Ifa Symbolism and the Concept of Reincarnation
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Date
2020
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The International Journal of African Catholicism
Abstract
Unarguably, Life after death has been a contentious subject of research among scholars and humanity. The belief on the concept of reincarnation, that, there is possibility for a dead person to come back to life has generated a lot of debates among Catholic denomination notwithstanding that, the concept of reincarnation has been criticised, mostly on the basis that, it does not give consideration of eternal hope to Christians. Ifa is, believed to be the foundation of Yoruba culture. This study is aimed at investigating the concept of reincarnation from the perspective of Ifa theology as insights to the understanding of the concept of reincarnation; as many scholars did not make use of any religious symbol, especially Ifa, to substantiate their positions. The study adopts semiotics, which is a science of signs; because, symbolism is basic of Ifa divination, It is found out that, Ifa epistles testify to the existence of the concept of reincarnation and provide the time and cycle of occurrence of reincarnation. Similarly, the misconception about reincarnation by some Christian faithful, especially Catholics, as being against eternity is erroneous and misleading. This study concludes that, reincarnation as supported by divinations from the biblical and Ifa is a concept ordained by God as a means of actualising God's purpose for mankind.
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Keywords
Ifa, reincarnation, Catholic faith, odu