IGWEBUIKE: African Journal of Arts and Humanities

Religious initiation practices are fundamental in shaping and sustaining religious identity, yet the mechanisms through which they operate across traditions remain underexplored. This study examines how Catholic and Orthodox Jewish initiation rituals form religious identity by analyzing the theological, ritual, and social dimensions of Catholic sacramental initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) and Orthodox Jewish coming-of-age rites (Bar/Bat Mitzvah). Employing comparative analysis grounded in ritual theory and social constructionism, the research identifies that similarities such as structured education, communal integration, and symbolic ritual action create durable frameworks for identity formation in both traditions. However, key differences emerge in theological emphasis (sacramental grace vs. covenantal responsibility), divine agency, timing of initiation, and gender inclusion, leading to distinct pathways of religious belonging. The study further explores how these comparative dynamics influence religious identity expression and communal life in Nigeria’s pluralistic society. In contexts of interreligious encounter or tension, the exclusivity inherent in some initiation theologies may reinforce communal boundaries, whereas shared structural elements such as rite-of-passage symbolism offer potential for interfaith understanding. Ultimately, this research theorizes initiation as a theologically mediated social process that can either strengthen in-group identity or, in certain socio-religious climates, contribute to sectarian division, with significant implications for religious education and interreligious dialogue in Nigeria.

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