THE YORUBA TRADITIONAL RELIGION--A CRITIQUE (BENIN, GHANA, NIGERIA, TOGO, WEST AFRICA)

There are a variety of reasons why the Yoruba traditional religion should be studied.;In light of the above reasons, the facts about the Yoruba traditional religion should be studied and taught in Bible Colleges, seminaries and higher institutions of learning in Nigeria.;Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to approach the Yoruba traditional religion critically in the light of the revealed Word of God, the Bible. As far as this writer knows, there has not been a critical work on the religion of the Yoruba; and what has been written has been by Western scholars, most of whom simply make sweeping statements without thorough research. The works done by Yoruba scholars have been written in excessive zeal to defend the religion of the Yoruba at any cost.;This writer will approach the Yoruba religion in the light of Yoruba religious cosmology. The Yoruba have the knowledge of God through intuition, tradition, and general revelation. This knowledge of a Supreme Being is expressed by the people in the names they use in describing Him. Their knowledge of God is also seen in the myths, proverbs, songs, riddles, and jokes. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of author.) UMI;First, Christianity in Africa faces traditional religion today as never before. With the revival in Yoruba culture, there is a great danger for biblical Christianity. Second, religious pluralism is gaining ground because the leading scholars of Yoruba religion emphasize what is called "religious tolerance." Third, traditional religion is taught alongside of the Christian and Islamic religions in high schools in Nigeria. Fourth, the Yoruba are one of the most populous ethnic group in West Africa. They occupy much of the western and coastal areas of Southern Nigeria and are also found in the Republics of Benin, Togo, Ghana, and in trade centers across West Africa. Fifth, the Yoruba traditional religion in some ways represents the religion of Africa. And also, the religion has its entrance into Brazil and Cuba. Sixth, there is a considerable and growing amount of literature on the traditional religion of the Yoruba by Western and Yoruba scholars. Seventh, even though the Yoruba are exposed to Western education, traditional thought is still the source of the basic world view or general outlook of most of the people.