Tolle Lege: An Augustinian Journal of Philosophy and Theology

Amid growing concerns about the decline of research culture and the obsession with academic titles in Nigeria, this study revisits Ikechukwu Anthony Kanu’s Research Consistency Framework (RCF) through the interpretive lens of Col 3:23–24. By integrating theological, philosophical, and motivational perspectives, the paper situates research not merely as a professional obligation but as a vocation rooted in divine stewardship. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT), it explores how RCF nurtures autonomy, competence, and relatedness among scholars, promoting intrinsic motivation and ethical consistency. The exegetical engagement with Col 3:23-24 further reframes academic labour as a spiritual act of service to God rather than a pursuit of prestige. Employing a qualitative hermeneutic methodology, the study argues that true scholarly excellence transcends the quest for titles and recognition; it lies in cultivating humility, communal responsibility, and sustained research integrity. In the end, the paper calls for a renewal of academic vocation where intellectual effort becomes both worship and service for the common good. 

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