Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has shared insights into why he prefers traditional Orisa worshipping to the more widely practiced religions of Christianity and Islam.
According to Soyinka, the depth of faith in Orisa captivates him more than either Christianity or Islam.
Speaking in an interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo, Soyinka explained that Orisa worshipping, an African religion, is more creative and non-violent compared to its foreign counterparts.
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“I was fortunate to be born in two worlds – the Christian world and traditional Orisa worshippers. My grandfather, until he – poor man – also got converted, was an Orisa person and a chief, and his side fascinated me a lot more,” he said.
The renowned playwright also expressed that Orisa worship has an artistic and mysterious essence, qualities he believes Christianity and Islam lack. “For me, it (Orisa worshipping) was more artistic, creative, and also more mysterious. I don’t find much of the mysterious in Christianity and even less in Islam,” Soyinka stated.
Soyinka, who grew up in a Christian household but had exposure to Orisa worship, criticized the foreign religions for distorting the African spiritual tradition. “Orisa is open and very ecumenical, and that is why these foreign religions were able to penetrate it and even distort the truth. Because of the generosity of this spirit (Orisa), it is not violent. It is one of those African religions which eschew violence.”
He further distanced himself from the concept of a Christian or Islamic God, asserting that his spiritual views do not align with those religions.
“I don’t believe in the Islamic or Christian God, and for the adherents of these religions, if that makes me an atheist, so I say, I am an atheist. I insisted that all human beings have a certain spiritual core in their being; I believe myself to be a more spirit-sensitive person,” Soyinka added.
The literary icon also expressed discomfort with seeing his life or works adapted for visual representation. “Let me put it this way, turning anything in my life into what other people can watch pains me. It makes me extremely uncomfortable… It takes me a while to bring myself to watch me,” he confessed.
