Cultural Conflicts In Christian Conversion: The Talensi Perspective
Samuel Zuul Bayeti 
Issue: Vol.5 No.13 Issue Article 17 pp.2217-2230
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451317 | Published online 18th October, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This paper focuses on the conflicts between the Christian faith and African traditional religion with particular reference to the Talensi of northern Ghana. It examines the religious and cultural experiences of Talensi Christian converts. Through interviews and participation of participants, the study set out to examine the phenomenon of religious conversion and Christian expression among the Talensi. African scholars believe that whenever a new religion comes into contact with African cultures there is always conflict. Christian evangelization involves the propagation of the Christian faith and the establishment of churches. The study revealed that wherever the gospel is proclaimed, it engages local cultures, and the result has always been conflict or accommodation. Critical to this encounter is the way the new faith is propagated and appropriated in the traditional society. The study concludes that since African traditional religion is part of the African ethos, an understanding of it should be considered in Christian evangelization. Ignoring the traditional beliefs, attitudes and practices of traditional people has implications for the way the Christian faith can be transmitted, accepted and appropriated in traditional societies. For Christianity to gain deep roots in traditional contexts such as the Talensi, the study recommends that proper bridges be built between the Christian faith and traditional cultures.
Keywords: Culture, Gospel, Evangelization, Conversion, Syncretism, Discipleship.
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Dr. Samuel Zuul Bayeti is a Lecturer at the Apostolic Church Theological Seminary, Kumasi Ghana.
Bayeti, Samuel Zuul. “Cultural Conflicts In Christian Conversion:The Talensi Perspective,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.13 (2024): 2217-2230. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451317
© 2024 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/).
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