JORAS - Nigerian Journal of Religion and Society

This paper critically evaluates the Bajju culture's use of cultic meal to worship the Supreme Deity called Kazzah. Through the use of empirical evaluation method, the investigation determines and extracts the cultural elements of ya Dikkan that have doctrinal semblance to the Eucharistic Communion to enhance pastoral life of the Bajju people. The inculturation motive is to evoke quality faith-based worship in the celebration of the Eucharist in Bajju land. The reality of the above is captured in the African worldview, by which Professor Justin Ukpong expressed in his methodology of inculturation and contextualization of Christian doctrine to explicate clear assimilation of divine truth. The method adopted in this empirical research coupled with field interviews are meant to cast cultural variables on the platform of doctrinal faith expression. Like the Jewish people in their religio-cultural expression build on the sacredness of life, the Bajju people live their lives too, exemplified by farming, planting, labouring and harvesting. In-between they celebrate the sacredness of life. It is in this perspective that this paper argues that some basic features and elements of Dikkan have some Christian Eucharistic content of Communion; its significance builds on the thanksgiving meal and the centrality of ancestral cultic blessings. Its core resonates on the form and matter enunciated in the celebration serving as the basis of its liturgical character. Its features principally are memorial, unity, koinonia and diakonia, pulling these resources together to explicate strong elements of culture-faith- eschaton into a perfect symmetrical bond of God-Community-love.

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