Ifá Priestcraft: Ifáyemí Elébuìbon and Yorùbá Ancestral Knowledge Systems

Born in 1947, Ifáyẹmí Ọ̀ṣúndàgbonù Ẹlẹ́buìbọn descends from a long line of Yorùbá healers, philosophers, and priests. A fervent disciple of Ifá from age four, Ẹlẹ́buìbọn grew to become both a living moral exemplar and an internationally recognized face of his religion. The first scholarly work to connect the biography of a devout Ifá practitioner to broader intellectual conversations around pluriversalism and Indigenous knowledge systems, Ifá Priestcraft analyzes the complexities of Yorùbá philosophy and religion and their lasting cultural impact in Nigeria and throughout the diaspora. Toyin Falola, a world-renowned scholar of African studies, employs a phenomenological approach that recognizes and solidifies the voice of the “guru” as an organic and authentic source of knowledge. The result is a wholly original and uniquely interdisciplinary study of Yorùbá spirituality and an extraordinary contribution to the field of ancestral studies.