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Yoruba Religion Essay

Decent Essays

According to published bios, the Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant is a Yoruba priestess, ordained New Thought minister, talk show host, doctoral candidate, spiritual life counselor and author of several best selling books mostly geared toward the African American community.

Referring to herself as an “empowerment specialist”, she is the co-founder of the Inner Visions: The Institute for Spiritual Development which states that its offerings “are designed to facilitate and support Personal Development and Spiritual Evolution. We believe that personal well-being and spiritual unfolding is a function of knowing who you are – your Authentic Identity; why you are on the planet – your Life’s Purpose and the role you play in the divine order of life – your …show more content…

A fundamental belief is that before we were born, we stood before God and were permitted to choose our own destiny, including when we would come to earth, where we would live, who we would love, what we would contribute to the world, and even when we will die. However, once born, all of these requests are forgotten and it’s up to us to reclaim our lost destiny.

The Yoruban god, called Olodumare, is not a personal god but is similar to the Hindu’s Brahman. He is a distant god who relegates tasks such as answering prayers to beings known as Orishas who serve as intercessors between Olodumare and man. There are several types of Orishas – those who have been in existence since the creation of the world; those who were human and who graduated to semi-divinity; and others that take the form of natural resources such as trees or rivers. Orishas are believed to be very human-like in that they marry, eat, drink, enjoy music, etc.

However, it’s hard to discern just how much of this Yoruban philosophy Dr. Vazant espouses because her Institute also offers a four-year ministerial ordination program that culminates in a Minister of Spiritual Consciousness (MSC)

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