Introduction

This volume of essays celebrates the work, mentorship, and intellectual contributions of Jacob K. Olupona (for more on which, see the chapter by Ayodeji Ogunnaike in this volume), a towering figure and acknowledged pioneer in the study of African spirituality, religions in Africa, and methodological approaches to the study of religion. Perhaps more than any other contemporary scholar working in the field, Olupona has helped to define, demarcate, and advance the related sub-fields of African religions and African spirituality, the latter postulated by him as a unique system of thought essential for an informed understanding of the African lifeworld.