Scrambling for the Centre: Ghana’s New Churches as an Alternative Ideology and Power
Date
2019-12-12
Authors
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Publisher
religions
Abstract
The e ort expended by religious groups in Ghana to access and influence political power is
not a historic novelty. Most clearly manifested in organizational strategies and the pronouncements
of religious leaders, sectional ambitions in respect of political access and influence have recently
gained ascendancy in response to the relatively rapid and large-scale growth of religious diversity
across the nation and within its growing conurbations. This scramble for access and influence has
also been fueled by the overt participation of some political leaders in religious activities, which are
perceived to grant certain groups an enviable presence in the public sphere and favoured access to the
corridors of state power. Focusing on two of Ghana’s New Churches, both Pentecostal–charismatic
organizations, as case studies, this paper explores the strategies and motivations of religious groups
striving to access and influence political society in an increasingly diverse socio-cultural context.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Ghana’s New Churches, ideology, dominant ideology, alternative ideology, political power