African Studies

Ayodeji Ogunnaike headshot

Theosis in Yoruba Spirituality: A Journey into Divine Unity

March 20, 2024

On the evening of February 22nd, in the inviting ambiance of the Common Room at the Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR), an event unfurled that beckoned the searching and the sincere alike: "What is the Point of Life? Theosis in Yoruba Traditions." Ayodeji Ogunnaike, esteemed Visiting Scholar at CSWR and Assistant Professor at The University of Virginia, guided attendees through the interwoven paths of Yoruba spirituality, addressing the enigmatic queries that touch the very essence of existence. 

In a cosmology teeming with myriad òrìṣà (divinities), the...

Read more about Theosis in Yoruba Spirituality: A Journey into Divine Unity
Ayodeji Ogunnaike headshot

CSWR Researcher Op-Ed: "The Body in Yoruba Religion", Ayodeji Ogunnaike

January 12, 2024

In part as a result of discussions with others affiliated with the Center for the Study of World Religions, over the past several years I have become increasingly interested in not only the way the body is engaged in Yoruba religious practice but specifically the way Yoruba traditions can change and divinize the body. Traditional Yoruba religious and philosophical thought is inseparable from both ritual and deep engagement with the human body, even in Ifá divination, arguably the most widely practiced and celebrated indigenous African intellectual system.... Read more about CSWR Researcher Op-Ed: "The Body in Yoruba Religion", Ayodeji Ogunnaike