
The Akan Indigenous Concepts of Religion and Nyame (the Supreme Deity) and the Promotion of Inter-religious Relations in Ghana
Issue: Vol.10 No.2 February 2024 Issue Article 2 pp. 23-33
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241022 | Published online 23rd February, 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This paper in revealing that the adoption of foreign religions has not eradicated the lingering influence of indigenous spiritual and religious values, explores the coexistence of Christianity, Islam, and indigenous Akan religious values among the Akan people. The study, employing a mixed-methodological approach, including interviews with three respondents and ten focus group discussions in Ghana’s Central Region, delved into the Akan conception of religion as a prevailing system. It highlighted the Supreme Deity’s role as the Great Ancestor, emphasizing how these concepts foster apathy towards religious differences and cultivate a trans-religious attitude among the Akan people. The findings suggest that Akan’s general indifference to religious disparities not only contributes to a tolerant society but also potentially serves as a model for interreligious harmony. This resilience is evident in the face of efforts by some Christians and Muslims to discourage trans-religious practices among the Akan. This showcases the enduring nature of Akan inclusivity in matters of religion.
Keywords: Akan, Indigenous Religions, Christianity, Islam, Interreligious Encounters, Dialogue
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Cosmas Ebo Sarbah is a Senior Lecturer of Comparative Religion and Interreligious Dialogue at the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana. He is the Director of Interreligious Dialogue for the Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Coast (Ghana). His research interest includes Comparative Religion, Interreligious Dialogue, Ecumenism in Christianity and Islam in sub-Saharan Africa.
Manson Anane Adjei is an MPhil student at the Department for the Study of Religions, University of Ghana, Legon.
Sarbah, Cosmas Ebo & Adjei, Manson Anane. “The Akan Indigenous Concepts of Religion and Nyame (the Supreme Deity) and the Promotion of Inter-religious Relations in Ghana,” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies, 10 no.2 (2024): 23-33. https://doi.org/10.38159/erats.20241011
© 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/).