The Gods Are Wise: Yorùbá Sacred Orature and Environmental Sustainability

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.