Undergraduate Projects/Long Essays

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Browsing Undergraduate Projects/Long Essays by Author "Acquaye, Emmanuel"

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    African And Christian Perspective On Widowhood Rite
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) Acquaye, Emmanuel
    One of the earliest Christian movements to arrive in Ghana was the Catholic Church, which made its debut in around 1899. The missionary zeal couple with the dedication of the local catechist and clergy enabled the church to make significant inroads into extensive stretches of the country, such that as at now, "Ghanaian Catholic population is 12.18% of the total population which is about 20 million. "1 Against the relative success, in the absence of any deliberate moves to integrate the strong local traditions, the church's teachings remained a largely foreign concept to many. Early missionaries, it would appear, had failed to grasp the significance or import of the local, albeit enriching cultural practices, which they dismissed outright as devilish or as fetish. Rituals pertaining to widowhood are particularly poignant here. A new convert would find it conflicting and difficult to reconcile what one believes compelling in the traditional values and the new Christian teaching. The situation becomes even worse for the hapless widow who faces severe challenges related to the loss of a loved one, material and emotional deprivation and then the conflicts between cultural and spiritual welfare. It therefore remains the onerous duty of the pastors and theologians and religious scholars to revisit the issue, study the matter, and come up with some solution to this burning problem. This research study aims at taking a critical look into the subject, seeking out the meaningful components of the traditional practices and reconciling them with the church's teachings and liturgy. It is anticipated that the findings will contribute in some way to the other efforts that are being made to formulate an acceptable procedure in the rites aimed at giving the widow some solace following the traumatizing loss. The research focuses on the Akan community, made up of several groups that are widely spread throughout Ghana. The afflictions and the indignity that befall the widows among these distinctive groups are similar in many aspects. Some references will, however, be made to relevant issues on the subject emanating from other ethnic groups, in order to elucidate certain points. The study begins with the background of the Akans and their culture, in particular as it pertains to rites for bereaved widows. It goes on to sift through the cultural practices to find out possible applications and integration into the church's liturgy. Finally, a look is made into what the support groups within the civil society, government agencies and the church itself can contribute to ameliorate the plight of the widow.