End-of-life care, death and funerals of the Asante: An ethical and theological vision (original) (raw)

Christianity In Ghana (West Africa)

Religion can be defined as the beliefs and practices governing the life of a people in relation to a deity. It is believed to have been initiated from the beginning of man, with the deity preexisting man. Over the years, there have been several religions emerging as a result of different interpretations giving to life and natural phenomena. However, Donald B. Calne (1999), states that the causes of religion are found in the desires by which it is motivated, and its functions consist in the satisfaction of those desires which constitute its motivation. He goes on to emphasize that, religion is of such importance to people that it has become a dominant cultural institution. 1 Religion therefore becomes the way of life of a people and sometimes if not all the time assumes the role of culture in a society. This is because it describes the values and norms or ideology of the people, the mode of dressing, type of food permitted to be eaten, etc. among the several religions that emerged since creation, the dominant ones gaining popularity in different parts of the world and in different countries include Christianity, Islam and Judaism; with Christianity gaining much dominance in Africa and particularly in Ghana with about 65% of the population embracing it. It is upon this basis that Africanist Paul Gifford, states "Ghana's ethos, is recognizably Christian." 2 Christianity is believed to have been introduced in Ghana during the late 15th century by the coming into contact with the Europeans who were embarking on a trade expedition, specifically Roman Catholic missionaries accompanying Portuguese traders. 3 Since then, there was an influx of succession missionaries coming into the country through out to the 20 th century, resulting in Christianity gaining the populous faith in the country.

Ecclesia Ghana: Realising Afro-Catholicism in Ghana

What is the essence of the Gospel? Which aspects of the church's ministry are contingent? The story of the Anglican Church in Ghana offers an opportunity to reflect upon these questions. While the history of this colonial church is fraught with ethnocentrism, it also demonstrates a number of ways in which a rich theological tradition can be realised on Ghanaian soil. This essay explores these possibilities with the hope of identifying an authentic Afro-Catholicism.

Attitude and Perception of Ghanaians toward the Church

Journal of Religion in Africa, 2022

Although a secular state by legislation, Ghana is highly considered a religious one with a significant number of the population being Christians. Using Christians in some selected municipalities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana, this study examines the opinions of believers toward Ghanaian churches. Through a quantitative method, the study revealed that prayer service is the least important practice of the church liked by Christians. In addition, majority of Christians disliked their churches because of unfaithful pastors, long sermons and late closure of church services. Again, the study revealed that churches concentrate on the message of personal prosperity more than repentance toward salvation. They have an overly monetized and materialistic leaning in their sermons. The study recommends the need for churches in Ghana to leverage on the importance of research on regular basis to ascertain the opinions of the members to give churches the right direction to develop.

Catholic Church in selected African countries

Catholic Church in selected African countries. Historical-pastoral perspective, 2021

Usually, the last part of the article is a presentation of contemporary threats and challenges facing a local Church, arising typically from religious, social, and political contexts. Those common repeated are: insufficient number of clergy, poverty, multi-ethnicity, corruption, persecution, religious syncretism. This collection has a peculiar context of origin, which consists of the educational project of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University (UKSW) of Doctoral Studies in English for priests from various African countries implemented since 2016. The idea of the presence of students from Africa at UKSW is a response to numerous requests from representatives of African bishops and higher superiors to offer the possibility of studying theology in Poland. In addition to UKSW, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, where African students are also present, has responded positively. The argument for opening these two universities to students from Africa was also based on the need to improve the administration and the professorial staff in English and to adapt to the presence of new non-Polish students. An important point of reference is the countries of origin of the Africans. Most of these countries have suffered persecution or discrimination because of their faith or ethnicity. Their presence and study is not only an opportunity for them to become acquainted with the theological heritage of Poland and the University itself, including that of Africa studies, but it is also an opportunity to exchange experiences and knowledge about their own Churches, which this book is a testimony to. Most of the authors have served for several or more years in pastoral work as vicars, pastors or in various diocesan positions (e.g. Fr. Louis Mbuyeh-working in the curia, referent for vocations and schools, Fr. Polycarp Opio-diocesan youth chaplain). Some have already done their ecclesiastical studies in Italy (Fr. Alexander Dung, Fr. Constantine Rupiny). They are socio-political threats. Another article on Cameroon is by Fr. Marcel Kpudzeka. He undertook the task of presenting the ecclesiastical metropolis of Bamenda against the background of the whole country. There is a lot of historical and statistical data about the country and the province itself: the origins of the Catholic missions and a detailed presentation of the ecclesiastical structure with the numbers of priests and religious in each diocese of the metropolis. Fr. Tesfay Haileselassie Hailemariam described the situation of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia and his home diocese of Adigrat. Ethiopia has summarized the various dioceses and their pastoral challenges. Fr. Polycarp Opio focused on pastoral work in Uganda according to the criterion of action agents: bishops, priests and laity, as well as various commissions and pastoral groups. Fr. Kyeyune Vianney who comes from the capital describes the ecclesiastical metropolis of Kampala and its suffragans. Fr. Samuel Mugisa approaches the whole Church in Uganda in terms of pastoral factors that ensured the effectiveness of evangelization: good leadership, language activities, inclusion of indigenous people: tribal chiefs and catechists, founding local religious orders. He also analyzes contemporary threats. Another article that deals with the Church in Kenya is by Fr. Paul Makundi. It is devoted to the struggle of Church leaders (at the level of the episcopal conference) against the prevailing corruption in the country and the activities of the Iustitia et pax commission. Fr. Charles Michael Chipondo described the challenges facing the Church in Tanzania. He highlighted the Church's commitment to social issues as well as the challenges calling for a pastoral response in this field. Fr. Stephen Piyo dedicated his text to the situation of the Church in Malawi, particularly in the Diocese of Zomba. He pointed out many difficulties in the social functioning of the Church. Fr. Michael Chimwala, a compatriot of his, has taken up a similar issue and has extended it to the history of Christianization of his country. In the last article, Rafał Pokrywiński rzecz pojednania i promocji ludzkiej godności, zwalczanie korupcji i trybalizmu, reakcja na nierówności społeczne, działalność zdrowotną i edukacyjną. Keywords: history of the Church, Catholic Church, Church in Africa, pastoral theology, Africa in the Bible 2 Cf. P. Jenkins, Chrześcijaństwo przyszłości. Nadejście globalnej Christianitas, Warszawa 2009. The author argues that in the first millennium the center of Christianity was the Middle East, then in the second millennium it moved to the West (Europe, North America) and now it is moving to the South (Africa and Latin America). According to him, the modern "typical" Christian is a woman in a Nigerian village or a favela dweller. Cf. ibid, pp. 23-24.

The African Church as a Mixed Bag

African Theological Journal for Church and Society, 2021

The primary focus of this article is on the remnant nature and scope of the African church. Thus, I employ the biblical concept of a "remnant" to argue that the present demographical statistic of church growth in Africa does not translate to a concrete or tangible moral and ethical impact on society. In spite of the Southward movement of the centre of gravity of Christianity, the African church remains vulnerable like a remnant. It is in short supply of strong prophetic voices against enormous socioeconomic , socio-political, and socio-religious injustices or corrupt practices at all spheres, including the church itself. The concept of a "remnant" is a key concept in the Old Testament (OT). It indicates a distinction between the "true" believers and the large bulk of outwardly religious people that does not abide by the basic requirements of being the people of God. I am using it in this article to make a comparison between the statistical evidence and the real impact on the society. Therefore, in the article I seek to argue that the African church statistics should not bluff us. Of course, looking at the multidimensional social, ethical, moral, economic, political and religious matters confronting the African continent even where the church seems to be in the majority, one cannot help but conclude that the African church is a remnant church. But, how can one convince a reader that African Christianity is a remnant faith when the current statistics is showing otherwise? For example, in 2020 the Center for the Study of Global Christianity published data that claimed, "[T]here are more than 631 million Christians that currently reside in Africa." 1 This figure accounts for 45 percent of the Africa's population. Furthermore, the Pew Research Center postulated that, "By the year 2060, six of the top ten countries with the largest Christian populations will be in Africa." 2 In spite of this apparent growth of the church, this paper argues that the African church is a remnant. Taking the statistical evidence available at face value, it is ridiculous to say that the African church is a remnant. Of course, we can define a remnant as a few people who remain after a catastrophe or war has struck the larger group. In the sense that we are using this concept here, we are not only referring to numbers or quantity. Rather, we are concerned with both the quantity and quality. What are the evidences that the African church is a remnant? The paper seeks to answer this question by addressing the following issues: the African church and its remnant reality; why the African church still remains a remnant church in spite of its enormous numerical growth; and the need for a radical spirituality.

Survey of Christianity in Africa

Many people today, both in Africa and elsewhere, tend to believe that the introduction of Christianity to the continent is relatively recent phenomenon. One of the grounds alleged in favor of the view is the appeal to the statistical data that suggest that, at the beginning of the twentieth century, only 3% of the African population were classified as Christians. Another aspect also referred to is the fact that most of the denomination and indigenous churches have a history of existence of no more than two centuries. Christianity has a closer tie with African than European countries or Northern American. It was opined that Missionaries from Europe and North America brought the gospel to Africa in modern times; however, they are not the first messengers of evangelism to Africa continent. Christianity can be said to have come and stayed permanently on the African soil. In fact, it could be called a “traditional religion” in African in light of the continuity of the faith from the first century of its planting to the present time.