1

!"#$%&'()''* ," -'(./0 1$2,3,'" 0"* 40,"&)''* ," 5)(,%&,0",&67 8"9,%,'","3 0"
8#'2'3,#02 !:0($"$%% 0"* 1$%;'"%,/,2,&6

4,<'"=0(6 !> !,),'?)0,
@.A.$%"$ B",9$(%,&6

!"#$%&'$
ConLemporary human socleLy ls faced wlLh Lhe reallLy of globallzaLlon and Lhe
need Lo be ecologlcally responslble. 1o fosLer a llfesLyle LhaL ls ecologlcally responslble,
Lhe Lheologles on ancesLorhood and salnLhood ln ?oruba rellglon and ChrlsLlanlLy can
respecLlvely serve as guldes. 1he moral llfe ln Lhese Lwo rellglons ls closely llnked Lo
malnLalnlng harmony ln Lhe cosmos. lL ls noL deflned by some absLracL non-Langlble
ldeology. 8aLher, for ChrlsLlans, Lhe moral llfe ls rooLed ln falLhful dlsclpleshlp shaped by
Lhe llfe of ChrlsL, whlch leads Lo salnLhood. 1he llfe of ChrlsL ls Lhe concreLe and
hlsLorlcal exlsLence of Lhe Man-ChrlsL. lor ?oruba rellglonlsLs, Lhe moral llfe ls shaped by
a falLhful adherence Lo Lhe regulaLory ln[uncLlons ln Lhe cosmos, made real by Lhe llves
of prlmordlal ancesLors. 1he reward for such moral llvlng ls Lhe aLLalnmenL of
ancesLorhood ln ?oruba rellglon.

)*$%+,-'$.+*
Clobal warmlng and Lhe ecologlcal caLasLrophes LhaL go along wlLh lL remlnd
humanlLy of Lhe urgency Lo arLlculaLe an ecologlcally responslble llfesLyle. AcLlons and
aLLlLudes LhaL conLlnue Lo harm Lhe envlronmenL are no longer accepLable. PlsLorlcally,
rellglon has noL always been used Lo push forward Lheologles LhaL fosLer responslble
relaLlonshlps beLween humans and Lhe cosmos. 1he role and place of humans ln Lhe
world ln relaLlon Lo oLher creaLures have someLlmes been undersLood as one of
domlnaLlon, explolLaLlon, and sub[ugaLlon. 1oday, as sclenLlsLs conLlnue Lo address Lhe
need for Lechnologlcal advancemenLs LhaL are ecologlcally frlendly, lL ls my vlew LhaL
rellglon also can play a slgnlflcanL role ln Lhls propheLlc wlLnesslng. ln Lhls paper, l lnLend
2
Lo argue for Lheologlcally rooLed llfesLyles LhaL embrace and promoLe a healLhy
relaLlonshlp among humans and Lhe enLlre lnhablLanLs of Lhe cosmos. ln dolng Lhls, l wlll
focus on Lhe Lheologles of ancesLorhood and salnLhood ln ?oruba rellglon and
ChrlsLlanlLy as essenLlal aspecLs of Lhese Lwo rellglons whlch Lhelr adherenLs and Lhose
lnLeresLed ln lnLerrellglous llvlng can adhere Lo as Lhey seek Lo promoLe an ecologlcally
frlendly aLLlLude.
1he way people llve ls greaLly deLermlned by Lhe vlews Lhey have of Lhelr
ldenLlLles ln relaLlon Lo Lhe cosmos. ln llghL of Lhls, lL ls relevanL for adherenLs of ?oruba
rellglon and ChrlsLlanlLy Lo be falLhful Lo Lhelr Lheologlcal consclousness as lL perLalns Lo
Lhe cosmos. 1hls consclousness ls Lled Lo Lhe eLhlcal llfe. Cne cannoL aLLaln
ancesLorhood or salnLhood wlLhouL havlng excelled ln preservlng cosmlc harmony.
Pence, ancesLorhood and salnLhood make no sense lf Lhey are noL vlewed ln relaLlon Lo
Lhe cosmos. An ancesLor, ln ?oruba rellglon, ls deflned as one who has llved Lhe eLhlcal
llfe wlLhouL performlng acLlons consldered Laboo. rlmarlly, Laboos are noL only
undersLood as acLlons forbldden by human socleLy, raLher, Lhey are acLlons LhaL have
cosmlc lmpllcaLlons. lundamenLally, acLlons are Laboos because Lhey go agalnsL Lhe
harmonlous laws of Lhe cosmos even Lhough Lhey may be seen as beneflclal Lo Lhe
lndlvldual engaglng ln Lhem. 1hls nuance needs Lo be reclalmed ln Lhe ChrlsLlan
undersLandlng of slnful acLlons. lor now, lL sufflces Lo sLaLe LhaL Lhere ls a close llnk
beLween salnLs and Lhe creaLed order ln Lhe ChrlsLlan rellglon.

/+#0+1+23 .* 4+%-"& 5%&,.$.+*&1 671.2.+* &*, /8%.#$.&*.$3
AdherenLs of ?oruba rellglon can be found ln presenL-day WesLern nlgerla and
parLs of Chana, 8enln, Slerra Leone, and 1ogo. 1hey are also presenL ln 8razll, Cuba, and
Lhe unlLed SLaLes (Lawson 1983: 31, Cordon 1979: 231-244). ln 8razll, adherenLs of
?oruba rellglous rlLuals are called "#$%.
1
ln Cuba, Lhey are called &'(')*. ln Slerra
Leone, Lhey are called +,'.

1
In Cuba, Yoruba religious rituals are called Lucumi, and in Sierra Leone, they are called Aku (Awolalu
1979: xiii).
3
ln ?oruba rellglon, Lhe dlvlne ls noL concelved as a belng unLo lLself, raLher, lL ls
always ln relaLlon Lo Lhe creaLed order. 1hls ls also Lrue of ChrlsLlanlLy, especlally ln Lhe
early church's and conLemporary posL-colonlal Lheologles. Cod's self-revelaLlon ls always
ln Lhe conLexL of Lhe creaLed order. 1he cllmax of Cod's relaLlonal encounLer wlLh
humanlLy ls enacLed ln Lhe lncarnaLlon of Lhe Son of Cod. ln ChrlsLlan Lheology, Lhls
relaLlonal exlsLence of Cod ls conLalned ln Cod's essence. CreaLlon ls broughL Lo belng
from Lhe depLhs of Cod's love (!ohn aul ll 1994: par. 293).
ln ?oruba rellglon, Lhe relaLlonal exlsLence of Cod ls reflecLed ln Lhe names by
whlch elLher Lhe supreme delLy or Lhe dlvlnlLles are known. 1he Supreme 8elng ls
known as -.')#/0, 1-0.##, +-##20, 1-0)**, -3 45*, or -/'5 (Awolalu 1979: 10-
12). As -.')#/0, Cod ls regarded as Lhe possessor of goodness ln lLs superlaLlve form.
As 1-0.##, Cod ls referred Lo as Lhe uncreaLed source of all creaLlon. +-##20 refers Lo
Cod as noL [usL Lhe glver of llfe, buL as Lhe one who Lranscends deaLh. As 1-0)**, Cod ls
undersLood as Lhe source of belng. ln relaLlon Lo Lhe creaLed order, 1-0)** evokes
dependence. 1he creaLed order noL only derlves lLs exlsLence from Cod, buL ls susLalned
by lL as well.
2
Whlle -/'5 refers Lo Cod's Lranscendence, -3 45* polnLs Lo Cod's
lmmanence. As an lmmlnenL belng, Cod ls presenL ln Lhe dally acLlvlLles of all ln Lhe
creaLed order (Awolalu 1979: 10-12). 1hese LlLles of Cod remlnd Lhe adherenLs of
?oruba rellglon of Lhe mulLlple relaLlonal conLacLs Cod has wlLh all Cod's creaLures.
ln ?oruba rellglon, Cod as Supreme 8elng ls never encounLered dlrecLly ln a non-
maLerlal or spaLlal realm, raLher, Lhe maLerlal world serves a vlLal role ln enhanclng
relaLlonal conLacL wlLh Lhe dlvlne. 1he cosmos ls Lhe medlum of encounLer. ln Lhls space
of encounLer beLween humanlLy and Lhe dlvlne, ancesLors and oLher dlvlnlLles serve as
secondary medlaLors who help Lo faclllLaLe Lhe encounLer. 1he cosmos ls consLlLuLed of
Lwo layers: Lhe maLerlal and Lhe splrlLual spheres. 1hese Lwo spheres are
lnLerconnecLed and serve as a unlfled locus for encounLers wlLh Lhe Supreme 8elng.
unllke Lhe ChrlsLlan undersLandlng of heaven and earLh, where Lhe former ls

2
I have decided to use the neutral pronoun to refer to God in Yoruba religion in this context for the reason
that strict male anthropomorphism does not define the consciousness of God in Yoruba religion. God can
be referred to as the supreme male or as the fruitful female (Mother-Earth) when certain aspects of human
reality are being recognized, by the adherents of the religion, as controlled by the Supreme One.
4
undersLood as dlsLlncL and separaLe from Lhe laLLer, and Lhe former as endurlng and Lhe
laLLer as Lemporary, ln ?oruba cosmology, Lhe splrlLual and Lhe maLerlal spheres are
very slmllar and Lhere ls easy movemenL from one Lo Lhe oLher. lnhablLanLs of Lhe
splrlLual sphere are consLanLly encounLerlng Lhose ln Lhe maLerlal sphere Lhrough
relncarnaLlon and/or assumlng duLles of ancesLors Lo whom Lhey are relaLed. 1he
lmmanence of Lhe Supreme 8elng evokes ln Lhe mlnds of Lhe adherenLs of ?oruba
rellglon a sense of accounLablllLy Lo boLh Lhe cosmos and Lhe dlvlnlLles whose role lL ls
Lo ensure cosmlc harmony. 1hls accounLablllLy ls noL Lo be made aL Lhe end of one's
earLhly llfe, raLher, lL ls made here and now.
1he land serves as Lhe lncarnaLlon of Lhe dlvlne presence, and as such, evokes ln
Lhe hearLs of Lhe adherenLs of ?oruba rellglon a sense of reverence boLh for lL and for all
LhaL ls susLalned by lL. Cn a dally basls, a ?oruba rellglonlsL ls aware of hls/her duLy Lo be
responslble Lo and for Lhe well-belng of Lhe envlronmenL. 1he land bears wlLness Lo Lhe
eLhlcal acLlons of humans. 1hls wlLnesslng enLalls also a [udgmenL. 1hls explalns why
?oruba rellglonlsLs belleve LhaL Lhe land has Lwo funcLlons, flrsL, lL ls Lhe lncarnaLed
dlvlne presence of Cod. And because of lLs dlvlne sLaLus, lL ls Lhe source of food for Lhe
preservaLlon and conLlnulLy of llfe. 8ecause of Lhese vlLal roles of Lhe land, acLlons LhaL
vlolaLe cosmlc harmony are punlshed by 60)#--#/60)%3#/+-# (MoLher-LarLh).
3
lor
lnsLance, a rare phenomenon whereby Lhe corpse of a deceased person ls mysLerlously
unearLhed afLer lL has been burled ls undersLood as punlshmenL for Lhe person's
acLlons, whlch dlsLurbed Lhe cosmlc harmony. !usL as Lhe person caused harm Lo Lhe
cosmos, hls/her body wlll have Lo suffer Lhe effecLs of such dlsharmony by noL flndlng
peace even ln deaLh. 1hls ls Lhe case because Lhe land/earLh ls a llvlng force ln ?oruba
cosmology. 7%890/:1#/89 ls Lhe lncarnaLe presence of -/'5.

3
These different names refer to the same reality. This divinity is the sustainer and giver of terrestrial life as
well as cosmic life. She is the goddess of the seas, moon, and land. She is also the preserver of collective
human memories and secrets. Since the Yoruba people have a strong connection with the land, their history
as a people is safeguarded by this goddess. She makes ever conscious the need for cosmic harmony as the
people live out their collective and individual destinies. See Raymond Ogunade, 'Environmental Issues in
Yoruba Religion: Implications for Leadership and Society in Nigeria,'
http://www.unilorin.edu.ng/unilorin/publications/raymond/ENVIRONMENTAL%20ISSUES%20IN%20Y
ORUBA%20RELIGION.htm, accessed on 29 July 2009.
5
Cod ls radlcally presenL ln Lhe unlverse and commands a consclous recognlLlon ln
?oruba rellglon. Cod's pervaslve presence ln creaLlon ls descrlbed as #80/0,#20: "Pe who
spreads all over Lhe world." 1hls can also mean, "Pe who covers Lhe whole world or
makes Lhe whole world feel Pls presence" (Awolalu 1979: 16).
ln ?oruba rellglon, Lhere are mulLlple caLegorles of dlvlnlLles: (llesanml
1991: 221-223). llrsL, Lhere are prlmordlal dlvlnlLles. 1hese have been wlLh Lhe Supreme
8elng slnce before Lhe creaLlon of Lhe maLerlal world. Second, Lhere are hlsLorlcal
dlvlnlLles. Some ancesLors fall under Lhls caLegory. Some hlsLorlcal flgures llke klngs,
foundlng faLhers, and foundlng moLhers of clLles, Lowns, klngdoms, and Lrlbes also fall
under Lhls group. 1hlrd, are Lhe dlvlnlLles of naLural phenomena. 1hese lnclude
"mounLalns, hllls, rlvers, Lrees, lagoons, Lhunder, [and] seas" (Awolalu 1979: 20). Cne
quallLy ls cenLral Lo all Lhese groups of dlvlnlLles: Lhey all have Lhe duLy of preservlng
harmony ln Lhe cosmos by belng Lhe eLhlcal guldes for humans and oLher anlmaLe and
lnanlmaLe creaLures LhaL lnhablL Lhe cosmos. Cne can clalm LhaL ?oruba rellglon ls a
rellglon LhaL ls saLuraLed wlLh a sense of preservlng Lhe dellcaLe harmony wlLhln Lhe
unlverse. 1he dlvlnlLles exlsL solely for Lhe sake of belng cusLodlans of Lhe laws Lhe
Supreme 8elng has enacLed Lo susLaln Lhe unlverse.
As polnLed ouL by !. msade Awolalu, ln ?oruba cosmology Lhere are no
"LoLally opposlng forces." 1;' ls one of Lhe dlvlnlLles ln Lhe dlvlne realm LhaL carrles ouL
many duLles ln brldglng Lhe balance beLween Lhe splrlL world and Lhe creaLed order. 1he
besL descrlpLlon of 1;' ls Lhe LempLer. lLs role ls very lmporLanL slnce lL makes posslble
Lhe consLanL relaLlonshlp beLween humans and Lhe dlvlnlLles. 1;' ls also Lhe messenger
of Lhe oLher dlvlnlLles and of humans. lL ls 1;' LhaL "carrles Lhe suppllcaLlons of humans
Lo Lhe realm of Lhe dlvlnlLles." 8elng Lhe one who LaughL Lhe dlvlnlLy /'5)*-#< Lhe
dlvlnlng arL called =>#, a porLlon of Lhe sacrlflce ls always glven Lo 1;' anyLlme humans
consulL Lhe dlvlnlLles Lhrough Lhe =># prlesLs and prlesLesses. lallure Lo do Lhls lncurs Lhe
wraLh of 1;'.
lurLhermore, 1;' ls noL only Lhe enforcer of punlshmenL meLed ouL on Lhose
who vlolaLe Lhe cosmlc laws, buL also blesses Lhose who are devouL and adhere Lo Lhem.
6
lnLeresLlngly, 1;' ls boLh Lhe cause of human lmmoral acLlons and Lhe punlsher of Lhose
who are lmmoral. 1he reason for Lhls unlque funcLlon of 1;', as polnLed ouL by Awolalu,
ls "Lo make sure humans offer sacrlflces Lo Lhe angry gods/dlvlnlLles" (1979: 29). 1hese
sacrlflces preserve and susLaln human dependence on Lhe dlvlnlLles and make relevanL
Lhe covenanLal usefulness of Lhe dlvlnlLles, as ones who have an obllgaLlon Lo proLecL
and provlde for humans.
4
1;' ls Lhe perfecL reconcller of good and evll, whlch ls also
lndlcaLlve of Lhe presence of good and evll ln Lhe world (Awolalu 1979: 30, WescoLL
1962: 342-343).
1he land does noL only have an agrarlan funcLlon ln preservlng and susLalnlng
llfe, raLher, lL ls Lhe dlrecL and vlslble llnk beLween Lhe splrlLual and maLerlal. 1;' plays a
vlLal role ln preservlng Lhls balance. Whenever humans alLer Lhls balance by acLlons LhaL
are consldered Laboos, Lhey sLand Lhe rlsk of belng punlshed by 1;'. 1o appease Lhe
60)#--# (MoLher-LarLh) and 1;', cerLaln rlLual acLlons musL be performed. lor Lhe
?oruba people, Lhe land ls sacred and human lnLeracLlon wlLh lL musL always respecL lLs
sacredness.
1here ls a parallel undersLandlng of Lhe prlmordlal acL of Adam and Lve ln
ChrlsLlanlLy. ln Lhe Cenesls accounL of Lhe fall of Adam and Lve, Lhe acL of dlsobedlence
ls noL an absLracL acLlon. lL ls an acLlon Lled Lo Lhe land. Adam and Lve are glven Lhe
Carden of Lden, whlch Cod proclalmed Lo be Lhelr home, havlng llfe susLalnlng frulLs
and Lrees LhaL were "dellghLful Lo look aL and good for food" (Cen. 2:9). PumanlLy ls also
glven Lhe responslblllLy "Lo culLlvaLe and care for Lhe llfe-susLalnlng land" (Cen. 2:13).
rlmordlal humanlLy ls asked Lo malnLaln a harmonlous relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe land and
lLs produce. Whlle humanlLy ls Lold Lo eaL of Lhe frulLs and produce from Lhe land, Lhe
frulLs from Lhe "Lree of knowledge of good and bad" were Lo be lefL alone (Cen. 2:13,
3:3). rlmordlal humanlLy's refusal Lo obey Cod's command by eaLlng from Lhe
forbldden Lree leads Lo a dlsharmonlous relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe llfe-susLalnlng land.
8aLher Lhan belng a source of susLenance, Lhe land wlll henceforLh become humanlLy's
scourge (Cen. 3:17-19). Also, lL ls noL surprlslng Lo flnd ln Lhe Pebrew ScrlpLures Lhe

4
See a detailed treatment of the role of Esu and the understanding of evil in Yoruba religion in E. O.
Oyelade, "Evil in Yoruba Religion and Culture" (Cenkner 1997: 157-169).
7
eLhlcally good llfe belng rewarded by bounLlful harvesL and Lhe uneLhlcal llfe by famlne.
lurLhermore, Lhe enLlre relaLlonshlp of lsrael wlLh Cod ls Lled Lo Lhe romlsed Land LhaL
flows wlLh mllk and honey. 1o undersLand Lhe eLhlcal llfe as one LhaL calls for a
commlLmenL Lo ecologlcal awareness, lL ls lmporLanL Lo recapLure Lhls readlng of Lhe
blbllcal passages on creaLlon and Lhe eLhlcal llfe wlLhln Lhe ChrlsLlan LradlLlon. MosL
ofLen, Lhe moral llfe ls undersLood by many ChrlsLlans as slmply beLween Lhe lndlvldual
and Cod. 1hls sLrlcL lndlvldual relaLlonshlp wlLh Cod wlLhouL Lhe oLher (humans,
creaLures, and Lhe enLlre creaLed order) ls noL conslsLenL wlLh Lhe ChrlsLlan herlLage.
1he words of Sacred ScrlpLure should resonaLe ln Lhe hearLs of all ChrlsLlans: "no one
has ever seen Cod. ?eL, lf we love one anoLher, Cod remalns ln us, and hls love ls
broughL Lo perfecLlon ln us" (1 !ohn 4:12).
ln ?oruba rellglon, sln always has a cosmlc consequence. 1hls ls why Laboos musL
be avolded. AcLlons LhaL affecL Lhe dlrecL harmony wlLhln Lhe communlLy are consldered
Laboos. 1hese acLlons also vlolaLe Lhe precepLs LhaL Lhe "MoLher-LarLh" has lnsLlLuLed Lo
gulde Lhe acLlons of lLs lnhablLanLs. 1hese acLlons lnclude, buL are noL llmlLed Lo, lncesL,
ln[usLlce agalnsL wldows, lylng under oaLh, kllllng orphans, farmlng aL nlghL, wlLchcrafL,
and adulLery. 1he valldlLy of Lhe above argumenL hlnges on Lhe ?oruba rellglonlsLs'
bellef LhaL Lhere ls a correlaLlon beLween harmony ln human communlLles and cosmlc
harmony. lL ls on Lhls noLe LhaL an undersLandlng of how one becomes an ancesLor and
respecL accorded Lo Lhe person ls expressed.
1he ChrlsLlan noLlon of salnLhood can besL be undersLood ln Lhe conLexL of one's
percepLlon of Lhe cosmos as lL relaLes Lo Lhe Supreme 8elng. 1he cosmos ls Lhe creaLed
order and has one purpose-- Lhe fulflllmenL of Lhe wlll of Cod. 1he cosmos cannoL be
vlewed as some form of arblLrary reallLy LhaL has an end unLo lLself. Cod wllls everyLhlng
Lo be for a purpose (?#80(9*;) %> 890 ?#89%-*( ?9'/(9, no. 299)
3
. Crder/harmony ls
achleved when lnLenLlonallLy on Lhe parL of creaLed reallLy ls ordered Loward Lhe wlll of
Cod. ulsorder, on Lhe oLher hand, ls achleved when members of Lhe creaLed sphere

5
All citations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church will hereafter be cited as CCC.
8
deslre Lo go agalnsL Lhe wlll of Cod. 1hese Lwo paLhs underpln Lhe core of Lhe human
condlLlon.
ulvlne love ls Lhe creaLlve force for Lhe comlng Lo be of creaLlon. Love ln lLself ls
always ouLreachlng, hence, creaLlon ls a concreLlzaLlon of Cod's love, a love LhaL noL
only creaLes Lhe cosmos buL also ls Lhe reason for lLs conLlnuous exlsLence. 1hls love of
Cod for Lhe cosmos llnks lL ln a helghLened way Lo Lhe hearL of Cod (CCC, no. 300).
Pence, Lhe dlvlne proclamaLlon sLaLlng Lhe goodness of Lhe creaLed sphere ls a
proclamaLlon LhaL evokes a sense of obllgaLlon and commlLmenL (Cen. 1:31), lL evokes a
sense of obllgaLlon on Lhe parL of humans who have been made sLewards of Lhe creaLed
sphere Lo preserve Lhls goodness. lL calls for commlLmenL on Lhe parL of Cod because
Lhe goodness of Lhe creaLed order ls an endurlng one whlch proceeds from Cod's
consLancy. uesplLe Lhe dlsorder lnLroduced lnLo Lhe world by humans, Cod conLlnues Lo
preserve Pls goodness ln creaLlon Lhrough Lhe acLlons of Lhe lncarnaLed Son of Cod and
Lhe Poly SplrlL.
1he presence of evll ln Lhe world ls an lssue LhaL envelops Lhe consclousness of
all ChrlsLlans. 1he ?#80(9*;) %> 890 ?#89%-*( ?9'/(9 sLaLes, "1here ls noL a slngle aspecL
of Lhe ChrlsLlan message LhaL ls noL ln parL an answer Lo Lhe quesLlon of evll" (CCC, no.
309). Lvll always does harm Lo Lhe creaLed order. 1he Cenesls accounL polnLs Lo Lhls.
1he correcLlve measures Lo Lhls harm are morally good acLlons LhaL are aLLuned Lo Lhe
wlll of Cod for Lhe cosmos.

!*'7#$+%#9 :&.*$#9 &*, $87 /+#0+#
AncesLors are men and women who have llved ouL Lhe eLhlcal llfe ln such a way
LhaL Lhey have preserved Lhe cosmlc harmony by Lhelr consclous moral acLlons. 8ecause
of Lhls relaLlonal connecLlon Lo Lhe cosmos, Lhey have been rewarded by Lhe Supreme
8elng wlLh Lhe sLaLus of cusLodlans of Lhe dellcaLe harmony ln Lhe cosmos. ln oLher
words, ancesLorhood ls Lled Lo Lhe responslblllLy of helplng humanlLy Lo be accounLable
Lo Lhe cosmlc laws whlle aL Lhe same Llme helplng humanlLy Lo navlgaLe Lhrough Lhe
cosmos as people llve ouL Lhe eLhlcal llfe. Pence, ancesLors have a responslblllLy Lo Lhe
9
cosmos. ulvlne presence ls manlfesLed ln Lhe cosmos, and humans and ancesLors allke
have a responslblllLy Lo revere Lhls dlvlne presence. Slmllarly, ln ChrlsLlanlLy, Cod ls sald
Lo be everywhere. PumanlLy can come Lo know who Cod ls Lhrough Lhe creaLed order.
Accordlng Lo 1homas Aqulnas, "1he world parLlclpaLes ln 8elng lLself and one can come
Lo know of Cod by reflecLlng on Lhe ordered exlsLence of Lhe world" (Aqulnas 1, 2, 3).
lurLhermore, Lhe ?#80(9*;) %> 890 ?#89%-*( ?9'/(9 sLaLes LhaL "beglnnlng from Lhe
movemenL, becomlng, conLlngency, and Lhe world's order and beauLy, one can come Lo
a knowledge of Cod as Lhe orlgln and Lhe end of Lhe unlverse (CCC, no. 32).
ConsequenLly, Lhe world becomes Lhe locus of Cod's goodness, ln whlch humanlLy ls
called Lo parLake (CCC, no. 294, lrenaeus 4, 20, 7).
1he earLh ls Lhe arena for Lhe moral llfe. Men and women aLLaln ancesLorhood or
salnLhood by llvlng ouL Lhe wlll of Cod made manlfesL ln Lhe creaLed order. lor a
ChrlsLlan, a holy llfe ls one LhaL has conLrlbuLed Lo Lhe preservaLlon, resLoraLlon, and
afflrmaLlon of Lhe goodness of Cod LhaL endures ln creaLlon (CCC, no. 299). lor a ?oruba
rellglonlsL, a rlghLeous llfe ls a llfe llved wlLhouL vlolaLlng Lhe resLrlcLlons on Laboos LhaL
go agalnsL Lhe cosmlc laws esLabllshed by Lhe Supreme 8elng.
Among Lhe dlfferenL caLegorles of ancesLors are Lhe famlllal and delfled
ancesLors. lamlllal ancesLors are revered by Lhe members of Lhelr llvlng famllles. 1hese
ancesLors serve as Lhe moral gulde for Lhe members of Lhe famlly. uelfled ancesLors, on
Lhe oLher hand, preserve Lhe moral code LhaL Lhe naLlon/communlLy llves by. 1hey
sLand ouL noL [usL as exemplary flgures whose llves are worLh emulaLlng, buL also
perform parLlcular funcLlons LhaL conLlnue Lhe harmonlous exlsLence of Lhe enLlre
people. +20-#-# ls a good example of a delfled ancesLor. She ls sald Lo have allowed
herself Lo be burled allve Lo prevenL Lhe warrlng naLlons of =3% and +-#30 from engaglng
ln vlolenL confllcL. Per sacrlflce for Lhe sake of peace was Lo be a consLanL remlnder Lo
Lhe clLlzens of Lhese naLlons of Lhe need Lo always llve ln harmony. Anyone who goes
agalnsL Lhls expecLaLlon ls consldered Lo have commlLLed an acL of Laboo. Per herolc
acLlon of agreelng Lo be kllled Lo malnLaln Lhe peace accords her Lhls delfled sLaLus
(Awolalu 1979: 41-43, Awolalu 1973: 87-89). ln ChrlsLlanlLy, Lhe person of !esus and hls
10
redempLlve acL of dylng for slnful humanlLy ls slmllar Lo Lhe flgure of +20-#-# ln Lhe
rellglous culL of Lhe people of =3% and +-#30. 1he acLlon of ChrlsL ls an acLlon LhaL resLores
peace Lo Lhe mulLlple relaLlonshlps of humans (CCC, no. 312).
AncesLors ablde ln boLh Lhe maLerlal and splrlLual realms of Lhe cosmos. ln Lhe
splrlLual realm, adherenLs of ?oruba rellglon belleve LhaL Lhere are sLraLa of soclal
exlsLence [usL as Lhere are ln Lhe maLerlal realm. When one has llved an exemplary llfe
and has dled, one goes Lo [oln Lhe communlLy of ancesLors. 1hls ls slmllar Lo Lhe noLlon
of salnLhood ln ChrlsLlanlLy. Cne aLLalns salnLhood when Lhe llfe llved ls rooLed ln
falLhful wlLnesslng Lo Lhe vlrLues LhaL produce harmony, peace, and love wlLh Lhe alm of
brlnglng abouL Lhe relgn of Cod on earLh whlle belonglng Lo and adherlng Lo Lhe creedal
bellefs of a parLlcular ChrlsLlan falLh LradlLlon (CCC, no. 2011).
ln ?oruba rellglon, Lhls maLerlal realm of Lhe cosmos ls noL seen as fallen. Pence,
because Lhe splrlLual realm ls a repllca of Lhls maLerlal realm, Lhe greaLesL reward for
Lhe good llfe ls Lo be relncarnaLed back lnLo one's famlly. 8elncarnaLlon of Lhe ancesLors
does noL mean "Lhe compleLe absence of Lhe ancesLral splrlL from Lhe splrlLual realm"
(Awolalu 1979: 60). 1hls noLlon of Lhe splrlLual realm belng slmllar Lo Lhe maLerlal realm
ln whlch we llve evokes ln a ?oruba pracLlLloner a sense of awe and consclousness of Lhe
sacred as he/she relaLes wlLh all of creaLlon. lL ls wlLhln Lhese unlfled realms of Lhe
cosmos LhaL Lhe goodness of Lhe Supreme 8elng ls experlenced. lurLhermore, Lhe
pracLlLloner ls compelled Lo be ecologlcally responslble slnce Lhe desLrucLlon of Lhe
maLerlal realm enLalls a desLrucLlon of Lhe locus for ancesLral relncarnaLlon, whlch ls a
vlslble slgn of Cod's love for hlm/her, hls/her famlly, and hls/her communlLy. 1o llve ln a
socleLy wlLhouL ancesLors ls LanLamounL Lo Lhe absence of Cod's love. AncesLors help
Lhe members of Lhe communlLy Lo respond adequaLely Lo Lhe precepLs LhaL enhance
cosmlc harmony.
ln ChrlsLlanlLy, whlle Lhere ls no docLrlne on relncarnaLlon, Lhere ls also a sLrong
ecologlcal awareness. 1here are lnsLances of a sense of preservlng order ln Lhe unlverse,
whlch Loday can be drawn upon by ChrlsLlan scholars lnLeresLed ln consLrucLlng a
11
Lheology on cosmlc harmony. As 1erLulllan wrlLes, concernlng Lhe resurrecLlon of Lhe
flesh and Lhe flnal [udgmenL of humanlLy,
1hus lL follows LhaL Lhe fullness and perfecLlon of Lhe [udgmenL conslsLs
slmply ln represenLlng Lhe lnLeresLs of Lhe enLlre human belng. now,
slnce Lhe enLlre man conslsLs of Lhe unlon of Lhe Lwo naLures, he musL
Lherefore appear ln boLh, as lL ls rlghL LhaL he should be [udged ln hls
enLlreLy, nor, of course, dld he pass Lhrough llfe excepL ln hls enLlre sLaLe.
As Lherefore he llved, so also musL he be [udged, because he has Lo be
[udged concernlng Lhe way ln whlch he llved. lor llfe ls Lhe cause of
[udgmenL, and lL musL undergo lnvesLlgaLlon ln as many naLures as lL
possessed when lL dlscharged lLs vlLal funcLlons (1erLulllan xlll).

1he parLlclpaLlon of Lhe maLerlal flesh ln Lhe flnal [udgmenL of Lhe splrlLual soul
demands responslble llvlng ln Lhe maLerlal world LhaL ensures Lhe preservaLlon of Lhe
cosmos (CCC, nos. 437-460). 1erLulllan furLher sLaLes LhaL Lhe pagans have no sense of
Lhe lmporLance of Lhe maLerlal world as shown by Lhe way Lhey LreaL Lhe bodles of Lhe
dead (1erLulllan l). Also, Cregory of nyssa noLes LhaL Lhe human body and Lhe human
soul are creaLed by one source, Cod, who has desLlned Lhem Loward one end (Cregory
of nyssa xxlx, 1).
1he condlLlons for salnLhood are rooLed ln dlsclpleshlp. lL ls dlsclpleshlp ln ChrlsL,
who ls Lhe perfecL human. ln ChrlsLlanlLy, Lhe good llfe ls noL shrouded ln some eluslve
absLracL realm. 8aLher, lL ls revealed ln Lhe person of Lhe human !esus who ls Lhe
lncarnaLe Word of Cod (ParouLunlan 1933: 103). 1he Son of Cod Lakes up human
naLure, llves among humans, ls kllled by humans, and Lhrough Pls deaLh redeems
humans from Lhelr fallen sLaLe. ulsclpleshlp ls Lo follow Lhe precepLs of ChrlsL revealed
boLh ln Lhe words of scrlpLure and Lhe conLlnuous mlnlsLry of Lhe Church as conLalned ln
lLs LradlLlon. 1hls dlsclpleshlp ls auLhenLlcaLed by and ln Lhe day-Lo-day llved encounLers
wlLh Lhe enLlre creaLed order. lL mlghL be argued LhaL Lhe unlverse ls Lhe llLmus LesL for
salnLhood ln Lhe sense LhaL how a ChrlsLlan LreaLs Lhe creaLed order deLermlnes
12
wheLher he/she can aLLaln salnLhood. 1hls way of vlewlng salnLhood places Lhe ChrlsLlan
vlrLues ln dlrecL relaLlon Lo Lhe enhancemenL of Cod's goodness ln Lhe cosmos
(Alhlokhal 2008: 1-13). 1here ls a growlng awareness Loday among Lhe 8oman CaLhollc
Church's hlerarchy Lo sLress Lhe moral urgency and Lhe duLy of all humans, parLlcularly
ChrlsLlans Lo see Lhe preservaLlon of Lhe unlverse as a ChrlsLlan obllgaLlon LhaL blnds all
of humanlLy.
6


:+'.&1 671&$.+*# ;.$8 !*'7#$+%# &*, :&.*$#
8oLh ?oruba rellglonlsLs and ChrlsLlans have rlLuals LhaL commemoraLe Lhe llves
of men and women who are consldered ancesLors or salnLs. ln ChrlsLlanlLy, Lhe creedal
bellef ln Lhe communlon of salnLs ls vlLal Lo humanlLy's relaLlonal connecLlon wlLh Lhe
salnLs. 1he ?#80(9*;) %> 890 ?#89%-*( ?9'/(9 asserLs LhaL: "1he communlon of salnLs ls
Lhe Church" (CCC, no. 946). Lxplalnlng whaL Lhls communlon enLalls, Lhe ?#80(9*;)
quoLes 1homas Aqulnas' argumenL LhaL "Slnce all Lhe falLhful form one body, Lhe good
of each ls communlcaLed Lo Lhe oLhers" (CCC, no. 947). ConsequenLly, Lhe celebraLlon of
Lhe llves of Lhe salnLs and Lhelr lnLercessory roles wlLhln ChrlsLlanlLy are llnked Lo Lhe
moral llfe of ChrlsLlans. ln Lhe 8oman Canon, Lhe celebranL commemoraLes Lhe 8oman
marLyrs, along wlLh all Lhe salnLs, and calls upon Lhem Lo susLaln Lhe ChrlsLlan
communlLy ln Lhelr [ourneys Lo moral perfecLlon and salvaLlon (aul vl 1973: 343).
When a ChrlsLlan prays Lhe @-%/2 A0 8% 890 B#890/. prayer, he/she ls made
consclous noL [usL of Lhe everlasLlng glory of Cod, buL of hls/her responslblllLy Lo be parL
of Lhe eLernal world LhaL renders pralse Lo Cod. Pe/she also ls made Lo Lake serlously
Lhe laws LhaL preserve harmony wlLhln Lhe unlverse. 1he prayer ls noL [usL Lhe
recognlLlon of Lhe works of Cod, buL also a remlnder LhaL ChrlsLlans have a duLy Lo make
sure Lhese works of Cod endure under Lhelr sLewardshlp.
ulsclpleshlp ln Lhe ChrlsLlan sense ls noL undersLood as solely an lnLellecLual
assenL Lo falLh ln !esus. 8aLher, lL ls acLuallzed ln Lhe moral llfe. ChrlsLlans, on a dally

6
The recent Vatican statement on global warming and the need for practical strategies to combat it is
revolutionary. The Vatican position makes global warming and humanity's contribution to it a moral issue.
(Vidal and Kington 2007: 23)
13
basls, have a vocaLlon Lo llve ouL peacefully wlLh oLher humans, wlLh Lhemselves, and
wlLh all of creaLlon. 1he ChrlsLlan scrlpLures are expllclL abouL concreLlzlng one's falLh ln
!esus, "lf a broLher or slsLer has noLhlng Lo wear and has no food for Lhe day, and one of
you says Lo Lhem, 'Co ln peace, keep warm, and eaL well,' buL you do noL glve Lhem Lhe
necesslLles of Lhe body, whaL good ls lL? So also falLh of lLself, lf lL does noL have works,
ls dead" (!ames 2: 13-17).
7
ln oLher words, ChrlsLlans, Lhrough dlsclpleshlp, malnLaln,
preserve, and brlng abouL fellowshlp of oneness by A0*5$ 890/0 for Lhe oLher. 1hls
enLalls belng falLhful Lo Lhelr vocaLlons and Laklng rlsks for Lhe oLher [all of creaLlon]
even Lo Lhe polnL of dylng. 1hls ls made posslble by adherlng Lo Lhe LradlLlons and value
sysLems LhaL help shape Lhe response of one when Lhe need arlses Lo become a
medlaLor. lor a ChrlsLlan, Lhe sLory ls Lhe LoLallLy of Lhe salvaLlon hlsLory, whlch beglns
and conLlnues ln and Lhrough Lhe perfecL medlaLlng sacrlflce of !esus ChrlsL. Pe/she ls
Lhere for hls/her broLhers and slsLers (all creaLlon) even before Lhey become aware of
Lhe need for hlm/her (Alhlokhal 2008: 6).
1he llnk beLween ChrlsLlan vlrLues and Lhe creaLed order cannoL be severed
wlLhouL endlng ln a false noLlon of hollness. 1hus, Lhe flourlshlng of Lhe unlverse ls Lled
Lo Lhe flourlshlng of Lhe vlrLues by Lhe mere facL LhaL Lhe human person ls noL [usL parL
of Lhe unlverse, buL ls aL Lhe hearL of Lhe unlverse. Pe has Lhe obllgaLlon of malnLalnlng
and susLalnlng Lhe unlverse (Alhlokhal 2008: 10-11, Schaefer 2003: 791). 1hls
relaLlonshlp beLween Lhe unlverse and humanlLy ls one of lnLerdependence. An ordered
and harmonlous complemenLary relaLlonshlp reflecLs Lhe wlll of Cod for all of creaLlon
(CCC, no. 340).
ln ?oruba rellglous rlLuals, llbaLlons are consLanLly offered Lo Lhe ancesLors as
recognlLlon of graLlLude and suppllcaLlon. 1he land ls Lhe medlum LhaL llnks Lhe
ancesLors Lo Lhe naLlon, Lhe famlly, or Lhe lndlvldual. 1hls ls why llbaLlon ls offered Lo
Lhe ancesLors Lhrough Lhe pourlng of Lhe drlnk on Lhe bare soll near Lhe rlLual space.

7
The point here is not to get into the theological dispute that many Christians have had over the primacy of
faith or good works; rather, it is to emphasize the close relation between faith and good works. Christian
faith that does not produce good works is not authentic faith, and good works that do not reflect the faith
received are questionable.
14
Whlle Lhls rlLual ls belng done, Lhe one offerlng llbaLlon also grounds hlmself/herself by
havlng dlrecL bodlly conLacL wlLh Lhe land.
1he famlllal and delfled ancesLors are commemoraLed each year, parLlcularly
durlng Lhe "0C 6#) B0;8*D#- when Lhe flrsL proceeds of Lhe harvesL are offered Lo Lhe
ancesLors for maklng lL a safe and producLlve season. uurlng Lhls fesLlval, Lhe ancesLors,
called 1$'5$'5, appear ln Lhe mldsL of Lhe people dressed ln masks and symbollc
cloLhlng (Awolalu 1979: 66, Clupna 1993: 233). A bounLlful harvesL ls symbollc of
harmony wlLhln Lhe cosmos. A poor harvesL means LhaL harmony wlLhln Lhe cosmos has
been broken and musL be resLored, else, Lhe Lrlbe ends up belng exLlncL.

! /+00+* <&$8 =+% /8%.#$.&*.$3 &*, 4+%-"& 671.2.+*
lL ls my vlew LhaL Lhese Lwo rellglous LradlLlons have wlLhln Lhelr LeneLs, aspecLs
LhaL can help Lo redlrecL humans' percepLlons of Lhelr place ln Lhe world and become
more accounLable ln Lhelr use of naLural resources. AdherenLs of Lhese rellglons wlll
have Lo Lake serlously Lhe warnlngs of sclenLlsLs who conLlnue Lo lnform human socleLy
of Lhe need Lo change currenL behavlor paLLerns and hablLs LhaL cause harm Lo Lhe
ecosysLem. 1he Llme Lo resusclLaLe such creedal vlews LhaL enhance harmony and
world-frlendly acLlons ls now. A ChrlsLlan and/or a ?oruba rellglonlsL cannoL afford Lo
lgnore whaL ls happenlng Loday, as has been Lhe case ln cerLaln Llmes of our hlsLorlcal
pasL.
1he cosmos ls Lhe consLanL offerlng glven by humans and Lhe dlvlnlLles Lo
-.')#/0. 1hls undersLandlng ls presenL as well ln Lhe ChrlsLlan worldvlew. ChrlsL's
lncarnaLlon has made Lhe cosmos Lhe LheaLer of dlvlne drama. 1hls acL, along wlLh Lhe
?oruba undersLandlng of Lhe place of Cod ln Lhe cosmos, ls a remlnder Lo all people of
Lhe need Lo be waLchful and respecLful of Lhe cosmlc laws. Pumans cannoL see
Lhemselves as Lhe sole focus ln Lhe cosmos. 1o do so ls Lo dlsplace Cod, who ls Lhe
source of lLs exlsLence. Whlle Cod Lranscends Lhe cosmos, Cod ls never allen Lo lL. Cod's
presence ln Lhe cosmos ls noL aL Lhe marglns, buL raLher aL Lhe hearL of Lhe cosmos. Cod
ls Lhe source of harmony.
15
lor ?oruba rellglonlsLs, Lhe noLlon of Cod belng aL Lhe cenLer of Lhe cosmos ls
concreLlzed ln Lhelr undersLandlng of Lhe land. 1he land ls delfled. lL ls boLh Lhe means
of susLalnlng llfe and Lhe llnk beLween Lhe creaLed world and Lhe Supreme 8elng.
lurLhermore, one can also argue LhaL [usL as Lhe lncarnaLlon of Lhe Son of Cod ln
ChrlsLlanlLy ls seen as Lhe ulLlmaLe llnk beLween Cod and Lhe creaLed order, ln ?oruba
rellglon, Lhe land ls Lhe lncarnaLed presence of Lhe Supreme 8elng. 1he land ls sacred
and performs a propheLlc role by remlndlng ?oruba rellglonlsLs Lo be waLchful of Lhelr
acLlons. lL also rewards Lhose who have helped Lo preserve Lhe cosmlc harmony Lhrough
Lhelr acLlons by provldlng bounLlful harvesLs for Lhose who are farmers and wlldllfe for
Lhose who are hunLers.
8

1he above argumenL of Lhe sacredness of Lhe enLlre creaLed unlverse ln ?oruba
rellglon ls one LhaL can help ChrlsLlans Lo recapLure wlLhln Lhelr rellglous herlLage Lhe
call Lo Lake serlously Lhe need for a fuller undersLandlng of Lhe ChrlsLlan undersLandlng
of Lhe lncarnaLlon of Lhe Son of Cod. ChrlsL dld noL become human for Lhe sake of
humanlLy alone. 8aLher, ChrlsL became human (a creaLure) so LhaL all of creaLlon could
be resLored back Lo Lhe orlglnal wlll of Cod. WlLh Lhls undersLandlng, ChrlsLlans can no
longer see Lhemselves as Lhe only prlvlleged creaLures LhaL can use Lhe cosmos as a
means for achlevlng Lhe good llfe. 1he whole of creaLlon parLakes of Lhe glfL of Lhe
lncarnaLlon LhaL ls redempLlve and elevaLlng. CreaLlon becomes elevaLed Lo a hlgher
level, one LhaL ls worLhy of a relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe dlvlne. lL ls from Lhls perspecLlve LhaL
a ChrlsLlan can Lruly pray and belleve LhaL Lhls creaLed unlverse ls a world wlLhouL end.

8
It is not surprising then to find that this prominent role of the land has been personified in the feminine
identity. God's presence in the created order is in the feminine. This fact shapes the entire religious
character of Yoruba rituals. Every Yoruba person is expected to imbibe and reflect these feminine qualities
of care, fruitfulness, nurturing, and presence in all that he/she does since he/she bears the image of God
within him/her. Furthermore, the Yoruba woman is naturally disposed to be the religious representative of
the divinity, Yemalla. In fact, most of the priestesses of the goddess/divinity Yemalla (Mother-Earth) are
women. This aspect of human physiology and gender identity needs to be explored in Christian theology.
The male priesthood of Roman Catholicism does not always reflect this close connection between the land-
fertility and the Divine. Very often, God is represented as the lawgiver who gives authority to humanity to
dominate, subdue, and conquer the earth/land. This attitude seems to have led to some of the abuses
humanity has perpetuated that have affected the ecosystem. A fundamental question that Christian
theologians ought to be asking is: how does and can a male priesthood reflect and represent an attitude of
fertility, abundance, nurture, and care in relation to human relations with the cosmos. Perhaps Yoruba
religion may be beneficial to this project.
16
1hls dlvlne acLlon has made Lhe whole of creaLlon a sacramenLal means of experlenclng
dlvlne grace. 1hls polnL ls sLressed by AugusLlne of Plppo when he reads Lhe Cenesls
accounL of creaLlon Lhrough Lhe lens of lLs sacramenLal slgnlflcance. Lvery acLlon and
creaLure creaLed by Cod serves as means of experlenclng Lhe dlvlne (AugusLlne of Plppo
xlll).
ln Lhe creaLlon accounLs of boLh rellglous LradlLlons, whlle humans parLake ln
Cod's lmage, a re-evaluaLlon of how Lhls plays lLself ouL ln relaLlon Lo oLher creaLures ln
Lhe unlverse needs Lo be pursued. Sclence has helped human socleLy Lo reallze LhaL Lhe
earLh ls noL Lhe sole planeLary sysLem. 1he growlng awareness of Lhe
lnLerconnecLedness of Lhe dlfferenL planeLs calls for a more consclous aLLempL Lo
consLanLly evaluaLe how our acLlons affecL Lhe LoLal well-belng of Lhe solar sysLem.
8oLh Lhe ?oruba rellglon and ChrlsLlanlLy sLress Lhe raLlonallLy of humans as
comlng from Lhelr close llnk wlLh Lhe lmage and llkeness of Lhe Supreme 8elng. 1hls
undersLandlng has ecologlcal lmpllcaLlons. !usL as Cod ls Lhe susLalner of Lhe unlverse,
humans have an obllgaLlon as lnhablLanLs of Lhe unlverse Lo malnLaln and preserve lL.
Pumans parLlclpaLe ln cosmlc harmony by belng boLh beneflclarles of Lhe dlvlne glfL of
order and preservers of Lhe laws of naLure LhaL make Lhls harmony a reallLy.
lL oughL Lo be sLaLed also LhaL boLh rellglons recognlze Lhe role of Lhe Supreme
8elng ln Lhe creaLlon of humans. Whlle ln ?oruba cosmology, lL ls Lhe duLy of A#8#-# Lo
shape Lhe human form and LhaL of -.')#/0 Lo breaLhe llfe lnLo Lhe form. lor
ChrlsLlans, Cod ls Lhe one who shapes humans and breaLhes llfe lnLo Lhem. 1hls ls whaL
makes humans sacred and parLakers of dlvlne llfe ln boLh rellglous LradlLlons. 8uL Lhe
sLory does noL end Lhere. 4.'.'C# carrles ouL Lhe mandaLe of Lhe Supreme 8elng by
creaLlng Lhe cosmos ln ?oruba rellglon (Lawal 2001: 499-300). Cod, ln ChrlsLlanlLy,
makes Lhe cosmos and all LhaL lL conLalns. 1hese acLlons proceed from Lhe dlvlne wlll,
and Lhls undersLandlng makes all of creaLlon sacred. Pence, boLh ChrlsLlanlLy and
?oruba rellglon afflrm ln sLrong Lerms Lhe sacredness of Lhe unlverse.
1he ChrlsLlan undersLandlng of Lhe creaLed order can be used as a force for
accounLablllLy LhaL achleves harmony ln Lhe unlverse. 8aLher Lhan flee from Lhe fallen
17
world, Lhe prlmordlal mandaLe glven Lo humans Lo have domlnlon over Lhe creaLed
order can become a mandaLe for recLlfylng Lhe wrong belng done ln Lhe world. 1hus,
one can say LhaL Lo be a ChrlsLlan ls Lo have a creaLlve ldenLlLy. 1he creaLlve dlmenslon
of Lhe ChrlsLlan vocaLlon ls one of accounLablllLy, respecL, and commlLmenL LhaL
preserves and accounLs for Lhe naLural resources ln Lhe world. 1o be a ChrlsLlan from
Lhls perspecLlve Lranscends any form of lnLellecLual ascenL LhaL ls devold of any
responslblllLy.
?oruba rellglonlsLs operaLe from a very pracLlcal perspecLlve. lor Lhem, healLh ls
Lled Lo harmony ln Lhe cosmos. When one dlsLorLs Lhe cosmlc harmony Lhrough acLlons
LhaL have negaLlve ecologlcal lmpllcaLlons, Lhe consequences lead Lo lllnesses,
barrenness, and a hlgh morLallLy raLe. Pence, Lo aLLaln ancesLorhood, one ls challenged
Lo be respecLful of Lhe dellcaLe balance ln Lhe cosmos. 8oLh Lhe Pebrew and Lhe
ChrlsLlan blbllcal accounLs of Cod's declaraLlon of Lhe goodness of all of Lhe creaLed
order are slmllar Lo Lhe ?oruba sense of Lhe sacredness of Lhe earLh. 1hls shapes how a
?oruba rellglonlsL llves, and relaLes wlLh oLhers, wlLh Lhe cosmos, and wlLh Lhe dlvlne.
!usL as Lhe ChrlsLlan Leachlng on Lhe flnal resurrecLlon polnLs Lo Lhe unlflcaLlon of
Lhe glorlfled body wlLh Lhe soul aL Lhe lasL [udgmenL one can argue LhaL whaL Cod has
creaLed cannoL go ouL of exlsLence (8aLzlnger 1990: 268-278). 1hus, Lhe cosmos LhaL
Cod proclalms Lo be good cannoL sLop Lo exlsL compleLely aL Lhe 0;(9#8%5. All of
creaLlon wlll parLake of Lhe 0;(9#8%5. lL ls noL [usL Lhe sole prlvllege of humans. 1hls ls
Lhe case because lL ls all of creaLlon LhaL parLakes ln Lhe effecL of Lhe salvlflc lncarnaLlon
of Lhe Son of Cod. Also, ln ?oruba rellglon, Lhe 0;(9#8%5 ls noL Lo be undersLood as Lhe
cessaLlon of Lhe exlsLence of Lhe cosmos. 1hls ls absurd conslderlng Lhe cosmos ls Lhe
dwelllng place of Lhe Supreme 8elng. 1he 0;(9#8%5 ls 'always now' ln ?oruba rellglon,
Lhus adherenLs make a consLanL efforL Lo make Lhe world a beLLer place and Lo obey Lhe
laws of creaLlon LhaL renew and susLaln Lhe cosmos.



18
/+*'1-#.+*
?oruba rellglon and ChrlsLlanlLy offer Lwo dlsLlncL buL compllmenLary lnslghLs
lnLo human relaLlonshlps wlLh Lhe cosmos and wlLh Lhe dlvlne. ln Lhelr LreaLmenL of
human exlsLence, Lhey boLh have one concluslon: human exlsLence does noL end ln Lhe
here and now. Llfe Lranscends deaLh and Lhls Lranscendence calls for accounLablllLy on
Lhe parL of all humans and an obllgaLlon Lo llve Lhe good llfe. AncesLorhood and
salnLhood serve Lhe ends of Lhese rellglons. 1hey are means Lowards a conLlnuous and
lnLense relaLlonal llnk wlLh Lhose who have noL crossed Lhe Lhresholds of physlcal deaLh
and our llnk wlLh Lhe enLlre cosmos.
uue Lo advancemenLs ln Lechnology and lncreased mlgraLlon, perhaps Lhe Llme
has come for followers of Lhese Lwo rellglons and exLernal sympaLhlzers Lo Lake an ln-
depLh look aL Lhelr creedal herlLages and Lhrough Lhls aLLlLude reevaluaLe Lhelr
approach Lo Lhe cosmos.
1he zeal for aLLalnlng salnLhood or ancesLorhood can no longer be seen as a
fllghL from Lhe world. 1he world crles ouL Lo all humans Lo Lake up Lhelr responslblllLy of
belng sLewards of Lhe Supreme 8elng ln Lhe way Lhey use Lhe naLural resources
conLalned ln lL. 1o be a salnL or an ancesLor ls Lo Lake serlously Lhls vocaLlon of
sLewardshlp and Lo respecL Lhe land from whlch humanlLy derlves lLs maLerlal belng. lf
we are consclous of and lnLernallze, Lhrough our acLlons, Lhe words ln boLh Lhe Pebrew
and ChrlsLlan scrlpLures, "for you are dusL, and Lo dusL you shall reLurn," we cannoL buL
LreaL Lhe earLh ln a more humane way (Cen. 3:19). AfLer all, afLer a llfe well llved here
on earLh, wlll lL noL be approprlaLe Lo be burled ln a healLhy land? Cr do we wanL Lo
lnherlL a healLhy land, and pass on Lo fuLure generaLlons a land full of LhlsLles (Cen
3:18)? AncesLors and salnLs can be exemplars for Lhose who wanL Lo Lake serlously Lhe
commlLmenL Lo preservlng cosmlc harmony.




19
SlmonMary A. Alhlokhal h.u. (CandldaLe) ls sLudylng CaLhollc SysLemaLlc 1heology aL
uuquesne unlverslLy. Pls areas of lnLeresL lnclude rellglon and economlc developmenL
ln developlng counLrles, rellglon and ecology, rellglon and ldenLlLy, and Lheology,
phenomenology, and culLure. Pe has an exLenslve background ln flrsL evangellzaLlon ln
nlgerla and he ls lnvolved ln Musllm-ChrlsLlan dlalogue.
alhlokh9160[duq.edu























20


21
E0>0/05(0;

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