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St. Ignatius of Antioch and Afua Kuma of Kwahu: a Study in Some Images of Jesus in Second Century Christianity and Modern African Christianity

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St. Ignatius of Antioch and Afua Kuma of Kwahu: a Study in Some Images of Jesus in Second Century Christianity and Modern African Christianity ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH AND AFUA KUMA OF KWAHU: A STUDY IN SOME IMAGES OF JESUS IN SECOND CENTURY CHRISTIANITY AND MODERN AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY BY REV. PHILIP TETTEH LARYEA A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF NATAL, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE MASTER OF THEOLOGY DEGREE IN AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY JUNE, 2000 NATAL, PIETERMARITZBURG DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is an original research worl~ composed by me, and is no way a reproduction either in part or in whole. I wish to state also that this work has not been accepted in any previous application for a degree. Philip LaryC~ June, 2000 II DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my dear wife Kotso, my children Afoley, AwoIJJJ and Nii Afotey who created a congenial home situation oflove and support to enable me complete this work. III ABSTRACT Christian religious experience whether it occurs in the second century or in modem Africa is one and the same, and although the experiences may differ it is possible to draw correlations to suggest that such experiences bear witness to a common reality. St. Ignatius of Antioch who lived in the second century and Afua Kuma who hails from Kwahu in the Eastern Region ofGhana, are used to demonstrate this reality. My sources for Ignatius' are the seven letters he wrote, six to churches he visited and one to his friend Polycarp ofSmyrna, whilst he was on his way to martyrdom in Rome. As bishop of Antioch he is concerned about the unity of the church and consequently focuses attention on false doctrines and the development of what was becoming "orthodox" tradition. A number of peculiar images referring to Christ emerge in his work, such"as apXEta (archive), 8upa (door), xapaK1"rlp (stamp) and 8t)(:nacr'trlpwv (altar). This picturesque and vivid imagery is traced to his propensity for rhetoric, which, though Asian, bears resemblance to the Greek and Roman folkloric traditions. The Apae or the courthouse praise poetry ofthe Akan folkloric tradition is the vehicle that Afua Kuma employs to express her faith in Jesus. A crisis in Madam Kuma's life must have led her to fathom the depths of her traditional background and upbringing and this she feeds into her understanding of Jesus. In her poetry Jesus is imaged as Adontehene, Benkumhene, :Jkatakyie, :Jkokodurufo, Okuruakwaban, and Adubasap::m and is made to perform all the functions associated with regal authority. She also shows awareness of modem political and social structures in these images. This thesis shows that it is the fruit of the Christian imagination born in the context of praise and worship, which ought to feed and nourish academic theology so as to keep it in touch with the spiritual vitality experienced in the community offaith. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to place on record my gratitude to those who in diverse ways assisted me to write this thesis. I owe a debt of gratitude to my supervisors Profs. Andrew Walls and Kwam~ Bediako. When it became difficult to obtain in substantial quantities materials on St. Ignatius, it was Prof. Walls who came to my rescue. Prof. Bediako also put at my disposal his personal library and took time offhis busy schedule to supervise my work. I acknowledge the assistance that was offered me at the University of Ghana, Legon. I mention in particular the Balme Library and the library at the Institute of African Studies. I wish to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Akosua Anyidoho of the Department of Linguistics whose work furnished me with the background and life of Afua Kuma. It was Dr. Anyidoho who first introduced me to literature on the Akan folkloric tradition and further directed me to sources that have been of immense benefit to my work. I thank those who helped me to trace the etymology and function of some words used in the Akan text of Afua Kuma's book; Nana Addo Birinkorang, the Apesemakahene of the Akuapem Traditional Area, Rev. S.K. Aboa of the Bible Society of Ghana, and Mr. Kofi Agyekum of the Department of Linguistics, University of Ghana. I greatly appreciate the comments made by Prof. lH. Nketia of the International Institute for African Music on the chapters on Afua Kuma, and Rev. Dr. D.N.A Kpobi of the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon who read the entire work. I am also grateful to Mr. John K. Asmah of the Photographic Unit of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana for making available to me pictures that were used as illustrations in this work. I should also mention the help of Ms. Korklu Laryea, the Assistant Librarian at Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre, through whose services I was enabled to derive the fullest benefit from Prof. Bediako's library. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION II DEDICATION III ABSTRACT IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENT V CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1 TWO ST. IGNATIUS: THE MAKING OF A CHRISTIAN RHETORICIAN 14 THREE IMAGES OF JESUS THROUGH THE EYES OF ST. IGNATIUS OF 24 ANTIOCH FOUR MADAM AFUA KUMA AS ILLUSTRATION OF CHRISTIAN 51 INTERPRETATION AND APPROPRIATION OF THE AKAN FOLKLORIC TRADITION FIVE SOME IMAGES OF JESUS IN AFUA KUMA'S JESUS OF THE DEEP 60 FOREST SIX CONCLUSION- IGNATIUS AND AFUA KUMA: REFLECTIONS ON 108 SOME COMMON THEOLOGICAL STRANDS IN SECOND CENTURY CHRISTIANITY AND MODERN AFRICAN CHRISTIANITY LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FIG.la JBAATANPA: A HEN BROODING OVER HER CHICKS 126 FIG.lb JBAATANPA: AKOKJ BAATANSYMBOL 126 FIG.2a AKAN WAR FORMATION 127 FIG.2b ASANTEMAN COUNCIL-SEATING PLAN 127 VI FIG.3 THE BATAKARIK£SIE 128 FIGA CHIEF IN PALANQUIN DRAPED IN KENTE 129 FIG.S 'JKYEAME (SPOKESMAN) WITH 'JKYEAMEPOMA (STAFF) 130 FIG.6 PERFORMING RITUALS FOR A DEAD BONSU 131 FIG.? DIVINE DRUMMER 132 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 133 VII CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION PREAMBLE At the same time I learn that certain false teachers from a distance have been passing through your city; but ye stopped your ears and did not suffer them to sow the seeds of evil in you. For ye are stones of a temple, prepared for the building of God, hoisted up by the Cross of Christ, the Spirit being the rope and your faith the engine, while love is the way leading to God. Ye all take your part in the holy procession, bearing each his God and his Christ, his shrine and his sacred things, dressed in the festive robes of Christ's precepts, while I by letter am permitted to share your rejoicing and to congratulate you on your unalloyed love ofGod. I The foregoing is part of a letter from the second century written to the Church at Ephesus by Ignatius, bishop of Antioch. The text pictures a vivid scenario in which is portrayed members of the Ephesian church as if in a pagan religious procession carrying with them their "God", Jesus Christ and the votive offerings to the temple. Twenty centuries on, a saintly woman, Afua Kuma, captures in Christian worship the annual Odwira procession of the Akan with Jesus Christ being paraded in a palanquin as a chief (Fig. 4). For Afua Kuma it is Jesus that brings together the nations, and in his entourage can be found children, young men and women, strongmen and chiefs: Amansanhene: Jesus the Arbitrator, he who brings nations together. Milk and honey flow in his veins. Children rush to meet him; crowds ofyoung people rush about to make him welcome. Chiefofyoung women: they have strung a necklace ofgold nuggets and beads, and hung it around your neck. So we go before you, shouting our praises, "Ose, Ose!" Chief ofyoung men: they are covered with precious beads and gold pendants worn by princes. They follow you, playing musical instruments. Chiefofall strong men: Jwesekramofohene, you have placed your royal sword in our right hand, and the flag ofvictory in our left hand, while we lead you firing cannons. Chief ofall chiefs, he says the chiefs are the wise men ofthe land. So let us bring our troubles there, and let his judgement stand. The one who lays his worries there and says, "Lord, judge for me!" is the only one that God can help; God's wisdom sets him free? Christian history is replete with the celebrations of Jesus of Nazareth as these texts from the second century and modem Africa show. His life and work has influenced perhaps a large number of people not only within his own time, but also across the centuries. The entry of Jesus into the world especially beyond the Judeo-Palestinian borders and the sequel to this entry is acknowledged as a novelty unequalled in human history. Wherever he appeared his followers broke with the religious norms and traditions that hitherto had regulated their life and conduct. The new wave of spiritual fervour and vitality that was unleashed as a result of the preaching of the Gospel can only be described as phenomenal. T. R. Glover asserts that the impetus of the new movement can be traced not so much to an institution or the observance of religious rites and ceremonies as to the "mystic deeps of man's soul; ... spread by the preaching of the word, by simple, altogether natural and individual efforts; and flew, 2 like hallowed fire, from heart to heart, till all were purified and illuminated by it.,,3 Conversion to a new faith as a concept, with the probable exception of the Greek philosophical schools, was alien to the existing religious traditions, and one can therefore appreciate the zeal with which the Empire clamped down on Christians to force them to conform to the status quo.
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