Agana-Nsiire Agana | University of Edinburgh (original) (raw)
Papers by Agana-Nsiire Agana
Studies in World Christianity
Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022
Postdigital Science and Education, 2022
Media, Culture and Society
As social media democratize participation in the public sphere, new voices are emerging that chal... more As social media democratize participation in the public sphere, new voices are emerging that challenge the status quo of public political discussion in important ways. In particular, social media are allowing ordinary citizens to offer their appraisals of government policy and their diagnoses of the problems besetting development. Through a rhetorical analysis of online videos by selected social commentators, we show how development is framed by today’s Ghanaian youth as an engagement with local and global vistas. Although lacking in nuanced historical and theoretical framing, and espousing an idealized-Western vision of development, our interlocutors play an important role in spurring active youth engagement in democratic discourse and in bringing to the popular stage contemporary national and global discourses surrounding development, identity, and the role of digital media in shaping modern public debate in democratic societies.
Studies in World Christianity, 2022
This article engages secondary sources and real-world instances of the digital mediation of conte... more This article engages secondary sources and real-world instances of the digital mediation of contemporary culture to interrogate the responsiveness of African theological reflection to the phenomenon of digital culture. Drawing on the Ghanaian social context, it suggests that in supporting the emergence of digital culture, social media and other digital tools reshape society and culture perceptually. This applies to the role of indigenous religion, construction of gender and other forms of identity, and the convergence of local and global approaches of imagining and changing the world. In light of these changes, theological reflection must pursue and contend with new understandings of culture as a context and source of theology. The paper therefore suggests that a new ideo-theological paradigm is required in which past-oriented conceptions of what constitutes African ‘tradition’ give place to careful and critical attention to the overt and subtle ways in which digital tools democrati...
Theology, 2018
It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. Wi... more It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. With ministers and lay persons in the church urging that ‘it is not good for man to be alone’, the unmarried are frequently looked upon with ridicule, suspicion and outright disdain. However, an exegetical analysis of Genesis 2.18 does not support the view that marriage is a universal imperative.
Asia-Africa Journal of Mission and Ministry, 2018
—It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that mar... more —It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that marriage is incumbent on all who can. But do these verses support the idea that marriage is a universal human obligation? This study offers a reflection on the stated texts based on a contextual analysis of the narrative. It further situates the exegetical outcome within the wider biblical teaching on marriage. The study establishes that whether taken on its own or as part of the biblical whole, the verses in question do not portray marriage as a compulsory command to all human beings.
Asia-Africa Journal of Mission and Ministry, 2018
Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism... more Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism in Ghana and indeed the world over. Debates on the topic are numerous and frequent, and there is little consensus among the laity on the moral and theological implications of the practice. The situation among ministers is no less mixed. Opposition to such marriages has traditionally been based, at least partly, on an interpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 that some have challenged as exegetically faulty. This study examines this challenge in light of one such exegetical treatment, and attempts to show that the matter is better settled with a systematics-based approach than with a purely exegetical one.
Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies
Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought i... more Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought inside the church during funerals services. Others face constant and vehement objection when it is done. Cultural differences on the subject have fuelled heated disputes that have led in some cases to severe congregational division. Opposition is often sustained by a culturally biased approach to biblical texts concerning sacredness and defilement as related to Old Testament sanctuary and temple ritual. Particularly, the religious philosophy of mmusuo provides the psycho-emotive motivation from which many Akan Christians vehemently oppose the practice as sacrilegious. It also provides an analytical and rhetorical framework for appropriating various biblical passages relating to religious sacrilege. This paper unpacks this framework and proposes effectively contextualized theology as a means of avoiding such erroneous conflations and resolving the disputes that arise at the interface of Af...
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, 2018
The word amen needs no introduction. It is a gem of ancient history that has not only survived th... more The word amen needs no introduction. It is a gem of ancient history that has not only survived the test of time, but has also proliferated across the cultural spectrum of humanity through the spread of Christianity and to a lesser extent among the followers of Islam. In the Christian context, while its most frequent usage is as a final word in Christian prayer, amen is also often used as an interjection to communicate affirmation, approval, or agreement in a general way. As such it performs both liturgical and communicative functions. For example, liturgically, it is sung as a conclusion to pastoral prayers. Communicatively, it is said after a choir has ministered through song, or at certain points during a sermon when people wish to express a strong sense of agreement with what has been or is being said. Some Adventist commentators have recently called into question the appropriateness of many instances of the second class of usage. For them, amen is often used in ways that are con...
Thesis, 2018
Debate on the relationship between God’s omniscience and human free will has raged in Christianit... more Debate on the relationship between God’s omniscience and human free will has raged in Christianity since the early church era. Countless theologians and philosophers have written so much on the subject that probably enough ink has been expended as can sink a respectable navy fleet. Resolution, however, still evades scholarship. A part of the reason is that the question has philosophical dimensions that underpin and therefore influence any theological approach. But is it possible using any of the established approaches to resolve it so conclusively that divine omniscience and human free will can be said to coexist harmoniously, without logical, epistemological or theological conflict? This study sought to answer that question by critically assessing the long list of attempts.
It finds that in the end, the compatibilist view espoused by traditional theology survives against the challenges of modern theologians, though it does not constitute a full solution. This is because Scripture affirms the truth of both. However, compatibilists only offer a leaning towards the truth, not its explanation, for the mysterious mechanism by which the coexistence they affirm is held remains obscure. The study finds, importantly, that the biblical conception of omniscience is different from the classical conception. The former is presented in the context of God’s relational dealings with human beings and the latter is absolutist and abstract, depending on a timeless, wholly transcendent Deity conceived in neo-platonic and Aristotelian terms. When God’s omniscience is understood in the relational context, the traditional difficulty is diminished, though not removed. The study concludes that it is more worthwhile to explore the question biblically than philosophically, and recommends an exegetical approach that is not as dependent on neo-platonic philosophy as orthodox theology has been for a long time.
In light of this, the study recommends a didactic approach that emphasizes the biblical relation of omniscience in the context of God’s sovereign provision for salvation and humankind’s free acceptance of it.
Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies, 2019
Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought i... more Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought inside the church during funerals services. Others face constant and vehement objection when it is done. Cultural differences on the subject have fuelled heated disputes that have led in some cases to severe congregational division. Opposition is often sustained by a culturally biased approach to biblical texts concerning sacredness and defilement as related to Old Testament sanctuary and temple ritual. Particularly, the religious philosophy of mmusuo provides the psycho-emotive motivation from which many Akan Christians vehemently oppose the practice as sacrilegious. It also provides an analytical and rhetorical framework for appropriating various biblical passages relating to religious sacrilege. This paper unpacks this framework and proposeseffectively contextualized theology as a means of avoiding such erroneous conflations and resolving the disputes that arise at the interface of African culture and Christian religion, especially in multicultural congregations.
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies , Feb 15, 2019
"Altogether then, the claim that amen as used in the instances we have discussed is inappropriate... more "Altogether then, the claim that amen as used in the instances we have discussed is inappropriate is found to lack firm biblical or etymological foundation. Neither does the suggestion that if it is a vestige of African worship culture then that provides a reasonable ground for thus condemning it. While it is recognized that amen is often babbled from mental laxity, it is suggested that the problem lies not in amen, as a word, but in the person, as a worshipper. Amen is a rich word, capable of communicating a spectrum of positive human intellectual and emotional responses to worship; a spectrum that fits squarely within the umbrella of acceptance and assent. G. B. Funderburk (1976:127) is correct is assessing that amen is “far more meaningful than a stop or signing-off word by which a prayer, song or declaration is terminated. It carries the weight of approval, confirmation, and support for what is said or sung.” Therefore, amen does not need to be curtailed to a few formal, highly rehearsed schemes of worship. It should be embraced as the bona fide, effective, biblical expression of assent it can be in contemporary Christian worship."
It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. Wi... more It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. With ministers and lay persons in the church urging that ‘it is not good for man to be alone’, the unmarried are frequently looked upon with ridicule, suspicion and outright disdain. However, an exegetical analysis of Genesis 2.18 does not support the view that marriage is a universal imperative.
Dawkins' "The God Delusion" renews an old debate concerning the existence or nonexistence of God ... more Dawkins' "The God Delusion" renews an old debate concerning the existence or nonexistence of God at the instance of moral and physical/natural evil in society. He repudiates all theistic claims because theistic belief is the basis of evil in the society. He installs atheism in place of theism, claiming the former is a better alternative. Using the approach of ethical inquiry, the article responds to Dawkins' claim that theistic belief is the basis of evil. The article studies the connection between theistic belief and reality, theism and the presence of evil, and the relevance of atheism in present-day society. The article reveals that evil is caused neither by theism nor atheism. Rather, it resides in the corrupt human nature that occurred shortly after the creation of humanity. Thus the article concludes that evil is caused and maintained by humanity's inordinate desire for self-preservation at any cost.
—It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that mar... more —It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that marriage is incumbent on all who can. But do these verses support the idea that marriage is a universal human obligation? This study offers a reflection on the stated texts based on a contextual analysis of the narrative. It further situates the exegetical outcome within the wider biblical teaching on marriage. The study establishes that whether taken on its own or as part of the biblical whole, the verses in question do not portray marriage as a compulsory command to all human beings.
Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism... more Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism in Ghana and indeed the world over. Debates on the topic are numerous and frequent, and there is little consensus among the laity on the moral and theological implications of the practice. The situation among ministers is no less mixed. Opposition to such marriages has traditionally been based, at least partly, on an interpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 that some have challenged as exegetically faulty. This study examines this challenge in light of one such exegetical treatment, and attempts to show that the matter is better settled with a systematics-based approach than with a purely exegetical one.
Book Reviews by Agana-Nsiire Agana
Studies in World Christianity, 2021
Religious Studies Review, 2020
Thesis Chapters by Agana-Nsiire Agana
Studies in World Christianity
Springer International Publishing eBooks, 2022
Postdigital Science and Education, 2022
Media, Culture and Society
As social media democratize participation in the public sphere, new voices are emerging that chal... more As social media democratize participation in the public sphere, new voices are emerging that challenge the status quo of public political discussion in important ways. In particular, social media are allowing ordinary citizens to offer their appraisals of government policy and their diagnoses of the problems besetting development. Through a rhetorical analysis of online videos by selected social commentators, we show how development is framed by today’s Ghanaian youth as an engagement with local and global vistas. Although lacking in nuanced historical and theoretical framing, and espousing an idealized-Western vision of development, our interlocutors play an important role in spurring active youth engagement in democratic discourse and in bringing to the popular stage contemporary national and global discourses surrounding development, identity, and the role of digital media in shaping modern public debate in democratic societies.
Studies in World Christianity, 2022
This article engages secondary sources and real-world instances of the digital mediation of conte... more This article engages secondary sources and real-world instances of the digital mediation of contemporary culture to interrogate the responsiveness of African theological reflection to the phenomenon of digital culture. Drawing on the Ghanaian social context, it suggests that in supporting the emergence of digital culture, social media and other digital tools reshape society and culture perceptually. This applies to the role of indigenous religion, construction of gender and other forms of identity, and the convergence of local and global approaches of imagining and changing the world. In light of these changes, theological reflection must pursue and contend with new understandings of culture as a context and source of theology. The paper therefore suggests that a new ideo-theological paradigm is required in which past-oriented conceptions of what constitutes African ‘tradition’ give place to careful and critical attention to the overt and subtle ways in which digital tools democrati...
Theology, 2018
It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. Wi... more It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. With ministers and lay persons in the church urging that ‘it is not good for man to be alone’, the unmarried are frequently looked upon with ridicule, suspicion and outright disdain. However, an exegetical analysis of Genesis 2.18 does not support the view that marriage is a universal imperative.
Asia-Africa Journal of Mission and Ministry, 2018
—It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that mar... more —It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that marriage is incumbent on all who can. But do these verses support the idea that marriage is a universal human obligation? This study offers a reflection on the stated texts based on a contextual analysis of the narrative. It further situates the exegetical outcome within the wider biblical teaching on marriage. The study establishes that whether taken on its own or as part of the biblical whole, the verses in question do not portray marriage as a compulsory command to all human beings.
Asia-Africa Journal of Mission and Ministry, 2018
Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism... more Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism in Ghana and indeed the world over. Debates on the topic are numerous and frequent, and there is little consensus among the laity on the moral and theological implications of the practice. The situation among ministers is no less mixed. Opposition to such marriages has traditionally been based, at least partly, on an interpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 that some have challenged as exegetically faulty. This study examines this challenge in light of one such exegetical treatment, and attempts to show that the matter is better settled with a systematics-based approach than with a purely exegetical one.
Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies
Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought i... more Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought inside the church during funerals services. Others face constant and vehement objection when it is done. Cultural differences on the subject have fuelled heated disputes that have led in some cases to severe congregational division. Opposition is often sustained by a culturally biased approach to biblical texts concerning sacredness and defilement as related to Old Testament sanctuary and temple ritual. Particularly, the religious philosophy of mmusuo provides the psycho-emotive motivation from which many Akan Christians vehemently oppose the practice as sacrilegious. It also provides an analytical and rhetorical framework for appropriating various biblical passages relating to religious sacrilege. This paper unpacks this framework and proposes effectively contextualized theology as a means of avoiding such erroneous conflations and resolving the disputes that arise at the interface of Af...
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, 2018
The word amen needs no introduction. It is a gem of ancient history that has not only survived th... more The word amen needs no introduction. It is a gem of ancient history that has not only survived the test of time, but has also proliferated across the cultural spectrum of humanity through the spread of Christianity and to a lesser extent among the followers of Islam. In the Christian context, while its most frequent usage is as a final word in Christian prayer, amen is also often used as an interjection to communicate affirmation, approval, or agreement in a general way. As such it performs both liturgical and communicative functions. For example, liturgically, it is sung as a conclusion to pastoral prayers. Communicatively, it is said after a choir has ministered through song, or at certain points during a sermon when people wish to express a strong sense of agreement with what has been or is being said. Some Adventist commentators have recently called into question the appropriateness of many instances of the second class of usage. For them, amen is often used in ways that are con...
Thesis, 2018
Debate on the relationship between God’s omniscience and human free will has raged in Christianit... more Debate on the relationship between God’s omniscience and human free will has raged in Christianity since the early church era. Countless theologians and philosophers have written so much on the subject that probably enough ink has been expended as can sink a respectable navy fleet. Resolution, however, still evades scholarship. A part of the reason is that the question has philosophical dimensions that underpin and therefore influence any theological approach. But is it possible using any of the established approaches to resolve it so conclusively that divine omniscience and human free will can be said to coexist harmoniously, without logical, epistemological or theological conflict? This study sought to answer that question by critically assessing the long list of attempts.
It finds that in the end, the compatibilist view espoused by traditional theology survives against the challenges of modern theologians, though it does not constitute a full solution. This is because Scripture affirms the truth of both. However, compatibilists only offer a leaning towards the truth, not its explanation, for the mysterious mechanism by which the coexistence they affirm is held remains obscure. The study finds, importantly, that the biblical conception of omniscience is different from the classical conception. The former is presented in the context of God’s relational dealings with human beings and the latter is absolutist and abstract, depending on a timeless, wholly transcendent Deity conceived in neo-platonic and Aristotelian terms. When God’s omniscience is understood in the relational context, the traditional difficulty is diminished, though not removed. The study concludes that it is more worthwhile to explore the question biblically than philosophically, and recommends an exegetical approach that is not as dependent on neo-platonic philosophy as orthodox theology has been for a long time.
In light of this, the study recommends a didactic approach that emphasizes the biblical relation of omniscience in the context of God’s sovereign provision for salvation and humankind’s free acceptance of it.
Transformation: An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies, 2019
Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought i... more Many Christian churches in parts of Ghana dominated by Akans do not allow corpses to be brought inside the church during funerals services. Others face constant and vehement objection when it is done. Cultural differences on the subject have fuelled heated disputes that have led in some cases to severe congregational division. Opposition is often sustained by a culturally biased approach to biblical texts concerning sacredness and defilement as related to Old Testament sanctuary and temple ritual. Particularly, the religious philosophy of mmusuo provides the psycho-emotive motivation from which many Akan Christians vehemently oppose the practice as sacrilegious. It also provides an analytical and rhetorical framework for appropriating various biblical passages relating to religious sacrilege. This paper unpacks this framework and proposeseffectively contextualized theology as a means of avoiding such erroneous conflations and resolving the disputes that arise at the interface of African culture and Christian religion, especially in multicultural congregations.
Journal of Adventist Mission Studies , Feb 15, 2019
"Altogether then, the claim that amen as used in the instances we have discussed is inappropriate... more "Altogether then, the claim that amen as used in the instances we have discussed is inappropriate is found to lack firm biblical or etymological foundation. Neither does the suggestion that if it is a vestige of African worship culture then that provides a reasonable ground for thus condemning it. While it is recognized that amen is often babbled from mental laxity, it is suggested that the problem lies not in amen, as a word, but in the person, as a worshipper. Amen is a rich word, capable of communicating a spectrum of positive human intellectual and emotional responses to worship; a spectrum that fits squarely within the umbrella of acceptance and assent. G. B. Funderburk (1976:127) is correct is assessing that amen is “far more meaningful than a stop or signing-off word by which a prayer, song or declaration is terminated. It carries the weight of approval, confirmation, and support for what is said or sung.” Therefore, amen does not need to be curtailed to a few formal, highly rehearsed schemes of worship. It should be embraced as the bona fide, effective, biblical expression of assent it can be in contemporary Christian worship."
It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. Wi... more It has long been argued on the basis of Genesis 2.18 that marriage is incumbent on all adults. With ministers and lay persons in the church urging that ‘it is not good for man to be alone’, the unmarried are frequently looked upon with ridicule, suspicion and outright disdain. However, an exegetical analysis of Genesis 2.18 does not support the view that marriage is a universal imperative.
Dawkins' "The God Delusion" renews an old debate concerning the existence or nonexistence of God ... more Dawkins' "The God Delusion" renews an old debate concerning the existence or nonexistence of God at the instance of moral and physical/natural evil in society. He repudiates all theistic claims because theistic belief is the basis of evil in the society. He installs atheism in place of theism, claiming the former is a better alternative. Using the approach of ethical inquiry, the article responds to Dawkins' claim that theistic belief is the basis of evil. The article studies the connection between theistic belief and reality, theism and the presence of evil, and the relevance of atheism in present-day society. The article reveals that evil is caused neither by theism nor atheism. Rather, it resides in the corrupt human nature that occurred shortly after the creation of humanity. Thus the article concludes that evil is caused and maintained by humanity's inordinate desire for self-preservation at any cost.
—It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that mar... more —It is commonly preached by ministers and lay preachers on the basis of Genesis 2:18, 24 that marriage is incumbent on all who can. But do these verses support the idea that marriage is a universal human obligation? This study offers a reflection on the stated texts based on a contextual analysis of the narrative. It further situates the exegetical outcome within the wider biblical teaching on marriage. The study establishes that whether taken on its own or as part of the biblical whole, the verses in question do not portray marriage as a compulsory command to all human beings.
Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism... more Marriage between Adventists and non-Adventists is a current and serious issue affecting Adventism in Ghana and indeed the world over. Debates on the topic are numerous and frequent, and there is little consensus among the laity on the moral and theological implications of the practice. The situation among ministers is no less mixed. Opposition to such marriages has traditionally been based, at least partly, on an interpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 that some have challenged as exegetically faulty. This study examines this challenge in light of one such exegetical treatment, and attempts to show that the matter is better settled with a systematics-based approach than with a purely exegetical one.