Aspects of inculturation of the eucharistic sacrifice in the traditional worship of the Akans of Ghana: A theology of the Eucharist in the context of an indigenous African traditional religion

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to explore the relevant avenues of inculturating the eucharistic sacrifice in the traditional religion of the Akans of Ghana.

The author has established that in both the Akan Religion and Christianity rituals play a central role in giving utterance to one's experience, belief and expectation. In both religions the worshippers seek to rectify the human predicament--sin and death--through sacrifice. The Akans no less than Christians consider the death of the sacrificial victim vicarious. Through the blood of the victim, that is, Jesus for Christians and animals for Akans, sinful humanity is reconciled with the Deity, who restores life to the sinner or gives him or her a promise of life beyond the grave. Moreover, both the Akan and the Christian seek to enter into communion with the Deity through sacrifice. Indeed, the author has also noted many other similarities between the Akan and Christian concepts of sacrifice, so that the purpose of this study--to inculturate the eucharistic sacrifice into the ethnic religion--is justified. These similarities provide the common ground for dialogue between Christianity and the Akan religion.

In the final analysis the author maintains: The celebration and doctrine of the Eucharist are part and parcel of the Church's mission of evangelization. One could therefore see inculturation of the Eucharist into Akan culture as a process of evangelization. However, as religion constitutes the life-blood of Akan culture, evangelization cannot be achieved without bringing the Akan religion and culture into the spotlight of the Gospel. In fact, the Akan notion of sacrifice--entering into a covenant relationship with the Deity through the blood of a sacrificial victim, reconciliation and communion with the Deity and neighbour--is very much related to the Christian concept of sacrifice. Evangelization apropos of inculturation may therefore enable the Akan to see the ancestral beliefs in the light of Christ's mystery. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)