Scholarly Works

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A feminine deconstruction of the concept and tenets of Arole in Oyo empire and its place in Yoruba philosophy
(Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2020) Gbadamosi, O. A.
The concept of Arole occupied and still has a significant position in Oyo Empire. Arole among the Yoruba is the first male child in a family. Such child has sociological, economic and religious advantages over his siblings. In fact, a family without an Arole. regardless of the number of female children, is somewhat incomplete. Thus, a wife goes all out to ensure she “produces” one for her family in Order to make her motherhood complete and her place as a wife secured. This paper seeks to deconstruct this concept embedded in the beliefs of the Yoruba by offering a rational reflection on the tenets of Arole and the significant power it wields among children, in the Oyo Empire, the family and the Yoruba society at large. This is done from a feminine perspective in order to analyze, critically, Arole from a mother's or sister's viewpoint. This study seeks to answer the following questions: what is Arole to a Yoruba and the intent of identifying a child as one? What are the advantages and disadvantages (if any) of being an Arole? What are the tenets of Arole? Is Arole still relevant in a Contemporary Yoruba society? These questions are answered in this study with a view to offering a female holistic view of Arole, presenting the logical flaws in the concept, and unraveling the tenets of Arole and its place among the Yoruba in the 21" Century. Recommendations were also suggested.
A philosophical analysis of sacrifice as a means to an end in contemporary Nigerian Christianity and Yoruba traditional religion
(2018) Gbadamosi, O. A.
History reveals Io us the significant position occupied by sacrifice in most world religions. Today, in spite of the enormous pressure of Western civilization or what we call modernity, people still offer sacrifices in different religions. Sacrifice in the context of this paper involves a cost, depriving oneself of what is valuable and sometimes precious. There are several factors necessitating the offering of sacrifice, one of which is sacrifice serving as a “means” to an “end.” What is this “means” and what is this “end?" Why do people offer sacrifices? Is it because of the love for the deity or is their sacrifice premised on their own needs? What is the actual goal of a sacrifice? What is the real reason why people give sacrificially? Is a sacrifice attached to a need or what the one offering the sacrifice Stands to benefit? This paper attempts to answer these vital questions attached to sacrifice in the contexts of Christianity and Yoruba Traditional Religion. It is a philosophical analysis of a fundamental purpose of sacrifice- a “means" to an “end" in the two selected religions. The paper adopts E. B. Taylor ’s theory which sees Sacrifice as a means of “bribing" the gods or of paying homage to them. The methods of data Collection includes consultation of relevant books and journals on the subject of discussion.
A philosophical analysis of the role of indigenous religion in the growth and expansion of Christianity in Africa
(Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 2019) Olaleye, S. K.; Gbadamosi, O. A.
Religion plays a dominant role in the life of the average African. Long before the advent of Christianity, Africans have been actively practising their indigenous religion. Several scholars have focused on various aspects of the history of Christianity in Africa with little attention paid to the contributions of the Indigenous religion to Christianity, especially in the area of its growth and expansion. This paper seeks to address this lacuna with the view to providing answers to questions on the influences of the indigenous religion of the people on Christianity in Africa. The interaction of Christianity with the indigenous religion often leads to the attitude of skepticism, especially in Christian circles. Contrary to the erroneous belief that African indigenous religion is anti-Christianity, it has actually contributed to its growth and expansion in Africa. This study adopts Descartes ’s methodological skepticism which has its roots in epistemology, in its analysis of the contributions of the Indigenous religion to Christianity.
A re-reading of William Parley’s telos in design within the context of anthropic principle and Its implications for contemporary theology
(Science Arena Publications, 2020) Gbadamosi, O. A.
Philosophers and Theologians have grappled with the need to understand the nature of the universe for centuries, and for this subject to remain a subject of intense discussion in contemporary circles, suggests its continuous importance. Science has always been relevant, most significantly, in its attempt to explain our interest in the world around us. Thus, William Parley made use of the famous analogy of a watch and the world to explain the precision in the universe, and to prove the existence of a designer. This paper, therefore, attempts a re-reading of his work within the context of a scientific position known as the Anthropic Principle. This is done by focusing on William Parley’s Teleological argument for God’s existence; the nature of science and religion within the framework of this study; and lastly, the meaning of the Anthropic Principle and its implication for contemporary theology. This study employs the Providence theory of John Polkinghorne, which shows that God has created the universe in such a way as to provide what is needed for life, most especially human existence
A re-visit to the concept of freewill and ideas of causality in Yoruba religion
(Ibadan University Press Publishing House, University of Ibadan Ibadan, Nigeria, 2016) Gbadamosi, O. A.
The issue of human will has been a subject of much debate in the history of philosophy and within religious circles over the Centuries. This paper examines the subject of freewill and ideas of causality in the indigenous religion of the Yoruba. Ideas of causality feature prominently in the belief Systems of Yoruba religion expressed in the concepts of Ori, Irawo, Ipin, Ogo, Kadara, Akunlegba, Akunleyan and Ayanmo and other similar ideas revolving around determinism. These ideas of causality lead to a hasty conclusion in most cases that freewill does not exist among the Yoruba. Insisting that there is no freewill has serious implications within a practical milieu especially because of individual responsibility for actions. This paper is a departure from the notion that there is no freewill among the Yoruba. This is done by discussing the meaning of freewill with a view to finding a definition suitable in the Yoruba religious contexts which is clearly different from the Western idea of freewill. This paper also discusses how the concept of freewill and issues related to determinism feature in Yoruba beliefs. This paper employs the Compatibilism theory, the current name for William James’ “soft" determinism, which is the logically contradictory notion that free will is compatible with determinism. This is done with a view to drawing the conclusion that freewill exists among the Yoruba in spite of the established ideas of causality.
A religious justification of the role of science in human reproduction
(The Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria., 2022-12) Gbadamosi, O. A.; Adeniyi, O. A.
Giving birth to children is very important in many African societies, because children are portrayed as evidence of fruitfulness and blessings from God. In fact, there is a saying that children are the gains of a marriage. Amid this huge burden and societal expectations, some couples are encumbered with this weight as a result of some medical challenges in the area of procreation. Scientific advancements have offered interventions to mitigate this problem, as is evident in other human endeavors, where scientific solutions have come to the rescue through a number of reproductive technologies. Extant literature on human reproductive technology have focused largely on the procedures and ethical perspectives with scant attention paid to it from a Christian religious perspective. This study therefore, explored a religious justification of the role of science in human reproduction. This was with a view to addressing the concerns that have been raised by varying adherents of religions and schools of thought regarding the ethics of reproductive technologies. The aim of the study was to answer questions on whether reproductive technologies contravene the natural way of human reproduction and whether they tamper with the supremacy of God. The paper concludes that there is no justifiable reason for rejecting the gift of knowledge of God to humanity through science in the area of human reproduction using St. Augustine’s Concept of Knowledge that all human knowledge comes from God.
An analysis of the interplay between marital relationships and mental health
(Department of Guidance and Counselling, University of Ibadan, 2019-06) Gbadamosi, O. A.
Marriage is an institution that has played prominent roles in the history of humanity. It has aided the growth of the human race and also filled the vacuum of solitariness by creating companionship. This study discusses this important human institution from the perspective of mental health. Mental health, as applied in this study, is not referring to the presence of mental diseases, but the absence of it. This study examines marriage, by exploring the bilateral nexus between marriage and mental health via empiricism, which attributes experience as the origin and the source of validity of all possible knowledge. This is done with a view to analysing the place of marriage in emotional wellbeing and the psychological issues that can affect marriage.
Christianity and politics in Africa: a critical evaluation
(BookWright Publishers (Nigeria), 2013) Gbadamosi, O. A.
A lot of discussions have been put forth so far by the academics and religious experts regarding the relationship between Christianity and politics. The result of these discussions represents a wide spectrum of ideas ranging from absolute lack of relationship to the inseparability of the two. However, what is far from clear is the nature of this relationship. Is the re a relationship between the Christianity and politics in Africa? The major issues that will be discussed in this paper also include the following: what position if any, does Christianity occupy in politics? Or put differently, how does the Christianity affect politics. Another issue that will be discussed is what role should Christianity play in politics? Hence, an attempt is made in this paper to answer the three questions raised above with the view to making a critical evaluation of the subject of discourse.
Contextualising Darwin’s theory of evolution in the Yorùbá human concept
(Global Journal Inc., 2019) Olaleye, S. K.; Gbadamosi, O. A.
This paper discusses African cosmology as seen in the indigenous religion of the Yoruba. The focus of this paper is creating a framework of how the theory of evolution can enhance further understanding of some Yoruba beliefs, chiefly, its concept of human. This is done by tracing the history of the theory of Evolution. This is necessary because Charles Darwin must have been influenced by the works of some scientists before him. Several arguments that humans descended from the Apes were also discussed in this paper. These are premised on the implication of such notion on world religions which suggest creationism notably that of a perfect human being which is at odds with the conclusion of evolution. This paper discusses also the Yoruba concept of human, a notion that is clearly different from the western one. The relationship between human being and nature in Yoruba understanding and its link to the theory of evolution forms a major fulcrum in this research. This paper concludes that Olódùmarè the creator endows humans with enormous power that can be used at will transforming to suit the prevailing situation, thereby making room for the theory of evolution.
Critiquing the presence of outsiders, women of questionable pasts in Jesus’ genealogy: lessons for contemporary Christianity
(2024) Gbadamosi, O. A.
The book of Mathew has an unusual beginning and a casual reading shows a monotonous account of people “begoting” another and this itself, is somewhat boring and repetitive. Asides this repetitiveness, a striking feature of this account is the mention of four women and a fifth, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. Extant literature on the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew have largely focused on it from the perspective of his role as the messiah, his ancestry and lineage, and in comparison with the Lukan genealogy, with scant attention paid to the presence of women, especially from a critical point of view. This study, therefore critiqued the unusual mention of women in a chronicle of men given the patriarchal setting of the history. The aim of this research was to answer the following research questions: who are these women and why were they mentioned in an historical account that was predominantly masculine? What purpose did they serve in the Mathean genealogy? These questions were answered critically with the view of drawing lessons for contemporary Christians, especially as they concern women. The study used philosophical methods of contextualism and the verification principle. The study revealed that the inclusion of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary in the genealogy of Christ was not accidental but purposeful, especially in a history that looked down on women. More so, many lessons could be drawn from the lives of these women by contemporary women, Christians generally and the society at large and the major one is that no one should be written off.
Divine foreknowledge, human freedom, and the burden of prophecty to contingent future events: implications for contemporary Nigeria
(Zenith BookHouse Ltd., Ibadan, 2018) Gbadamosi, O. A.
Questions on human freedom have been a subject of debate in the history of philosophy. Divine foreknowledge of events poses a great challenge to human freedom. Prophecy, usually, is a means of expressing God's mind on a particular person, group of people or a particular event. This paper discusses the subject of divine foreknowledge and human freedom, with a focus on the burden which prophecy creates for contingent future events. It is easy to accept that once a prophecy is made, it is final and nothing can be done again on the issue. This is in line with fatalism. This paper seeks to analyse the position that suggests that prophecy indicates inevitability of issues. This is with a view to correcting this notion because regardless of what has been revealed, humans are still responsible for their actions. This means that prophecies are somewhat open, regardless of the fact that they are divinely inspired. The study adopts the Open Theory of William Hasker on prophecy and contingent future events.
Ebo (sacrifice) in Ifa religious tradition of the Yoruba, Southwestern Nigeria and its implications for public health
(2025) Olaleye, S. K.; Gbadamosi, O. A.
Ebo (sacrifice) is the feeding of spiritual entities such as gods, witches, and other energies believed to maintain equilibrium between the physical and spiritual worlds. It is an integral part of the Ifa divination system, a religious tradition in Yoruba society, southwestern Nigeria, which provides solutions to various problems. The materials for Ebo range from food items and animals to mineral and natural resources, including both living and nonliving things. Depending on the dictates of the Ifa oracle, Ebo can be offered at any time and placed in locations ranging from private spaces to public areas such as roadsides, rivers, gutters, or canals. Public reaction to the indiscriminate placement of Ebo is predominantly negative, except among practitioners or those offering it. This negativity stems from exposure to western education, foreign religions, and modern civilization. Common societal concerns include whether Ebo, beyond being an eyesore, contributes to air, water, and soil pollution, thus endangering public health. This paper aims to address the public health implications of Ebo placement. To explore these issues, interviews were conducted with 10 Babaláwo-Ifa priests, 10 men, and 10 women in Ibadan who had participated in offering Ebo. The content analysis of their responses revealed no consensus. Opponents of Ebo offerings cited speculative dangers, religious sentiments, and western education as factors shaping their views. This study highlights the complex interplay between traditional practices, modernity, and public health concerns, calling for further dialogue and solutions to mitigate potential risks.
Gendered objectification and the sanctity of life: a feminist theological appraisal of female portrayal in selected contemporary Nigerian hip hop music
(Kraft Books Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria, 2024-03) Gbadamosi, O. A.
Gendered objectification is an undeniable reality in the modern world because the female folk has remained vulnerable as their bodies and sexuality are oftentimes exploited. It arises in a situation when an individual because of her/his gender is seen as an object or “thing” for others’ use or pleasure, which is an act of violation of the sanctity of life. This experience as seen in Contemporary Nigerian Hip Hop music, where the female body, sexuality and being is objectified has suffered not much attention especially from a feminist theological view. This paper therefore seeks to appraise the portrayal of women in this genre of music and the sacrosanct principles of the sanctity of life. The study will answer the following research questions: In what areas are women objectified in selected Contemporary Nigerian Hip Hop music? What are the feminist theological views of female objectification? What are the consequences of gendered objectification for the female folks, sanctity of life and the society at large? These questions will be addressed in this study with a view of bringing to the fore the implications of the portrayal of women in Contemporary Nigerian Hip Hop music as objects of use or pleasure for the nation at large
Humans or machines? scientific determinism within the context of Yoruba human ontology
(2022) Gbadamosi, O. A.
Freewill has been a subject of intense study in the history of philosophy, this revolves around the debate that are humans free or are their actions determined? While there has been a lot of questions on the nature of human will, the search for answers remains relevant in contemporary studies as seen in the entrance of neuroscience to this quest. Neuroscience, in the study of the human will arrived at a conclusion based on empirical studies that freewill is an illusion because the human will is determined by cerebral activities. The discovery in the field of neuroscience therefore challenges the traditional belief about freewill and our beliefs that humans are in full control of their will. This submission indicated that human decisions for actions were initiated before humans became aware of them, that is, likening humans to machines, thereby creating a lacuna especially within the Yoruba religious and cultural contexts. This study therefore, interrogated the position of neuroscience on the human will by focusing on how scientific determinism can be viewed from the Yoruba worldview. Scientific determinism evident in the field of neuroscience was examined with a view to situating the findings of neuroscience on human will within the context of Yoruba human ontology.
ICT and the ubiguitous church missions: the emerging religious space on social media
(Zenith BookHouse Ltd., Ibadan, 2022) Gbadamosi, O. A.
Religion and Science have played important roles in human history, and have also shared a unique history because of the peculiarity and importance of the two fields and their exceptional relationship. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is a product of Science and it has proved to be a sine qua non in all areas of existence. As Science, is progressing through ICT, the recognition, as well as the usage of social media is enormous in the 21st Century. The Nigerian society, both in public spaces and private spaces, is not left out of the massive use of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Linkedln, Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram, Perescope, 2go and the likes. Thus, social media wield a lot of influence in the society today, and like other aspects of living, it is being used in the propagation of religion by removing constraints of space and time, making both the message and messenger of religion highly ubiquitous. However, there is scant attention on the examination of the religious space within social media, especially in the Nigerian experience, thereby creating a lacuna this research intends to fill. This study seeks to examine the subject of "religious space" in social media and its emergence over time in this ICT-driven age, with the view to discussing its roles in church missions, the challenges associated with it, and the implications for church missions' policies.
Iwògbè ọkàn (self-conscience): a philosophical appraisal of human behaviors as viewed by òfún méji in ifá divination system
(Ümmügülsüm Kuzubaş, 2022-12) Gbadamosi, O. A.; Olaleye, S. K.; Adekoya, J. S.
Humanity has grappled with different kinds of problems since antiquity ranging from natural disasters, sicknesses and diseases, famines and all sorts of problems. Unfortunately, a sizeable portion of human problems originates from fellow human beings, wars, civil unrests, frauds, corruption, rape and all sorts of evils. Nigeria, like other third world nation is bedeviled by its own array of problems given by its multi-religious and multi-cultural nature also made worse by the problem of bad leadership and mismanagement of public funds. The past decade has witnessed an unusual spike in killings and kidnapping, particularly in the menace of the Boko-Haram, Fulani herdsmen, other forms of insecurity, bad governance and blatant disregard for the rule of law. Nigeria is no doubt a religious nation. This realization makes it necessary to wonder if the populace especially the ruling class is still in possession of the individual guiding voice, judge or judgment known as conscience. Traditionally, philosophers, theologians and scientists view conscience as a unified faculty, from different perspectives, evidently this kind of conception is laden with tautologies because of the pluralistic and the subjective nature of the concept. This paper however, appraised the current realities in Nigeria especially in the area of human behaviours using the epistemic function of Iwògbè Ọkàn (self-conscience) as a philosophical tool through Òfún Méjì of the Ifá Divination System. This was done with a view to re-examining the issue of the degradation in human behaviours in order to know where Nigerians, using the Yorùbá of South-western Nigeria as a case study actually got it wrong. The study discovered that degradation in human behaviours in the contemporary Nigeria shows that the populace in spite of their obvious religiosity got it wrong because Ìwògbè Ọkàn is either lost or broken in the society. It is imperative therefore that Nigerians should make reexamination of themselves at the personal level a priority. The same way personal adjustments are made to appearance when a mirror is looked at, Ìwògbè Ọkàn should lead to changes at the individual and national level.
Orı́ and neuroscience: a ontextualization of the Yoruba idea of causality in the age of modern science
(2018-11) Gbadamosi, O. A.
This paper examines the submission of neuroscience on freewill within the religious and cultural contexts of the Yoruba in South-western Nigeria. The findings of neuroscience are juxtaposed with the concept of Orı́, with a view to finding how these scientific and religio-cultural lines of determinism can be compatible with the concept of freedom today. The study adopts the hylomorphic theory of Bolaji Idowu, which posits that woman is ara (body) plus ẹ̀mı́ (spirit).
Religion, science and near-death experiences
(2025-06) Gbadamosi, O. A.; Yusuf, S. K.
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are remarkable events in the lives of the people who have had such experiences, which leave major impacts on their personal beliefs. Over the years, various explanations have emerged for NDEs, ranging from scientific to religiously driven elucidations. While scientists suggest the subjective nature of NDEs, which are traceable to disturbances in bodily multisensory integration during life threatening events, religious beliefs which revolve around the afterlife align with many NDEs. This paper seeks to explore the phenomenon of NDE from the perspectives of religion and science to find the intersection between the two fields. This is with the view of offering a holistic understanding of the experience. The study focuses on the intricate interplay between scientific explanations and religious or spiritual interpretations of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs). It concludes that by striking a balance between these varying perspectives, one can gain a more comprehensive understanding of NDEs, acknowledging both their scientific underpinnings and their profound impact on spiritual and metaphysical realms.
The beingness of Ojo’Ochamachala and the existential proofs of god in Igala metaphysics
(The Department of Philosophy Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko Ondo State, Nigeria, 2023-06) Gbadamosi, O. A.; Ojile, B. A.
The subject matter of metaphysics revolves around different aspects of reality, including man, nature, the cosmos, human mind and God’s existence among others. The nature and reality of the Supreme being like other conjectural problems of metaphysics have polarized scholars as a major concern over the years. On the one hand, it is asserted that no rational account or argument for the existence of God should even be attempted because of the dearth of empirical proofs. On the other hand, others posit that thanks to their firsthand encounters with various manifestations of extraterrestrial life, there are valid ways to demonstrate the existence of God. This paper conceptually dwells on beingness of Ojo’Ochamachala, the Supreme Being in Igala land. It sets out to answer the following research questions; What is understood as the beingness of Ojo’Ochamachala in Igala land? How is the metaphysical existence of God seen in Igala traditional System? What can be characterized as beingness of the Supreme Being in the Igala context? What are expressions of interpretative divination of God in Igala metaphysics? These questions will be answered with the view to providing existential proofs of God in Igala metaphysics
The big bang theory as a premise in a cosmological argument for God’s existence
(2018-08) Gbadamosi, O. A.
Proving that God exists remains a vital subject for both theologians and philosophers over the centuries. For this problem to still continue to generate intense discourses in contemporary circles shows the seriousness of the issue. However, the treatise on God’s existence has taken a new turn in recent decades as contemporary scholars are finding bases of a relationship between religion and science. This paper focuses on this new turn of events by discussing how the Big Bang Theory, which is a scientific discovery, has a positive implication for theology. This is done by discussing the meaning of cosmological argument and how it has featured in the history of natural theology. This paper focuses also on what the Big Bang Theory entails and how it has been used to prove that God exists. This paper discusses also the problems associated with adopting a scientific model for a metaphysical position. These are some of the issues this paper seeks to address, while employing John Polkinghorne’s critical realism which holds that science and theology complement each other.