TITLE:
A Theological Economy in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Mt 25:31-46)
AUTHORS:
Deborah Doyinsola Adegbite, Olusola Deborah Adegbite
KEYWORDS:
Economic Development, Sheep, Goat, Africa, Nigeria, Poor, Hunger, Sick
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.2 No.4,
April
20,
2015
ABSTRACT:
This paper explores an economic system that is based on theological
rationale to see whether the difficulties that Nigerians (Africans) face in
developing can be viewed from a theological stand point. It uses the Parable of
the Sheep and Goats recorded only in Matthew’s Gospel to proffer solutions to
the problem of underdevelopment in Nigeria by advocating for a theological
economy. The methodologies used for the interpretation of this parable are
hermeneutical-critical and reader-response. The results of this study show that
if a theological economy is practiced as a lifestyle following the principles
of theological economics as exemplified in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats,
and the developing countries of the world adopt the attitude of the Sheep as
against the Goats, it will give hope that Nigeria and Africa at large would
experience not just development but sustainable development from now henceforth
if practised if the principle is applied.