Publisher's Synopsis
This second edition of the Oguaa Journal of Religion and Human Values covers very important issues for consideration in academia and for the development of society. The issue of salvation in world religions has been an issue for centuries. The so called monotheistic religions for example, have laid an almost exclusive claim to salvation. Chiedozie Okoro challenges this assumption. He argues that African indigenous conceptions of salvation are more inclusive and hold a better key to understanding salvation than the so called monotheistic religions. Cremation is one of the forms by which humans dispose of the dead. However, among the Mafi-Ewe of Ghana, cremation means more than mere disposal of a dead body. It is a form of punishment that the society metes out to people who were believed to have committed a heinous crime during their lifetime. And what could be more heinous than taking human life? Harry Agbanu examines the concept of cremation among the Mafi-Ewe, which is called amememe and its significance for the people as they deal with the realities of crime and death. For Islam, seeking of knowledge is part of worship and the first Qur'anic commandment that the Prophet of Islam received was a commandment to seek knowledge. Subsequently, the Prophet instructed his followers to seek knowledge even if they might travel to China. Abdulsalam Hashir argues that, there is no excuse for not educating a child. He provides a framework for education within Islam, which will help raise all rounded children with a sound moral character. There is the general notion that women are marginalised and often at the periphery of decision making in Africa. Using the Akan as an example, Vincent Assanful proves that the notion that women are at the periphery of decision making in Africa is not entirely true. He uses the Obaahemaa's Stool as a concept that clearly explains the power and authority that women hold in some African societies. In "Salvation in Catholicism & Islam: A Challenge for Better Human Relations in Nigeria," Patrick U. Nwosu argues that we can exploit the concept of salvation to promote peaceful co-existence among Christians and Muslims in Africa and the rest of the world. Augustine Mary-Mensah takes up the issue of interpretation. Interpretation is at the heart of most religions. Every interaction with scripture is an opportunity for interpretation. How people behave and act within the religious sphere depends on their understanding of scripture. Translations have often provided the source for understanding scripture, since most adherents of world faiths cannot read and understand texts in the original languages of the religions that they profess. Mary-Mensah argues that mistranslations can render a totally different meaning to scripture, other than its canonical intent. He uses the death of Rachel in the Bible to amply demonstrate this point. This second edition of the Oguaa Journal of Religion and Human Values is a must read for academics, students and policy makers alike. It has an important wealth of resource for shaping the future of African societies.
