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Accepted Paper:
Ìràpadà (redemption) in the religions of the Africans: do you really understand what they mean?
Akinmayowa Akin-Otiko
(University of Lagos)
Paper long abstract:
The religions of the Africans have ached due to the interpretations of colonial missionaries, although colonialism has formally ended; the effects can still be felt in the attribution of certain concepts as imports from Christianity or outright denial of their existence in the context of African religions. When believer in Yoruba religion talk about Ìràpadà they mean redemption, but Christian theologians do not agree that redemption occurs in the religion of the Africans. This paper highlights the understanding of Ìràpadà in Àdìmúlà and draws up possible similarities and differences between the idea of redemption in Àdìmúlà and Christianity. This is first an empirical investigation of the meaning and use of redemption (Ìràpadà) in the religion of the Yoruba and second a comparative study of the idea of redemption in Christianity and Àdìmúlà. Practitioners of Àdìmúlà will be interviewed to elicit their understanding of Ìràpadà, as contained in the Ifá corpus. To analyse the finds, tables will be drawn to highlight and compare the differences and similarities in the use and understanding of Ìràpadà as a concept in Àdìmúlà and Christianity. Justification for the differences and similarities will be done in discussing the findings. The findings show a huge denial of the possibility of Ìràpadà in Àdìmúlà, basically because of the centrality of Jesus Christ in Christianity. Christianity professes that only Jesus can save -ra eniyan padà, "Jesus answered, I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Since Àdìmúlà does not profess belief in Jesus Christ there cannot be Ìràpadà in Àdìmúlà. There is therefore the need for a reflexive interrogation of meaning and interpretation of concepts used in African religions and the roles they play in the path of interreligious dialogue as it may be difficult to exclude redemption from the religion of the Africans.
Key terms: Àdìmúlà, Ifá corpus, Ìràpadà, Redemption, Religion, Yoruba
Language issues: reconfiguring language use in African studies [initiated by the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, University of Lagos, with Africa Multiple Centre of Excellence, Bayreuth]
Session 1