Raymond Ogunade, “The Dynamics of ‘Faith’ in Yoruba Religion and Modern
Science”, in Religion, Environment and Information and Communication
Technology Yahya Oyewole Imam (ed.). University of Maiduguri: Association for
The Study of the Interplay between Religion and Science, (Letter of Acceptance
dated 12/01/09). Available online at: http://eugen.leit.org/tt/msg14667.html.
Metanexus: Views 2003.01.07 1956 words
Today's column, The Dynamics of Faith in Yoruba Religion and Modern Science by Raymond
Ogunade, is the first in a four-part series by various authors and appearing on the next several
Tuesdays directed toward exploring the roles of science and religion in the African cultural
context.
In his abstract, Ogunade writes that his paper "attempts to show that the word 'faith', commonly
used and almost peculiar to religious register is also relevant to scientific inventions, discoveries,
prescriptions, and applications. In African Religion and its Science, the quality of your
expectation or result depends on the faith you have from the beginning. Your confidence (faith)
in the Deity or deities, native/herbal doctors and their herbs will determine the type of result you
get. In the same vein, the only driving force, the determination to continue (in spite of failures),
before and in the course of a scientific invention or discovery, is the believe (faith) that it will
work. The common force, factor or ingredient that propel and sustain the world of Religion and
Science is FAITH. Scientists need faith not to give up their explorations. Religious adherents
require faith to sustain belief. Our submission is that Religion and Science are interwoven; they
complement each other. They both operate on the same wavelength of sustenance. They are both
adventures into the beginning, sustenance, and the future of humanity. The vehicle of these
journeys is FAITH."
That sounds like a universal statement to me. So, read on to discover its specificity in an African,
and most particularly Nigerian, context.
Today's columnist, Raymond Ogunade, is a professor in the Department of Religions at the
Faculty of Arts of the University of Ilorin in Ilorin, Nigeria. He is also an ordained minister and
active participant in the science religion dialogue.
--Stacey E. Ake
Introduction
The alleged warfare between religion and science have generated a lot of controversy
amongst scholars of the two fields of study, for sometime now. The past two decades also
witnessed attempts by some scientists and theologians, to put an end to this enmity by initiating
constructive engagements where themes,discussions, seminars, conferences, and even courses (in
terms of pegagogy) are created between religion and science. In such ventures, common terrains
to science and religion are explored in an attempt of finding areas of complement rather than of
conflict.
This paper is an attempt to show that the word “faith”, which is commonly used and
almost peculiar to religious register is also relevant to the world of science, to scientific
inventions, discoveries,prescriptions and applications. In Yoruba Religion and its science, the
quality of your expectation or result depends on the faith you have from the beginning. Your
confidence (faith) in the Deity, the Supreme Being or deities, herbal doctors and their herbs will
determine the type of result you get. In the same vein, the only driving force, the determination
to continue (inspite of disappointments and failures), before and in the course of a scientific
invention or discovery, is the believe (faith) that it will work.
The common element, force, factor or ingredient that propel and sustain the world of
religion and science is faith. Scientist need endurance (faith) not to give up their inventions and
explorations in the face of difficulties and dead-lock.Adherents of Yoruba Religion require hope
(faith) to sustain belief in their religion.
It is important to stress here that, faith is used in this paper not as “a term which describes
the dispositional attitude of the believer towards the object of his/her belief”1 or worship; but as
synonymous to trust, hope, confidence, patience, force, endurance, believe, determination, in
achieving result from set-out objectives. Hence these synonyms will be used inter-changeably in
this paper.
Beginning with the Greek thinkers such as Aristotle and continuing through the great
Western synthesis of Thomas Aquinas; also considering the breath-taking scientific discoveries
and technological advancements; we have witnessed (and are still witnessing) the various shades
of religious beliefs, and yet one thing has consistently run through them all as their driving force
of continuity, and that is ‘FAITH’.
Religion and Science are as old as humans. For several ages, religion and science have
developed distinct paradigms and perspectives, theorizing and developing in dichotomy. Both
religious and scientific ‘truths’ are considered the ultimate in each case. While each discipline
may seem to be distinct from the other, there are various meeting points that have concretely
explained phenomena and aided human beings in understanding themselves, their lives, and the
nature of the world in which they live.
One of these meeting points between Religion and Science, which is the subject of this essay, is
‘FAITH’, and it is what we shall focus our attention upon in this endeavour. We shall examine
this theme in the light of Yoruba Religion and Modern Science.
Faith In Yoruba Religion
Yoruba Religion is difficult to separate from its science. The two are inter- mingled in the
sense that in the course of a Yoruba scientific invention or production some level of spirituality
is required. For instance, in Yoruba magic and medicine certain preparations for ameliorating
some diseases and illnesses require the chanting of incantation, in addition to the tangible
material ingredient of the medication2. The spiritual angle is necessary because of the invisible
negative forces, responsible for the ailment that needs to be handled spiritually.
In addition, the Yoruba life is everything religious3. Spirituality is the pivot of traditional
African life. The nucleus of that life is the unshakable faith of the Yoruba in the belief in the
religion of their ancestors. It is well known that in strictly personal matters relating to the
passages of life and the crises of life, Yoruba Religion is regarded as the final succour by most
Yoruba4. In hospitals, for example, people who, on admission, have declared themselves
Christians or Muslims, and indeed are ‘practicing’ Christians or Muslims, have medicine
prepared in the traditional way smuggled in to them simply because, psychologically at least, that
is more effective in that it is consecrated medicine with the touch of the divine healer, in contrast
to the Europeans' “mere coloured water” or “mere pills”5. In matters concerning providence,
healing, and general well being, therefore, most Yoruba still look up to 'their own religion' as 'the
way'. Faith has been the dominant factor with which they have achieved their desired results.
As already mentioned earlier that both magic and medicine are invariably related to
religion in terms of rituals, taboos, divination and the supernatural6, it is important to note that
divinities, gods and spiritual beings are connected with religion as well as magic and medicine
and the entirety of African Science. Buckley, as well as other scholars, have noted that African
medicine (especially Yoruba) is inextricably intertwined with religion7.
Magic, medicine, and religion mingle so intimately with the daily routine of the Yoruba
life. Whether magic against sorcery attack; against witches; magic that brings good luck and total
well-being (awure); magic that aids sales (itaja); magic that aids memory (isoye) ; magic that
enables one to win a court-case (awijare); magic used to make people to love one (iferan); or
magic that enhances fruitfulness of crops, plants and animals; magic connected with natural
forces; magic connected with the protection of properties or human bodies against any untoward
happening; or magic connected with diseases and sickness, for all of these to be effective with
desired results the applicant must believe in their potency and have trust, or confidence or hope
in their usage.
Faith in Yoruba Religion carries with it some measure of discipline and consistency.
Your trust and faith in a particular magic or medicine is required from the beginning of
prescription to the end of application. Some might even require that the applicant sustain the
result with their trust for some time. Discipline and consistency are important in the exercising of
faith in Yoruba Religion because, when doubt is allowed to set in, in the process of application,
one naturally withdraws the powers (invisible supernatural powers) that have been set in motion.
It is like saying the forces (spiritual agents) responsible for achieving the desired results are
incapable and deficient.
Furthermore, whether it is magic or medicine or appeasing the gods; seeking God for
favour; embarking on a journey; building a house; in pregnancy, confidence plays a major role to
whatever an adherent of Yoruba Religion does.
Faith in Modern Science
All scientific inventions and technological break-through would not have been possible if
the inventors did not believe (have faith or trust or confidence), that their efforts would come to
fruition from the beginning. The driving force that kept them going, in spite of disappointments,
difficulties, lack of financial supports, and other barriers, until they write their names in gold in
history, is faith (You give it whatever name you like).
When patients visit the hospital to see the doctor, it is done in hope that healing awaits
him/her in the attentions of the medical practioner. Even though some of the doctors still rely on
their faith in God of whatever religion they adhere to, to bring about absolute healing for their
patients.
Many people will step into an automobile vehicle, and an elevator, to take them to their
destination, without pausing to ponder about the state of their mechanical conditions. They just
step in, having faith and confidence that those machines are in good functional order. Science
has become a kind of religion to many people. This is because the faith and trust with which they
approach, attend and use scientific discoveries and inventions is like religious devotion to a
‘saviour’.
When Albert Einstein was driven away from school for being a ‘dull student’, his mother,
a Christian woman of deep faith went to challenge his teacher, saying "my child has better a
brain than your own"8. This statement of his mother became a propelling force in his discovery
of the equation for mass to energy conversion, which is the basis of nuclear power. The only
force that sustained his will to carry on, was faith in the words of his mother that his brain is
superior than his teacher's9.
George Stevenson who invented the locomotive engine, the development of which
improved and boosted the world transportation system, succeeded because he had faith that his
theory was going to work. In spite of several difficulties, he kept working at it. The power of
determination was at work in him, his perseverance achieved for him success10.
Graham Bell, who invented the telephone system, the development of which
metamorphosed into cellular phone, which has today reduced the whole world to a small village
in terms of communication, did not give up in spite of discouragements from his friends;
financial difficulties, because he believed that his dreams and ideas were going to work. The
drive to continue in spite of these barriers was endurance11.
Nicolaus Copernicus kept to his conviction that everything in the solar system revolves
round the sun, contrary to the belief of the entire Church which believed that the earth was the
center of the solar system and that everything revolves round it. Despite the animosity and
disdain with which he was treated and isolated, he believed in his discoveries. He did not waver.
It was on his deathbed that the Church, with apologies for her error, conveyed her agreement
with his discovery. Copernicus, who then had become blind, died a happy man. The ingredient of
his success and victory was faith in his scientific convictions12.
Conclusion
From the foregoing, we have seen that ‘faith’ is a binding force between the world of
Science and Religion. The recipe the adherents of Yoruba Religion requires to sustain their
religious beliefs and daily living is trust in all endavours; and the force that Scientists need to
sustain them in the course of their discoveries/inventions, to a successful completion is also
determination. We can now see clearly that religion and science are like twin sisters,
complementing each other in making the world a better place for humanity.
Many scientists have religious backgrounds, which tend to manifest in strong belief in
whatever they set their minds to do. They also adhere to one religion or another, and in face of
discouragements or difficulties they have resorted to faith in their God to believe that they will
succeed in their inventions or endeavors. Therefore, from historical viewpoint, science and
religion show a complex and fascinating interdependence. The link between them is
complementary rather than conflictual. Religion is the source of values; while sciences are
repository of power to implement them just as values derived from religion give room for
interaction with various possibilities that sciences offer.
Notes and References
1
Rosemary Goring (ed.), The Wordsworth Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions
(Edinburgh:Cumberland House,1995),p.170.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
P. Ade Dopamu, "Yoruba Magic and Medicine and their Relevance for Today" in
RELIGIONS: Journal of the Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions,
Vol. 4, 1979, p. 9.
E.B. Idowu, African Traditional Religion - A Definition (London: SMC Press, 1978),
p.1.
Ibid, p. 206
Ibid
P. Ade Dopamu, "The Practice of Magic and Medicine in Yoruba Traditional
Religion" - Ph. D Thesis (University of Ibadan, October 1977), pp. 67-96.
Anthony D. Buckely, Yoruba Medicine (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985), p. 1.
Ibid, p.17.
Einstein, Albert. (1879 - 1955), in FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA,
Vol. 8,(England:Longman,1982), pp. 403 - 404.
Stephenson, George. (1781 - 1848), in FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW
ENCYCLOPEDIA, Vol. 22, (England:Longman,1982), p. 221.
Bell, Alexander Graham. (1847 - 1922), in FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW
ENCYCLOPEDIA, Vol. 3, (England:Longman,1982), pp. 318 - 319.
Copernicus, Nicolaus (1473 - 1543), in FUNK & WAGNALLS NEW
ENCYCLOPEDIA, Vol. 7, (England:Longman,1982), pp. 28 - 29.