Is Everything Cultural Traditional Worship? A Ghanaian Response

Isaac Boapeah; Eugenia Tawiah Adam; Samuel Ofori Kwakye

doi:10.18535/sshj.v9i06.1872

Abstract

The extent to which religion permeates the life of a Ghanaian has long been identified. The Ghanaian cultural practices and African Traditional Worship appear to be infused. Most Ghanaians who are Christians are also conscious and interested in their culture. However, aspects of some of these cultural practices such as puberty rite, installation of chiefs, royal burials have been perceived as idol worship by some Christians. Whilst a pastor felt the need to be installed a chief so that he could Christianize his traditional institution, his mother Church, The Salvation Army, Ghana compelled him to step down from being a sub-chief. This qualitative paper propped into existing literature, researcher’s participant observations, informal discussions and an interview with a pastor enstooled a sub chief and destooled by orders of his church. It discusses some cultural practices in the Ghanaian setting to unravel the thin line between culture and Traditional Worship. We argue that there is a thin line between culture and traditional worship.

Keywords

CultureTraditional WorshipGhanaianidol worship

References

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[refR-4] Afari, F. (2024). Basel Mission Salems, Schools and Conflicts in Two African Towns, 1830s–1874. African History Between Ghana and Switzerland. Essays in Honour of Paul Jenkins, 52-64.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-5] Agonglovi, K. M. (2024). Examining the Contribution of Selected African Novels to the Naming Rites. International Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics, 7(3).Google Scholar ↗

[refR-6] Agyekum, K. (2006). The sociolinguistic of Akan personal names. Nordic journal of African studies, 15(2).Google Scholar ↗

[refR-7] Ajayi, T. (2021). Knowledge, Belief and Justification of the African Conception of Reincarnation. Oguaa Journal of Religion and Human Values, 6(2), 52-64.Google Scholar ↗

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[refR-10] Arko-Achemfuor, A. (2018). Naming of children and meaning of names among the Akan of Ghana: defining identities? Southern African Journal for Folklore Studies, 28(1), 14-pages.Google Scholar ↗

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[refR-14] Bilewicz, M. & Soral, W. (2020). "Hate speech epidemic. The dynamic effects of derogatory language on intergroup relations and political radicalization." Political Psychology 41: 3-33.Google Scholar ↗

[refR-15] Boaheng, I. (2023). A Socio-economic and Religious Analysis of the Adesiedeɛ (Burial Items) Rite in Akan Dɔteyie (Pre-burial Funeral). Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics & Theology (MOTBIT), 5(8).Google Scholar ↗

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[refR-17] Bonsu, H. S. K., Asante, S., & Appau, E. (2020). The Hybridity in the Rites of Passage among the Ewe Ethnic Society in the Kumasi Metropolis.Google Scholar ↗

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[refR-19] Buertey, J. T. I., & Hansen, L. D. (2024). Keeping Time: Prayers and Social Vitality in the Ashanti Adaε Festival. Journal of African Cultural Studies, 36(4), 469-483.Google Scholar ↗

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