See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/324256837

Funeral Rites among the Akans of Ghana: A Biblical

Response

Article · February 2018

DOI: 10.21806/aamm.2018.17.04

CITATIONS READS
0 1,111

2 authors:

Kenneth Oppong Robert Osei-Bonsu

Adventist University of Africa Valley View University
11 PUBLICATIONS   0 CITATIONS    6 PUBLICATIONS   0 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

The Theological and Ethical Perspective of Tax Avoidance. View project

Teenage Pregnancy Among Senior High School Children As A Public Health Issue In The Amansie West District Of Ghana
View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Kenneth Oppong on 11 April 2018.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Asia-Africa Journal of Mission and Ministry
Vol. 17, pp. 73–89, Feb. 2018
ⓒ 2018 Mission and Society Research Institute
http://doi.org/10.21806/aamm.2018.17.04

Funeral Rites among the Akans of Ghana:

A Biblical Response

Kenneth Oppong4
Robert Osei-Bonsu

ABSTRACT— Each society has its own culture which is usually dearly
cherished. A typical example of a people who genuinely admire their
unique cultural practices is the Akans of Ghana. There are many unique
rites within Akan culture. Among them are birth rites, puberty rites,
marriage rites, death and funeral rites. This paper considers funeral rites
among the Akans and its impact on the Adventist Church. The article,
therefore, seeks to answer these questions: How are funeral rites
performed among the Akan? What effect does Akan funeral rites have on
the Adventist Church? It also provides a biblical response to the Akan
worldview of the immortality of the soul. The paper identifies that the
Akan worldview of Saturday God is a favorable factor in the spread and
growth of Adventism among the Akans. However, modernization of some
aspects of Akan culture particularly funeral rites have changed the story.
The celebration of Akan funeral rite services on Saturdays instead of the
traditional Thursday is posing a threat to Akan Adventism. It, also, came
out that the Akan worldview of the immortality of the soul has no sound
biblical foundation.

KEYWORDS: Akan, funeral rites, biblical, immortality of the soul,

Adventist

Manuscript received Aug. 18, 2017; revised Feb. 11, 2018; accepted Feb. 20, 2018.
Kenneth Oppong (oppongkenneth2014@gmail.com) is a teaching assistant/assistant
chaplain at Valley View University, Techiman Campus. He is a Ghanaian by nationality.
Robert Osei-Bonsu (rosei-bonsu@vvu.edu.gh) is with School of Theology and
Missions, Valley View University, Adenta-Accra, Ghana. He is a Ghanaian by
nationality.
 I. Introduction

According to Van Der Erve (1994) culture is the shared values and
behavior that join a community together; it is the rule of the game and the
hidden meaning between the lines in the rulebook that assures unity.
David Matsumoto (2007) also indicates that culture is the way of life
emanating from the use of the essential traits of members of a community
to deal with challenges posed by the more significant environmental
context in which they live which help them meet their natural needs and
shared objectives. Culture has to do with the passion, essence and
existence of a society. It depicts the true nature of a people and portrays
them as a unique group (Asante, Asmah, and Adjei, 2013). Culture has a
strong influence and power on those who practice it. It affects their
thinking, choices, actions, and way of living. Each society has its own
culture which is usually held in high esteem. Each culture is
characterized by symbols, ceremonies, values, philosophies, perspectives,
beliefs, expectations, attitudes rituals, rites, language, taboos, and myths.
These are what come together to give the culture its distinctiveness and
rareness. Explanations for the elements directly related to this study are
provided as follows. The culture of a particular society serves as the basis
of its development.
The Akans of Ghana, have their unique cultural practices which are
vital to their existence as a people. Among them are birth rites, puberty
rites, marriage rites, and funeral rites. These rites serve as a means of
depicting the objectives of the community. As they practice these rites, it
serves as lessons which are passed on to the younger generation for
transmission to future production due to their importance to the
community (Kasomo, 2008). The significance associated with these rites
causes the people to practice their culture with severe intensity and
seriousness (Fofie-Nimoh, 2014).
The aspect of Akan culture that this paper seeks to consider is funeral
rites and its impact on the Adventist Church in Ghana. The paper aims to
answer these questions: How are funeral rites performed among the
Akans of Ghana? What effect do Akan funeral rites have on the Adventist
Church? The paper also proposes a biblical response to the Akan
worldview of the immortality of the soul.
Besides the conclusion, the paper has five sections. The first section
serves as an introduction to the study. This section is followed by a
description of funeral rites among the Akans, the impact of funeral
ceremonies on the Adventist Church, the concept of the immortality of

74 Kenneth Oppong & Robert Osei–Bonsu

View publication stats