Abstract

Professor Maduabuchi Dukor did some critical reflections on the nature and character of the phenomena of ‘religious fundamentalism’, and ‘nation-building’ in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society like Nigeria., wherein he depicts religion as a neutral concept with a malleable nature that makes it susceptible to both positive and negative deployment. He identifies religious fundamentalism as one of the negative consequential effects of the malleable nature of religion. This paper is an appraisal of Dukor’s postulations and submissions on the twin notions of religious fundamentalism and nation-building. Although its findings corroborate Dukor’s positions in virtually all fronts regarding religious fundamentalism and nation-building, the corroboration is only to the extent that religious fundamentalism is construed as an inherently evil phenomenon without any good latent in it. However, relying on the twin theories of utilitarianism and dualism, the paper argues that contrary to Dukor’s position, there are ways in which religious fundamentalism could be a catalyst to nation-building and sustainable development. This observed imbalance in Dukor’s position constitutes the gap in his discourse which this paper fills.