situation. Government should change its corrupt attitude towards the economy while the church has to educate their members about the teaching of the Bible on miracles, and direct her preaching against corruption and its perpetrators.

Contribution: The article is a contribution to the discourse on the controversies on miracles. It argues that Nigerian Christians’ perception of miracles contradicts the essence of miracles in the NT, and that this perception and the practices involved are an effect of the poor economic situation in the country.