CHAPTER 19 PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHIZERS AND THE CHALLENGE OF CHURCHPRENEURSHIP IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA: A LOGICAL ANALYSIS Victor C. A. Nweke* Introduction Though every Catholic priest in contemporary Nigeria and perhaps the world over is, among other things a trained professional philosopher, the thesis of this essay is that every true Christian–priest, pastor or laity – and indeed every educated person, - ought to be engaged in professional philosophizing as against Churchpreneurship. Trailing this, it is pertinent to note that this essay is a tribute to a priest whose words, thoughts and actions encapsulate the characteristics of a professional philosophizer. The ultimate contention of this essay is that if professional philosophizers fail to curtail the tides of Churchpreneurship in Nigeria, Churchpreneurship will damage the image of Christianity as well as help to perpetuate the prevailing negative value system in Nigeria. The essay argues that a good grasp of the basic characteristics of a professional philosophizer as well as that of a Churchprenuer vividly shows that a professional philosophizer is above all a Christian, a disciple of Christ and a lover of humanity. While a Churchprenuer is at best a Capitalist, a disciple of money and a deceiver of humanity. My approach is essentially philosophical. The essay explicates the basic characteristics of a professional philosophizer and churchpreneur/ship and thereafter evaluates their possible contribution to the salvation of contemporary Nigerians and Nigeria. We begin with the concept and characteristics of a professional philosophizer. A Professional Philosophizer? Philosophy as an academic discipline has been defined in many ways (Omoregbe 1990:1-4). It is essentially a critical, comprehensive and reflective discipline; a ceaseless search for truth, meaning and morality; a “training of the human subject in rationality” – the ability to think clear, make right judgment and act morally (Oguejiofor 2001:134). Although human beings are inherently endowed with the faculty of reason which naturally enables them to think and act rightly (Ukpokolo 2004:12), the study of philosophy sharpens and develops one’s ability to reflect critically on human existence and the world; to raise pertinent questions and seek rational answers concerning the true origin, nature, structure, and end of human existence and the world; why and how human existence and the world should be appreciated, protected and sustained in the light of truth. Conventionally, a graduate of philosophy as an academic discipline is a philosopher. But one must note that not all philosophers practice philosophy. Also, not all those who practice philosophy are graduates of philosophy. A person can practice philosophy irrespective of his/her academic qualification. And a person who practices philosophy is a philosophizer not a philosopher. Indeed, the practice of philosophy is exhibited by the activities of individuals – their dispositions toward personal and social issues, the way they think, talk, and act. One who has an excellent ability to think clearly, judge soundly, propound ideas and influence positive social change is not engaged in the practice of philosophy until he/she employ his/her abilities to raise questions, and seek answers to the problems of his/her society. Thus, to practice philosophy is to philosophize; and “to philosophize is to think, and to think is to question... The person who does not question does not philosophize” (Ezeani 2005:11). This point suggests that every human being is a philosophizer.