UNIZIK JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HUMAN RELATIONS

Christianity has become dominant in Igbo land yet the contributions of J. C. Taylor and Simon Jonas has not receive enough academic attention, the role of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) not withstanding; J. C. Taylor and Simon Jonas weathered the hash climatic condition which took the lives of many European missionaries. Theattention and discovery ofIgbo land as potential and fertile ground for the gospel by other missionary societies is due to their missionary ruggedness and doggedness that galvanized the interest in Christianization, commerce and colonization of Igbo land. The missionary historiography was not fair to the contributions of these two freed slaves who became thespring board to evangelizing Igbo nation and success of cutting off Islamizationof this part of West Africa. The seemingly neglect to acknowledge the contributions of Simon Jonas and J. C. Taylor – the able lefteaunantsto S. A Crwother is an academic aberration that raises questions in scholarship and points to the complexities and challenges inherent in missionary historiography. It underscores the necessity for this study and also a deliberate effort to motivate further research work into the historical roots and evolution of Christianity in Igbo land. This study investigates the contributions of Simon Jonas and J. C. Taylor to the spread of Christianity in Igbo land.The study uses a descriptive approach for data analysis and a qualitative phenomenological research methodology. Datawere collected through library materials, like textbooks, articles, magazines, news sources, The study observed that that Taylor Simon certainly were the most remarkable contributors in the nineteenth century missionary endeavour while Taylor contributed immensely to the literature and study of the Igbo language; a position which he enjoyed without rivalry until Archdeacon T. J. Dennis work appeared in the first decades.

Open Full Text (PDF)