A Christian Engagement and Interpretation of Ga Rites of Passage and the Kpelelogical Theological Method

Abstract

The paper studies the dialogical relationship between the gospel and Ga rites of passage. There is a paradox in this relationship which only becomes meaningful only by considering its mediation through the person and works of Jesus Christ. This view allows a mutual critical approach which resolves the paradox of the initial rejection of Ga rites of passage by the gospel and their later acceptance after they have been transformed and preserved by the mystery of Christ. In this way, Ga rites of passage become useful in the light of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while the gospel adds on to itself the contextual elements of Ga holistic existence. The paper looks at how this paradoxical relationship between Ga rites and the Christian gospel underlies the processes transforming the liturgy of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and helping to preserve important Ga traditions and culture in Christianity for of church and of society.