A Lasting Impact

March 9, 2022
Dr. Oluwakemi Abiodun Adesina
2021-22 Yang Visiting Scholar Oluwakemi Abiodun Adesina stands outside of Swartz Hall on the HDS campus. / Photo: Kristie Welsh

Reflections from HDS Yang Visiting Scholar in World Christianity, Professor Oluwakemi Abiodun Adesina

Professor Oluwakemi Abiodun Adesina is one of two Inaugural Yang Visiting Scholars in World Christianity at HDS during the 2021-22 academic year. Below, Professor Adesina talks about growing up in Nigeria as the first of five children, how she became interested in teaching and in religious studies, her journey to Harvard Divinity School, and how the Yang Visiting Scholars role has helped advance her work.

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As the first of five children, born to the late Mr. Samuel Oluwole and Mrs. Modupe Olufunke Omogunwa, I am an Ikale Yoruba from the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, although I was raised in Surulere, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

I grew up as an Anglican Christian and belonged to a couple of church groups and societies, but I now attend the Redeemed Christian Church of God. I gained admission to study history at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria's first university, where I received a BA (Hons.) in history, an MA in history, and a PhD in history.

Later, I married and settled down in Ibadan, Oyo State. My husband is an academic, Professor Olutayo Charles Adesina, and our marriage is blessed with four children: a boy and three girls.

Inspired by Teachers to Become a Teacher

I developed a passion for teaching quite early, and I was inspired by my teachers at the Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School. They were a crop of dedicated teachers who enjoyed imparting knowledge, and they taught us to express ourselves confidently. So, for me, it was the joy of imparting knowledge in the most unconventional ways that did the trick.

By the time I reached the university to study history, I had determined to choose teaching in the university as a career. Just like my former teachers, I try to give my students a great latitude to express themselves, make mistakes, and learn from their mistakes. I don’t teach my students what to think, but rather, how to think and analyze issues in the most objective ways.

History is a field that has connected human existence in varied and significant ways. In some cases, to pick one strand of issues or events means not having a holistic idea of what to critique. Thus, the historian of today, even with specializations, is expected to be an organic scholar.

As a historian whose task is to document change and continuity in my society, my life experiences and worldviews have guided my research interests. I dare say a lot is going on in and with Nigeria.

I started to become very much aware of my society when Nigeria transitioned from prosperity to the World Bank-inspired Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) (1986-1996). I grew up knowing the connections between politics, economics, and society, and the related effects on sociopolitical and socioeconomic life. My interest in social and economic history stems from this, and I’m particularly interested in the impact on groups of people in society.

Academic Research Shaped by Lived Experiences

When I was younger, my parents opened an account for me at the then Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, which meant so much because I was raised to have a saving culture. I received significant funds from awards such as the Soroptimist Award and cash given to me by parents and relatives because of good performances in school. I lost all these savings due to the collapse of the bank during SAP. So, when I got the first opportunity to write a long essay during my undergraduate days, I chose to document the history of a prosperous bank in Ibadan, Nigeria.  

For my master's dissertation, I worked on an older history that delved into people's experiences during World War II. From my research, I discovered that developing a Nigerian bourgeoisie class was lost during this period.

After my master's program, I worked as a research assistant to my mentor, Dr. LaRay Denzer, who asked that I look for materials (colonial documents, newspapers, and personal papers) at the National Archives Ibadan on the experiences and lives of the girl-child in colonial Lagos. While conducting archival searches, I came across several valuable files documenting women's lives in Nigeria. When I discussed this with her, she encouraged me to go into women and gender history, which was unpopular in Nigeria. Hence my foray into gender and women's studies.

I wrote my PhD thesis on "Gender Relations in Ikaleland of Southwestern Nigeria in Historical Perspective, 1900-1999," and I have worked on other aspects of women's social and economic lives since then. My interest in youth and Pentecostalism stems from my experiences with the present generation of youth in Nigeria and my interactions with my students in the faith-based Pentecostal university where I teach.

Heading to Harvard

I saw that the Yang Visiting Scholars application was announced from a couple of the email lists that I belong to, and some other scholars from the United States also forwarded the information to me.

I had previously presented a paper at the International Interdisciplinary Conference organized by the World Christianity and History of Religions Program at the Princeton Theological Seminary (January 18-20, 2018) on world Christianity, and I was happy to update and expand my work for the Yang Scholars.

When I found out I was accepted, it was quite exhilarating to be appointed, since I knew how competitive and prestigious the fellowship was. Since I arrived at Harvard, it has been a very stimulating and intellectually rewarding experience.

I had never been to Harvard before I came last year. Before that, I had been to the United States as a junior fellow at the Program of African Studies at Northwestern University, so I expected at least the same experience or an enhanced experience because of the stature of Harvard.

I was particularly excited to be selected as a Yang Scholar because of its opportunity to teach and experience curriculum development here at Harvard. Research (and the facilities here at Harvard) have proven enormously fulfilling.

Engaged Inside and Outside the Classroom

Teaching my fall class at HDS, “Pentecostalism in Contemporary West Africa,” was very exciting. I kept an open mind, so I hoped to learn more about Pentecostalism from an equally engaged generation in teaching the students. In addition, I also hoped that the class discussions would help my research.

The students diligently read and analyzed the course materials and were very responsive and sought supporting references outside of the course syllabus. Our classes were a mixture of lectures and student presentations that led to robust conversations. They were very interactive, with students bringing out their personal experiences. We had exciting and engaging classes, and it was good that students from different backgrounds took the class. I'm also glad I received positive feedback from the students.

Despite the peculiarities of this time and the restrictions caused by the COVID pandemic, I have tried to engage with the intellectual life of the campus. I have attended seminars and workshops, and I have a visiting fellowship at the Weatherhead Institute, which is a courtesy arrangement to allow me to know Harvard more fully by participating in seminars and lecture series outside HDS.

Widened Horizons

My horizons have widened since joining the HDS community. I have learned other ways of doing things. I have also had access to the scholarly materials of my mentor, Professor Jacob Olupona, who has given me free access to huge libraries. I have also benefitted from sitting in Professor Olupona's “African Religion in the Diaspora” classes.

My work and scholarship document societal changes and continuities over time. I hope that all I have documented will be used for human and material development in a changing world. Publishing my findings in scientific journals and monographs will in no small way elicit the need for more research work and policy decisions.  

The Yang Visiting Scholars opportunity has given me access to improved teaching technologies and resources. At Redeemer's University, we use similar teaching technologies, so the learning process was easy for me. I will inform my university of the ease of getting PDF copies of books readily online from the library regarding library resources and share with them that the global world of scholarship I have experienced here provides unlimited opportunities for scholars. I hope that HDS will partner with Nigeria to create opportunities for students to experience and benefit from Nigerian and African scholarships and vice versa.

My spring public lecture at HDS will focus directly on the theme of my research here on Christian Youthscapes and Pentecostalism in Nigeria. The working title for the lecture is "Of Traditions and Departures: Christian Youthscapes and Pentecostalism in Nigeria."

The talk will focus on the dynamic transitions witnessed in Christianity and Pentecostalism in Nigeria and how the youths have responded to—or even served as—vectors of these transitions. The goal of this research is to help us all better understand how world Christianity has evolved—and what the future may hold.

Editor’s note: Please continue to check the HDS public events calendar to stay up to date on Professor Adesina’s spring lecture event.

More information about the Yang Visiting Scholars in World Christianity can be found on the HDS Research Appointments and Affiliations site. The 2022-23 application is now open, and the application deadline is Friday, March 18, 2022.