FIVE NARRATIVES OF RELIGIOUS ITINERARY FROM THE BOSOMEFI AND ANOWA FAMILIES OF IDAN OGUAA IN FANTELAND, GHANA: A THEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF THE AFFINITY BETWEEN THE WORLD-VIEW OF THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES AND THE AFRICAN PRIMAL WORLD-VIEW By ALIZON M. CLEAL A dissertation submitted to the School of Religion and Theology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Theology (African Christianity) May 2005 DECLARATION I declare that this work is my own, with the exception of acknowledged secondary sources and stories recorded, collected and edited from interviewees, or given as response to questionnaires or guidelines provided by me. It has not been submitted to any other university. Signed Alizon M Cleal As supervisor, I have agreed that this dissertation be submitted for examination. DEDICATION To my son Henry John Ekow Adusa Abraham Abusua te se kwaee: wowo akyiri a, eye kusuu; wopini ho a na wohunu se dua koro hiara wo ne sibire^ The family is like a forest - when you view it from afar it seems like one solid unit, but from nearer up you see that each tree has its own individual identity. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENT My sincere thanks to Professor Kwame Bediako from whom I have received every inspiration and help and who has sown the seed of all the key ideas in this work. Grateful thanks too to Dr. Philomena Mwaura who has patiently read early drafts and helped me establish some order. Thanks too to all at Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre and in the African Theological Fellowship in South Africa who looked after me when I was there. Thanks to my family who have been very supportive. Most of all my thanks to the narrators of the five narrations that are the core of this study. iii ABSTRACT The purpose of the study is to show the presence of Christ in Fanteland by treating five Fante ancestral and current narratives as analogues of Genesis XIV and interpreting the resulting interpenetrating Scripture and Fante narratives sensus plenior in the manner of Hebrews VII for Fante Christians, revealing the hidden presence of Christ in them. This is made possible by a postulate of an affinity between the Hebrew world view and that of the Fante. What is considered right behaviour in Fanteland is also resonant with the ethics in Hebrews. A section on ethics arising out of the presence of Christ in the narrative follows in each case. The first chapter is introductory giving the aim and objectives of the study the justification, scope and limitations. This is followed by the intellectual framework from secondary sources and the methodology used. In Chapter II there is a comparison of the world view of Hebrews and of Fanteland with a view to seeing their affinity. Chapters III -V give the literary and historical background to each narrative, the narratives themselves and a theological and ethical meditation. In conclusion the fruit of these meditations is summarized and an evaluation is made. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Declaration i Dedication ii Acknowledgement iii Abstract iv Chapter I - Introduction: Study, Literature, Method 1 The task and its justification 1 Objectives 4 Scope 4 Academic foundation: Placing the research within existing literature 5 Fante world-view, oral discourse forms and history 6 Theology: narrative and transformational 9 Research: Design, scope and limitations, methodology and procedures 15 The Texts: narrations and interpretation 21 Biblical and Fante narratives as analogues 23 Chapter II - The Postulate of Affinity 24 General introduction 24 Fante world-view 24 God/Onyame: the origin of and help for order in the community 26 Place of Nyame mma in community 27 Stools 28 Ancestors 29 The individual's visible and invisible position within the community 30 Fear and the remedy 33 Authority in the community is spiritual 35 Contact with the world at large 40 Genesis XIV and the Epistle to the Hebrews: The biblical foundations 40 Hebrews XI. 1 - XII:3: a chronology of a community's struggle 42 Melchizedek unites two communities in mutual respect 44 Faith in community 45 Analogical hermeneutics 47 The key assumptions and message of the Epistle to the Hebrews summarised 51 The world-view of the Fante set beside that of the Bible as seen in the chosen passages 51 Cultural and interpretative aids in communicating spiritual truth 53 Conclusion 54 Excursus: Introduction to the Families of Bosomfi (Nsona) and Anowa (Ekona), to the Narrators and to the Story seen as a whole 55 Maps, generational trees diagram and photographs 55 v A summary of the story as a whole 59 Chapter III - Two God-Sends 65 Introduction 65 Abokosem: history, mystery and founder ancestors 66 Narrators 69 The bush cow saves the hunter 70 Theology: Exactly what or who is the ekol 71 What does the story teach the clan of wisdom, respect and kindness? 73 The stool-carrier and his descendants 76 The narrator 77 The story 77 Who is this? 78 How can Christians think and act in order to be saved? 80 Right understanding and peace 80 Wisdom/nyansa 81 Obedience/Respect/Z?w£w 83 Unity depending on courtesy and faithfulness to the best so far seen, which is beyond both clans 84 Conclusion 88 Chapter IV - Two Nations and Two Roles: Nana Tutu Dadzie and an Overcomer in Life and Death, Rev. Mabel Abraham 89 Introduction to two family biographies 89 Literary genre of both accounts: biography 91 Nana Tutu Dadzie III and three members of the two families 92 Historical background 93 Nana Tutu Dadzie I (d.1934) and Bosomefi: the narrative" 95 Laments for Nana Tutu Dadzie I and for his wife Bosomefi 97 Who is this? 98 Who is my neighbour? 99 Respect 100 Community 101 Reverend/Oso/o Mabel Winifred Abraham - Musama Disco Christo Church: Army of the Cross of Christ 102 Literary genre 102 Anglican and MDCC Church history: the coup d'etat 103 The narratives, laments and tributes compiled - four life narratives 107 Tribute: the Akaboha's Secretary, the late Rev. G.E. Osei 111 Opinions 111 Two death narratives 113 Second lament 113 Who did the prophecy come from? A spiritual reflection 114 The second choice 118 Odupon Kese bi ebu/The great tree has fallen 118 Obedience of faith and love 120 Conclusion" 120 vi Chapter V - Providence: The Narrative of Kodwo Mensah/William Emmanuel Edusa Abraham 122 Introduction 122 Fante and oral literary background 124 Literary genre 124 Historical background: The church and the First Republic 124 Narrative 126 Asafohen: a warning 126 The storm breaks 126 What must I do? 127 Who is Jesus Christ? 128 The Cross in light 129 Euphoria 131 Foreknowledge 131 A Catholic 132 Visions 133 The Bible 134 Blessing 134 Theology 134 Prevarication 135 Intellectual doubts 136 God 136 The Bible 139 Catholicism 140 Family ties 141 Fear and anger 141 The second blessing 142 Pesher - What must I do? 143 Repentance 143 Faith as understanding the real nature of reality 145 Faith as understanding 147 Faith as community and trust 147 Mother 148 Father 149 Love: the blessing 149 Conclusion 150 Chapter VI - Conclusion: Nsem nyinaa ne Nyame - The Foundation of Everything is in God 151 Introduction 151 The hunter: an ancestor who founded a community 152 Tekyiwa: an ancestor who was the mother of many in the community 153 Nana Tutu Dadzie I: an ancestor who achieved much for the community 154 Reverend Mabel Abraham: an ancestor who showed love for her community 155 An elder of the Bosomefi family: an 'unfinished product", William Kodwo Abraham 155 vii Overview 156 Bibliography 163 Appendices 168 viu y s'5 Anowa and Abosumefi ancestral relieious experience. I am doing a piece of research on African Christianity and want to request your kind help. If you agree please go through the following questions with me or go away and fill in the answers and return them. * 'record on tape' we will use the tape recorder, take notes, or write out on separate sheets. Alizon Name (Home) (alias) Place of Interview Date and time of interview Let us now praise famous women and our mothers that begat us (Let us now praise famous men, and our father's that begat us). I) What is your matri-clan, stool and totem11 Clan:_Asona Kouna Other (specify) Don't know Stool Name Totem Meanings of the stool and totem; Stories connected with the stool and totem *(record on tape) II) Do you belong to any other clan(s) in virtue of your father's marriage to your mother? Or other event? III) How do you trace your membership of the matri-clan? 1) Mother 2) Grandmother 3) Great-grandmother 4) Great- Great- Grandmother (GGGM) IV What do you know about the migrations of your ancestors from Cape Coast. Start as far back as you know, and give any event happening at the same time. Pre-colonial Colonial (before GGGM) 4) GGGM to Event • CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: STUDY, LITERATURE AND METHOD 1 The task and its justification In this dissertation the writer seeks to explore five crucial and mainly chronologically consecutive narratives told within a traditional group that consists of two linked matriclans, descendants of Bosumefi and Anowa in Fanteland, Ghana. The aim is to set forth the narrative as a whole and elements within it which are significant from the Christian point of view. All the narrators are Christians, in good standing at the time of speaking or writing, and each is either an accepted representative member of the two matriclans, or has been chosen and trusted by such a member to trace part of the families' history.