Christianity, fetishism, and the development of secular politics in Ghana: A Dumontian approach

Kallinen, Timo

doi:10.1177/1463499614534112

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(10 reference statements)

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“…In the colonial era indirect rule system, Christian converts were subjects to their 'native authorities' and protested against obligatory participation in traditional rituals. Consequently, the colonial administrators had to create a formal separation between secular obligations, mandatory to all, and religious obligations that did not concern Christians (Kallinen 2014). Today chiefs no longer function as an arm of state administration and the relationship between the chiefs and their subjects is not politically controlled in the same way as it was during the colonial period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Thou shalt not worship idols’

Kallinen

2022

Suomen Antropologi

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Classic ethnographic studies focusing on traditional chieftaincy in Ghana, West Africa, have revolved around issues such as succession rules, installation rituals, or competition for positions of power. However, becoming and being a chief in a predominantly Christian society, like present-day Ghana, has raised new kinds of concerns. Many churches, particularly those that belong to the Pentecostal-charismatic movement, reject traditional ritual life aimed at ancestors and other kinds of spirits as immoral. Since chiefs are fundamentally ritual leaders, who perform sacrifices on behalf of their communities, chieftaincy has assumed an increasingly negative character in Pentecostal discourses. In them chieftaincy is often equated with ‘idol worship’ and thus in direct conflict with the Ten Commandments. Ethical rules of ‘world religions’, such as the Ten Commandments, transcend particularity and their strength is based on an impression that they are applicable everywhere. As pointed out by Webb Keane, this requires mediation work that makes the rules transportable and gives them a potential to be re-contextualized in different places. The article looks at how different interpretations of religious rules are used by Ghanaian Christians and chiefs when debating the in/compatibility of traditional chieftaincy with Christianity. These debates are understood as a part of a process of historical and cultural recontextualization, that is, determining what the commandments mean in the particular time and place that they inhabit.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Thou shalt not worship idols’

Kallinen

2022

Suomen Antropologi

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“…The former category consisted of traditional African religions that the British derogatorily called "fetishism." The latter included Christianity and Islam (Kallinen 2014). These categories survived into the postcolonial era.…”

Section: The Exclusion Of Nonnative Religions and The Judiciary's Ref...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Undignified Jurispathy: Muslim Family Law at Ghanaian Courts

Sezgin¹

2022

Law Soc. Inq.

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Ghana has inherited colonial legislation that recognizes and regulates the consequences of Muslim family law (MFL). However, in practice, courts almost never recognize the normative existence of MFL and systematically dismiss the cases on procedural grounds without discussing their merits. What explains the judiciary’s attitudes toward Islamic law? Why do Ghanaian courts refuse to engage with MFL in substantive terms? How does this judicial policy affect Ghana’s pluri-legal system and its multireligious democracy? Drawing on Robert Cover’s insights and concepts from “Nomos and Narrative,” the present article suggests that Ghanaian courts engage in “undignified” jurispathy against Islamic law. Having inherited the colonial narrative that Islamic law is not a native law of the land, the judiciary destroys the legal meanings built around Islamic law without discussing what is at stake. This perpetuates normative tensions between the state and Muslim groups, undermines the rule of law, and erodes public trust in democratic institutions. Utilizing the theoretical and empirical insights drawn from the Ghanaian case, the article urges scholars to expand the scope of their inquiries to include instances of undignified jurispathy to better understand state-religion relations and constitutional debates in pluri-legal societies.

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“…But it can be said that the majority of the voters (non-elite) seldom evaluate party or candidate policy options before casting polls. Also, some voters cast their votes for a party or a candidate based on family ties, religious affiliation or other non-evaluative means (Adjei 2013; Arthur 2009; Kallinen 2014; Pokimica et al 2012; Takyi et al 2010).…”

Section: Factors Explaining Voter Behaviour In Ghanamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Politics of Ethnocentrism: A Viability Test of Ghana’s Democracy?

Faanu

Graham

2017

Insight on Africa

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The article assesses the use of ethnocentrism as a political strategy in Ghana's electoral politics and the threat it poses to Ghana's democracy. It focuses on the strategic ethno-political communication employed by politicians to wield voter support and how voters behave at polls. It reveals that prior to independence Ghana's political parties were predominantly formed along ethnic and regional dimensions. This transcends into the current dispensation, as the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party are tagged as Ewe-Northerners party and Akans party, respectively. These ethnic affiliations tend to influence voters' behaviour at the polls. There is, therefore, an increasing incidence of non-evaluative voting because of ethnocentrism in the Ghanaian political domain. As a result, politicking in Ghana tends to rely heavily on ethnic dimensions to solicit votes using the media as the main platform. The incidence of ethno-politics in Ghana has the tendency to reverse the democratic successes chalked because of the unnecessary tensions that are often associated with ethnic politics. This article recommends the need for responsible media practice to minimise this rising phenomenon in Ghana's electoral politics. Also, it is our suggestion that the Political Parties ACT 574(2000) and the concerned articles of the 1992 constitution be reviewed to place sanctions on ethnocentrism as a political strategy.

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Christianity, fetishism, and the development of secular politics in Ghana: A Dumontian approach

Cited by 4 publications

References 11 publications

‘Thou shalt not worship idols’

‘Thou shalt not worship idols’

Undignified Jurispathy: Muslim Family Law at Ghanaian Courts

The Politics of Ethnocentrism: A Viability Test of Ghana’s Democracy?

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