TY - JOUR
T1 - The Role of the Penteco/Charismatic Clergy in the Political Health Development in Ghana
AU - Asamoah, Moses Kumi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
PY - 2017/8/1
Y1 - 2017/8/1
N2 - Several countries in Africa are perpetually linked to an inexpungable history of cyclical ethnic conflicts, violence and coup d’état which culminated in the untimely death of many, others severely wounded and many left in a hopeless situation. The paper discusses in-depth, the role and functions of the clergy (ministers of religion) in the political health development in Ghana. The rationale is that the clergy’s esteemed status among the church members and the society as a whole could impact positively on the lives of the people in the society, and for that matter, they are expected to speak to national issues. Twenty-one clergy participated in one-on-one in-depth interviews for this study. It was found out that a number of the ministers of religion were not interested in political health development issues, and therefore, their roles in politics were woefully inadequate. It is recommended that the clergy boldly take up their leadership responsibilities and provide a framework for collaboration and reconciliation in the peace‐building process and also be models of a peaceful disposition. The clergy are to continue to pray fervently, advise politicians and educate their church members for a sound political health development in Ghana.
AB - Several countries in Africa are perpetually linked to an inexpungable history of cyclical ethnic conflicts, violence and coup d’état which culminated in the untimely death of many, others severely wounded and many left in a hopeless situation. The paper discusses in-depth, the role and functions of the clergy (ministers of religion) in the political health development in Ghana. The rationale is that the clergy’s esteemed status among the church members and the society as a whole could impact positively on the lives of the people in the society, and for that matter, they are expected to speak to national issues. Twenty-one clergy participated in one-on-one in-depth interviews for this study. It was found out that a number of the ministers of religion were not interested in political health development issues, and therefore, their roles in politics were woefully inadequate. It is recommended that the clergy boldly take up their leadership responsibilities and provide a framework for collaboration and reconciliation in the peace‐building process and also be models of a peaceful disposition. The clergy are to continue to pray fervently, advise politicians and educate their church members for a sound political health development in Ghana.
KW - Clergy
KW - Conflict
KW - Penteco/charismatic church
KW - Political health development
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85008145330&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10943-016-0354-0
DO - 10.1007/s10943-016-0354-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 28054217
AN - SCOPUS:85008145330
SN - 0022-4197
VL - 56
SP - 1397
EP - 1418
JO - Journal of Religion and Health
JF - Journal of Religion and Health
IS - 4
ER -