"The Gods Are Wise"

New from Oxford University Press: The Gods Are Wise: Yorùbá Sacred Orature and Environmental Sustainability by Olúwábùnmi Tọ́pẹ́ Bernard.

About the book, from the publisher:

This book does not suggest the "ultimate solution" to global environmental problems or even imply that there is only one way of protecting the environment. Instead, Olúwábùnmi Tope Bernard presents a previously untapped exploration of the resources within the Yorùbá Òrìsà worship, sacred orature, ritual practices, and performances that promote environmental sustainability.

Antifragility is a significant theme in this book. It refers to a system's capability to not only be resilient or able to withstand volatility, but also benefit from that which stresses it. Before a system becomes antifragile, it must have undergone attacks which would make it resilient. Bernard explores Yorùbá literature, worldview, philosophy, religion, and measures taken to preserve the environment and keep it antifragile. In doing so, The Gods Are Wise expresses an aspiration that these measures and practices may be adopted by other religions and societies looking to pursue environmental preservation.

Olúwábùnmi Tọ́pẹ́ Bernard holds a Ph.D. in Yorùbá Language and Literature from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, where she has taught Yorùbá literature and culture for over 10 years. She has won many prestigious fellowships. Currently, she is part of a team working on an ERC-funded project at Ghent University, Belgium on Yorùbá Print Culture.

--Marshal Zeringue