Journal for Christian reflections in the context of social sciences and humanities

Caritas et veritas 2025, 15(1):82-98 | DOI: 10.32725/cetv.2025.008

Christian Ethics and Nigerian Politics: a Reflection on Philippians 2:3-4

Michael Oyebowale Oyetade1, Esther Adeola Femi-Olubiyi2
1 University of Ilorin, Faculty of Arts, Department of Religions, Lane D29 Ilesanmi Community, Upper Gaa-Akanbi, Ilorin, Kwara State
2 University of Ilorin, Faculty of Arts, Department of Religions, Lane D29 Ilesanmi Community, Upper Gaa-Akanbi, Ilorin, Kwara State

Nigerian politics in the 21st century reflects a complex landscape of democratic retrogression, economic challenges, insecurity, and social issues, corruption, poor infrastructure, etc., despite the large numbers of Christians as citizens. Philippians 2:3-4 emphasises key principles such as selflessness, humility, consideration for others, modesty, unpretentiousness, etc., which offer specific guidance for political leaders and Nigerian citizens; thus, this paper aims to reflect on the text in the context of Nigerian politics. The research adopts a qualitative research design and the research methods are historical and exegetical methods, the population is Nigeria, and the sampling technique was purposeful sampling. The paper therefore concludes that the reflection on the text in the context of Nigerian politics underscores the importance of morality, integrity, modesty, selflessness, humility, and a genuine concern for the well-being of the people, thus, incorporating the Christian ethical principles from the text will foster a more compassionate, just, and equitable Nigerian society. Therefore, the implication of the study arrives at the fact that through selflessness, humility, empathy, and ethical conduct, Nigerian leaders and citizens can work together to build a nation where everyone’s interests are valued and respected, leading to sustainable development and progress.

Keywords: Philippians 2:3-4, Christian, Ethics, Politics, Nigeria

Received: July 11, 2024; Revised: October 17, 2024; Accepted: October 23, 2024; Prepublished online: July 16, 2025; Published: August 12, 2025  Show citation

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Oyebowale Oyetade, M., & Adeola Femi-Olubiyi, E. (2025). Christian Ethics and Nigerian Politics: a Reflection on Philippians 2:3-4. Caritas et veritas, 15(1), 82-98. doi: 10.32725/cetv.2025.008
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