Nnadiebube Journal of Religion, Culture and Society

The story of a life funds this essay. This man joined a Pentecostal group in his youth. He got convinced that ancestral spirits are against him such that economic success usually slipped through his fingers, which, in the popular religious lexicon, is termed the ‘near-success’ syndrome. Our protagonist had moved from one Pentecostal ministry to another in search of a powerful man or woman of God to expel the offending spirits. Now, he has given up. He no longer identifies with any Christian group. Worse, he no longer engages in any economic activity not for lack of opportunity. He has become a burden to his family. Regrettably, a review of his past business activities shows glaring instances of misplaced priorities and bad business decisions. Flaws in character, and the precarious Nigerian business terrain are implicated in this human tragedy as well as the version of Christianity that he bought into. With the help of Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s concept of antifragility, we will map the configuration of elements of the Christian tradition that contributed to the human tragedy narrated above.

Open Full Text (PDF)