Eugene Suom-DeryFrom ‘Pagan‘ Boy to Church Prelate: Archbishop Kpiebaya in Northern Ghana Church History

About this book deutschenglish

This book deals with the history of the peoples and the Catholic Church in Northern Ghana with emphasis on the unique leadership role that Archbishop Gregory Ebo Kpiebaya, Archbishop-Emeritus of Tamale, played in the evangelisation history of Northern Ghana peoples.

The work delves into the migration histories and tribal formation of the peoples of Northern Ghana, particularly the Dagaaba/Dagara, their social organisation and family culture which define their identity. Their struggles with succession disputes, slave-raiding, slave trade and inter-tribal, armed conflicts in the last quarter of the 19th century are also narrated. It also shows how some European nations scrambled for a political stake in the area (in the last decade of the 19th century) and how the Northern Territories was eventually annexed as part of the British Colony of the Gold Coast (at the beginning of the 20th century). The new social and geopolitical groupings and identities and the new colonial systems of governance and their impact on Northern Ghana traditional societies are also discussed.

The book treats the history of the christianisation of Northern Ghana. It traces the beginnings, growth and development of the Catholic Church in Northern Ghana against the background of early Christian presence in Africa and the initial evangelisation of Southern Ghana. This history is the story of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), of how they struggled with vexing colonial policies, traditional religion and customs, Islam and poverty to introduce Christianity, formal education and modern development in Northern Ghana. The book shows how the Catholic Church grew from an outstation of Ougadougou at Navrongo (1906) to the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province (1977) and five Dioceses (1999) under indigenous episcopal leadership. Also amply shown is the contribution of the Society of African Missions (SMA) up to 1953, of the SVD since 1960, and of Protestant missionary bodies to the christianisation of Northern Ghana peoples.

The book then focuses on Archbishop Kpiebaya. It describes how he grew from humble origins in his Kpiebaya family in Nanvilli, Upper West Region, and how he developed into a great shepherd-leader in the Catholic Church in Ghana. Particular emphasis is placed on how he built up the Church in Northern Ghana, especially in the Diocese of Wa and the Archdiocese of Tamale, through his visionary shepherd-leadership. The pastoral methods he employed and his leadership and administrative skills and human qualities are described in detail. The book concludes with his views on the prospects and challenges of the Church in Northern Ghana in the 21st Century.

The work is thus not just a biography of Archbishop Kpiebaya, but also a summary of the history of the society and the Church in Northern Ghana and a treatise on pastoral theology and leadership. The epic prologue and epic epilogue, depicting the same prose story in verse, takes the book beyond the realm of history, biography and theology to the field of literature. The interdisciplinary content of the book makes it an important source for several research areas: secular history, culture, anthropology, theology, development, church history and English literature.

Ihr Werk im Verlag Dr. Kovač

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