Liberal Democracy and Christian Evangelism

Ghana is a nation that takes religion very seriously.

Over 90 per cent of Ghanaians profess membership of a religious faith.

Most are Christians (71.3 per cent, according to the 2021 census).

A fifth (19.9 per cent) are Muslims, three per cent follow African Traditional Religions and six per cent belong to other religious faiths.

Very few Ghanaians have no religious beliefs. 

Ghana’s churches, notably the country’s numerous Pentecostalist-Charismatic churches, stress the importance of incorporating into public life what they regard as Christian values in order to induce better governance.

Some churches fear that modernisation encourages secularisation, resulting in an undesirable loss of traditional culture and associated values.

‘Alien’ external influences from the West are thought to discourage Ghana’s traditional values, especially among the young, who may choose to adopt what are regarded as unacceptable ‘foreign’ lifestyles.

Yet, there is no evidence that the young in Ghana are becoming less religious compared to older generations.

Along with Chad, Ghana is one of only two countries in sub-Saharan Africa where religion is said to be more important to younger people than it is to older people.

Given that three-quarters of Ghanaians are aged 35 years and younger, religion seems in no danger of losing popular adherence anytime soon.

Moral framework

Religious beliefs significantly influence Ghanaians’ moral framework and social identity, individual attitudes and preferences, and impact on socioeconomic outcomes.

Most Ghanaians do not regard religion as a separate entity; for many, there is no clear distinction between ‘religious’ or ‘spiritual’ and ‘secular’, with both entwined in everyday life.

Ghanaians pragmatically combine and/or move between different spiritual discourses to navigate the travails of modernisation, seeking to protect themselves from harm, from demons and the devil.

Overall, religion in Ghana influences various aspects of daily life, from personal beliefs and behaviours to social and political dynamics.

Christianity has long been the most significant religious voice in Ghana. Following independence, the chief Christian voices came from the historic mission churches (including Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana; Anglican Church; Roman Catholic Church; and Methodist Church, Ghana).

More recently, a significant new Christian tradition has developed in Ghana. Pentecostal-Charismatic (P-C) churches now account for around a third of Ghana’s 25 million Christians. P-C leaders, including Eric Nyameke (Church of Pentecost), Stephen Wengam (Assemblies of God Ghana), Nicholas Duncan-Williams (Action Chapel International) and Dag Heward Mills (Lighthouse Group of Churches), are prominent in Ghana’s public discourse.  

Political issues

Ghana’s 1992 constitution is silent on the topic of religious leaders commenting on political issues, including crucial topics such as liberal democracy and human rights.

However, many Ghanaians would be flabbergasted if religious leaders did not make public their thoughts on contentious political and social issues.

This may simply be a case of religious leaders speaking as private citizens, seeking to make their personal views known on controversial issues, which is, of course, perfectly acceptable for all citizens in a democracy such as that of Ghana. 

A prominent Ghanaian recently informed me that the most significant social movement with implications for the country’s general development is what he referred to as ‘the triumph of Christian evangelism’.

It is especially noteworthy for its significant influence on successive governments and a high degree of prominence in the public space: ideologically, culturally and socially. 

In the United States, the triumph of Christian evangelism has led to what some regard as a ‘soft’ theocracy, a situation which, according to the South Africa-based Nigerian political scientist Dare Leke Oduwu, is also the current reality in Nigeria.

A ‘soft’ theocracy can be characterised as a regime where religion is deeply intertwined in government legally, financially and symbolically. 

Religious freedom

Ghana’s constitution recognises the legal right to religious freedom, with religious bodies not subject to state scrutiny or control.

Financially, the Ghana Revenue Authority recognises that churches exist to serve the public’s spiritual and charitable needs, and exempts them from income tax.

Symbolically, Ghana’s national anthem commences with: ‘God bless our homeland Ghana’ and ends with ‘And under God march on forevermore’.

The Preamble to the 1992 Constitution begins with: ‘IN THE NAME OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD’ (emphasis in original).

Is Ghana on the way to becoming a soft theocracy? President Akufo-Addo’s relationships with prominent Christian figures were conspicuous.

He made a dramatic overture to the promotion of Ghana’s Christian evangelism movement with his promise to construct a national cathedral, costing hundreds of millions of US dollars, with significant financial input from Ghanaians’ taxes. 

Some Ghanaians are uncomfortable with the political rise of Christian evangelism.

The fear is that if Ghana becomes a ‘soft’ theocracy, where religion is deeply intertwined in government legally, financially and symbolically, this would threaten the country’s long tradition of secular liberal democracy, undermine the human rights of some Ghanaians, including those of sexual minorities, and menace Ghana’s historic commitment to religious pluralism.

The bottom line is that religion is highly important to Ghanaians, but so is liberal democracy.

The aim should be to balance the two so that the democratic successes of the Fourth Republic are not threatened by a rise in Christian evangelism.

The writer is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the London Metropolitan University, UK.