A Theological and Ethical Study of Loud Christian Prayer on the University of Ghana Campus, Legon

Abstract

Prayer provides the means of communicating with one’s object of worship. The mode of prayer, however, can be problematic sometimes, particularly when prayer “disturbs” others who are not part of the praying group. It has, however, become common today among some Christian groups to engage in loud forms of prayer. A typical example is what happens on the University of Ghana campus where some student Christian groups organize loud prayer meetings around halls of residence and libraries and thereby disturbing other members of the University community. However, the University of Ghana, Legon is an academic institution that promotes academic excellence and which requires a high level of serenity and an atmosphere that promotes learning. Furthermore, just like any other institution, the University has its own rules and regulations guiding the conduct of students-among which is regulation on noise-making. The focus of this thesis is to look at the theological and ethical issues that arise as some Pentecostal Christian religious groups of the University of Ghana, Legon, engage in loud public prayers. The aim of this work is to investigate why some Christian religious groups indulge in loud prayers and the theological ethical implications of such an act. This work is viewed from Christian theological and ethical perspectives. Methodologically the review of scholarly works, the deployment and analysis of questionnaires, interviews and observations were employed in gathering data for this work. The research found that students of some Christian groups, as a result of their interpretations of their scriptures and other theological considerations, do engage in what can be defined as loud prayers which disrupt academic work and affect research and learning.