20 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOR 
Abraham Akrong 
Abstract: This article attempts to work out a conceptual scheme for the appropriation and understanding 
of Jesus Christ and His work of sa lvation from the perspective of the status, roles and funct ions of 
ances tors . The author eontcl1(kthat Christ docs not require Ati"ieans to reject the ir ident ity and ignore thei r 
deep concerns in order to recei ve a prefabricated image of Jesus Christ from elsewhere. He opts for a 
Chris tology of empowerment from a post-colonial African perspective and argues that interweaving the 
concerns raised by the Christologies of enculturation and libera tion can help us to reclaim ou r iden tity as 
God's children who are called into a discipleship that liberates and transforms. The author proposes the 
methodology of analogical correlation based on the premise that God deal s with us in our various cultural 
contexts in plural forms. He illustrates this point with examples from the Ghanaian context. 
1. Introduction 
Jaraslov Pelican in his very important study of the portrayal of Jesus Christ in different cultural 
contexts and epochs in his book, JeslIs Throllghout the Centuries, persuasively argues that the 
concepts and images ofJesus Christ are constructed from specific cultural contexts shaped by the 
salvation concerns of each local context. I Tn theological terms , we can say that Jesus Christ the 
Son of God became the Son of man so that w,e can receive him according to our loca l cllstoms 
and even give him a local name that will allow us to identify with him and his message of 
salvation. 2 Tn welcoming and giving JesLls Christ a local name, we operate from our local 
cosmological and soteriological assumptions as the framework within which we receive and give 
Jesus a name that reflects our deepest wishes and aspirations, For this reason, Pelican asserted 
emphatically that the different Christologies across the centuries deal with existential and 
salvation questions constructed within specific cosmological and soteriological structures3 
The purpose of this paper is to work out a conceptual scheme for the appropri ation and 
understanding of Jesus Christ and His work of salvation from the point of view of the status, 
roles and functions of our ,II nce"!; tors .\fhi 'h. captttre, for us the responses to our fundamental 
existential needs that defj,ttes' for,tls the content-o , dur ui'! erstanding of salvation. In constructing 
an ancestral Christol01.1 0f.Tesus with the face our 'ancestGrs, therefore, we have to examine the 
cosmological presuppos itions«0ft ttl, t'ffila~ ~w$rJdview, which raises specific soteriological 
questions and conce~ns ' for whiMfhe salvation ~.Drk- 01 Jesus Christ in the tradition of the 
ancestors can become' thb' pre-eminent symbol ofs~ly.atiOf\ and wholeness, 
, 
2, Prolegomena to Ancestral Ch}:~'''!2 logy . 
We shall attempt an interpretation 0 the principle of the African worldview to see how the 
dynamics of the African worldview give rise to specific salvation questions and concerns that 
can influence and shape the symbols by which African Christians can appropriate and interpret 
I Jaroslav Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries (New York : Harper and Row, 1985), pp, 232-233 
2 Abraham Akrong, 'An Akan Christian View of Salvation from the Perspec tive of John Calvin's Soteriology ', 
Ph.D Dissertation, (Lutheran School of Theo logy, Chicago , 1991), p. 129. 
lJaroslav Pelikan, The Emergence of/he Chris/ian Tradition (/00-600) (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 
1971), p, 203. 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOR 21 
the salvation work of Christ. Most of the time, the cosmological and soteriological assumptions 
that inform our understanding of salvation are ignored in favour some universal Christo logical 
principles that are often peripheral to the vital concerns of African Christians. In this way, the so-
called universal Christo logical principles impose soteriological and cosmological assumptions 
which though peripheral to the African experience and reality are nevertheless made normative 
for the African understanding of the salvation work of Christ in the name of theological integrity 
or confessional correctness. The result is that much of our Christologies operate on premises and 
assumptions that are far removed from our experience and reality. Suffice it to say, we have to 
follow tradition and the rigors of theological methods but not at the expense of the integrity of 
African culture and the vital salvation concerns of the African context. Afi-ican theologies which 
therefore ignore these common pitfalls will end up building beautiful edifices of African 
theology but with little or no relevance to the real concerns of African Christians . 
3. An Interpretation o/the A/i-iean Worldview 
In what follows , I shall present a brief analysis of principles of the African worldview with 
examples from the Akun principally and other African communities. The African view of the 
world could be described as a eosmotheandric vision of reality in which God, human beings and 
nature are symbiotically related. This view of the world leads to an ontology or theory of being 
based on relationshi ps 4 Thus, the re lationship between God and the world is described in terms 
of family relationships: God in Akan thought is addressed as the great ancestor of the human 
race, the husband of the earth, the father of the divinities and the guardian ofcreation.5 This leads 
to a view of real ity that could be described as relational ontology. The relational ontology 
postulates a worldview in which relationship is fundamental to being. This view of reality 
allows for a conception of the cosmos as a dynamic arena of a complex web of physical and 
spiritual relationships and interactions. The cosmos in this sense is therefore not a brute matter 
but rather a life process with meaning and purpose that could be traced to God its originator, 
architect and moulder. The wise person is the one who is able to discem the presence of this 
cosmic vitality in the hidden message of God's creation through the observation of animals, 
vegetation life and such entities like rivers, mountains etc. 
The quest for the full life includes placing one's life in harmony with the vital forces that 
control the cosmos. In so doing, one's life can conforms to the vitalities of the rhythms of nature 
through which one can have access to the creative and sustaining powers of the cosmos. In this 
sense, the cosmos is perceived as a sacred life process in which human and divine interaction are 
made possible at different levels of relationship either through the cycles of generational life in 
the fami~ or with nature through rituals of cosmic renewal and revitalization especial during 
festivals. The belief in the active spiritual presence in the cosmos is the logic of the sense of 
reverence for all life which is often pejoratively described by Western anthropologists as 
animism. The cosmos in this sense is seen as a living reality pulsated by the breadth of divine 
vitality which comes to expression in human life and nature. For this reason, Africans do not 
need specially crafted temples to capture or contain divine presence; rather the cosmos which 
displays and manifests divine presence is the temple of God. Thus the Akan proverb says: "No 
4 Charles Nyamiti . Christ as our Ancestor (Gweru, Zimbabwe: Mambo Press, 1984), 4. 
5 Abraham Akrong, "An Akan Christian View of Salvation from the Perspective of John Calvin ' s Soteriology" 
p. 168 
(, Cecil Koli. •J eslls as Healer' , in Robert Schreiter (ed.l, Faces ofJ esus in Africa (New York: Orbis Books, 1991), 
pp.132-133. 
22 ABRAHAM AKRONG 
one points God to the child", or as another prove rb puts it: " If you want to speak to God, speak to 
the wi nd". In thc sa me ve in , a Zambi an myth from the f l/a speaks of a woma n who travelled for 
man y mi les to loo k for God onl y to be told that God is ac tually behind her back. Since the whole 
cosmos is the temple of God, the true worshi p of God is not necessar il y tied to special occas ions ; 
in stead God is worshiped through what cou ld be described as a primordia l kins hip obligation to 
trea t eac h other \vi th respect and as members of one human family. Indeed, this primord ial moral 
ob li gatio n is what defines the essence of what it means to be human. It is fo r thi s reason that 
qualities like generos ity, kindness, hospitality and gratitude are among the cardinal v irrues of the 
A fr ican society. 
From th e point of view of African worldview reality comes in plural forms symbioticall y 
rela ted, and onto logically dependen t on God as its o rig in and source of v ita lity. In the final 
analys is, one co uld say that Africans postulate a worldview made up of a complex web of 
interac tions between the mate ri a l and the spiritual inter-penetrated by the div ine life force, which 
gives form to ex istence. Human existence is located in thi s complex of interaction between the 
materi al and the spiritual whic h, to a large extent, influences and determines one's fortune in life . 
To live the full li fe req uires one to live in harmony w ith the cos mic process that gives us the 
sp iri tua l power needed to deal with the chall enges of li fe. And to achi eve one's destin y or God-
given goa l in life, one must live in accordance with both the cosmi c laws and the social norms 
tha t govern the li fe of the community. 
The sociali zat ion process - rites of passage - integrate the life of th e indi vidual into the 
cyc les of generational life which comes from God, the great ancestor of the hum an race, through 
the ancestors, e lders, parents and all the social re lationships that define our pl ace in the world . 
The cycles of generati onal life contain the gestae of a ll our ancestors and thus become the moral 
norm and socia l ideals to which we must aspire in order to achieve our God-given destinies. By 
attaining our goals in life \-ve become worthy candidates who can attain the status of 
ance'ito rhood, the goal of life or li fe in its fulln ess . The goa l of life is to aspire to attain the full 
life w hich qua li fies one to attain to th e sta tus of ances torhood because it represents life in its 
fullne ss and the poss ibil ities of reincarnation that keeps one in the cycles of generational life 
forever. For thi s reaso n, when one mentions the name of th e ancestor one is a lso invoki ng the 
pre-eminent symbol of w hat it means to be human and live the full life according to one's God-
given potentia ls. The ancestra l symbol as a bas ic structure that orders society is deeply rooted in 
our socia l wo rld supported by social values a nd rituals that define for us the ultimate goa l of 
Iife7 
The ri tes of passage then become the social and spiritual metamorphosis that leads to 
ancesto rhood ; it is a soc ial process that confers statl.lS and identity; it provides the soc ial norms 
by which we measure our life progress towards its fulfilment. In this sense, the rites of passage 
cou ld be described as the engine that prope ls one's destiny on it its path of fulfilm ent . The God-
given dest iny described by the Akan as Nkrabea is the quintessential symbol of the intimate 
relationship between Goel and indi vidual human beings because it contains th e decree that brings 
indi v idua ls into ex istence and what God wants one to become. For thi s reason, one's destiny is 
the on ly unique identity that marks human beings as unique individuals; it is the stamp of God 
that ca rries the unique identity of one's mission in the world. This destiny could also be 
described as the road map th at is supposed to gu ide humans to their goa ls. Therefore, anythin g 
that may disturb the soc ia li zation process militates against the ac tualisation of hum an dest iny. 
7 E. R. MacCormac . . Religious Metaphor: Lingu isti c Expression of Cognitive Process', in 1.P Moppcn (cd.), 
Metaphur al/(I Religiun (Brusse ls: Study Series of Vrije Univ.e rsity No 12 , 1983), p. 83. 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOER 23 
The fulfilment of the moral and social obligations appropriate to each one's station in life brings 
the individual dignity and respect. Going through the rites of passage is an indication that one is 
making progress in one's life journey towards the attainment of the goal of life contained in 
one ' s destiny. The progress towards one's goal in life includes fulfilling the roles of childhood, 
adolescence, adulthood, parenthood and eldership. The fulfilment of these roles is what defines 
life in its fullness for which ancestorhood stands as the ideal. The socialization process through 
the rites of passage therefore provides the means by which the individual goes through the 
necessary spiritual and moral maturity that leads to self-fulfilment. 
Tn this sense, the rites of passage is the channel through which the life of the individual 
becomes integrated into the cycles of generational life which runs through the ancestor, the 
living and the yet unborn. Outside the family and cycles of the generational life, therefore, there 
is nothing but evil and destruction. Thus the Alcan say: "ebusua ye dom" - the group is like a 
legion that protects the individual. 
4. The Concept ofA ncestorhood 
The ancestors are regarded as the origin and foundation of the community and also the mediators 
of the divine vitality that comes to the individual through the cycles of generational life. They are 
the roots and source of the relationships that define the identity of community. The ancestors are 
the source of life of the community and custodians of its moral ideals. The ancestral symbol 
stands for fertility, security, prosperity, social and moral obligations, protection and well-being. 
In this sense, the ancestors symbolize the necessary conditions which make life in its fullness 
possible. Precisely because of the pre-eminence of the ancestral symbol as the source of life and 
wholeness, the Akan refer to God as the greatest of the human race: Nana Nyame. The 
designation of God as the ancestor locates African conception of God not in the metaphysics of 
being or in absolute sovereignty but in the most basic of all human relationships the parent-
children relationships of the fami,ly. God the great ancestor of the human race is the parent of all 
human beings. s And human beings are related through their earthly ancestors to God the great 
ancestor of the human race. Therefore, all human beings are relatives because of God their 
common ancestor. Thus the Akan claim that all human beings are br.others and sisters - Onipa 
nua ne nipa. 
This parental model of relationship between God and human beings is what defines the 
range of ideas of God in Africa. Fundamental to this notion of God is God as a community of 
relations who gives identity to the whole of creation through different levels of relationships. 
God therefore as the community of relationships does not have one name, because no one 
relationship can exhaust the multiple levels of relationships that express the reality of God. God 
has many names, which describe the different levels of relationships which manifest the reality 
of God in the cosmos. Knowledge of God does not come from speCUlation, but from 
discernment of divine presence in the cosmic process. This discernment is what constitutes 
wisdom, the true knowledge that can guide human existence. The precepts and wise sayings 
which come from the continuing dialogue with the cosmos are codified into proverbs, which 
contain precepts for life. 
God is a community of relations because God is the master of the destiny which one 
receives at birth; God is the cons011 of the earth which represents the fecundity of the vitalities of 
creation; God is the father of the divinities who mediate the divine vitalities which sustain and 
preserve the life of the cosmos; God is related to the whole of creation as its origin, architect and 
~ Akrong .• An Akan Christian View of Salvation from the Perspective of John Calvin's Soteriology', pp. 171-172. 
24 ABRAHAM AKRONG 
moulder. Since God is a community of relations, God is never conceived in isolation from these 
relationships. This is what has led some students of African religion to describe the relationality 
of the nature of the African God in terms of either polytheism, diffused monotheism or 
bureaucratic theism etc . God is known by many names because of the different levels of 
relationship that detine His being. 
The emphasis on protection and empowernlent that undergird the A frican view of 
wholeness leads to a theory of evil which could be described as privation oflife. This means that 
anything which disrupts the life process or one's personal jife's journey is evil. For this reason 
human existence is often described as a struggle within a complex web of interaction between 
spiritual and material forces which include evil spirits of all kinds: witches, sorcerers , and 
vengeful spirits etc. Thus the Akan say that life is a struggle - obra ye ko . Tn a wo rld where 
human beings are condemned to struggle against evil spirits, adverse material conditions and 
oppressive socio-political structures of human existence the need for spiritual power for 
protection, preservation and fulfilment is fundamental to existence. 
The concerns for wholeness in life's struggfes are security, protection from evil spirits 
and empowerment that will ensure access to the means of winning the battles of life. These 
concerns which are related to the problems of human existence become the main salvation 
concerns of African Christians. These are the perpetuation of cosmic life so that vegetation life 
will support fertility; protection from evil spirits that would like to disrupt life; restoration and 
rehabilitation of life from debilitation and illness that may result from the causalities sustained in 
the struggles of life.9 The nature and the framework of the soteriological concel11 of African 
Christians require access to a power source that can protect, empower and preserve life and thus 
enables human beings to win the battles and struggles of life in the fashion of the ancestors . The 
power through which one manages the battles and struggles is the foundation of the salvation 
concerns of African Christians . 
This is precisely the argument for a Christology that focuses on the power of Christ that 
can protect, heal, empower and preserve life like our ancestors . These salvation requirements 
call for a figure of Christ in the tradition of our ancestors who can mediate the divine power that 
can sustain and protect the individual and community. Christ in the. fashion of our ancestors then 
should be the key spiritual resource that can empower the individual and community to work for 
the creation of conditions that will support the fulfilment of the God-given purposes for human 
beings in all aspects of life. Jesus Christ therefore in the figure of our ancestors with their known 
qualities of compassionate and overwhelming parental care will then become the symbol of 
salvation and wholeness which comes froni the African quest for life in its fullness. We can thus 
appropfiate Jesus Christ like the ancestors who will be able to walk with us in the struggles and 
challenges of life to empower us to deal with the numerous challenges that confront us today. 
This should make it possible for us to approach, address, and relate to Jesus Christ as the divine 
ancestor sent by God for human salvation and well-being. Jesus Christ then becomes for us the 
divine ancestor sent by God, the great ancestor of the human race, to deal with our special 
concerns and questions . When African Christians are able to appropriate Jesus Christ in the 
mould of their benevolent ancestor then they can be convinced that Christ can fulfil all the 
salvation and well-being concerns which hitherto were addressed to their ancestors. Relating to 
Christ like their benevolent ancestors should help African Christians to see Christianity in a new 
light as a religion of salvation in which Jesus Christ in the figure of their ancestors will be close 
to their needs because He understands them like a parent would . 
•J  Akrong, ibid. , pp. 194 -195 . 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOER 25 
5. Types o/Chrislologicul Hermeneutic in Ali~icun Theology 
At this juncture, we shall examine the methodologies and the presuppositions that have infonned 
the different types of Christologies in Africa today. Charles Nyamiti has identified two main 
trends in African contemporary Christology. These are Christologies of inculturation and 
christologies of liberation. 10 Under the heading of Christologies of inculturation we have what 
he calls 'from Bible to African reality' and 'from African reality to Christology'." The 
Christologies of liberation, he argues, are mostly from South Africa which dealt with the 
implications of the struggles against the then apartheid political systems. These Christologies of 
liberation are akin to the theology of liberation of James Cone which deals with Black American 
identity and racism as a theological problem. 12 
According to Nyamiti , the methodologies of Christologies of enculturation operate on 
finding Biblical themes and images of Jesus Christ that would be of particular relevance to the 
African context as a henneneutic key for constructing African Christology. 1. S. Mbiti 's 
Christology is a typical example of this type ofChristology.13 Mbiti identifies the Biblical th eme 
of Christus Victor as a point of deparhlre for a Christology that relates to the African need to 
conquer spiritual forces that threaten and destroy life. 14 In the same vein, Kofi Appia-Kubi sees 
the point of departure for his African Christology in the Biblical theme of liberation which views 
Jesus Christ more as redeemer, savour, healer, power and liberator. 15 The other subgroup of 
Christo logy of enculturation - 'from African reality to Christology' - is the type of Christology 
developed in the Ii ght of the African worldview or some particular theme taken from the African 
worldview and culture.16 This approach to Christology is by far the most widely used by African 
theologians. This brand of African Christology uses an incarnational hermeneutics where themes 
related to the eldership-ancestral roles that deal with wholeness and well-being are used to 
describe the salvation work of Jesus. Tn this approach, the titles of Jesus Christ are correlated to 
roles and functions of the ancestors and other eldership offices which deal with salvation and 
wholeness. For example, Efoe Penouku from the Ewe-Mina context describes Jesus as Jete 
ancestor, meaning Jesus Christ is the source of life in the manner of the ancestors . 7 I 
In the scheme of J. S. Pobee, Jesus Christ becomes the great ancestor because Jesus 
Christ shares the divinity with God the great ancestor of the human race. 18 In my scheme which 
will be discussed later, Jesus becomes the hero-ancestor because he is the one through whom all 
human beings trace their ancestry, through their OWil human ancestors to God the great ancestor 
I II Charles Nyamiti . 'African Christology Today', in Robert Shreiter (ed.). Faces of' Jesus in Aji'ica (New York : 
Orbis Books, 1999), p. 3. 
I I Ibid ., pp. 3-4. 
12 Ibid., p. 4. 
13 Ibid., p. 13. 
14 J.S. Mbiti, 'Africanische Beitratrage sur Christolotgie ', in P.BeyerhaLlse et. al. (eds.), Theu/ugisci1e Stimlllell 
. ails Asilm A./i'ikCl und Latinamerika (Munich: Peter Lang, 1968), pp. 72·85 . 
IS Kofi Appiah.Kubi, 'Jesus Christ : Some Christological Aspects from Africa Perspectives', in 1.S. Mbiti (ed .), 
African and A.thm contribution /0 Contl!lIIpor<1ry theology (Geneva: Bossy Institute), pp. 7·20, 
lfi Charles Nyal11iti, 'Ati'ican Chl'istology Today' , p. 13 . 
17 E.J. Efoe.Pounekoll, 'Christology 1I 11 Village ', in F. Kabaseale et. al. (cds.), Chemin de Chris/(Jlogie Aji'imine 
(Paris: Besclee, 1986), pp. 66·106, 
1M .I.S Pobee, Trl wQl'd! An Ajr/can Theo/(Jg,v (Nashville: Abingdon, 1979), pp. 81·89. 
26 ABRA HAM A KRO NG 
of the human race l9 And fo r Benezet Bujo, Jesus C hri st is th e proto-ancesto r because he is th e 
so urce of life 20 
Other A fri can th eologians emp loy simil ar titl es and descripiive terms from the e ldership 
- ancestra l fun cti onal roles : Harry Sawyer, fo r example, desc ri bes Jesus C hri st as the elders ' 
broth er21 So a lso is Francois Kabasele w ho describes Jesus as chief and e lder brother because 
Jesus is the protec to r of life .22 Fo r A nse lme Sanon, Jesus Ch ri st is the in itiat ion master wh o is 
responsib le fo r the initi ation of the indiv idual in the li fe processes that propel one towards the 
fu lfi lment of one ' s des ti ny 23 For Ceci Ko li e, Jesus Chri st is the Healer th rough w hom we can 
hea l both the persona l and co ll ect ive ill s that cause disharmony and di sruption in life2 4 For 
Alyward Shoner, Jes us Chri st mus t bc the wo unded hea ler w ho hea ls by part ic ipating the 
suffering of those wounded both physica lly and sp i r itua ll y.~5 
For th e purp oses of analys is and c loser loo k at the methodo logica l presuppos it io ns o f 
th ese C hristo logies, one can di vi de the va ri ous C hri stologies into two main groups: the 
acco mmodat ion ist and incarnat ional approaches . In the accommodati onist approach certa in 
Biblical or theo log ica l themes that are presumed to be relevant to the A ti'ican experience are 
used as the bas is o f co nstructin g C hri sto log ica l pa radi gms supposed to be abl e to rel ate the 
Chris t event to the African context. Examples o f thi s as noted earlier a re M biti 's Christus Victor 
Chri sto logy and Kofi Appi ah-Kubi 's redeemer - libera tor Christology. Tn thi s same camp we 
can put Alyward Shorter ' s wo unded hea ler Chri sto logy. The streng th o f thi s approach is tha t it 
tries to co nstruc t Afri can Christo logy w ithin th e concepts and categori es that a re a lready well 
known in the Christ ian tradition . However, its very strength s opens it up fo r some weaknesses. 
The fear of dev iati on from traditi on leads th is approach to try to acco mmoda te Africa n 
experi ences to certa in biblica l and th eo log ica l themes of sa lva tion w hi ch end up imposing 
prefabri cated chr is to log ical models on th e Afri ca n experi ence. In vari ab ly these model s of 
Christo logy ignore v ita l concerns of the African contex t, not to mention how some of them may 
even be fa r removed from the basic experiences of the African context. W hil e the o ther approa ch 
which may be ca ll ed the incarnat iona l model is a lways prone to the charge of syncreti stism, it 
attempts to co nstruct C hri sto logy on th e basis of the ques ti ons and concern s th at are v ita l to rhe 
A fr ican context. These C hristo logies w hi ch attempt to in te rpre t the Chri st event on th e bas is of 
the ancestra l - e lde rship functi ons re lated to w holeness locate the Chri st event a t the core of th e 
Afri ca n experi ence th at call s for sal va ti on. In thi s way, it crea ti ve ly opens up new ways of 
view ing the C hri st event and unders tanding the meaning of sa lvatio n in the African context. 
These app roac hes characteri stically try to deal w ith the Christo logical quest ion from wi thin the 
African wo rldv iew and the contemporary ex peri ence of pai n and su ffe rin g in post independent 
A fri ca. W ithin th is incarnati onal mode l of C hristo logy tbat starts from the Afri can worldview 
there is IT sub tl e di ffe rent ia ted emphasis. There is, fo r examp le, w hat might be ca lled 
trad it ionalists emphas is in w hi ch the attempt is made to interpret Chr ist in terms of African 
" Akrong. ' An Akal1 Christian View of Sal vation from the Perspecti ve of.lohl1 Calvin's Soteriology'. r . 250. 
~" Benezet Bujo, 'Pour en Ethnique Al'r icano- Chri stoce l1 tr ique'. BIlI/entill de la Theologie Aji-icuine, ( Vol B '05), 
pp. 4 1-55. 
" l'larry Sawyer, Creative Evangelism: Towards" New Christian Encollnter with A/rica (Londo n: S.C.M Press , 
1968), p. 72 f. 
II F. Kabase le, "Le Chri st co rnrne Africetre et Aine", in F. Kabase le et al (eds.), Chemin de Christotogie 
Aji·iclline. p. 127fr. 
2' A. J. Sanon, 'Jeslls, Mai tre d ' initi at ion' , in F. Kabaselc el. al. (cds.), pp. 143 -1 66. 
2-1 Ceci Kolie , 'Jes lls as I·Jea ler' in Robe rt Sc hreite r (cd.) , Faces o/Jeslls in A./i"ica, pp . 128- 150. 
I I Alyward Shorter, ' Heali ng and Traditional Medicine in Africa', Kerygma, 20 ( 1986), pp. 51 -88. 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOER 27 
traditional functions of ancestors and elders that lead to salvation and wholeness. The other 
emphasis with a contemporary accent attempts to construct a Christology that deals specifically 
with contemporary post-independent socio-political issues of poverty, political oppression, 
corruption, military brutality, economic exploitation and the death structures that rule the life of 
the many people in Africa. It must be noted that this distinction is by no means a neat one. 
There are Christologies that combine both emphases. A good example of this is Namitis's 
Christo logy and, to large extent, that of Cici Koli. 
Tn what could be described as pure traditionalist emphasis, we may put together the 
Christologies of J. S. Pobee, Anselm Sanon, Francois Kabasele, Benezet Bujo and Efow 
Penonukou. On the other hand, in the purely contemporary emphasis, one might put together 
Anne Nasimiyu-Wasike's Christology from feminist perspective, Luarenti Magesa's Christ of 
liberation and John Waligoo's Christo logy of suffering.26 
These Christologies of inculturation that operate from the African worldview to 
Christo logy identify Jesus Christ with functions and roles that deal with the needs and concerns 
of African Christians. This approach legitimatizes the salvation concern of African Christians in 
the light of the Christ event. One implication for Christology in this vein is that Jesus Christ must 
be divine in order to save human beings from the machinations of evils spirits and empower 
human beings to overcome the challenges of life. Jesus must also be human and near enough so 
that we can relate to him as parent, elder, and an ancestor who can listen to us. For this reason , 
even the Christologies which start from below or operate functionall y always maintain the di vine 
nature of Christ because his divinity is the necessary efficient cause that can deal with the 
fundamental African salvation concerns that confront African Christians . Thus, John Pobee ' s 
approach allows him to construct his Christo logy on the basis of Akan kinship relationships 
while at the same time preserving . the divinity of Jesus Christ within the framework of the 
Chalcedonian formula. For this same concern, about the divinity of Christ Pobee rejects the 
characterization of Jesus Christ as a chief on the grounds that this may lead to a theology of glOlY 
without the cross which will be inconsistent with the Christian understanding of the victory of 
Jesus Christ on the cross. 
Anselm Sanon's Christo logy, which describes Jesus Chri st as the master of initiation, has 
implications for the divinity of Christ. Jesus Christ is the one who initiates the individual into 
the dynamics of generational life of the family which directs the ontological and the social 
metamorphosis of the rites of passage to its goal. Similarly, E. 1. Penoukou, Benezet Bujo and 
Cici Koli, who define Jesus Christ as source of life in the tradition of the ancestors, point to Jesus 
Christ as the ultimate access to the life force that vitalizes the whole creation and empowers 
human beings to face the challenges of life. In this way, Jesus Christ becomes the power both at 
work in human life and in the cosmos, the divine logos which created the world and continues to 
sustain human life .. 
The Christology of Nyamiti needs a special mention here because of the creative way in 
which he combines a high ontological Christology with functional Christology within the 
economic trinity to produce a Christo logy of liberation. He achieves this by interpreting the 
inner life of the trinity on the African kinship system. This allows him to maintain the integrity 
of the inner life of the Trinity, while at the same time relating the life of the Godhead to the 
economic function of liberation. For Nyamiti God the Father is the ancestor of the Son. The Son 
is the descendent of the Father and these two persons live their ancestral kinship through the 
2(; Robert Schreiter (ed.), Faces ofJ eslis in Africa, pp. 151-164. 
28 ABRAHAM AKRONG 
Holy Spirit w ith whom they mutually communicate in their ances tral ob lat ion and Eucharistn 
This high C hri sto logy becomes the basis on w hich we can ca ll Jesus Christ as the brother-
ancestor wh ose fun ction s and roles in our li ves brings about sa lvati on and who leness. And it is 
this graci ous gin of God th at we ce lebrate in the Euchari st as our ancestra l ritual because we are 
a ll chi ldren of God through Jesus Christ our brother and ances tor. Thi s contidence in the love of 
God which we experience as the transforming power of the Eucharist is the source of 
empowerment that leads us to active engagement in the stmggle for peace and justice28. 
Finally, Alyward Shorter ' s wounded hea ler 's Christology calls Chri stians to discipl eship 
on the pattern of the suffering servant of God through whose suffering we are made whole. In 
thi s di vin e initi ati ve we are ca ll ed to become wounded hea lers in our comlllunity bringin g peace, 
j usti ce and rcco nc il iation th at the A frican soci ety sorely needs today. 
Perhaps thc greatest contribution of these theologi ans is their approach and methods, 
w hi ch arise out o f and are responsibl e to th e African context, ye t in continui ty w ith th e Christian 
traditi on. Thi s demonstrates th at quite ' contrary to wh at we have been made to believe by 
mi ss ionaries and propagators of European civilization, one can be African and Christian at the 
same time and even use our own categories to appropriate the salvation work in Chri st. This 
points to the fact that Christianity can embrace a ll human local contexts and avenues in wh ich 
God is at work for human salvation and w holeness. 
The Chri stolog ies of these African theologians are not attempts to satisfy some 
metaphys ical theory of God, or to conform to an ideology of progress, nor come to terms with a 
positi vis tic hi storiog raphy, but si mply to allow the Jesus Chri st proclaimed by the Gospe l and 
a ttes ted by tradition to speak to African Chri stians who are yearning for salva tion and w holeness . 
Thi s C hri st does not require Africans to rej ect the ir identi ty and ignore the ir deep concerns in 
orde r to recei ve a prefabricated image of Jesus Chri st from the outs ide. 
My ow n C hri sto logy of empowerment which presents Jesus Christ with the face of our 
ancestor is the re interpretation of the functions and role of Jesus Christ from the perspecti ve of 
the salvation issues of post-colonial Africa . This perspective attempts to bring about a spiritual 
and an ex istential co nversion and transformation , w hich can open lip new possibil ities for 
existence. It tri es to present an image of Christ that gives the oppressed the power and the 
knowledge to rei nterpret reality in the light of the C hrist event which can g ive them access to 
new life and a new way of v iewing themselvcs. Thi s new understandi ng is the power, which can 
transfo rm them into new creations and make them see themselves as new beings with the energy 
to ac t in ways hitherto unknown. This is suppose to a joy ful celebration of the new life in Christ 
as children of Gop. 
C hristology of empowerment in the fashion of our ancestors therefore co mbines the 
co ncerns o f both the Christologies of enculturation and liberation under th e rubric of the 
tran sforming power of Christ which alone gives us the power to recla im our identity as chi ldren 
of God who are call ed to discipl eship praxis of liberations and transformation . Christology of 
empowerment is based on the logic of an incarnational hermeneutics that allows Christ to assume 
and fu lfil the functions which our e ldership-ances tor roles symbolize. In thi s way, the African 
Christians ca n see the faces of the ir e lders and ancestors in the face of Christ. For this reason this 
Chri sto logy is neither functional Chri stology no r ontologica l Christo logy because the Afri can 
context does no t share the metaph ys ica l concern that pretends to be able to separate the nature of 
" Charks Nya mili , ' Ati'ican Christotogies Today', p. t t f. 
" Abra ham Akrong , 'Chri slology Iro lll an Afri can Perspec ti ve ' in.l.S Po bee (cd.), Exploring A/i·o - ChriSlOlogy 
(Frankfurt : Peter Lang, 1992) , p. 122. 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOER 29 
Christ from his functions . For us Jesus Christ is God at work for our sa lvation and wholeness in 
real life - s ituations in the fashion of our ancestors and therefore the salvation of Christ is real to 
us because it touches at the deepest levels of our concerns and needs. 
Again the Christo logy of empowerment in the fashion of our ancestors is neither a 
Christo logy from above nor from be low because we do not share the dualism between God and 
human beings wh ich these Christo logies assume. Our knowledge of God as saviour comes 
through Jesus Chri st w hose wo rk of redempti on must re late to a ll aspects of li fe because for us 
the meanin g of God's work of salva ti on in Chri st must show in rea l life. Finall y, the d isti nction 
between the Jesus of histo ry and Chri st of faith is of no va lue for us because we start our 
reflections from the pe rspect ive of the witnesses o f scripture who attest that Jesus Chri st is 
human yet in him God was at work. In this sense the Chri sto logy of emp owennent is in 
continuity w ith current theological re fl ecti ons in Africa because it arises out of the African 
context yet in co nt inui ty with th e Christian tradition. 
However, T be li eve that there is th e need for the development of a more rigorous 
methodol og ica l procedure for ancestral Chri sto logy. The need for a more ri go rous meth odo logy 
comes ti'om some c riti ca l ques ti ons that th e prcsent meth odo logics ra ise. For example, w hen we 
describe Jesu s Chris t in the categories of the African e ldership-ancestor fun ctions are we 
describing the in carnation of Jesus Christ in the African context ana logically o r corre lati vely? If 
the incarna tion is a once and for a ll event then we have to describe its use in the African context 
as analogical or correlative. The nex t question is, can our anal ogical or corre lat ive uses of the 
incarnation make room for the uniqueness and divinity of Christ when th e traditiona l tit les we 
use for Chris t do not carry the same connotations of divinity as we have in the Chri sti an 
tradition? Or, how does th e use of African traditional titles for Christ allow for Jesus to 
challenge, tran sform and fu lfil the ideals of these titles , espec ia ll y today, when many of th e 
traditional titles have been mi sused and di storted? What kind of methodo logy w ill allow us to 
subject our traditional titles to the judgement and scrutiny of the Gospel so that they could be 
transformed to transcend their narrow confines and fulfil the ir life-giving ro les? How can these 
titles become adequate symbols that can speak to th e African context while at the same time 
serve as a witness to the uni versa li ty of God's work of sa lvation in Jesus Christ for all human 
beings? Finally, what theo logical assumpti ons a llow a historica l continuity between the sa lva ti on 
wo rk of God in Chri st and A tj'ican traditi onal inst ituti ons and symbols re lated to wholeness and 
sa lvation ') 
I propose a methodology call ed analogical c.:nrrelation whi ch I hope w ill deal w ith some 
of the initia l questions raised by ancestra l Chri sto logy in Africa today. 
The concept of analogical correlation is based on the idea that God dea ls wi th us in our 
various cultura l contexts in plural forms . In thi s way, plurality becomes God 's way of dealing 
with human beings in their cu ltural contexts. Plura lity of cultures therefore provides avenues in 
wh ich divine presence in th e cosmos is mediated in different loca l cultura l contexts. The 
incarnation in thi s sc heme is the spec ifi c way in which God's wo rk of sa lvat ion in Chri st brings 
to fruit ion the fulfilment of human aspiratio ns em bedded in our loca l hum an cultures and 
co nt ex ts . This es tablishes a relationship between the incarnation and human history which allows 
us to view human hi story as sa lva ti on hi story. From this th eo logical view of history, the 
incarn atio n beco mes the unfolding of God 's will to save a ll hum an beings whi ch has been kep t 
a live by the symbols associated with salva tion and wholeness in the history of re ligions . Human 
history and espec ially history of re ligions become the arenas of the unfolding of God's will for 
human salvation and who leness . From. this perspective 'we can see in the sacramental rituals and 
30 ABRAHAM AKRONG 
symbols of wholeness in the history of religion as the institutional way in which God 's will to 
save all human beings is kept alive so that the human quest and yearning for salvation does not 
run into despair. The rituals and the sacramental institutions of history of religions adumbrate 
God's work of salvation in Jesus Christ. In this way, Christo logy helps us to see, in retrospect, 
the different ways and fonns in which God's will for human wholeness and the human quest for 
salvation have been kept alive. 
The method of analogical correlation provides us with a theoretical scheme within which 
we can establish a correlation between Jesus Christ's work of salvation and the eldership-
ancestor functional roles, which deal with wholeness. The concept of analogy - in the sense of 
Thomas Aquinas' via anulugia - allows us to postulate a relationship of similarity between 
Christ and our eldership-ancestor functionaries and at the same time maintain a qualitative 
distinction between Christ and our elder and ancestor because Jesus is 'God and unique. In the 
same way, con'elation in the scheme of Paul Tillich's theory of Correlation helps us to see our 
traditional functional roles associated with salvation and wholeness as our own 
instituationlization of the common human quest forsalvation that finds its ultimate fi.lIfilment in 
Jesus Christ. 
The correlation of the salvation work of Jesus Christ to the analogy of our traditional 
roles and functions that deal with salvation means Jesus Christ becomes an ancestor in the 
context of the offices and nmctiolls related to the ancestors and elders. This means that Jesus 
Christ who fulfils these roles in the scheme of salvation histOlY becomes the norm and standard 
on the basis of which these offices are judged and evaluated. In this way, these traditional roles 
and offices could be critiqued and challenged to change so that they could transcend their narrow 
traditional forms and functions to accommodate the functions and roles that the incarnation of 
Jesus Christ into the African context will require. Jesus Christ in terms of what Paul Tiilich 
describes as the "concrete universal" shows the ability of Christ to take on any human form 
without losing his transcendence. Furthermore, analogical correlation will allow us to create 
new roles and titles to the extent that they are legitimate roles and offices consistent with the 
understanding of the salvation work of God in Jesus Christ. For example, we can call Jesus 
Christ elder brother or sister interchangeable as is often the case in most African societies where 
either the elder sister or brother can corporately represent the rest of the children in the family . 
And Jesus Christ as our elder brother can represent us before God as our high priest because He 
is the first born of all creation and therefore our ancestor through whom all of us trace our 
ancestry to God the ultimate ancestor of the human race. 
We can also call Jesus Christ the ideal parent who fulfils the ideals of parenthood as a 
function in the eldership-ancestral roles and offices. Jesus Christ the first born of all cn::ation 
(Col I: 15-16) becomes ipso facto our first ancestor and therefore our ideal parent in the fashion 
of the founding ancestors of the African society. Similarly, since Jesus Christ has analogically 
become the ideal fulfilment of all the roles and functions associated with salvation in the African 
society he can therefore correlatively become the ideal norm and standard for all these offices. 
These offices have been abused and misused in the contemporary African society and they stand 
in need of redemption and transformation. In this way, in the midst of doubts, unfulfilled 
aspirations and dreams because of the abuse and misuse of the offices associated with salvation 
and wholeness, Africans can lift up Jesus Christ as the ideal elder parent, chief and ancestor who 
has been sent by God to redeem and to fulfil all the roles and functions of these offices . This 
redemptive function of Jesus will recommend Jesus Christ to the African as the saviour of the 
world and the one they can call on in all situations . The African situation needs such a new 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOER 31 
moral VlSlon of leadership for the simple reason that in all aspects of life, leaders have 
abandoned the caring and protective mandates of the ancestors for well-being and wholeness. 
6. Ancestral Christo logy 
The Akans call the ancestors nananom nsamannjo - departed elders of the community who 
though dead, are alive and active in the life of the community. Thus Mbiti calls the ancestors the 
"living dead." 29 Ancestorhood is a position of high honour reserved only for those elders whose 
lives are worthy of emulation. The title nana (si ngular for of the plural nananom) is the 
conceptualisation of the high moral and social ideals of the ancestors.)O Therefore it is not any 
dead person who becomes an ancestor. Indeed, in the Akan society there are specific conditions 
for becoming an ancestor. 
The fist necessary requirement for ancestorhbod is one must have lived an exemplary life 
worthy of emulation. The first mark of the exemplary life is to marry and have children which 
makes it possible for one to fulfil the vocation of parenthood. Thus bachelorhood or 
spinsterhood disqualifies one from becoming an ancestor because staying in thi s state is regarded 
as a li'minal stage between adulthood and parenthood which does not fulfil the goal of the 
parenthood vocation as a proto-eldership office that leads to ancestorhood. However, unmarried 
persons who have lived heroic lives like sacrificing oneself for the sake of the community could 
become ancestors. 
A potential ancestor person must also enjoy good health and must not suffer from 
diseases such as leprosy, madness, epilepsy etc. Such diseases are believed to be the punishment 
for evildoers . Furthermore, since the ancestors stand for source of life and wholeness, a potential 
ancestor should not display any diminishing of life. In a sense, one must be righteous, pious and 
whole in toto. 
The potential ancestor must die at a ripe old age. Such deaths as suicide by drowning or 
any kind of accidental death except in war or defending the community are signs of bad life. 
Those who die defending the community no matter their status automatically become ancestors. 
Bravery is therefore a mark of the status of ancestorh ood. Natural death is regarded as a gateway 
to the world of the ancestor by one who has fulfilled his or her destiny i\nd lived the good life. 
To die a natural death is believed to be an indication that one has lived an honest and just life and 
therefore ready to go on to the next stage of life : ancestorhood. 
A potential ancestor must be morally upright , should respect the elders; should not steal; 
not take other people's wives; must not be talkative, alcoholic or extravagant. On the positive 
side, he must be hardworking, kind, loving, hospitable, gentle, generous, merciful and 
trustworthy . These are the qualities that people need in their lives so that they may fulfil their 
God-given destiny and return to God as ancestors. 
Generally, wealth does not quality one or disqualify from becoming an ancestor. Rather 
it is the liberal and generous use of wealth that qualifies one to become an ancestor. For this 
reason, the quality of sharing, generosity and hospitality are inculcated in children at an early age 
so that they may lead the good life, which leads to wholeness of life. 
29 J.S. Mbiti , A./i'icun Religion and Philosophy (New York : Doublyday and Co., 1996), p. 107. 
311 Peter Sarpong, The Sacred Sloois o.fOhana (Accra -Tema : Ghana Publishing Corp., 1971), 54. 
32 ABRAHAM AKRONG 
The co nditions for becoming an ancestor refl ec t the moral ideal and the goals of life of 
the African society. At the same time, these conditions contain moral norms and precepts th at 
are supposed to guide one through one's life's journey. The rites o f passage present the 
indi vidual with sets of duti es and obligations that will help each individua l to fulfil the goals of 
each station in life so that he or she can atta in the full life and then become an ancestor. 
Among the Akans , th e occupant of the stoo l - th e chief - is the sy mbol of the spir itual 
link between th e founding fathers and the living . The stool of the chief th erefore becomes the 
locus of the collective spirit of the foundin g fath er's w hich is th e source of the auth ori ty tha t 
legitimizes the office of th e chief. The spirit and perso nality of the ancestors are transmitted to 
the chief as the occupant of the stool and the one who rul es in the shoes of th e ancestors. Tn thi s 
way, the chief inh erits th e moral and social personality of the ancestors." Th e ritua l of 
enstoo lment is the rite that transforms the personality of chief to conform to the demands of the 
office as a representative of the ancestors. The enstoolment of the chief therefore becomes the 
val idation of hi s authority as one w ho rul es in th e shoes of th e ancestor. The chief thus becomes 
an ances tor from the moment of his enstoolment and therefore must be addressed as Nana - the 
titl e for an ancesto r. The chief now beco mes a de jure ancestor and by v irtue of the ritua l o f 
ens too lment he ca n now share the qua li ties of the ancestors and could be addressed wi th the 
attributes and pra ise names reserved only for ances tors. 
The chief as the de jure representati ve of the ancestors must continue the ' pare nta l 
function of the ancestors as the protector and defender of the people . The chi e f as a 
representative of the ancestor must lead and serve the people, judge fairly and show mercy as a 
concerned parent: he also must legislate wisely in accordance with the precepts of the ancestors. 
Finally, the chief who rules in the shoes of the ances tors , must exhibit the same moral va lues that 
ances torhood represents for the soc iety . For this reaso ns, he is expected to be be nevolent , just, 
honest, sobe r, fa ir, kind , respectful and humbl e. T his means that the life of the chief must re fl ec t 
those moral ideals of the society which are sy mbo li zed by ancestorhood. The re fore , any time the 
conduct of the ch ief becomes incompatible w ith the ideals of the office , he ceases to be the 
representati ve of the ancestors and has to be destoo led (removed from office). 
The chief in the context of elderhip roles that deal with wel l-being functions like a parent 
or an elder who perform roles which deal with the well-being of the society on behalf of the 
ancestors. The chief in his capacity as an elder perfonl1S priestly roles that make him a 
representative of the people before the ancestors. The ancestors are regarded as the parents and 
guardians of the living and are therefore believed to be actively involved in the li ves o f thei r 
li vi ng descendants as the mediators of divine v itality .that makes w ell-being and wholeness 
possible. The power of the ancestors is present in the ritua ls for cosmic harmony against the 
forces of chaos perfo rm ed by the chief at festivals for the renewa l of ties with the ancesto rs 
(addae) 32 The ancestors are also the power behind the vegetation rituals for fecundity performed 
during the festivals of the revitaliza tion of nature (odwira).JJ The ancestors are the power which 
protec ts and therefore guarantees the individua l's smooth trans ition from one station of li fe to 
another during the process of the rites of passage. They a lso protect the living against evi l that 
may di srupt life on the whole. They thus become a the sourCe of power and healing for a ll 
1 I George Hagan . 'The Golden stool and oath to the king of Ashanti' , Research Review, 4 (1968) . p. 4. 
Jl Ac/dae is a forty-day cycle ritual that ensures social harmony and the constant renewal of the ties between the 
ancestors and the living . 
.1 .1 Dc/wil'(/ is a f'es ti valthnt combines the ritlml pf'the revi tali znt ion Grthe vegeta tional , the preservation ofcosll1ic 
order, the cleansing of the soci ety to ward off' evil 'and the celebration of the benevo lence ofthe ancestors . 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOER 33 
infirmities that come from both the spiritual and physical casualties of the struggles and battle for 
life . The ancestors as parents protect the living against the machinations of evil spirits (witches, 
sorcerers , vengeful and whimsical spirits) which might to destroy or disrupt the life of the 
individual and the community. The Odwira festival prayer below bri.ngs home the message that 
the ancestors are the source of the power that creates the condition for wholeness: 
Here is food: all of you ancestors receive and eat 
The year has come around again 
Today we celebrate it. 
Bring blessing; Blessing to the 
Chief who sits on your stool; 
Health to all the people ; 
Let women bear children 
Let men prosper in their undertakings 
We thank you for good harvest; 
For standing behind us (guarding and protecting US).34 
The analysis of the Akan worldview as a representative African worldview leads us to the 
conclusion that the ancestral symbol is the pre-eminent source of the power that brings 
wholeness. Therefore, any talk about empowerment and wholeness invokes in the African mind 
the image and functions of the ancestors. Since the ancestors mediate the divine vitality that 
brings empowerment and wholeness we can describe Jesus Christ as God 's agent for human 
empowerment like the ancestors . Analogically, in the context of the ideal fulfilment of all the 
functions and roles of our parents, elders and ancestors related to empowerment and wholeness, 
God the great ancestor is present in Jesus Christ. As an ancestor in the fashion of our founding 
ancestor, Jesus could be designated as the first born of all creation and the pre-eminent Son of 
God who has become our ancestor (Col: 15-16). Therefore, Jesus Christ the first-born of all 
creation then becomes the ancestor in whom all human beings are related to God as children of 
God (John 1: 12-13). As the first-born of all creation, Jesus Christ is our elder brother on account 
of whom all human beings are related to one other as relatives. Jesus Christ in his capacity as our 
first ancestor and elder brother could be the ideal representative of humanity and thus can define 
for us what it means to be human. To be human on the pattern of Jesus Christ our first ancestor, 
Edikan Brempong (the first ancestor whose life benefits all human beings), means we could be 
related to God in a filial relationship and to all human beings as relatives (John 1: 12-13). In 
trinitarian terms we state that God our ultimate ancestor lives his ancestral life in Jesus Christ our 
first ancestor, Edikan Brempnng, in and through the life of the Holy Spirit who is God at work in 
the world and in 35 US.
Jesus Christ our first ancestor represents all human beings before God our ultimate 
ancestor and our elder (Ebusua Dupon) . In this capacity as our elder, he acts as our high priest in 
the fashion of the priestly role of our elders before the ancestors. In this role , Jesus Christ our 
elder and therefore high priest presents our supplications before God, our ultimate ancestor and 
also intercedes on our behalf. In this priestly and mediatorial role of Jesus Christ as Ebusua 
Dupon (the root of the family of humankind), he intercedes for all humans before God. And 
)' Dary\l Forde (ed.), African Worlds (London : Oxford University Press, 1954), p. 204. 
JS Jon Kirby (ed.), E.fita Klima AYl!yi nl! Mpo/!bo (Accra : Asempa Publishers, 19~0). p. 17 . 
34 ABRAHAM AKRONG 
since Jesus Christ is both the Son of God and our family head, we can trust Him because in Him 
we have access to God.36 
Again Jesus Christ as the first-born of creation and our first ancestor is the Son of God 
(Mk 1: 1) who inherits the functions and the personality of God. And as the Son of God He 
becomes our chief (nana) who rules in the shoes of God the ultimate ancestor of the human race. 
The incarnation becomes for us the divine enstoolment of Jesus Christ by which he manifests the 
personality and performs the functions of God in the flesh. Therefore, in Jesus Christ our chief 
we experience the abiding presence of divine life of God himself which empowers and brings 
wh9J@ness .), . 
/~ Jesus Christ the Son of God is our chief because he has been appointed by God our 
I \lItimate ancestor to sit on the divine stool from eternity. He is our chief who rules with God our 
I _u1timat~ ancestor,, ~he. source of all being whose power pervades all reality. Jesus Christ as the 
oceupl nt ' t ~e .af.rw. tp' l is the one in whom God manifests the power and functions for our 
salva-t-ion. In Jesus Christ the occupant of the divine stool God is at work for our sustenance and 
p'r~~erv.ation. We_can therefo're give Jesus the title Ananse Kokuroko-,- the great spider the spins 
. . 37 
the whe~!s 'of cr!':ation). • • 
Jesus 'Christ who in the Gospel of John is presented as the logos of God can be given the 
title Nyame Gayasehene-the steward and custodian of the creative process which preserves and 
sustains the 1i fe of the cosmos (John 1: 1). Jesus Christ, the Gayasehene of God is the one who 
performs the rituals of divine addae which preserves and safeguards the cosmos against chaos 
and destruction. Thus Jesus Christ the Gayasehene of God becomes the symbol for the 
continuation and the preservation of the cosmos (John I :4). Jesus Christ, the Gayasehene who 
performs the priestly functions of Odwira rites which fertilize vegetation life for human 
nourishment, can be called Amproyinam. the one who provides human beings with the essentials 
of life. We can also give Jesus the title of Odokotobonnuase, the divine farmer who turns barren 
land into fertile land because Jesus Christ the logos and agent of creation is the one through 
whom God gives us the gifts of nourishment, sustenance and replenishment and experience the 
sustaining and loving care of God our ultimate ancestor.38 
Jesus Christ as the first-born of all creation becomes our elder brother and de/acto high 
priest who corporately represents all human beings before God. In this role and capacity as our 
high priest, his self-sacrifice on the cross can effectively cleanse us from all curses, evil spells 
and any other evil contagions that may disrupt our well-being. This allows us to claim his cross 
as the power through which we are liberated from the bondage of the devil and freed from all 
destructive curses that may destroy our lives. Jesus Christ in his royal function as our high priest 
(Oso./opon), does not only cleanse us from evil contagions, but protects, defends and leads us to 
the path of authentic existence that leads to wholeness. Jesus Christ as our elder brother is also 
our strongman (Aduhasapon) (Mk 3:27) who fights , binds and overcomes the evil forces that 
disturb our lives (evil spirits, witches, vengeful spirits etc .). For this reason, he is our Kosebotoe. 
the defender and protector who shields us from all evil because he is the impenetrable fortress 
that guards us against the devil. In his fight against evil forces he becomes our Adontehene. the 
general who leads us through the battles. Jesus leads and goes before us like Totrobonsu. the 
great elephant who clears the path of struggles of life so that we may not be distracted from the 
J(, Ibid .• p. 5 . 
.1 1 Ibid. p. II. 
l' Ibid. p. 10. 
JESUS WITH THE FACE OF AN ANCESTOER 35 
path of wholeness by evil forces . As our Adontehene he protects us and helps us in our lives 
journey so that we can achieve our destinies.39 
The functions and roles that Jesus Christ performs in the fashion of our ancestors 
qualifies him to be called our saviour - Osagyefo and Agyekwa-because his work of salvation 
brings us wholeness. The evil forces that torment us are still around us but they will be totally 
vanquished when Jesus Christ will return in power as Anuonyamhene, the triumphant king of 
glory. But even now the evil forces do not have any power over us because we are subjects of 
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Okourokohene, the invincible king whose presence and the mere 
mention of his name drives away the devil and his agents.40 
In the salvation work of God in Jesus Christ, our chief (nana), the nature and character of 
God is revealed to us. God the ultimate ancestor of the human race meets us in Jesus Christ as 
the source of all life, Twirediapong, the one on whom all life depends. In the creative, sustaining 
and providential functions of Jesus Christ, God our ultimate ancestor, Nana Nyame, is revealed 
to us as a caring parent who is deeply concerned about human well-being and wholeness. In the 
same vein, Jesus Christ, our Gayasehene, points us to God the creator, Borebore, who provides 
human beings with all the necessary conditions and gifts that make life possible. Finally, in the 
sustaining fi.mction of Jesus Christ as our Gayasehene, we are led to a God who is the ultimate 
source of replenishment, Amaomee; the one whose creative vitality gives us rain, sunshine, and 
all the necessary things that support vegetation life and our nourishment. In the same way, 
through the sustaining work of Jesus Christ, our Gayasehene, we can experience God our 
ultimate ancestor, Odomankoma, the mercifi.J!, kind, generous, benevolent parent who is full of 
grace; Brekyirehunade, the one whose w.atchful eyes protect human beings; Abommualra: the, 
one to whom we run in times of crisi ~. Jesus Christ, like our ancestors, points us to the 
omnipresence of God the ultimate ancestor ot:.tbe I1Um' 'lm race whose benevolent care sustains all 
human beings . The Akan proverb says: "God takes care of-everybody even the tailless animal." 
The functions and roles of Jesus Christ our elder brother, ancestor, chief (Gavasehene 
and Adotehene) reveal to us the powe; behind'J he universe, God, as Korebortoe, the' limitless 
and boundless power which justifies ust.to give God t~ese PF¥sr names:, Okokuroko protector, 
Otum/uo, the source of all power; Damfo E~u the s;lever one '~ho~(j wisdorv.and intelligence runs 
the processes of creation; Daasebre, the ~ne who' des~rves our ceilseless ,thanks and, finally, 
Onyamkropong, the one true God worthy of praise and worsfiip 41 . .' 
7, Conclusion 
The thrust of this paper has been to argue for the contextualization of categories and the language 
of Christo logical discourse to reflect the cosmological and the soteriological assumptions of the 
African society. This approach is to remind African theologians that approaches to Christology 
that are far remov.ed from the African experience do not recommend Christianity to Africa 
Christians as a religion of salvation that can deal with their concerns. The history of the 
, development of the Christo logical tradition in Christianity shows that in every epoch and culture 
Christ is appropriated and given a local name that reflects the deep needs and concerns of the 
local context. In trying to be faithful to the African, we have used local symbols that deal with 
salvation and wholeness. This method has helped us to expand the semantic domain of the 
inherited Christological language and categories that have allowed us to attribute names and 
39 Ibid, pp. 10-13. 
4(1 Ibid. p, II, 
4, Ibid. p. 5. 
36 ABRAHAM AKRONG 
titles that bring Chri st c lose to us like ou r ancesto rs. The local names we have g iven to Jesus 
Him our ancestor because He can perform all the fun ctions wh ich we hithet10 reserved for our 
ancestors and more, JeslIs w ith the face an ancestor can therefore bring the salvation work of 
Chri st and Hi s message rea lly close to us.