Ghana Journal of Religion and Theology

Editor's Note

George Ossom Batsa — 2024-12-27

Engaging African Realities in Theologising

Semiotic Dimensions and Filmic Projections of African Socio-Cultural Realities in Selected Mount Zion Films

Francis O. Falako — 2024-12-27

This paper discusses audience perceptions of how two Mount Zion films (The Gods Are Dead, and Land of Fury) project African culture. Also, it probes into the implications of the attitude of Evangelical films to African cultural practices. The study is a case-oriented qualitative comparative analysis; it adopts an ethnographic method to elicit data using a structured questionnaire, in-depth interviews with Key Informants (KII), and Focused Group Discussions (FGD) methods. Between October 2021 and March 2022, the researcher screened the two videos to purposively selected audiences in Lagos, Enugu, and Abuja. Findings reveal convergences and areas of divergences between African and Biblical worldviews, distortions, and a negative portrayal of African realities. The study recommends an emphatic appreciation of African culture and further analytical studies toward identifying the trends and twists in producing evangelical videos.

Traditional Rites, Values and Taboos in African Evangelical Films

Oluwatoyin Olokodana-James — 2024-12-27

The richness of African culture is unarguably seen through her filmic projections, particularly with people who may not have had a one-on-one connection with African people of any decent. Consequently, traditional rites, history, totems, and taboos in many African movies are not merely alternate or auxiliary filmic elements; they often reveal Africa's holistic culture regardless of the auteur’s perspective. The exhibition of traditional rites and values, cultural elements, totems, and taboos function in the placement of African aesthetic identity, and they may sometimes reveal the extent of research in filmmaking toward preserving African Culture. However, the beauty of African people and their cultures becomes obsolete through conscious culture abandonment, denigration of branded values, totems, and taboos, or misrepresentation of the traditional rites in promoting and projecting Christian values. This study examines the presentation of identified traditional rites, values, and taboos in Christian movies and the implication of such depiction vis-à-vis the cultural history and reality of the Nigerian people. This perspective not only questions the place of creativity by the filmmaker through content analysis by the ethnographic import of the selected movies, but it also queries the extent of damage done to African culture in the process. The study's findings show that Christian movies sometimes attempt to downplay the significance of these forms. The study, therefore, suggests that to promote Christianity, African culture, value system, history, and people should not be the least protected in any African film.

Mount Zion Movies Ministries as a Religious Infrastructure: Lessons for Film Producers

Akinmayowa Akin-Otiko — 2024-12-27

Mount Zion Movie Ministry (MZMM) is a Christian-based movie entertainment industry in Southwest Nigeria. It produces Christian dramas and skits that impose religious marks, and places value on cultures and activities of those who are not Christians. The producer of the MZMM purposefully assigned religious signifiers to entertainment infrastructure. This affects individuals and relationships beyond the fold of Christianity, thus reflecting entanglements and disentanglement that take place between Christian marked and unmarked configurations. This study explores how MZMM has affected Christian perception of sacrifices to divinities, family members who are not Christians, and Christians who are not Pentecostals or Bible professing. There appears to be a considerable level of disruption that affects relationship entanglement between Christian and non-Christian family members, among colleagues with different religious backgrounds concerning engagements with traditional rites and customs. This study draws the attention of professionals and teachers to the way religiously marked arrangements mutually facilitate and transform broader landscapes of action and relation. This study sheds light on instances where the MZMM acts as a religiously marked infrastructure that connects multiple groups to the same belief and affects relationships with non-Christian groups in a religiously pluralistic society in Southwest Nigeria. This challenges film producers and professionals to be objective in their production.

The Nigerian Film Industry and Culture Relocation:

Florence Ewomazino Nweke — 2024-12-27

The Nigerian film industry, encompassing both Nollywood secular and Evangelical film divisions, has long showcased the historical and contemporary culture of Nigeria, reflecting cultural transitions while preserving the socio-cultural realities of its people. This study examines how the industry navigates these transitions, maintaining its connection to diverse worldviews and global integration through music (signature tunes and soundtracks) and dance practices. Focusing on films from 1980 to 2020, including Koto Aye (1989), Koto Orun (1990), The Gods Are Dead (2000), The Land of Fury (2015), Lionheart (2018), and Living in Bondage: Breaking Free (2019), the study explores themes of secularity and spirituality. Using the framework of Afrocentrism, it analyzes how music and dance in Nigerian cinema serve to preserve cultural identity, while also adapting to global media flows and cultural transformations.

Almsgiving and Interfaith Collaboration in Nigeria

Saheed Afolabi Ashafa — 2024-12-27

One of the ways to strengthen unity in a multi-religious nation like Nigeria is for Faith Communities to collectively demonstrate the teachings of their scriptures to enhance peaceful co-existence and the well-being of the people. Premised on the above, this paper aims to explore the viability of almsgiving as a tool for social welfare through interfaith collaboration. The study is underpinned by both Altruism and Collaborative Governance Theories. Relying on the fundamental sources of both Christianity and Islam, the study adopts qualitative analysis to elucidate the commonalities and potential synergies in almsgiving practices between the two Faiths. It argues that appropriate synergy among religious actors could lead to a successful implementation of social welfare development projects that will impact the well-being of the Nigerian populace. This study can contribute to and advance the broader discourse on social welfare and humanitarian support. It offers practical recommendations for policymakers and Faith-based organizations to achieve a better society.

An Exploration of Amina Wadud’s Thoughts on Women Leadership in Muslim Public Rituals

Saheed Adewale Badmus — 2024-12-27

Gender inclusion in contemporary society is prominent in recent studies, especially, among female scholars. Among the many issues often discussed is women's leadership, which remains controversial in the Muslim world. One of the prominent advocates of this gender issue is Amina Wadud, whose opinion is extended to the leadership of women in public rituals, such as the deliverance of Khutbah and the leading of Salah, despite their dominance by menfolk since the Prophetic era. This paper, therefore, examines the views of Amina Wadud on gender inclusion in the public ritual of Islamic worship and juxtaposes them with other scholastic views. Historical and analytical methods have been employed for data collection. The historical method was used to account for the biography of Amina Wadud, while the analytical method was used to explain her thoughts on women's leadership in Islamic public rituals. The findings show that Amina Wadud’s views are based on her position on gender equality, an issue in the feminist world. The non-definite proofs of the prohibition of women leading a community or congregation of men also assisted her in establishing her feminist idea. The paper concludes by encouraging Muslims to hold onto the practices of the early Muslims and not to philosophize against Islamic practices.