Overview (Undergraduate courses)

The course considers the doctrines of the Holy Spirit from the Apostolic to Contemporary periods. The character, nature and functions of the Holy Spirit are examined. Some of the topics to be treated include: the nature of the Holy Spirit and the Apostolic Fathers, the Holy Spirit and Christian apologist, the Holy Spirit and the Bible, the Holy Spirit in the Medieval period, and the Holy Spirit and the Reformers. Additionally, the course examines the place and significance of the Holy Spirit in the doctrine of the Trinity and Christian Creeds. It further looks at the place of the Holy Spirit in African Christian expression.

This course explores the relationships between religions in the context of a plural society and the globalised world. It analyses the social and theological aspects of the impact of religious diversity. This includes the power of religious identity to influence society for social cohesion or conflict. This course examines religious diversity and interreligious dialogue and the challenges they bring to religious communities, civil society, governance, and public institutions. It places an emphasis on praxis as well as theory and personal experience is valued as part of the learning environment.

The course is designed to raise sensitivity to the ethical and moral dimensions of issues and problems that face the modern professional, and to draw on moral insight from both religious and non-religious ethical theories and principles in discussing them. Ethical codes of selected professional groups and cases will be discussed. Discussions will include how religion affects the techniques and procedures in rational decision-making, and the development of appropriate values and virtues for professionals. The course covers the ethics of several major professions: business ethics; media ethics; police ethics; medical ethics; legal ethics; and research ethics. Topics covered will also include: the nature of a profession, professional codes of ethics, confidentiality, whistleblowing, the responsibility of business to the environment, uses and abuses of human research, and animal ethics in research.

The course discusses the cultural and historical connections between religion and human rights. It also looks the paradigms that enable an appreciation of the differences and agreements between religious traditions and the modern human rights movement. The religious and cultural roots of human rights, human dignity, natural rights and ‘divine’ law will be discussed. It will examine African religious values and indigenous human rights and their role in international human rights, and religious pluralism. The course will also focus on religion as an instrument of abuse and a resource for the protection and promotion of human rights.

The course introduces students to African traditional religious retentions in the diaspora and continuities in the diaspora. It highlights issues of dispersion, identity and return as key elements in the African diaspora, inter-racial living and contributions of Africans to the development to their diasporic locations. It also examines the presence of other religions such as Islam, Hebraism and Christianity in the African diaspora as well as Religion and politics in the African diaspora. The focus of the course will be on Europe and the New Worlds. We shall also discuss the diasporic New Religious Movements return ‘home.’

Special Paper I offers any faculty and/or visiting lecturer the possibility to propose a course on current issues, in any sub-disciplinary area. For example, religion and globalisation, the church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, etc. The aim is to engage students with new theories, methodologies, and development in the discipline of religious studies.

This course introduces students to contemporary issues and Islam’s response to them. Topical issues to be discussed include: Islamic resurgence, Islamization and concept of Ahu-ul Dhimma; Islam and violence; Islamic law and human rights; Islam, democracy and the West; Islam and the mass media; Islam and global peace, security and development; concept of Bida (innovation); Islam and science phenomenon of women’s Mosques; Muslims in non-Muslim environment; Islam and environment; queer Islam; Islam and sustainable development.

The course introduces students to contemporary studies and discourse about the person of Paul and the theology embedded in his writings through the exegesis of selected texts. Topics include: Paul's background (Pharisaic, Qumranic, Rabbinic background); Pauline soteriology (centrality of the cross, reconciliation, expiation, justification); the person of Christ; the Holy Spirit; Pauline anthropology; ecclesiology and ethics. 

The course introduces students to a good idea of commonalities and differences in some religious ethical systems. The focus is on Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion and the context is the Ghanaian experience of religious pluralistic society. It examines the philosophy and theological reasons underpinning some ethical values and practices in these religious ethical systems. The approach is mainly comparative; this is not meant to pass value judgment on the religious and ethical values and practices of any particular religion. Discussions shall cover religion and ethics, foundations of religious ethical systems, specific subjects and themes e.g., marriage and sexuality, cherished values and abhorred practices, contemporary moral issues, etc. Students will be encouraged to share their lived experiences.

The course introduces students to the Wisdom books in the Hebrew bible. Topics include the historical development (wisdom in the ANE context; in early Israel, pre-exilic and post-exilic wisdom); character formation, theodicy, the suffering of the righteous, the challenges of life, relationship with the ‘other’ (co-human and nature) and eschatological vision. Furthermore, the course guides students to engage selected Wisdom texts with their contemporary Ghanaian context.

The course guides students to engage the Old Testament texts with African worldview and with contemporary African reality. It will pay special attention to the African presence and contribution to Old Testament studies. Selected themes include images of God; covenant; blessing and curse; idolatry; theology of nature, spirit possession, the individual and the community, the concept of alienation, death and beyond.

Special Paper II offers any faculty and/or visiting lecturer the possibility to propose a course on current issues, in any sub-disciplinary area. For example, religion and globalisation, the church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, etc. The aim is to engage students with new theories, methodologies, and development in the discipline of religious studies.

This course has to do with the historical evolution of Islam in Ghana to the present time (postcolonial era). It traces the history and patterns of Islamization as well as a dominant discussion of some groups and kingdoms in Ghana. It will consist of perspectives from Asante, Dagomba, and the coastal areas. Then some selected themes will be studied. These will include education and literacy, Muslims’ involvement in politics, contemporary Muslim organizations both inter and intra religious/Islamic dialogue, and international relations with the wider world.

The course introduces students to the beginnings and sequence of doctrinal development of the Early Church. It explores the Hellenistic nature of the Roman Empire, emphasising the religious and philosophical nature of the Roman context in which Christianity developed. Some of the doctrines to be discussed include the doctrines of God, Christ’s saving work, sin, grace and human freedom, the Church, Sacraments and Christian hope. Furthermore, it appraises the relevance of the doctrines of the Early Church on contemporary Ghanaian Christianity.

The course introduces students to the four canonical gospels, the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, 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 the Gospel according to John and to non-canonical texts; a general introduction to critical methods in Gospel analysis such as literary, redaction, socio-historical, and tradition-critical; analysis of an important theme such us the concept of Kingdom of God; Logos; Mission; Justice; community building; the relationship between universalism and particularism.

It is scholarly acknowledged that when both Islam and Christianity reached West Africa, they did not only compete with each other, but also, with the resilient indigenous beliefs and practices of the people. The course introduces students to the history of the major religious traditions in West Africa, i.e., Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity. It focuses on their modes of growth, and main institutions, and modern religious trends in the West African sub-region. The course also seeks to understand how these religions have fared in their encounter with each other and their struggle for survival in the sub-region.

The course introduces students to the fundamental topics in biblical Hebrew that will prepare them for in-depth study of the Hebrew language to enable them to read and understand the Tanak in the Hebrew language. Areas to be covered will 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 simple biblical narrative texts.

The course introduces students to the history and culture of African Muslims in the diaspora. It charts the history of the introduction of Islam in the diaspora through slavery and other channels of dissemination. As part of the course, rites of passage -birth, marriage and death, issues of gender, race as they manifest in the diaspora will be discussed in addition to the roles of Muslims in civil rights movements.

This is a follow up to the course on Qur’anic Studies and provides a more detailed discussion and understanding of the Qur’an. Topics to be treated include: Qur’anic exegesis; Peculiarities in Interpretations of the Qur’an; Approaches to the Study of the Qur’an; (Orientalists, Traditional and Modernist), Classical and Medieval exegetes; Survey of Tafsir Literature; Methodological Issues in the Study of the Qur’an; Modern Qur’anic Translations and Commentaries; Selected Major Themes in the Qur’an; Women Interpreters.

This course is a continuation of Hebrew I in which aspects of the Hebrew grammar, vocabulary and syntax not covered in Hebrew I will be taught. It is expected that students will gain more competence and confidence towards the reading and translation of Biblical texts. Areas to be covered will include the verbal system with special emphasis on the Qal stem.

This course is an introduction to the grammatical rules of the Arabic language set by traditional Arab grammarians. The aim is to enhance the understanding of Arabic sentence types, their components, functions and characteristics, through grammar and translation exercises. It also aims at providing students with the required skills to be able to understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in the theological and exegetical study of the Qur’an and Hadith.

The course is a follow up to Hadith Studies and provides students with a more intensive and comprehensive study of the science of Hadith. Among other things it deals with conceptual and methodological issues in the scientific study of Hadith. It discusses a selection of Ahadith of An-Nawawi and Imam Khomeini’s Forty Hadith with emphasis on identification, interpretation, application and derived lessons. It also analyses some modernists’ views on Hadith.

This course examines the biblical, historical and theological developments in thought and practice in relation to Christian Missions. It explores some of the central themes and issues in missions such as the models of mission, the goal and purpose of mission, the five marks of mission and motifs for fulfilling the missionary tasks from a historical perspective. The role of the church in ministering to a contemporary world context will be emphasised: Mission in times of pandemic, the gospel in its relation to (non-)Western cultures, religious pluralism, gender dynamic.

This module focuses on a study of the ethical analyses of global ecological and/or environmental problems and a discussion of key issues in contemporary ecological ethics. It also explores types of ecological ethical theories – both secular and religious – that are required in making moral decisions about humankind’s relationships with the natural environment – God’s good creation. The course also explores the relevance and role of religion towards environmental sustainability.

The course aims to guide students to learn how to conduct an exegetical and theological study of a biblical text 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 examines the beginnings, development, methods and approaches of Old Testament interpretation and theology and will introduce students to the different methodological approaches to the study of a biblical text, with special attention to African hermeneutics approach: Comparative Approach, Intercultural Hermeneutics; Liberational Hermeneutics; Contextual Bible Studies; Communicative Approach; Feminist Approach; Mother-tongue hermeneutics. Reading of a selected text from an African Perspective will be part of the course.

The course introduces students to 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 believe, see, remain, etc. will be analysed.

The course provides students with a general overview of prophetic and apocalyptic literature in Ancient Israel to equip students to evaluate the prophetic and neo-prophetic movement that characterize contemporary Ghanaian Christianity. The course is organized into two parts: the first addresses the following topics: prophecy in Ancient Near East (ANE); historical development; etymology and function; prophetic literature and its literary genres; apocalyptic literature. The second proposes an exegetical and theological study of selected prophetic books or passages.

The course introduces students to theological and ethical issues present in the Old Testament. Topics include definition; history of the disciple, methodology and challenges; images of God; covenant, law, kingship, messianic expectation, the problem of evil and suffering, humans’ identity and destiny, human relationship with God (worship) and with others, and nature (social justice). Furthermore, the course will equip students to engage selected Old Testament texts with major contemporary ethical issues such as poverty and wealth, marriage and divorce, attitude towards political authorities; role of women; social justice and ecology.

The course invites students to explore and understand the social location and significance of religion in contemporary global society. This is against the background of the resurgence and re-organisation of religious forms and institutions in global public discourse and in the public sphere in recent years, contrary to the oft-said growing secularisation of global society. Particularly, the growing religious contest for public relevance and resilience of religious life in a secularising world means a critical analysis of the secularisation thesis, in relation to religion. Largely contextualising discussions to the Ghanaian public sphere, the course explores the socio-cultural, political, and economic developments and conditions that have encountered religious life in Ghana, and the religious responses to them.

This course introduces students to different aspects of Islamic civilization after 661AD. It examines the contributions and impact of the major dynasties i.e., the Umayyad, Abbasids and the Ottoman Empire, and analyses the dynamics of power struggle in the ummah (Persia and Arab); external religious and philosophical influences on Islamic civilization; theological, intellectual, scientific and cultural achievements;  a study of some classical Islamic institutions; Muslim personalities and the development of Islamic religious thought and jurisprudence; influence of Islam on medieval Europe and Abolition of the Ottoman caliphate; Islam’s encounter with secularism and modernity.

This course is on the ways in which Islam has interacted and continues to interact with other cultures. It specifically has to do with the ways in which African Muslims expressed their agency in their daily practicalities with Islam as living religion. It will engage students by first problematizing the title ‘Islam and African Culture.’ Then various concepts and selected themes such as African Muslims’ spiritualities, popular cultures such as festivals and funerals, and social interactions of Muslim men and women will be the focus of this course (gender). At the end, the course would highlight the manner in which various ethnicities and cultures in Africa have indicated through various cultures the dynamic nature of Islam as a living religion.

This course critically examines the category ‘women in African indigenous religions.’ It identifies, classifies and examines the stereotypes given to this category of women and their implications, studies how the diverse classes of African women perceive and/or participate in indigenous religious beliefs and practices and analyses African women’s status, roles, rights and responsibilities in both the traditional and modern contexts as well as the challenges they face in the performance of their religio-cultural duties in the contemporary society.

The course introduces students to the interplay between Christianity and African culture. It examines aspects of African culture, worldview and Indigenous religious practices as they manifest in African Christian life, e.g. Chieftaincy, Libation, Polygamy and Rites of Passage. The trends and developments in African Christianity, in terms of the modulation of African symbols, Christological titles, values and spirituality into the Ghanaian Christian landscape feature significantly.

The course introduces students to theological and ethical issues present in the New Testament Writings (Gospels, Acts, Letters and Revelation). Topics include the teachings and actions of Jesus (parables and miracles); some major concepts in the Johannine Literature, Paul’s understanding of Sins and redemptions; his pneumatology and ecclesiology. Furthermore, the course will equip students to engage selected New Testament texts with major contemporary ethical issues such as poverty and wealth, marriage and divorce, attitude towards political authorities; role of women; social justice and ecology.

This course seeks to study the African indigenous Religious (AIR) understandings of development. The epistemological and ontological perspectives of AIR will be discussed to enable students to engage the contemporary Western concept of development from an objective and open-minded perspective. A brief outline and discussion of the indigenous beliefs and practices to provide some basic underpinnings of the indigenous knowledge systems and its impact on modern concepts of development. Additionally, the roles of indigenous and contemporary community leaders like priests, priestesses and mediums, chiefs and queen-mothers, nkɔsuoɔhene (development chiefs) and other traditional and the local government will be examined in relation to community development.

The course will define Sharia and examine the philosophical foundation of this legal system. It will discuss its objectives, characteristics and features; the Qur’an and Sunna as primary sources. An aspect of the course will be devoted to the historical development of the secondary sources; distinction between Shari’ah and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and the four great fuqaha (jurists). Different aspects of the contents of Shariah (e.g. personal status, criminal, family and international relations) will be studied.  Part of the course will analyse modern legal reforms and the challenges of application and implementation of Shari’ah in contemporary times.

This course introduces students to the idea of modernity and how Muslims, especially theologians have responded to it. It shows the ways Muslims have made attempts to reconcile their faith with issues of modernity. The course will examine what constitutes modernity. Among other things, issues, such as democracy, modern education, technology, and human rights, will be discussed. Special reference will be made to selected Islamic theologians Fettullah Gullen, Yusuf Al- Qaradawi, Abu Ala Mawdudi, Leila Bakhatiya among others.

This course surveys the history of Christianity in West Africa from the advent of Iberian Catholicism to the growth of Afro-Christian Churches in the contemporary era. It examines the historical developments in the major epochs as outlined in the course. The course will emphasise the response and role of Africans in the planting and nurturing of the Church in West Africa. Some themes to study include mission impulses, race, indigenous agency, Caribbean influences, conversion techniques, and religious change. Primary case studies will be drawn from Ghana, Nigerian and Sierra Leone. 

This course explores the meanings of environmental and community sustainability from the African religion-cultural and diverse academic perspectives. Emphasis will be, particularly, on the various conceptions of the natural world from indigenous African perspective and indigenous knowledge systems and approaches to environmental sustainability. Guest speakers from local community organizations and businesses as well as professors from different departments will engage students with what sustainability means in their professional and civic activity.

Students are encouraged to select a topic of interest for a thorough research, abiding by all the principles of writing a research paper. The selected topic should be approved by the Department 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 one of the sub-disciplinary areas of Study of Religions 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 the Ghanaian society.

The course introduces students to the main belief systems, creeds, doctrines, and dogmas of Islam as one of the Abrahamic Traditions. It explains the concept of Tawheed as the bedrock of Islam and the main Islamic Rituals and Modes of worship as practised by the main groups: Sunni, Shiah and the Ahmadiyyah. It further discusses how these foundational teachings find expressions in the various social, economic, religious lives of Muslims and their relevance to the general development of Muslims and humanity. In addition, it will also discuss the inner dimension of the rituals of the Faith and Practice of Islam.

This course exposes students to the various forms of media and mediations that take place on Muslims’ scenes of contemporary times. It will discuss the utilization of media messages by Muslims for various purposes. In addition, issues of some selected Muslim televangelists and the themes will be discussed. The course will also raise critical issues on the connection between Islam, Muslims, and the media.

Credit Hours - 3

This course is on the various dimensions of mystical expressions of Islam that abound as daily ritual practices of Muslims. It is on the various groups that avail as Sufi movements as well as their understandings of divine human relationships and the idea of personhood. It will discuss the history of Sufism in Muslim societies and narrow down two dominant groups relating to their rituals and spiritual development. At the end, the course will make important discussions that connect to leadership, structures, and engagements with broader Muslim societies. The course will discuss the works of Al-Ashari, Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina and Al-Ghazzali in the context of Islamic spirituality.

Credit Hours - 3

This course examines some of the major religious traditions of the world, in a comparative context focusing on their similarities and differences. It includes a study of the historical development, basic doctrines, and important sects of the major religious traditions of the world. It uncovers universal conceptual patterns of religiosity and how these are expressed contextually in different faiths. treatment of such themes as conceptions and categories of ultimate reality; the concept of man; soteriology and rituals.