Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo

Education or Qualification:

• PhD (Religions/Theology), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, 2002 - 2006.
• M.Phil. (Contextual Theology), Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo, Norway, 2000 - 2001
• B.A. (Religious Studies/Ghanaian Language), (Dip. Ed.) University of Cape Coast, Ghana, 1993-1998

Research interests:

• Theology and environmental ethics (Ecotheology); religion and the environment; African Christianity and theology; contextual theologies and theological methods; Christian social thought/ethics; religion and society

Academic Awards /Fellowships:  

• Research Fellow: Faculty of Arts, NTNU, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway (March 2005 – Dec. 2005)

Publications:
Books Edited

• Abamfo O. Atiemo, Ben-Willie K. Golo, Lawrence Boakye (eds.) (2014). Unpacking the Sense of the Sacred: A Reader in the Study of Religions. London: Ayebia Clarke Publishers.
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (ed.) (2012). Section on “African Theological Perspectives.” In E. M, Conradie (ed.) Creation and Salvation Vol 2: A Companion of Recent Theological Movements, 313-341. Berlin: LIT Verlag

Book Chapters

• Golo Ben-Willie Kwaku (2017). “Taking Africa out of the African: Eco-Community, the Christian Heritage of Empire and neo-Pentecostalism in Africa.” In Stan Chu-Ilo (ed.), Wealth, Health and Hope in African Christian Religion: The Search for Abundant Life. Maryland: Lexington Books, 131-153.
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2014). “Christian Thought and the African Experience: A Survey of Approaches to Theology in the Contemporary African Academy.” In Abamfo O. Atiemo, Ben-Willie K. Golo and Lawrence Boakye (eds.), Unpacking the Sense of the Sacred: A Reader in the Study of Religions. London: Ayebia Clarke Publishers.
• Golo, Ben-Willie K (2013). “Engaging the Violence of Individuated Greed in Contemporary Africa: Towards a Christian-Muslim Subversive Theological Ethic.” In E.M Kalegyo, J. Amanze and Ayegboyin (eds.) Our Burning Issues: A Pan African Response. Nairobi: All Africa Conference of Churches. 317-334.
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2013). “Tending Creation Together: Religious Environmentalism as a Matrix for National Cohesion and Unity in Ghana.” In Helen Lauer, Nana Aba Appiah-Amfo and Joanna Boampong. (eds.), The One in the Many: Nation-Building Through Cultural Diversity, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers. 201-223
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2012). “Introduction” on “African Theological Perspectives.” In E. M, Conradie (ed.) Creation and Salvation Vol 2: A Companion of Recent Theological Movements. Berlin: LIT Verlag. 313-316.
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2012). “Creation and Salvation in African neo-Pentecostalist Theology.” In E. M, Conradie (ed) Creation and Salvation Vol 2: A Companion of Recent Theological Movements. Berlin: LIT Verlag. 334-339.
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2012). “Conclusion” on “African Theological Perspectives.” In E. M, Conradie (ed.) Creation and Salvation Vol 2: A Companion of Recent Theological Movements. Berlin: LIT Verlag. 339-341.
• Golo, Ben-Willie K. (2011). “Exploring Contemporary (Christian) Religious Fundamentalism: The Contest for Public Influence Between Neo-Pentecostals and the Powers of Globalisation.” In Martensson, U. (et al.) (eds.) Fundamentalism in the Modern World, Vol 1. London: I.B Taurus. 171-194.
• Golo, Ben-Willie (2007). “Reclaiming Neighbourliness: Finding a Place for the Natural Environment in the African Church.” In M., Bard and T. Tomren (eds.) (2007), Økoteologi: Kontekstuelle Perspektiver på Miljø og Teologi. Trondheim: Tapir Akademisk Forlag. 145-157.
• Golo, Ben-Willie (2004) “Economic Globalisation and the Question of Ecological Justice: Voicing Theological Concerns from the Periphery of the ‘Global Village.’” In Sturla J. Stålsett and Oddbjørn Leirvik (eds.) The Power of Faiths in Global Politics, Oslo: Novus Press. 155-162.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Golo Ben-Willie Kwaku (2014). “The Groaning Earth and the Greening of Neo-Pentecostalism in 21st Century Ghana.” In PentecoStudies: An Interdisciplinary Journal for Research on the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Vol. 13, No. 2, 197-216
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2014). “The Deficit of Environmental Leadership in Africa and Its Implication for Theological Education in the 21st Century.” In Oguaa Journal of Religion and Human Values, Vol. 3, 1-26.
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2013). “Africa’s Poverty and Its Neo-Pentecostal ‘Liberators’: An Ecotheological Assessment of the Prosperity Gospellers.” In Pneuma: The Journal for the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Vol. 35, 366-384.
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku & Yaro, Joseph Awetori. (2013) “Reclaiming Stewardship in Ghana: Religion and Climate Change.” In Nature and Culture, Vol. 8, No. 3, 282-300
• Golo, Ben-Willie Kwaku (2012). “Redeemed from the Earth? Environmental Change and Salvation Theology in African Christianity.” In Scriptura: International Journal of Bible, Religion and Theology in Southern Africa, Vol 111, 348-361.

Refereed Conference Papers

• Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo (2018) “Possessing the City Gates for God: The Urban Leviathan and Neo-Pentecostal Reconstruction and Engagement of the Urban-Scape”. A paper presented at the International Conference of the Department for the Study of Religion, University of Ghana School on the theme Religion and the 21st Century City at the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana (20th – 22nd June 2018).
• Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo (2017) “Engaging the Prophets of Disenchantment: Religion, Postmodernity and Socio-Economic Development in Africa.” A paper presented at the maiden University of Ghana School of Arts Research Conference on the theme The Arts in the Post-Modern Academy and Society” at the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana (3rd – 4th May 2017)
• Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo (2016). In Search of a Flourishing Future in Africa: Christianity, Justice and Sustainable Peace in a Changing Climate”. A paper presented at the Conference of the Association for Reformational Theology (ARP) on Christianity and the Future of Our Societies at the Evangelische Theologische Fakulteit, Leuven, Belgium (15th – 19th August 2016)
• Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo and Francis Benyah (2016) “Young Adults and Some Human Rights Concerns About Healing and Deliverance in Ghanaian Neo-Pentecostal Christianity”. A paper presented at the YARG special panel on “Youth and Religion” at the 2016 Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religion (EASR), under the theme Relocation Religion at the University of Helsinki, Finland (28th June – 1st July 2016)
• Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo (2016) “The Crisis of Human Insecurity and Environmental Sustainability in Africa: Toward an Ethic of a Sustainable Future.” A paper presented at the 2016 Conference of the European Association for the Study of Religion (EASR), under the theme Relocation Religion at the University of Helsinki, Finland (28th June – 1st July 2016)
• Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo and Ernestina Novieto (2016) “‘How Can She Be the Head of the House?’ Masculinity, Power and the African Christian Family in a Changing Socio-Economic Context.” A paper presented at the 7th Biennial Conference of the African Association for the Study of Religion (AASR) on Religion, Sexuality and Identity in Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra (26th – 28th July 2016)
• Ben-Willie Kwaku Golo (2014) “Religious Stewardship and Its Promise for Sustainability Research and Environmental Protection in Ghana.” A paper presented at the 12th Colloquium of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ghana under the theme Strengthening the Humanities through Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Research, at the University of Ghana, Legon. (24th – 25th April 2014)

Grants:

• A US$ 20,000 Andrew Mellon Foundation Grant on “Religion and Subjective Wellbeing among Early Career Professionals in Ghana’s Public Universities”

Professional Associations:

• Member – American Academy of Religion (AAR)
• Member – Forum for Ecology and Religion (FORE)
• Member – European Forum for the Study of Religion and the Environment (EFSRE)
• Member – African Association for the Study of Religion (AASR)

Affiliation to Research Institutions: 

• Abo Akademi Centre of Excellence, Turku, Finland (YARG Project)