Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has shared his preference for traditional Orisa worship over Christianity and Islam, emphasizing its artistic, creative, and nonviolent qualities.
In an interview with Larry Madowo on CNN, Soyinka explained that he finds Orisa worship more mysterious and less prone to violence than the two major Abrahamic religions.
Having been exposed to both Christianity and Orisa traditions from an early age, he noted that the inclusive and ecumenical nature of Orisa spirituality deeply appealed to him.
“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 – he was an Orisa person and a chief, and his (grandfather’s) side (of Orisa) fascinated me a lot more,” the playwright told CNN’s Larry Madowo during the interview.
He further reflected on the differences he perceives:
“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 and that is for a simple reason that I didn’t grow up in a Muslim environment.”
Soyinka also described Orisa spirituality as open and accommodating, which, in his view, allowed external religions to influence it:
“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.”
Clarifying his personal beliefs, he stated:
“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.”
In addition, Soyinka mentioned that he feels uneasy about adaptations of his life or creative works, noting that such interpretations often cause him discomfort.
