Overview (Graduate courses)

This course begins by examining some of the theories/views on the fluidity and dynamism of the indigenous religion concerning the changing historical contexts and experiences; the concept of New Manifestation. It also examines early religious movements such as the African Mission and Godianism as New Manifestations of African Indigenous Religion (AIR); how the electronic and print media and other contemporary religio-cultural factors that are shaping and influencing AIR will also be looked at. The course will also look at how certain elements such as divination, prophetism and other rituals in African Indigenous Religion are manifested in Christianity, especially, in Ghana.

The course explores currents and emerging trends in global religions in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The course analysis NRMs in relation to the established world religions as well as cults or sects. It will examine the global processes that lead to the emergence, spread and expansion of NRMs; migration and diasporic religious communities; conversion processes; NRMs’ membership and leadership; the role of new religious agents in bringing about socio-religious transformation; society’s responses to NRMs; and the dissemination of NMRs’ ideologies through the use of new media.

This course studies the dynamics of the approaches and reactions of religious communities to each other. It introduces students to the theories of religious pluralism and also examines the contemporary religious discourse in the field of the claim to uniqueness in the face of religious pluralism. It explores Inter-religious dialogues in both international and local contexts. It is a study of an interdisciplinary area of religion, not sufficiently covered by other courses.

This course provides a platform for students to engage the different forms of contemporary women’s theologies. This includes feminist theologies, womanist theologies, African women theologies and Latina/Mujerista theologies.  Some Commonalities and differences in their theologies will be discussed with a special focus on their theories and methodologies. It will also examine the tools for analysing issues with regards to women, religion and theology.  Additionally, the course will assess women’s roles in and contributions to the field of religion and theology.

This course examines the diverse religious forms in contemporary Africa and the influence they exert on public life. It will critique arguments related to the public relevance of religion in societies as they continuously modernise. It will also examine the actual interfaces between religion and public life in specific contexts. The course further explores the roles played by religion and religious consciousness within the public space through the discussion of empirical issues at the interface between religion and public life and space such as political, economic, legal and human rights, and public morality domains.

This course considers the claims that the association of religion with development is problematic and detrimental. It seeks to engage a range of debates on religion and development with specific examples like indigenous knowledge systems, holistic development, etc. Using Ghana as a case study, it will examine the interactions between the two concepts with references to the African Indigenous Religions, Islam and Christianity to enable students discuss and compare divergent views, as well as engage in some current debates on the subject.

The course seeks to broaden students’ knowledge on the universality and functional values of myths and symbols in African indigenous religions and culture in relation to indigenous value systems, rituals, the environment, etc. Selected themes on African mythologies, symbols and symbolic expressions such as creation, migration and settlement stories, nation building and national identity, religious leaders, rituals and festivals, cultural performances and proverbs will be analysed. Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of myths and symbols will be examined and critiqued.

This course applies phenomenology of religion to the study of African Indigenous Religions (AIR). It critiques the sources of data in the study of AIR, as well as the theoretical and methodological principles of phenomenology of religion in the context of African indigenous religions. The course will enable students to comprehensively engage with the complex dimensions of the indigenous religions and its impact on the lives of the people.

This course studies some of the major religions of the world in their diversity, comparing, and contrasting important themes, features, and historical developments and their impact on believers and society. The focus of the course will be on Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Important issues in the encounter between African culture/religion and the more recently introduced traditions in Ghana will be looked at.

This course provides a critical survey and review of selected scholars in the history of religions and comparative religions. Scholars such as Jaochim Wach, Marcea Eliade, J. M. Kitagawa, Ninian Smart, Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Gerardus van der Leeuw, J. Waardenburg etc. will be studied. Their background and the context within which they worked will be analyzed.  It will also examine their relevance and application to contemporary discourses in the history of religions/comparative religions/scientific study of religions.

This course is on the assessment of Christian-Muslim relations. It traces the root of such relations from the sources of Islam-Quran/hadith- as well as contemporary understanding and situation in various settings. It pays a particular attention to the manner in which religious institutions - Churches, Mosques and Islamic religious authorities - have contributed to the nature of such relations. In this vein, the various debates that discuss the nature of Christian-Muslim relations will be our focus. Various context will be analysed in order to put such relationships into perspective. A lot of emphasis will be on the West African sub region.

This courses an introduction to pastoral care and counselling within the context of an African Christian ministry. The nature of pastoral care and counselling from biblical, theological, and psychological perspectives will be explored. Emphasis will be on foundational counselling skills and processes within a framework of focused, short-term counselling. Through lectures, readings, group discussions, and case study, students will develop essential skills and models of effective within the African milieu.

This course is a segment of the Islamic legal system and provides insights into the structure and governance of the Muslim family as developed from the Quran and Sunna by classical jurists. Topics to be dealt with include: the different dimensions of Marriage; essentials and prohibited degrees of marriage; legal incidents; Spousal rights and responsibilities; family planning; Rights and Guardianship of Children; Dissolution of marriage; Testamentary dispositions; Succession and inheritance; Modern legal reforms and Gender Issues; Challenges of family law practice in Ghana; Registration of Muslim marriage and Intestate Succession Law (PNDC LAW 111). The course will draw examples from the Ghanaian situation.

The course will assist students to study Islam in modern West Africa with Special reference to the Hausa States in Northern Nigeria.  The role of the Jihadist in the reformation of Islam in modern West Africa with special reference to Uthman Dan Fodio will be assessed. The role of the Ulamah, media, women and sufis in the development of Islam in the Region will be discussed. The consequences of the re-introduction of Shariah in Northern Nigeria in contemporary times will be studied. The role of Islamic literacy in the development of these states will be discussed. An appraisal of the activities of Muslims in Ghana concerning leadership, the organization of Hajj and the intra and inter faith relations will be addressed.

The course will assist students to understand the origins and development of (kalam) Islamic Scholastic Theology. It will discuss the historical background to kalam and examine the rise of early Muslim sects; Kharijism, Murjites, Qadarites; the influence of Judaism, Christianity, Hellenism and other philosophies on Islamic philosophy and theology; Relationship between Scholastic Theology and Philosophy, Proponents and Opponents of Scholastic Theology; Theological positions of the Mu’tazila, Ash’arah and the Shi’ah; decline and collapse of Scholastic Theology; Consolidation of Sunnism.

This course examines the importance of the political system in Islam and its manifestation in society. Topics to be treated include Islamic political theories; Objectives and Characteristics; Concept of Shura and manifestations; A study of selected Muslim personalities; (Hassan Marwardi,  Maududi, Hasan al Banna, Syed Qutb,) An analysis of various Islamic political thought and practices in contemporary times and challenges; Islam, Democracy and the West; Extremism; Islamic Resurgence and Islamization; Concept of Islamic State; Concept of Dhimma Non-Muslims) and Citizenship.

The course discusses the dynamic nature of Islamic Jurisprudence (fiqh) as a man-made system.  As part of the course students will examine the beginnings and development of Islamic jurisprudence; concept of usul-ul fiqh and furu’-ul fiqh; Categorization of Human actions; biographies of the main Sunni jurists; history and development of  the Sunni schools of law; methodologies; ikhtilaf- al fuqaha; comparative jurisprudence, an evaluation of classical fiqh as a historical product; relevance of classically formulated fiqh in contemporary times;  modern legal reforms.

The Origins of Islam in the Western Sudanese states of Ancient Ghana, Ancient Mali, Songhay and agents responsible for the spread of Islam in Western Sudan will be analysed. The Contribution of Muslims to the development of these States will be studied. The relevance of the Trans-Saharan trade to the development of Islam will be studied. The activities of the Al-Murabitun (Al-Muravids) in Western Sahara and Western Sudan will be discussed. The Origins and development of the Maliki School of Jurisprudence among others will be examined.

The course exposes students to the concept of Islamic economics and its role in development. Topics to be discussed include definition of  the term ‘Islamic Economics’; ethical and philosophical bases of Islamic economics  in Shari’ah; features and characteristics of Islamic Economics; historical overview of the application of  Islamic economics; wealth creation  and its  re-distribution (Zakat); public, state, private ownership of property; concept of Riba (Interest- Free  Banking and Finance),  Investments; Islamic Economics as an academic discipline, achievements and challenges of Islamic economics in contemporary times.

This course is on the historical development of Islamic literacy and education in Africa. It hopes to introduce students to the history of literacy and the various forms of education curricula that abound on the continent alongside the Arabic and Ajami scripts- (Using Arabic letters for writing African languages). It also will discuss the various themes of scholarship and literature (Hausa, Dagbani, Songhay, Wolof, Fulfulde etc). The course interrogates the dominant assumption that Africa is a continent of orality in addition and examines the materiality- the authorship of book manuscripts.

This course offers an in-depth interdisciplinary study into the intersections between religion and religious communities – cosmologies, norms and practices – and the sustainability of the natural environment. The program is located within the epistemological paradigm that deep human and cultural facets of life are crucial to reversing contemporary climate change and environmental degradation. Within this is the religious dimension of life, which is at the core of the human and cultural facets of life in most societies in Africa. The course is also premised on the epistemological conviction that religious communities have the potential for enforcing positive environmental attitudes, behaviours and practices toward attaining environmental sustainability and safeguarding the needs of future generations. It has three areas of focus: (i) religious studies; (ii) environmental ethics; and (iii) environmental sustainability.

In light of global anthropogenic environmental problems, such as climate change, the need for the contribution of faith communities to human decisions, choices and lifestyle changes has become increasingly crucial. From the perspective of Christianity, the purpose of this course is to introduce students to theological ethical perspectives on human responsibility towards non-human creation. It specifically aims at exploring dominant ecological ethical theories and examining key theological ethical norms of Christian ethical response to the environmental debate, such as justice, love, reconciliation and peace-making, and community (koinonia).

How different are human beings from other creatures? The course examines the understanding of human personhood within the context of religion and culture. It explores the models of personhood from different religious traditions’ perspectives and some cultural analyses of personhood. It focuses on personhood and beliefs, destiny, morality, identity, construction and outlooks on gender, life and the hereafter; and how concepts of personhood affect the production, distribution and consumption of religious and cultural objects.

Morality plays a part in everyone’s life. But what exactly is it, and why is it important? Are there any objective, universal truths, or are moral rightness and wrongness in some ways relative to societies, or to individuals? What is the relationship between morality and religion? This course evaluates some of the most important answers that African philosophers have given to these questions and some of the arguments they have developed to defend their views. Our main aim is not just to understand these views, but also to start down the road of critical evaluation: How plausible are these views? Are the arguments that have been given for and against them persuasive?

The course examines how concepts of philosophy and theology relate and buttress African traditional religious worldviews, belief systems and practices. It is also to bring into perspective use of philosophy and theology to explain or resolve certain fundamental issues bordering on African indigenous religious beliefs, worldviews, and practices in relation to nature, ecology, creation, personhood, morality, destiny, family, community, ethnicity, justice, peace, etc. The course should be a springboard for students seeking to research into issues relating to African indigenous culture, religion and practices. Students will be encouraged to share their lived experiences.

The course explores basic issues of definition, sources, contents and various orientations (theological and philosophical) to contemporary theology. It also explores some theologians who represent such orientations and approaches to the interpretation of contemporary Christian theology. Specifically, related to our purpose and context, the course will engage contemporary African theologians.

This Course is philosophical and theological study that covers some major contemporary ethical and moral issues including: abortion, the death penalty, human rights, the use and misuse of science and technology, sexuality and marriage, feminism, war and terrorism. Students are expected to read and critique contrasting views from scholars, theologians and philosophers. Students are also encouraged to analyse the issues from the perspectives of lived experiences.

Philosophy of religion is the philosophical study of the meaning and nature of religion. It includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious adherents. The field of philosophy of religion is broad and diverse and includes philosophers from the analytic and continental traditions, Eastern and Western thinkers, religious believers and agnostics, sceptics and atheists. Philosophy of religion draws on all of the major areas of philosophy as well as other relevant fields, including theology, history, sociology, psychology, and the natural sciences. The focus of this course will limit its’ discussion to Methodologies or Approaches to the study of Phil of Religions and ten other major areas including (1) religious language, belief, and diversity, (2) Divine power, Goodness, and Knowledge (3) God, Science, and Naturalism, (4) Faith and Revelation, (5) Arguments for and against the Existence of God, (5) Problems of Evil and Suffering, (6) Miracles, (7) Death and the Afterlife.

This is a course in systematic and/or constructive theology. Within the context of global environmental problems, the purpose of the course is to introduce students to systematic theological perspectives and readings on the nature of the relationship between human beings and the nonhuman creation. The course specifically aims at examining contemporary theological models of ecotheological thought such as eco-justice; ecofeminism; nature spirituality or panentheism; and creation stewardship. It also surveys themes of ecotheology such as Christology, ecclesiology, theocentrism, soteriology and pneumatology.

The course will examine soteriology in the three major religious traditions in Africa i.e. African Indigenous Religion, Christianity and Islam. The course will focus on contending theological issues on soteriology; and how they affect the production, distribution and consumption of religious objects from the perspectives of the various religious traditions. The course will also explore the effects of the advancement in science and technology and secularization on the relevance and prospects of soteriological beliefs and claims. The course also critically analyses these effects and relates them to the lived experiences of adherents of the various religions.

This course entails consideration of the question of religious faith in the face of evil and seemingly senseless pain and suffering, as well as some of the more carefully reasoned responses proffered within the history of Christian and African Indigenous thoughts, both traditional and modern. The course also compares and analyses the African indigenous conceptions on the existence of evil and the Christian positions. Attention is also paid to how the two religious traditions deal with the impacts of evil and suffering thereby giving meaning to life.

A detailed and critical study of the thoughts of either a major Christian philosopher or a school of Christian philosophers who have made a significant contribution to Christian theology. A philosopher chosen for this course is Saint Thomas Aquinas. An attempt will be made to discuss or test the themes discovered in his works and how they reflect on religious life and relate it to the experience of Ghanaians. The course will pay more attention to his writings most especially the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles. Other areas to be studied include how he combines Philosophy and theology to analyse the basic human issue concerning the Christian faith. The course will also look at the relationship between Aquinas and Ancient philosophy with specific attention to Aristotle; his thoughts on the Order of Philosophical Inquiry, Perception and Thought, Body and Soul, Human Identity and Immortality, and other areas.

This course focuses on individual Church Fathers and their contributions to the development of Christianity from the first century to the end of the fourth century. Some of the Fathers to be studied include Apostolic Fathers (such as Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp); Greek Fathers (such as Justin, Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, Cyril); and Latin Fathers (such as Tertullian, Cyprian, Jerome, Augustine). The course categorizes the Fathers into the various periods and locations. In this light, Church Fathers from both the Eastern and Western traditions are considered especially African Church Fathers.

The course examines the roles of diaspora Africans in the establishment and growth of Christianity in West Africa and in the African diaspora. Major motifs of the diaspora; dispersion, identity and return, are discussed. The course focuses on the activities of 19th and 20th century Back to Africa movements as well as contemporary Christianity in the African diaspora. The course demonstrates that there is a strong relationship between Christianity in the African diaspora and Christianity in the sub-region.

This course offers the opportunity to study in-depth the Christian practice of Gospel and culture engagement, particularly that of the African Experience. Selected Biblical and theological reflections on culture, as well as some of the central themes and issues in history and contemporary practice, will be analysed. Special attention will be paid to Lamin Sanneh’s translatability concept, in its relation to the scriptures, liturgy and other religious rituals. Methods for the study of indigenous forms, themes and expressions of Christianity and the interface between Gospel and culture as an African experience will be explored.

The course is designed to highlight the contribution of the early African Church Fathers and Mothers in the history and growth of the early church. It provides an understanding of the place of African church leaders in the formative years of Christianity and their significance to the development of theology and church administration. The focus will be on the personalities of Clement, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian and Augustine whose writings and other activities will be examined in detail; as well as early African church mothers like Perpetua, Felicitas, Monica, Syncletice, Egeria, Macrina Blendina and Paula. Attention will also be paid to the impact of the African Church Fathers and Mothers on the Church in Africa today.

This course as a sequel to SREL 621 focusses on the planting of the church in Africa. It explores the beginnings of the Church in Africa, its development, policies, success and failure. The course evaluates the activities and development of the African Instituted Churches (AIC), Charismatic renewals, Ministries, etc. Furthermore, the future of the Church in Africa is predicted in terms of its doctrines, impacts and relevance to the continent as a whole.

The course assesses the developments of doctrines in Christianity in general and gives attention to the African context. It offers a systematic study of the doctrines of Man, Trinity, Angels, Satan and Demons. Further to this, the course focuses some attention on some major doctrines of the church pre-reformation, post-reformation and the modern eras of the Christian history. Another aspect of the course is to evaluate doctrines of some major Christian denominations like the Catholic, Protestant, Wesleyan, Presbyterian as well as Pentecostal doctrines.

This course exposes students to Pentecostalism as a dominant influence within global Christianity as well as its unique contributions in that regard. The course will examine the historical and theological development of this phenomenon within the African socio-religious setting. This will necessarily require an investigation into the diversities and variations of African Pentecostalism: Classical Pentecostalism, Neo-classical Pentecostalism and New Religious Movements with the goal of analysing their characteristic features, theology, spirituality, practice, trends and expression. The impact of Pentecostalism on the social life of the African and the African public space will be examined.

This course examines the biblical, historical and theological developments in thought and practice relating to Church and society. This will necessarily require an investigation into the nature, meaning, and purpose of the church within society from a historical perspective. Primary attention is given to the changing patterns of relationship between Church and society globally, with particular focus on the African experience. Issues of contemporary societal concerns will feature significantly in terms of the interaction and interface between church, culture, gender dynamics, governance, disease etc.

The course provides a comprehensive study of the biblical and theological foundations for Christian mission. The meaning, methods and models of doing mission are discussed from a historical perspective, with a special attention to the 20th and 21st centuries. The course focuses on the geographical redistribution of huge proportions of Christians in the Global South in the mid twentieth century which is unparalleled in the history of Christian faith. The role of the church in ministering to a contemporary world context will be emphasized: the gospel in its relation to (non-)Western cultures, religious pluralism, globalization, gender dynamic etc.

Christianity in the Roman Empire before the fourth century was perceived as an alien religion by the non-Christians. The Christians therefore faced various hostilities to the extent of being killed for the purpose of their beliefs. This course seeks to appreciate the conditions of the Christians based on Christian sources generated as a result of the hostilities. The martyr texts will be selected from the various locations including the Roman African cities. It also evaluates both male and female martyrs. The course identifies the religious and political status of Christianity in the empire, charges against the Christians, forms of hostilities and how the Christians tried to defend themselves in these texts. The persecution and martyrdoms gave rise to some Christian apologetic writings which will equally be explored in this course.

The course aims to consolidate and extend students’ proficiency in Biblical Greek through a critical reading and translation of biblical texts from the New Testament and the Septuagint. The course explores advance issues of textual criticism; grammar and syntax; and offers an in-depth study of the nature and techniques of New Testament narrative, epistolary and apocalyptic texts. Furthermore, it extends students’ familiarity with and ability to use the critical apparatus of the New Testament Textus Receptus.

The course guides students to read and translate biblical, non-biblical, and postbiblical Hebrew prose and poetic texts. It consolidates students’ ability to use the critical apparatus in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Topics include narrative and poetic texts; alternative intra-biblical or even extra-biblical renditions of MT (e.g., from the Liber antiquitatum biblicarum of Pseudo-Philo), pertinent material in the early versions (primarily Targum, but also Septuagint and Peshitta), Qumran and medieval manuscripts, rabbinic midrash, and the medieval commentaries (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, et al.).

The course proposes an in-depth analysis of the writings of the New Testament as a product of their historical, cultural and religious contexts. It explores how to engage the cultural world of the NT with contemporary African context through the analysis of some of the interpretive approaches proposed by African scholars. Topics to be studied include Comparative Approach, Intercultural Hermeneutics; Liberational Hermeneutics; Contextual Bible Studies; the Communicative Approach; Feminist Approach; Mother-tongue hermeneutics. Reading a selected text from an African Perspective will be part of the course.

The course explores the dynamic interplay between Paul’s life and the theology of his writngs through an exegetical study of selected pericopes. Topics include the religio-historical background, the Hellenistic context, the inculturation of the Judaic faith in a new context; the concept of mission, reconciliation, the law, spiritual gifts, women’s role in mission; the sacraments and the resurrection of the dead; the African approach to the reading of Paul. Special attention will be paid to the appropriation of Pauline literature in contemporary African Christianity.

The course is an in-depth study of the five New Testament writings traditionally attributed to the apostle John: the fourth Gospel; the Letters and the book of Revelation. Topics include the debate about authorship; formation; socio-economical background of the texts; relationship with the Qumran movement and Gnosticism; Christology; theology and ecclesiology. Important concepts such as the logos, the lamb of God, the Paraclete, realized eschatology and verbal themes such as to believe, see, remain, etc. will be analysed.

The course examines the growth and the trend of the ancient Israelite wisdom traditions, with special emphasis on Old Testament wisdom literature. emergence, nature and development of wisdom tradition in Israel, oral tradition and the scribal tradition. Topics include the influence of the wisdom literature of the Ancient Near East and Egypt on the wisdom literature of Israel; the distinctiveness of the wisdom tradition of Israel; the biblical wisdom books and wisdom texts in other books of the Bible.

The course aims at exploring how to do an exegetical and theological study of a biblical theme. Specific attention will be given to the evaluation of African presence and African contribution to Old Testament Studies. After an overview of the different methodological approaches to the study of a Biblical theme (author; text; reader-centred; integrated approach; contextualized approached) attention will be given to a specific theme, relevant to contemporary Ghanaian society: examples are leadership; ecology; genre issues; ethnicity; identity; social justice; images of God; etc.

The course aims at helping students acquire an in-depth knowledge of biblical prophetic literature against the background of ANE. Topics to be treated include the origin and growth of prophetic literature; the role and function of Israel’s prophets; prophecy in the Pentateuch; in the former and later Prophetic books; the concept of prophecy in the Tanak and Septuagint; a detailed study of an Old Testament prophetic book, e.g. Hosea, Amos, Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc. with emphasis on its theology; relationship with the ‘other’ (social justice) and the environment. It further examines the relevance of the OT prophets for Ghanaian society and the relationship between Old Testament prophecy and the complex contemporary prophetic movement in Ghanaian Christianity.

The course explores the complex relationship between biblical interpretation and environmental care. Topics to be treated include:  a critique of the role of Christianity in the ecological crises (anthropocentrism); the locus of God’s revelation; ‘dualistic’ and ‘apocalyptic’ visions of the world; the role of the Bible in ecological discourse; analysis of the main hermeneutical positions and their consequences: fundamentalist reading (Resistance) as against critical reading (Suspicion); dialogical reading (Recovering Ecological Wisdom from the Bible); the contemporary hermeneutical discourse; the Earth Bible Project; African Biblical Hermeneutics and Ecology; an ecological reading of texts used in the ecological discourse, for example, Gen 1—2; Psalm 104; Job 38:1—42:5; Romans 8; and selected Apocalyptic texts.

The course offers an in-deep analysis of the theology of the psalter. Topics include, study the background of the psalms. Linguistic structure of the psalms. Composition and authorship of the psalms; types of psalms for example thanksgiving, praise, Zion, lament, kingship etc.; classification that is individual and communal psalms; nature and characteristic features of the psalms; The Importance of the psalms as liturgical hymns and Israel’s prayer; The rhetorical features of the psalms. Psychological and sociological natures of the psalms; Literary and linguistic features and problems, for instance poetry, parallelism, chiasm, imagery etc.

The course explores the multiform socio-economic-cultural-religious worlds of the New Testament in relationship to women. It analyses the presence and often contrasting portraits of women in the New Testament writings. Topics include Jesus' attitude towards women as portrayed by the three Synoptics; the narrative roles of women characters in the revelation of Jesus’ identity in the fourth gospel; the different portraits of women offered by the epistles; the metaphoric use of the female imagery in the book of Revelation; the feminist African approaches to the interpretation of New Testament writings.

The course provides a detailed examination of the gospels according to Matthew, Mark and Luke, paying special attention to the distinctive portrait of Jesus that each gospel presents. Topics of study include (but are not limited to): the history of the discipline; theories regarding the “Synoptic Problem”; the relationship of the Synoptics to non-canonical texts; a general introduction to critical methods in Gospel analysis such as literary, redaction, socio-historical, and tradition-critical; the African approach to the reading of the Synoptic gospels; analysis of an important theme such us the concept of Kingdom of God; Mission; Justice; community building; the relationship between universalism and particularism.

This is an advanced New Testament Greek course that requires an Intermediate level as a pre-requisite. It aims to consolidate and extend students’ proficiency in Biblical Greek to develop their exegetical skills through direct access to the Greek text. The course explores advanced issues of grammar and syntax and offers an in-depth study of the nature and techniques of New Testament narratives and epistolary and apocalyptic texts. Furthermore, it extends students’ familiarity with and ability to use the critical apparatus of the New Testament Textus Receptus.

The course offers students an understanding of the sociological, theological and literary role of apocalyptic literature in the religion of Israel during the Second Temple Period and early Christianity. It entails close reading and evaluation of the Jewish apocalyptic experience documented in extant texts and the role of apocalypticism in early Christianity. Topics include Myth, History and Eschatology; the relationship between Jewish Prophecy and Apocalypticism; literary style; dualistic ethics; interpretation of texts with Apocalyptic elements in Canonical, Deutero-Canonical/Apocryphal Texts as well as relevant texts in Qumran Literature; contemporary African apocalyptic movements.

The course introduces students to the complexity of Old Testament theology.  It is organized into two sections: the first offers an overview of the history, methodology and contemporary challenges. Topics include definition; methodological issues; the relationship between Old and New Testament; relevance of the discipline for African context; African contribution and perspective. The second section guides students to acquire the requisite skills to reflect theologically on an Old Testament Text/Theme. Examples are social justice; injustice; ecology; covenant; gender issues; leadership; ethnicity; etc.

This is an advanced Hebrew course that requires Intermediate Level as a pre-requisite. It aims to consolidate and extend students’ proficiency in Biblical Hebrew to develop their exegetical skills through direct access to the Hebrew text. It broadens students’ familiarity with and ability to use the critical apparatus in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Topics include the niphal, puel, pual, hophal, hitpael verbal stems of strong and weak verbs; complex syntactic construction; the nature and techniques of Old Testament narrative and poetry.

The course discusses how religious people in Africa can engender sustainable peace on the continent.  It would also engage students on fundamental causes of conflicts in Africa and religious values could be deployed to ensure sustainable peace in communities across Africa.

Within the last week of semester two, second year students would be required to give a seminar presentation on emerging themes or issues in their study, preferably from one of the Special Topics papers. The presentation must demonstrate skills and knowledge acquired on the subject area and engagement with literature in the research area. It must also contribute to knowledge.

Students are required to select a topic of interest for a thorough research under the guidance of a supervisor assigned by the Department. The research needs to follow the academic methods of writing a research paper in the selected sub-discipline: Biblical Studies; Islamic Studies; Ethics; Theology; Comparative Study of Religions; History of the Church; Mission; History of Religion. Before final submission for examination, students are expected to make a power-point presentation of their research during a Departmental Seminar.

The course surveys the history of Christianity in West Africa from the period of chaplaincy, through mission Christianity and contemporary African Christianity. It examines the historical developments in the various periods of Christian development in West Africa. The course emphasises the role of Africans in the development of the Church in West Africa. Various themes to be examined include racial and tribal conflicts, indigenous agency, Caribbean influences, conversion techniques, and religious change.

The course offers students an understanding of both biblical and contemporary culture and its role in Christian missions. It explores the encounter between Christianity and culture through the centuries and how the church realistically comes to terms with unfamiliar cultures in its evangelistic and missionary work. Specific attention will be given to the evaluation of African culture and its contribution and the challenges it poses to Christian missions. After an overview of the different methodological approaches to missions (Inculturation, Indigenization etc), the role and essence of culture in missions, attention will be focused on specific themes relevant for contemporary Ghanaian society such as rites of passage.

In many cultures and societies, there has been some connection between what is believed to be sacred and divine and the highest ideals of the good, justice, and the right. Morality, ethics, and values are often sensed to have ultimate importance and related to the cosmology and sensibilities of the common people. The course investigates from a given culture how without using any claims from sacred texts or divine revelation the establishment between goodness and the inverse of goodness can provoke the affirmation or negation of the sacred to sustain moral beliefs or scepticism. The course further examines and clarifies how to approach the study of natural theology introducing methodologies like paradigmatic lens and critical immersion; and how to re-theorize and enforce the understanding of how natural theology inspires morality and ethics, theistic ethics, ethical theism, and concludes with prospects for future thought.

Religion has, until recently, been largely ignored in development research, policy, and practice, due to the secular leanings of mainstream development agendas, not to mention how the relationships between religion, gender, and development has been complex and context-specific. The course engages with these problems in the African context, considering religion as a relevant factor since its practices matter for the vast majority of women, men, and children whom development agendas seek to support. The course seeks to understand religion, its role and significance in women’s and men’s lives as we discuss development. As well as how the gendered impact that development processes themselves can have on religious practices, are typically overlooked in assessments and evaluations carried out by development actors. Other underlying factors to be studied include; secular development organizations, egalitarian development goals, Faith-based organizations and development, religion and gender, women’s rights, gender equality, and more.

This course is on Islamic religious authority with an emphasis on the ways gender contribute to the construction and sustaining of such authorities in Islam. It problematises the issue of Islamic religious authority. In doing so, the course will answer questions on the diverse range of female religious authorities in contemporary Muslim societies. In addition, it will indicate the ways in which both Islamic religious authority and gender intersect, diverge and interact.

The course is basically on Islam and peaceful co-existence among people. Issues that make this possible include the following: peacebuilding models, peacebuilding values in Islam, challenges of peacebuilding in Islam and the role of Muslim women in peacebuilding. Islam’s tolerance and inter-religious dialogue, and reconciliation in Islam will be examined. Also, to be discussed will be the Islamic teachings on Wasatiyyah (Moderation) and differences among Muslims should not necessarily lead to conflict. All these discussions will take into perspective the Quran and the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

The course introduces students to the disciplinary approaches to research in the Study of Religions. Topics comprise Research Design: purpose of research, unit of analysis, points of focus, time dimensions, interviews, etc. Concepts and Theories; Methods and Methodology Sources, Data Collection and Analysis; Oral sources: techniques of interpretation and validation. Identification, review and use of documentary sources. Ethics in Research; Referencing (Chicago Manual Style 16); Using IT in Research.

The course introduces students to fundamental elements and vocabulary of the Greek New Testament. It explores essential issues of grammar and syntax to enable students to learn sufficient skills to translate narrative text. Furthermore, it helps students to familiarize themselves with the critical apparatus of the New Testament Textus Receptus, a tool for exegetical analysis.

The course aims at studying the New Testament writings in their historical, cultural and religious contexts. It engages the biblical texts with contemporary African contexts through the analysis of some of the interpretive approaches proposed by African scholars. Topics to be studied include Exegetical and hermeneutical approaches to the New Testament; African biblical hermeneutics; the New Testament concept of God; the Kingdom of God; major Christological titles of Jesus; Eschatology; New Testament Apocalyptic thoughts; Unity and Diversity in the New Testament; Women in the New Testament.

The course will examine the phenomenon of religion, migration and urbanization in Ghana from multi-disciplinary viewpoints (e.g. historical, sociological, ethical etc.). Focusing on Indigenous Religions, Islam, Christianity and major Oriental religions in Ghana, it will explore the subject from the dimensions of leadership, education, status/power, gender, identity construction, rituals, innovation and transformation, including studies of changing religious practices and ideals. It will also examine the changing dynamics of the religions understudy among migrants and those they interact with within the migrant centres and urban communities.

The course enables students to engage the African Indigenous religions in contemporary society. It will engage the indigenous beliefs and practices and how these have evolved through the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods by highlighting issues of resilience, innovation and revitalization. This will include an examination of contemporary notions of indigenous knowledge systems and address current developments such as African sexuality; the role, status and rights of indigenous women and ‘indigenous developments.’

Students are required to select a topic of interest for a thorough research and abide by all the principles of writing a research paper. The selected topic should be approved by the programme coordinator before a supervisor is assigned to guide the student in the writing, through directed reading of a current topical issue in the subject area. The selected topics must be chosen from the areas being studied and the research problem clearly addressed, though the nature of that problem may be theoretical, methodological, or a contemporary issue relating to the relevance of religion in Ghanaian society.

This course seeks to appreciate the religious and political dominance of the Romans in the Early Church period. The course examines some of the challenges of Christianity including persecution and martyrdom as well the development of heresies and controversies from the first century to the seventh century. The course surveys the contributions of some Church Fathers, the history of the canonisation and the development of some Christian doctrines such as the Trinity, Christology, Sacrament as well as the last things. The course ends with an examination of a comparison of the between the Greco-Roman context and the African Christian context today.

This course examines the emergence of the independence movement within the African Christian Church. It emphasises the role of African Christians in the twentieth and twenty first century in making the Christian faith an African faith. Several waves of the independence movement such as Spiritual Churches, the Classical Pentecostal Churches, the Charismatic Churches as well as the Neo-Prophetic Churches are studied. The independence of the historic mainline churches from the western missionary societies would also be examined.

The course explores medical, anthropological and religious perspectives on (ill)-health and well-being. The course further examines the African anthropology and ethics of communality, health and human well-being in their relationships and the moral responsibilities these place on faith communities to seeking holistic well-being for persons on community in Africa.

The course is intended to introduce students to the conceptualisation of leadership in African thought or philosophy. The purpose is to help students have a good understanding and appreciation of some bases of responses and expectations from various forms of contemporary leadership in Africa. The forms of leadership include traditional, religious, democratic and other political and secular forms of contemporary leadership. Themes to be analysed include: modes of recruitment, legitimacy of office, gender issues, impact on society and challenges. It will also examine the impact of social change and modernity on contemporary leadership. In African thought, what is the way forward?

This course provides a historical overview of Islam and Muslim societies in their diversity in Africa. The course will begin with an overview of the introduction of Islam in Africa, its reception and its spread. Thereafter, we will dip into the long history of Islam in Africa by highlighting some central historical features and trajectories of Muslim presence in Africa. The other part of the course will focus on contemporary Africa. In this part, we will acquire an overview of the central topics in the study of Islam in Africa, including Sufism and reform, Islam and politics, Islam and public spheres, religious encounters, gender and sexuality, etc.

The course exposes students to the different understandings and manifestations of Islam as a world religion. It begins with a discussion of Islam as an ‘Abrahamic Tradition’, its encounter with Christendom, its implication for Christian Muslim Relations and the Development of Islamic Religious Thought. Other topics will include: Misconceptions and Perceptions of Islam and Muslims in Contemporary Times, Islam’s encounter with Democracy and the West, Religious Authority and Internal Criticism, Islam and Global Peace, Islamic Law and Human Rights; Gender Issues in Islam; Islam and Sustainable Development. Relevance of Islam

The course introduces students to fundamental topics in Biblical Hebrew to enable them to read and understand the Tanak in the Hebrew language. Areas to be covered include: The Hebrew alphabets, Vowels and Syllable Structure, The Noun Sentence, The Hebrew Verb, Construct Relationship, Suffixed Pronouns, Adjective and Demonstrative, Qal active and Translation of narrative Biblical Texts.

The course aims to guide students to learn how to conduct an exegetical and theological study of a biblical theme and how to engage the Old Testament texts with contemporary African reality. It will pay special attention to the African presence and contribution to Old Testament Studies. Furthermore, it will introduce students to the different methodological approaches to the study of a biblical theme (author; text; reader-centred; integrated approach; contextualized approach). Selected themes include covenant; blessing and curse; idolatry; leadership; ecology; genre issues; ethnicity; identity; social justice; images of God.

The course seeks to give students an understanding of how religion, culture and society interact with and influence each other in contemporary society. It examines some fundamental principles of beliefs and practices to illustrate how they apply to lived situations. It discusses issues such as human rights, politics, culture and identity, leadership, sexuality and sexual orientations, and feminism.

The course discusses the inevitability of religious pluralism in Ghana; taking into consideration religions such as African Indigenous Religions, Islam, Christianity, Oriental Religions and New Religious Movements. It would consider issues of inter and intra-faith encounters, relations and dialogue. It would also examine issues such as religious identity and rights which undergird fundamentalists/ extremists’ ideologies, terrorism/ conflicts.

The course introduces students to the meaning of inquiry and categories of research. It helps to identify research area, topic and the title and writing of research proposal and abstract. Topics include The Social Interactive Context of Academic Writing; Writing Effective Literature Reviews; Nature and Essence of the Literature Reviews; Pitfalls in Literature Reviews; A Scheme for Writing the Literature Review; Avoiding Plagiarism; Definition of Plagiarism; Types of Plagiarist and Plagiarism; Prominent Plagiarism Cases; Causes of Plagiarism; A Scheme for Avoiding Plagiarism; Editing and Proofreading: Practical Strategies; The Paragraph as an Evaluative Template (Unity; Coherence; Completeness); Explicit Mentions versus Pronominal Referential Chains; Tense, Spelling, Pronoun viewpoint; etc.