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PDF Hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/156841 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-09-27 and may be subject to change. SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING IMPACTS ON THE AKAN OF GHANA Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen [ volgens besluit van het college van decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op maandag 25 april 2016 om 12.30 uur precies door John Kwaku Opoku geboren op 18 september 1963 te Tepa (Ghana) Promotor Prof. dr. A. J. M. van den Hoogen Copromotor:. Dr. H. H. Blommestijn Manuscriptcommissie: Prof. dr. H.J.M. Venbrux Prof. dr. C. Leget (Universiteit voor Humanistiek, Utrecht) Prof.dr. C. N. Omenyo (University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana) John Kwaku Opoku SPIRITUALITY AND HEALING IMPACTS ON THE AKAN OF GHANA Shaker Publishing Maastricht 2016 © Copyright Shaker Publishing 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed in Germany. ISBN 978-90-423-0441-3 Shaker Publishing St. Maartenslaan 26 NL 6221 AX Maastricht, The Netherlands Tel.: 0031-43-3500424 Fax: 0031-43-3255090 http:// www.shaker-publishing.nl Dedication This work of mine is dedicated to Madam Veronica Afua Boah, my mother, [ Acknowledgement This research would not have been achieved if not for the able contributions of several personali- ties; their instrumentality, generous assistance and cogent advice. My sincere and heartfelt thanks, [!"# H. H. Blommestijn of Radboud University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands for their marvellous guidance and continuous support coupled with love, understanding and valuable advice to enable me to accomplish this research work. I do thank them for their time and for making my stay in the Netherlands comfortable and possible. Indeed, their contributions cannot be unacknowledged. I, again, extend my gratitude to Rev. Fr. Dr. Peter Addai-Mensah of KNUST Catholic Chaplaincy for his directions and continuous assistance. I also wish to express my profound gratitude to my Research Assistants, Mr. Eric Manu and Miss Tayviah M. Makafui for their assistance in the collection of data for this study. Likewise, my profound gratitude goes to my university - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) - and the Department of Religious Studies for giving me the opportunity to undertake my doctoral degree, and, to my Archbishop, Most Rev. Gabriel Justice Yaw Anokye, I say that your permission for my travel to Nijmegen is incredibly appreciated. Many thanks to all individuals and institutions, both health and religious, that made my research very interactive. These institutions included: Maranatha Hospital, Asuoyeboa (Kumasi), Siloam Hospital (Kwadaso), Suntreso Government Hospital (Kumasi) and SDA Hospital (Kwadaso, Kumasi). My gratitude again goes to the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (Secretariat, Kwadaso), Church of Pentecost (Ayeduase, Kumasi) and International Central Gospel Church (Trinity Chapel, Kumasi). I would not have been able to make use of these institutions without the assistance of the administrative staff. In a special way I show my humble appreciation to you. I also must not forget the inputs of all the traditional healers and rulers who made time for me when I called on them. In their busy schedule, these people willingly received me and provided $%&!'[ Adwoa Asiamah, Nana Konadu (AsuotweaKomfohemaa), Kwame Asante Boakye, Akua Serwaa, Martha Offei, Nana Akosua Owusua and Nana Kwabena Abebrese. The least I can say is that, *+ Abstract The research work investigated the relationship between spirituality and healing which within many contemporary societies has been a very controversial one and has grown to be a common <\+$- ality and healing in such societies have in diverse ways directed their wellbeing for years. Very crucial among such functions is their inevitable impact on the health of people. In its several chapters, the study is devoted to the common and, at the same time, uncommon relationship between spirituality and healing. While, in common terms, healing is considered to be a physical activity which normally associates medicine (practiced in a secular atmosphere involving secular methods in understanding human needs), spirituality, on the other hand, concerns the sacred and the supernatural aspects of human life. It is understood in relation to the experiential integration of a person’s life in terms of ultimate values and meanings. Among the Akan, the existence of spirituality becomes relevant due to the fact that from a practical point of view the African heritage is intensely religious. The concept of healing which has existed in the Akan community for several +%[ >$[+ personal experiences with health facilities. Traditionally, Ghanaian society is an integrated one; illness is understood as a combination of social events and the supra-natural: health and illness are parts of the whole magico-religious fabric. In recent years, however, the introduction of Western and other Knowledge Systems on healing have been of diverse character. Currently in Ghana, $?'[ These two institutions of medicine hold different, though not mutually exclusive, worldviews guiding their respective practices. The clash of Knowledge Systems in the contemporary Akan society has had an inevitable impact on the Akan worldview. This thesis, being focussed on a culturalist approach, required the use of the method of ‘thick descriptions’ which explains not just behavior, but context as well, such that the behavior becomes meaningful to an outsider. This allowed an in-depth interpretation of the Akan culture and spirituality. The research approach was cross sectional involving the use of diverse methods and materials. It involved collecting data from 300 respondents and 50 professionals from six districts in the Ashanti region, in Ghana. From the research, it became clear that the Akan live in a religious universe where all actions and thoughts are religiously explained and are inspired and \+$< of spirituality which in a sense emanates from the indigenous Akan spirituality. Respondents outlined many impacts of the relationship between spirituality and healing. These impacts were social, physical, religious, psychological and economic in nature. In the research are several recommendations in respect of the challenges posed by spirituality-healing relations in the Akan community. In all, the research established the fact that healing and spirituality relevantly exist in the traditional Akan society with diverse effects and impact on the socio-economic, religious, psychological and health developments of members of the society. Table of Contents 1. General Introduction 17 1.1 Introduction 17 1.2 Background of the Study 20 a) Adverse Perceptions about the effects of Spirituality-Healing Relations 24 +@QQ!QQ< Z[ 1.3 Statement of the Problem 25 1.4 Research Objective and Research Questions 27 ]^+$> Z_ 1.6 Organization of the Study 30 2. Literature Review 33 2.1 Introduction 33 2.2 Selected Literature 33 2.2.1 Akan Religion and Culture 33 2.2.2 Traditional African Medicine and Spirituality 38 2.2.3 Modern Medicine, Healing and Spirituality 48 2.3 Conclusion 60 3. The Concepts of Spirituality and Healing 61 3.1 Introduction 61 3.2 Spirituality 61 3.2.1 Forms and Foundations of Spirituality 63 3.3 Healing 65 3.3.1 Traditional Healing 66 3.3.2 African Traditional Healing 66 3.3.3 Spiritual Healing 69 3.4 Medicine 72 3.4.1 Traditional Medicine 73 3.4.2 African traditional medicine 74 `[`{Q! || 3.5 Conclusion 78 4. Clash of Knowledge Systems and Healing: Problems for the Akan Worldview 81 4.1 Introduction 81 4.2 Knowledge Systems 82 4.2.1 Western Knowledge Systems 83 11 4.2.2 Indigenous Knowledge Systems 83 4.3 Intersection with other knowledge systems: nature, principles and conditions 84 4.4 African Indigenous Knowledge System and Technology in the Treatment of Diseases 86 4.4.1 Indigenous Concept of Illness and Health 87 4.4.2 African Indigenous Diagnostic Methods 88 4.4.3 Implications of Indigenous Knowledge System for Healing 91 4.5 Indigenous Akan Healing Systems 93 4.5.1 Revitalizing Akan Indigenous knowledge 94 4.5.2 Akan Worldview 94 4.5.3 Akan Traditional Medical Practitioners 95 4.6 Challenges of Knowledge Systems on Akan Worldview 96 4.7 The Absence of Bio-Ethical Principles in African Traditional Medical Practice 98 4.8 Conclusion 100 5. Empirical Description of Findings 103 5.1 Introduction 103 5.2 Demography of Respondents 103 5.3 Medicine and Healing 106 5.3.1 Respondents’ Understanding of Medicine 106 5.3.2 Should traditional and modern medicine be distinguished? 110 5.3.3 Respondents’ Understanding of Healing 112 5.4 Role of Spirituality and Akan Mystical Forces 114 5.4.1 Respondents understanding of Spirituality 114 5.4.2 Respondents’ understanding of Mystical Forces 115 5.5 Healing/Medicine and Spirituality 118 5.5.1 Mystical Powers against Healing/Medicine 119 5.6 Impacts of the relationship between Healing/Medicine and Spirituality 120 5.7 Development of Healing and Spirituality in Promoting Health care 124 5.8 Difference in spiritual traditions in the Akan community 125 5.8.1 Akan Traditional Spirituality 125 5.9 Conclusion 125 6. Evaluation of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations 127 6.1 Introduction 127 6.2 Evaluation of Respondents’ Views 127 6.2.1 The existence and use of medicine as a source of healing in the Akan society 127 6.2.2 Possibility of a relationship between spirituality and healing in health care 128 12 6.2.3 An Encounter of Knowledge Systems 131 6.2.4 Indigenous Spirituality and Re-evaluation of the Akan-Worldview 134 6.2.5 Impacts of spirituality and healing on the Akan people 135 6.3 Conclusion 136 6.4 Recommendations 138 7.
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