Ifá Priestcraft: Ifáyemí Elébuìbon and Yorùbá Ancestral Knowledge Systems

By Toyin Falola

Born in 1947, Ifáyẹmí Ọ̀ṣúndàgbonù Ẹlẹ́buìbọn descends from a long line of Yor b healers, philosophers, and priests. A fervent disciple of If from age four, Ẹlẹ́bu bọn 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 If practitioner to broader intellectual conversations around pluriversalism and Indigenous knowledge systems, If Priestcraft analyzes the complexities of Yor b 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 Yor b spirituality and an extraordinary contribution to the field of ancestral studies.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0299357104
• ISBN13: 9780299357108
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Length: 420 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.