Olusayo B. Oladejo

Life and Death in the Old Testament and Yoruba Worldview: Reading Ecclesiastes in an African Context Olusayo B. Oladejo

This book investigates and compares the concepts of life and death in the Old Testament and Yoruba worldview with particular focus on the book of Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes). Comparative and contrasting variables are identified in determining the meaning and value of life that is concurrently faithful to the biblical message and relevant to the Yoruba context. Relevant portions of Qoheleth are selected for semantic, historical and exegetical cum expository analyses. Words employed by Qoheleth in describing life and death are studied. Also, Yoruba terms used in relation to the idea of life and death, their meaning, purpose and worth, are also examined. The study is approached from the perspective of phenomenology of religion and is multidimensional. This method is suitable for this work that is comparative, systematic and descriptive. The book makes suggestions for both specialized and freelance theologians in their efforts to appropriately relate biblical appreciation of life to the diverse aspects of their practical ministries. This engenders a comprehensively biblical perception of life by the Yoruba student of the Bible.