<![CDATA[The Ekpe society, known widely as the leopard society, is the most significant indigenous religious and political institution in the Cross River basin. Its graded initiation system, esoteric nsibidi script, and elaborate masquerade performances have structured social, legal, and spiritual life among the Ejagham, Efik, and related peoples for centuries. The encounter between Ekpe and Christianity has been long and complex. Early Presbyterian and Catholic missionaries in the nineteenth century condemned Ekpe as paganism and devil worship, demanding that converts renounce their membership. This demand created a profound crisis for converts who were being asked to abandon the primary institution of social and political belonging in their communities. In response, many Ekpe members developed strategies of dual religious participation, maintaining their Ekpe obligations while also attending church and receiving the sacraments. This paper argues that the Ekpe-Christian encounter in contemporary Cross River State represents a particularly rich case study of religious dual belonging, one that challenges Western assumptions about the exclusivity of religious identity. Drawing on the anthropology of African Christianity, the literature on religious syncretism, and decolonial philosophy, the paper explores how Ekpe initiates who are also practising Christians navigate the tensions between two religious systems that make apparently incompatible claims. It analyses the theological justifications they offer for their dual participation, the social pressures they face from both Ekpe traditionalists and Pentecostal Christians, and the phenomenon of Ekpe Christianity, the attempt by some Ekpe members to Christianise the society's rituals and symbolism. The paper concludes that the Ekpe-Christian encounter demonstrates the creativity and resilience of indigenous religious forms in the face of Christian dominance and contributes to the decolonisation of the study of African Christianity.]]>
