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The Department of Religious Studies
came into being at the inception of the University College,
Ibadan, in 1948. It began by offering one of the subjects
for the B.A. General Degree in Special Relationship
with the University of London, and subsequently also
offered courses leading to the Honours Degree of Bachelor
of Divinity. The Special Relationship ended officially
in June, 1964, and thereafter we started to produce
B.A. (Honours Religious Studies) graduates of this University.
Courses are offered in the field of
history and phenomenology ot religion, theology and
philosophy, aiming at an interpretation and understanding
of African Traditional Religion, Christianity and Islam,
separately and in so far as there has been cross-fertilization
between them.
Under a scheme of Special Relationship
with the University, the Diploma in Religious Studies
course (a 2-year programme) introduced in October 1964
became available externally from 1969 to approved Theological
Colleges in Nigeria. So far, three Nigerian Theological
Institutions have taken advantage of this opportunity
and have been admitted into the scheme.
Within the last ten years, the Department
has produced over 80 graduates, 66 of whom majored in
Religious Studies while the rest combined Religious
Studies with other disciplines. At the postgraduate
research level, we have produced three Masters and five
Doctoral graduates, the first (a Master�s) being in
1970. About 25% of our total products, so far, are ordained
into the Ministry of the Church in Nigeria; the rest
are serving the country in other various capacities.
Major Developments
(i) Departmental Journal
One particular achievement of the Department,
so far, is that it has become an ORITA, �the place where
ways meet� for study and research into African Traditional
Religion, Islam, and Christianity. This has received
concrete manifestation in ORITA, Ibadan Journal of Religious
Studies, which has received a global, academic acceptance
and commendation.
(ii) Annual Religious Studies Conference
The Department has also served as a
cohesive force, for bringing together several disciplines
in the University into academic fellowship. Thus, disciplines
which appear on the surface to be disparate elements
can now mix well in academic intimacy. Evidence of this
is afforded by the annual Religious Studies Conference
where vital issues are examined and treated from the
Christian, Islamic, African Traditional, Philosophical,
humanistic, sociological and political points of view.
The Department is tackling the vital, fundamental problems
of life as well as offering Religion-in-the-service-of-man.
(iii) External Diploma and External
Certificate in Religious Studies
In 1969, the Department began to run
the External Diploma and External Certificate in Religious
Studies, and so far, three Theological Institutions
have been admitted into the scheme. Under the scheme,
the examination is administered jointly by the University
and the Theological Institution concerned. The University
appoints external examiners, moderates the examina�tion
question papers and the marking of the candidates� scripts,
and awards the External Diploma or External Certificate.
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