Transformed Individuals, Transforming the World: A Challenge to the Christian Church in Ghana
Joseph Kofi Antwi 
Issue: Vol.4 No.10 Article 3 pp.1197-1208
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234103 | Published online 13th October, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
It has been argued that due to the fallen moral standards even in the Church, moral decadence and its associated ills have risen to alarming heights in Ghana. The 2021 Population and Housing Census shows that over 71% are Christians, yet corruption, greed, arrogance, pride, and extravagant lifestyles, for example, have become a challenge to the moral fibre of the country. The question is “Why is Christianity growing in Ghana, yet clouded with an increase in moral decadence? Opinion leaders, including some church leaders, do not only agree that corruption should be nipped in the bud, but they encourage that a conscious effort is made to change attitudes. Through a literary review of relevant scholarly materials, this paper argued that individual transformation is a prerequisite to transforming the world. With an ethical theory of deontology providing the theoretical lens, this paper posited that the Church is responsible for intensifying her Christian education, nurturing, or character formation activities to enable members to become faithful disciples and active responsible citizens who would transform their world. This article contributes to the exploration of Christian education and Moral or Character Formation in Ghana.
Keywords: Christian Education, Theory of Deontology, Character Formation, Kakistocracy.
Addai-Mensah, Peter. “The Role of Akan Values on Moral Upbringing of Children in Contemporary Society.” In Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology 2, no.4 (2020): 96-101. https://doi.org/10.38159/motbit.2020101
Akufo-Addo, President Nana Addo Dankwa, “Christian businessmen should lead in the corruption fight.” Available from: https://ghanatoday.gov.gh/news/christian-businessmen-should-lead-in-the-corruption-fight-akufo-addo [Accessed on July 20th 2023]
Anderson George Jr. and Inusah H. “Virtue Ethics as a Model for Addressing Moral Decline in Ghana,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.3 (2023):170-180. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023431
Anderson George Jr. and Margaret M. Tayviah. “Corruption in Matrimony with Religion in
Ghana: Questioning the Possibility.” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 5, no.2 (2019): 112 – 120. https://doi.org/10.32051/06241911
Anomah, Anthony Kofi “The Fight against Corruption in Ghana: The Role of the Church and Church Leaders.” In International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS). Volume II, Issue XI, November 2018|ISSN 2454-6186
Antwi, Joseph Kofi and Beatrice Okyere-Manu, “Bragro as an Akan African Indigenous Knowledge System Pedagogical System: An ethical critique.” In Intersecting African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Western Knowledge Systems: Moral Convergence and Divergence. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster Publications, 2018.
Antwi, Joseph Kofi, “Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and the Environment: The Akan Perspective.” In Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology (MOTBIT), ISSN 2676 – 2838 Vol 2, Issue 1 – (April 2020): 58 – 69. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.38159/motbit.2020048
_____. “The value of a person in Akan traditional life and thought: A contemporary inquiry.” European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies. 3. 94. (2017). 10.26417/ejis.v3i2.p94-102.
Appiah-Sekyere, Paul, et.al. “Christian Ethics and Traditional Akan Ethics: A Comparative Study.” In E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies. Vol 4. No.1, (2018):16 – 27 [Accessed on July 18th, 2023]
Asamoah-Gyadu, J. K. et al., “Religion and Values in Contemporary Africa: Christian Interpretations of Vice/Virtue Discourses in Ghana.” International Bulletin of Mission Research, 46(2), (2022):159–168. https://doi.org/10.1177/23969393211000266. [Accessed on 11th July 2023]
Asante, Emmanuel. Culture, Politics and Development: Ethical and Theological Reflections on the Ghanaian Experience. Combert Impressions, 2007
Asante, Kojo Pumpuni. “Ghana Has Failed Woefully in Its Fight Against Corruption.” Available from https://corruptionwatchghana.org/tag/cdd-ghana [Accessed on July 19th, 2023]
Asare-Danso, Seth. “Moral Education and the Curriculum: The Ghanaian Experience.” In International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM). Vol. 06 Issue 01 (2018):34-42. Available from: www.ijsrm.in ISSN (e): 2321-3418 Index Copernicus value (2015): 57.47, (2016):93.67, DOI: 10.18535/ijsrm/v6i1.el05
Barton, Ruth Harley. et al. “Spiritual Formation in the Church.” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care, 7(2), (2024): 292–311. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/193979091400700212. [Accessed on July 26Th, 2023]
Boaheng, Isaac. “Renewing the mind, transforming the society: Reflections on Romans 12:2 from a Ghanaian perspective,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.4 (2023): 392-403. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234412 [Accessed on July 25th, 2023]
Calvin, John (n.d). True Christian Life. Available from: https://renovare.org/articles/the-joy-of-self-denial [Accessed on July 25th 2023].
______. Institute of the Christian Religion, Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2020.
Chaplin, Dora P. Children and Religion. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1948.
Chaplin, Jonathan. “Integrity in solidarity: Christian professionals in a plural public sphere.” In B. De Muynck, et. al.(eds.), Bridging the Gap: Connecting Christian Faith and Professional Practice. Dordt College Press, Sioux Centre, 2011.
Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d., Biography of Abraham Kuyper. Available from: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/kuyper. [Accessed July 25th, 2023]
Cline, Austin. “Deontology and Ethics.” Learn Religions. September 10th, 2021. Available from: learn religions, com/deontology-and-ethics-249865. [Accessed on July 14th, 2023]
Daniel, Eleanor. et aI., Introduction to Christian Education. Cincinnati: Standard. 1980.
Edlin, Richard. “Christian Education and Worldview.” In International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal, 3(2). (2008).
Hegeman, J. J & Jochemsen, H., 2011, “Direction discernment and moral formation in higher education.” In B. De Muynck, et al.(eds.), Bridging the gap: Connecting Christian faith and professional practice. Dordt College Press, Sioux Centre, 2011
Ige, Abiodun Simeon. “John the Baptist Approach to Corruption: A Recipe for the Church in Africa” FACTA UNIVERSITATIS Series: Law and Politics Vol. 14, No 4, (2016): 577 – 585 DOI: 10.22190/FULP1604577I King James Bible Dictionary. Available from: https://kingjamesbibledictionary.com/StrongsNo/G3563/mind
Kretzschmar, Louise. “African and Western approaches to the moral formation of Christian leaders: The role of spiritual disciplines in counteracting moral deficiencies.” HTS Theologise Studies / Theological Studies. 76. 10.4102 (2020). /hts.v76i2.5913.
Kudajie, Joshua and Robert K. Aboagye-Mensah. The Christian and National Politics. Vol. 1 Accra: Asempa Publishers, 1991.
Lamport, Mark A. “The Hand-Me-Down Philosophy: A Challenge to Uniqueness in Christian Education.” In Christian Education Journal (8):2 1988. Available from: https://www.moodypublishers.com/mpimages/Marketing/WEB%20Resources/ProductExcerpts/9780802416476-TOC-CH1.pdf
Maitanmi, Stephen O. “Reflections on Christian Education,” Journal of Research on Christian Education, 28:2, (2019): 91-93, DOI: 10.1080/10656219.2019.1649401. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10656219.2019.164940. [Accessed on July 12th, 2023]
Megill, Esther L. Education in the African Church. Legon: Trinity College Publications, 1980.
Miller, Randolph Crump. Biblical Theology and Christian Education. New York: Scribner, 1956.
Mizzell, Nathan & Joshua Henson, “Spiritual Formation and Leadership Development.” In Theology of Leadership Journal. Vol.3, Issue 1, (2020). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344787803. [Accessed on July 26th, 2023]
Mugambi, J. N. Kanyua. From liberation to Reconstruction: African Christian theology after the Cold War Nairobi: East Africa Educational Publishers Ltd, 1995
Narteh, Beauty Emefa. “Churches asked to play the lead role in the fight against corruption.” Available from: https://newsghana.com.gh/churches-asked-to-play-lead-role-in-the-fight-against-corruption. [Accessed on July 10th, 2023]
Okyere, Frank. “The Christian Church in Ghana and corruption”. Available from https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/features/the-christian-church-in-ghana-and-corruption.html [Accessed July 10th, 2023]
Okyere-Manu, Beatrice. “Ethical Implications of Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa: A The challenge to the Christian Church.” In Cross Currents 66(2):227-238 (June 2016). DOI: 10.1111/cros.12180. [Accessed on July 18th 2023].
Okyere-Manu, Beatrice, Stephen Morgan & Joseph Kofi Antwi, “The Ethical Implications of Religio-Cultural Healing Practices on Ghana’s Environment: An Ethno-medical Interrogation.” 10.2307/j.ctv2gs4grp.10. (2022)
Opuni-Frimpong, K. “The Akan Traditional Leadership Formation: Some Lessons for Christian Leadership Formation” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 2, no.7 (2021): 75-91 https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2021272
_____. “An Examination of the Role of Public Theology in the Church’s Efforts Toward National Transformation in Ghana,” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 9 no.6. 2023 https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.2023964
_____. “An Exploration into Akan Traditional Patterns of Learning and its Significance for Contemporary Akan Christian Formation.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 2, no.1 (2021): 17-28. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2021221
_____. “STEM education without morals, spiritual values breed intelligent criminals.” Available from: https://myjoyonline.com/stem-education-without-morals-spiritual-values-breed-intelligent-criminals-opuni-frimpong. [Accessed on July 2nd, 2023].
Pazmino, Robert. “Christian Education is More than Formation.” Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry. 7. 356-365. 10.1177/073989131000700208.(2010). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323777220_Christian_Education_is_More_than_Formation. [Accessed on July 22nd, 2023]
Pratt, Kwesi. “The Churches Are Indirectly Promoting Corruption.” Available from: https://www.modernghana.com/news/581080/kwesi-pratt-accuses-churches-of-indirectly-promoting-corrupt.html.[Accessed on July 10th, 2023]
Sanders, Ivan. Available from: https://www.elizabethton.com/2020/10/09/church-the-cement-of-a-community-and-its-people/.[Accessed on July 27th, 2023]
Theron, Petria M. ‘The impact of Christian Higher Education on the lives of students and societies in Africa’, Koers – Bulletin for Christian Scholarship 78(1), Art. #60, (2013):8 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ koers.v78i1.60 [Accessed 10th July 2023]
Theron, Petria M. & Lotter, G.A., “The necessity of an integral Christian worldview:reconnoitering the challenges for influencing the unbelieving world.” Koers 74(3), 2009 Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/koers.v74i3.134. [Accessed on July 14th, 2023]
Toren, Benno van den. “Teaching Ethics in the Face of Africa’s Moral Crisis: Reflections from a Guest.” Transformation: 30. 1-16. 10.1177/0265378812468405. (2013)
Twum-Baah, Kwaku. “Large Christian population has little impact on development. Available from: https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Large-Christian-population-has-little-impact-on-development-75527. [Accessed on July 5th, 2023]
VanderLeest, Steven H. and Jeffrey Nyhoff, “Reformed Worldview.” Nancy Zylstra (ed.) Calvin University, 2005. Available from: https://cs.calvin.edu/activities/books/rit/chapter7/worldview.htm. [Accessed on July 26th, 2023]
Vos, Pieter. “After duty: The need for virtue ethics in moral formation.” In B. De Muynck, et al. (eds.), Bridging The Gap: Connecting Christian Faith And Professional Practice. Dordt College Press, Sioux Centre, 2011
Webster Bible Dictionary. Available from: https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/web/k/kakistocracy.html
Joseph Kofi Antwi, Ph.D. (Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana). His research focuses on African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS), Christian Education, Environmental Ethics, African Philosophy, Religion, and Media. He serves on the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research Institutional Review Board (NMIMR-IRB) and is a member of the African Association for Pastoral Studies and Counselling (AAPSC). He is an Ordained Minister of the Gospel in the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and currently serves as the Clerk of the Ga West Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.
Antwi, Joseph K. “Transformed Individuals, Transforming the World: A Challenge to the Christian Church in Ghana.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.10 (2023): 1197-1208. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234103
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Others
