Our five-part series “Death and Eternal Life“ provides fascinating insights into funeral customs of the worldwide EMS fellowship. Many of these rituals straddle the line between Christianity and traditional religious beliefs. Churches often play a mediating role. In the first part, we invite you to discover the cemeteries of the Moravian Church in Germany and Greenland: they reflect the unique characteristics of Moravian theology.

All the articles in the series appear for the first time in the current issue of the magazine “EMS Insights”. Written by an editorial team from Africa, Asia and Europe, it offers an international perspective on the work of EMS member churches and mission societies.

Funeral Customs Of The Akan - Between Tradition and Christian Doctrine

Mission in Africa came up with theological interpretations to reconcile traditional practices with Christian teachings. For example, drumming and dancing are integrated into the service as an expression of joy and the celebration of life. Mission also contributed to understanding and respecting the burial customs of the Akan.

The Akan are a West African ethnic group that mainly lives in Ghana. As Christianity spread, many traditional Akan rituals were incorporated into the church system, creating a harmonious blend of cultural heritage and Christian faith. Akan funeral practices are an example of the rich cultural heritage of the Ghanaian people. Integrating these traditions into Christian worship through African mission bears testimony to the respectful and innovative approach to cultural assimilation. By recognising and reinterpreting traditional rituals, the church provides a platform where faith and culture can coexist in harmony. The future of Akan funeral practices lies in this ongoing dialogue and mutual respect, ensuring that the cultural identity of the Akan is preserved within the Christian faith.

HOW THE AKAN VIEW DEATH

The Akan view death as an all-encompassing experience that is meant for the living in the divinely created order. They have a saying: “Owuo da amansan konmu” – which means “Death is there for everyone”. Death is described as unfeeling, remorseless and stronger than life. “When death attacks someone, life cannot save him.” The Akan believe that the human soul is immortal and begins its journey into eternity at the moment of death. As in other traditional religions of West and Central Africa, the Akan believe in a supreme god, who generally does not come into direct contact with humans, and many subordinate deities who help people. The ancestors – family members who, before their death, led a good and socially acceptable life –are also honoured and worshipped as they have attained superhuman status and serve as intermediaries between the living and ‘Onyankopon’ (God).

“KRA WUO” AND “ATOFO WUO”

Akan funeral rites may vary greatly depending on the social status or position the deceased held in life. For example, there is a significant difference between the funeral for a chieftain and the funeral for simple servants or family members. When a child dies or the deceased is the first among siblings, the funeral is shortened and kept simple (“soduo”) because children are not yet considered full members of society. There is also the fear that an elaborate funeral will encourage further deaths in the family.

The Akan distinguish between a good death at the right time (“kra wuo”) and an untimely death (“atofo wuo”). The differences are reflected in the type of funeral put on for the deceased. A good death is when someone dies after a long, meritorious life and as a respected member of society. A good death is also a precondition for a person to become an ancestor. For the Akan, such a death is not so much a reason to grieve as an occasion to celebrate life and to show respect for the deceased. An untimely death, such as by suicide, accident, drowning, etc., on the other hand, means that the deceased is deprived of an appropriate funeral service.

BALANCING FAITH AND CULTURE

One of the greatest challenges for the churches is to ensure that traditional practices do not come into conflict with Christian teachings. The church leadership has to deal delicately with complex situations and find a balance that does justice to both faith and culture. Two examples, one positive and one negative, may explain this more clearly. 

In the past, especially before the spread of Christianity, it was customary for the head of the family to offer water to the dying and pray to their soul: “May all the women of the house bear children and the family be blessed”. This death ritual was taken up by the Christian mission and given a new theological meaning, particularly with regard to Jesus' words on the cross: “I am thirsty” (John 19:28). Today, it is customary for the family to call a pastor or chaplain to pray with or for the dying person and to administer Holy Communion in order to deliver the soul of the person into the arms of God.

However, there are also cases where traditional beliefs cannot be reconciled with Christian teachings. For example, the Akan believe that no one dies without a reason. Even in the case of very old deceased persons, the family may investigate to find out who caused the death. Widows are particularly likely to be the target of such investigations and suspicions. They are often subjected to severe physical and psychological abuse which traumatises them. Even the invocation of spirits is part of these practices – which the church quite rightly rejects, of course. In order to counter such inhuman acts, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, for example, has developed a special liturgy for widows. This replaces traditional widow rituals.

The mission church still has much to do to educate and guide the community in practices that are consistent with their faith and the biblical implications of the practices they abhor. The church must play an active role in adapting traditional rituals to Christian practices. This includes ongoing dialogue with community elders, educating them about the Christian faith and developing worship practices that acknowledge their culture.

Rev. Ebenezer Ahenkan Owusu 
Public Relations Officer of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG).

Read part 4 of the series “Death and Eternal Life”.