
Immortality of the Soul in Ecclesiastes and Akan traditional Thought: A Comparative Analysis from an African Christian Theological Perspective
Issue: Vol.7 No.4 April 2021 Issue Article 1 pp. 61-68
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.2021741 | Published online 12th April 2021.
© 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Immortality, Worldview, Ecclesiastes, Akans
Acheampong, Joseph W.“I will pass over you: The Relevance of the Passover to the Understanding of Salvation in Contemporary Ghanaian Pentecostalism – A Critical Reflection from an Akan Perspective.” PhD Diss., Universität Hamburg, 2015.
Ajei, Martin O. The Paranormal: An Inquiry into Some Features of an African Metaphysics and Epistemology. Hamburg: Missionshilfe Verlag, 2014.
Asante, Emmanuel. Towards an African Christian Theology of the Kingdom of God: The Kingship of Onyame. Gueenston: The Edwen Mellen Press, 1995.
Azarian, Reza. “Potentials and limitations of comparative method in social science.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science 1, no. 4 (2011): 113-125.
Bacchiocchi, Samuele. Popular Beliefs: Are they Biblical? Berrien Spring, MI.: Biblical Perspectives, 2008.
Barker Kenneth L. & Kohlenberger III John R. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Old Testament, Abridged Edition.Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
Barth, Karl. Die Kirchliche Dogmatik III/2 Die Lehre von der Schöffung. Zollikon-Zürich: Evang. Verl, 1948.
Carson, Donald A. et. al eds. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Leicester: Intervarsity Press, 1994.
Cholbi, Michael J. The Science of Immortality. Pomona: John Templeton Foundation, 2018.
Fosu, John K., Experiences of Pneumatic Phenomena in Contemporary Ghanaian Christianity as Appropriations of 1. Cor 12 – 14: A Critical Analysis. Hamburg: Missionshilfe Verlag, 2019.
______. “The Phenomenon of Akan Witchcraft (Bayie) in Ghana: Critical Observations.” In Hexerei-Anschuldigungen in weltweiter Perspektive Witchcraft accusations in global perspective. Edited by Werner Kahl, Gabriele Lademann-Priemer, 167-186. Hamburg: Missionshilfe Verlag, 2020.
Freiberger, Oliver. Considering Comparison: A Method for Religious Studies. New York: Oxford University Press Inc, 2019.
Gyekye, Kwame. African Cultural Values: An Introduction. Accra: Sankofa Publishing Company, 1996.
_______. “The Akan Concept of a Person.” In Africa Philosophy: An Introduction, the 3rd Edition, edited by Richard A Wright. Lanham: University Press of America, 1984.
_______. An Essay on African Philosophical Thought: The Akan Conceptual Scheme Rev. ed. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1995.
Harris, Murray. J. “Immortality.” In New Dictionary of Theology, edited by Ferguson, S. B. and Wright, D. F. Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1988.
_______. “The New Testament View of Life After death.” Themelios 11, no. 2 (January 1986): 47-52.
Hollenweger, Walter. “Intercultural Theology.” Intercultural Theology – Theology Today 43, no. 1 (1986): 28-35. http://ttj.sagepub.com/content/43/1/28.full.pdf.
Keck, Leander E., et. al. eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible: General Articles & Introduction, Commentary & Reflections for each Book of the Bible including the Apocryphal Books in Twelve Volumes, Volume V. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.
Longchar, A. W. “Teaching Third World Contextual Theologies from Ecumenical Perspective- Tribal/Indigenous People’s Theology.” IJT 44, no. 1&2 (2002): 9-19.
Mbiti, John S. African Religions and Philosophy, 2nd ed. USA: Heinemann Educational Complex, 1969.
McCabe, Robert V. “The Message of Ecclesiastes.” DBSJ 1 (Spring 1996): 85-112.
Moore, Clifford H. Ancient Beliefs in the Immortality of the Soul. London: Harrap Publishing Group Ltd., 1931.
Murphy, Roland E. and Huwiler, E. New International Biblical Commentary: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999.
Opoku, Kofi A. West African Traditional Religion. Accra: F. E. P. International Private Limited, 1978.
Patterson, Robert L. Plato on Immortality. University of Pennsylvania: University Park, Pennsylvania, 1965.
Pattison, Andrew S. P. The Idea of Immortality. Clarendon: Oxford, 1922.
Pickvance, Chris. “The Four Varieties of Comparative Analysis: The Case of Environmental Regulation.” Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 16 (2005): 7-28.
Pleijel, Richard. “To Be or to Have a nephesh? Gen 2:7 and the Irresistible Tide of Monism.” ZAW 131, no. 2 (2019: 194–206. https://doi.org/10.1515/zaw-2019-2007
Pritchard, James B., ed. The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1958.
Reese, William L. “Immortality.” In Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion: Eastern and Western Thought. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanity Press, 1980.
Rohde, Erwin. Psych: The Cult of Souls and Belief in Immortality among the Greeks, 8th Edition. London: Kegan, 1925.
Safro, Kwame. “Quasi-Materialism: A Contemporary African Philosophy of Mind.” In A Companion to African Philosophy, edited by Kwasi Wiredu. Oxford: Blackwell, 2004.
Sarpong, Peter. Ghana in Retrospect: Some Aspects of Ghanaian Culture. Accra – Tema: Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1974.
Schwienborst-Schönberger, Ludger. “Das Buch Kohelet.” In Einleitung in das Alte Testamnent, edited by Christian Frevel, et al. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer, 2012.
Stein, Jess, Chief, ed. “Immortality.” In The Random House College Dictionary, Revised Edition. New York: Random House, Inc., 1975.
Thiselton, Anthony C. The First Epistle to the Corinthians: A Commentary on The Greek Text. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000.
Webb, Stephen. “Immortality.” In All the Wonder that Would Be: Exploring Past Notions of the Future, Science and Fiction, 265-296. Cham, Springer, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51759-9_10
Wiredu, Kwasi, “Death and the Afterlife in African Culture.” In Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.
www.crvp.org/book/series02/ii-1/CH7.htm. Accessed on 21st March 2016.
______. “The Akan Concept of Mind.” Ibadan Journal of Humanistic Studies, 3 (1983): 113-134.
______. “The Concept of Mind with particular reference to Language and Thoughts of the Akans.” In Contemporary Philosophy: A New Survey, Vol 5. Dredcht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1987.
Zenger, Erich and Frevel, Christian. “Die Bücher der Weisheit.” In Einleitung in das Alte Testamnent, edited by Christian Frevel. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer, 2012.
Rev. Dr. John Kwasi Fosu is a Lecturer at the School of Theology and Ministry of the Ghana Baptist University College. Kumasi, Ghana.
Fosu J.K., “Immortality of the soul in Ecclesiastes and Akan traditional thought: A comparative analysis from an African Christian theological perspective” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 7 no.4 (2021): 61-68 https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.2021741
© 2021 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Publishers. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).