The Calling of the Twelve by Jesus in Matthew 4:18-22: A Reflection of the Concept of OMO AWO in Yoruba Traditional Religion

Abstract

Continuity is a fundamental essence of every religion. The leadership of every religious group in the world realizes the importance of transmitting the ethics, values and norms of their belief system from one generation to another. Such intergenerational transmissions rest upon the continuous zeal and devotion of the adherents of each religion. One of the important aspects of the Yoruba Traditional Religion is the practice of initiation into the secrets of Ifa divination after a period of apprenticeship during which all apprentices are known as Omo Awo. Essentially disciples or followers, the Omo Awo constitute a common phenomenon that runs through religious practices of the people. Omo Awo are trained under the Adahunse, Babalawo or the Onisegun. They are trained to understand the secret and practice of Ifa divination which would enable them to serve as custodians of Yoruba traditional religious thought and practices after their initiation. They continue as trusted custodians of affairs pertaining to the gods and attend to the people’s spiritual needs after the demise of their masters. Against this background, this paper examines the calling of the twelve disciples of Jesus in Matthew 4:18-22 in juxtaposition with the requirements and stipulations entailed in the process of selecting the Omo Awo in Traditional Yoruba Religion. The paper employed comparative, historical and contextual methods of investigation. Research materials were drawn from primary and secondary sources, published and unpublished data, as well as from oral interviews conducted with identified resource persons vastly knowledgeable in the art of traditional medicine. In the light of its findings, the paper concluded that there is an urgent need to advocate for more Omo Awo in the practice of Yoruba Traditional Religion.