Review of Religion: What If...
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Miracle Chukwuneke
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- Latest Review: Religion: What If... by Dele Owolowo
Review of Religion: What If...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Religion: What If..." by Dele Owolowo.]
"Religion: What If..." by Dele Owolowo is historical fiction that is captivating to read. The book starts with an exposition on the impact of religion in Nigeria. As the author engages in a voyage of discovery of our history in chapter one, he states that history is a defining role that shapes the destiny of a people, and he goes further in chapter one to uncover some of the great empires that were in existence, like the Chinese empire, the Roman empire, the Oyo empire, and among all others.
As the author tries to engage the reader, he goes ahead to expose a lot of things, including how African religion and culture have been altered by Western culture and also the Arabs and their impacts on the continent. To explain and express himself fully, the author uses Nigeria as a case study.
Dele Owolowo posed numerous questions about how the rise of Westernisation and Islamisation has altered our lives as Nigerians.
The author in chapter 2 exposes me to a new dimension of discovery; Owolowo tries to explain the discovery of Nigeria using an analogy like that of four different captains who were shipwrecked and disoriented on the shores of a newfound place called Nigeria. Each captain looking through their telescopes in four different geographical directions—North, South, East, and West—is faced with four different looming scenes. Each holding and describing their perspective about Nigeria. I was amazed when the author introduced the expositions of the history of some tribes in Nigeria, like the history of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, and how the author described it further relates to the creation story in the Bible (of how Chukwu created a companion for Eri, who desired a companion to be complete). The author's rich explanation of the history of the various tribes made the book more insightful and educative.
The author goes ahead to explain the histories of other tribes like the Yourbas; accordingly, the Yourbas originated from Oduduwa being the son of Olodumare on Earth, at Ile-Ife, and equipped with all forms of magical, miraculous, and mystical powers, including Sango’s thunderous hammer (cue Thor the Viking) and Ogun’s controlling iron mastery.
The book informs the reader of how different the creation history of the Yourbas differs from other creation histories of different cultures and religions. Additionally, the book gives more postulation that they, including Olodumare, got this one right by current scientific evidence of inbreeding dangers of genetically transferrable diseases as he made sure there were enough people created in heaven before sending them down to Ife. In any case, the Yorubas were not chosen by the Jewish God, Yahweh.
The book refers to Bayajidda as the father of the Hausa tribe and, as such, presents alternative historical scenarios that reimagine the rich legacies of important figures in Nigerian history, as mentioned above.
One thing that drew me to the book is the fact that it serves as a challenge to Nigerians who fail to question their roots and maintain originality in their various cultures. The inquisitorial nature of the author toward the impact of foreign religions serves as an eye-opener to potential readers. The author probably explores how Nigerian history might have unfolded if these figures had taken different paths.
The book discusses how the Middle Eastern religions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) came to dominate in Nigeria, the roles colonial administrators and trading merchants played in spreading these religions, and how they influenced economic and political structures. The book also mentioned in Chapter 4 "bastardisation and how the author viewed the current spiritual landscape as a corrupted form of what it could or should have been. The chapter is provocative but insightful, which further gives the reader a view of how adopted religion has permeated every aspect of Nigerian lives.
The author does not shy away from the harsh realities of how Middle Eastern religions have reshaped Nigerian spirituality. The arguments presented by the author in this book are very insightful and expository; they are further explained with convictions and backed by compelling examples and real-life evidence.While I found myself disagreeing with some of his conclusions, I could not deny the power and force of his arguments, which are validated.
The final chapters of this book explore the potential paths forward, which are a bit less focused than the earlier chapters. What's exceptional about this book is that the epilogue features a fictional conversation between historical entities and figures—this creative touch that helps tie the book themes together.
This book, "Religion: What If..." by Dele Owolowo is professionally edited in my own personal judgement, and I did not find any grammatical errors; however, one thing that quibbled me is that the book tends to overwhelm its readers and is not an easy read, nor is it meant to be. The book further demands engagement, challenges preconceptions, and leaves the reader with more questions than answers. While it may not change the reader's beliefs, it will certainly make them think deeply about them.
I would give this book, "Religion: What If..." by Dele Owolowo a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, and I recommend this book to readers who are interested in African histories and spiritual and broader religious colonisation in Africa. Although the book might be controversial, it is bold, and its valuable contributions are indeed amazing and inspiring.
Kudos to Dele Owolowo.
******
Religion: What If...
View: on Bookshelves
"Religion: What If..." by Dele Owolowo is historical fiction that is captivating to read. The book starts with an exposition on the impact of religion in Nigeria. As the author engages in a voyage of discovery of our history in chapter one, he states that history is a defining role that shapes the destiny of a people, and he goes further in chapter one to uncover some of the great empires that were in existence, like the Chinese empire, the Roman empire, the Oyo empire, and among all others.
As the author tries to engage the reader, he goes ahead to expose a lot of things, including how African religion and culture have been altered by Western culture and also the Arabs and their impacts on the continent. To explain and express himself fully, the author uses Nigeria as a case study.
Dele Owolowo posed numerous questions about how the rise of Westernisation and Islamisation has altered our lives as Nigerians.
The author in chapter 2 exposes me to a new dimension of discovery; Owolowo tries to explain the discovery of Nigeria using an analogy like that of four different captains who were shipwrecked and disoriented on the shores of a newfound place called Nigeria. Each captain looking through their telescopes in four different geographical directions—North, South, East, and West—is faced with four different looming scenes. Each holding and describing their perspective about Nigeria. I was amazed when the author introduced the expositions of the history of some tribes in Nigeria, like the history of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, and how the author described it further relates to the creation story in the Bible (of how Chukwu created a companion for Eri, who desired a companion to be complete). The author's rich explanation of the history of the various tribes made the book more insightful and educative.
The author goes ahead to explain the histories of other tribes like the Yourbas; accordingly, the Yourbas originated from Oduduwa being the son of Olodumare on Earth, at Ile-Ife, and equipped with all forms of magical, miraculous, and mystical powers, including Sango’s thunderous hammer (cue Thor the Viking) and Ogun’s controlling iron mastery.
The book informs the reader of how different the creation history of the Yourbas differs from other creation histories of different cultures and religions. Additionally, the book gives more postulation that they, including Olodumare, got this one right by current scientific evidence of inbreeding dangers of genetically transferrable diseases as he made sure there were enough people created in heaven before sending them down to Ife. In any case, the Yorubas were not chosen by the Jewish God, Yahweh.
The book refers to Bayajidda as the father of the Hausa tribe and, as such, presents alternative historical scenarios that reimagine the rich legacies of important figures in Nigerian history, as mentioned above.
One thing that drew me to the book is the fact that it serves as a challenge to Nigerians who fail to question their roots and maintain originality in their various cultures. The inquisitorial nature of the author toward the impact of foreign religions serves as an eye-opener to potential readers. The author probably explores how Nigerian history might have unfolded if these figures had taken different paths.
The book discusses how the Middle Eastern religions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity) came to dominate in Nigeria, the roles colonial administrators and trading merchants played in spreading these religions, and how they influenced economic and political structures. The book also mentioned in Chapter 4 "bastardisation and how the author viewed the current spiritual landscape as a corrupted form of what it could or should have been. The chapter is provocative but insightful, which further gives the reader a view of how adopted religion has permeated every aspect of Nigerian lives.
The author does not shy away from the harsh realities of how Middle Eastern religions have reshaped Nigerian spirituality. The arguments presented by the author in this book are very insightful and expository; they are further explained with convictions and backed by compelling examples and real-life evidence.While I found myself disagreeing with some of his conclusions, I could not deny the power and force of his arguments, which are validated.
The final chapters of this book explore the potential paths forward, which are a bit less focused than the earlier chapters. What's exceptional about this book is that the epilogue features a fictional conversation between historical entities and figures—this creative touch that helps tie the book themes together.
This book, "Religion: What If..." by Dele Owolowo is professionally edited in my own personal judgement, and I did not find any grammatical errors; however, one thing that quibbled me is that the book tends to overwhelm its readers and is not an easy read, nor is it meant to be. The book further demands engagement, challenges preconceptions, and leaves the reader with more questions than answers. While it may not change the reader's beliefs, it will certainly make them think deeply about them.
I would give this book, "Religion: What If..." by Dele Owolowo a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, and I recommend this book to readers who are interested in African histories and spiritual and broader religious colonisation in Africa. Although the book might be controversial, it is bold, and its valuable contributions are indeed amazing and inspiring.
Kudos to Dele Owolowo.
******
Religion: What If...
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: Religion: What If... by Dele Owolowo
