THE ABSENCE OF HYGIENE IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP: A STUDY OF EZEH’S YOUR CHURCH, MY SHRINE

Abstract

This research presents a Postcolonial study that examined the absence of hygiene in Christian worship as depicted by Ezeh in his novel Your Church, My Shrine. Hygiene is cleanliness and cleanliness can be said to be purity and virtue.  Christian worship is expected to be conducted according to the dictates of the Bible. Christians are expected to be clean, pure and virtuous in their daily conduct and worship of God.  Christian worship in the post-colonial Nigeria however has shifted focus to materialism and seeking of miracles. This pushes the religious leaders to seek the powers needed for such miracles as exposed by Ezeh in the book in study. Many critics and authors have criticised this new trend in Christianity. The research discovered that many evils are perpetrated in the name of Christian worship to achieve personal gains as exposed in Your Church My Shrine. The results are devastations which result in untold hardship, pain and death. The study came to the conclusion that true motif of worship of God has benefits; therefore, Christian devotees should adhere to the true worship of God to avoid the negative consequences as depicted by the literary work studied.