Kingsley Uwaegbute

Biography

I hold a PhD in Religion and Cultural Studies (New Testament) from the Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka where I also teach as a Senior Lecturer. I am a multi-disciplinary scholar who has conducted ethnographic research(es) in the Igbo area as it concerns Christianity’s interaction with the culture of the people in present times with a focus on the youth. My research interests broadly cover African Biblical Studies, Social Scientific Criticism, Sustainability/Ecological Hermeneutics, Christianity and Igbo culture and religion and society. 

Some of my research works have been published in referred journals such as African Studies, Journal of Asian and African Studies, Critical Research on Religion, Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses, African Studies Quarterly, Journal of Religion in Africa, HTS Teologiese/Theological Studies, Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture and Ecology, Journal of Youth and Theology among others. At present, I am the Assistant Editor of Nsukka Journal of Religion and Cultural Studies (NJRCS), the official journal of Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.  

Project Information

Project Title: Roots Reimagined: The Digital Revival of Igbo Traditions in Southeast Nigeria 

The project posits that the youth in Southeast Nigeria are using social media to drive their narrative of "going back to their roots." This phenomenon, termed the "invention of tradition," in the study aligns with sociological and anthropological literature. The revivalist agenda is not merely about recovering authentic Igbo cultural practices but is also about creating new practices that are presented as age-old traditions. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap on how social media aids this invention of tradition among the youth. The research seeks to answer these questions: 

• How are Igbo youth in Southeastern Nigeria utilising social media to (re)invent and propagate traditional cultural practices as part of their revivalist agenda? 

• In what ways does the revival of Igbo traditions via social media challenge and transform contemporary cultural identities and social structures in Southeastern Nigeria? 

In order to fully make sense of the project, I am being mentored by Dr. Abel Ugba, School of Sociology and Social Policy, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Leeds.