The Metaphysics and Social Philosophy of Iti Mm?nw?/Mmanw? in Igbo Religious Culture
This study explored the ontological foundations and the social connections of Mm?nw?/Mmanw?in Igbo cosmology. It derived from an ethnomethodological study of Mm?nw?/Mmanw? and Iti Mm?nw?/Mmanw? among the Igbo. The revival of traditional religious practices by the younger generation of the Igbo ethnic group of Nigeria has evolved renewed interest in the various dimensions of that culture. There are existing studies in these dimensions but they are mostly done to align with western stereotypes and paradigms. Most times, these studies are descriptive and gleaned from the periphery of the object of study. Phenomenon like Mm?nw?/Mmanw? belong to areas which the more dominant Christian culture among the Igbo views with suspicion or which has been meted with outright condemnation. Therefore, researchers who are at the same time Christians neither go into the nitty-gritties of the phenomenon so as not to be found guilty of meddling with it nor present it in a positive light so as not to be found guilty of heresy. The present researcher is a practitioner and initiate into the Mm?nw?Mmanw? circle in his community. This research is an insider’s perspective of the practice. The research collected most data from participant observation and previous studies by researchers on the subject matter. It did a critical analysis of data utilizing tools of Igbo metaphysics, mysticism and social philosophy.
Keywords: culture, igbo, iti, metaphysics, mmanwu, mm?nw?, philosophy, religious, social