This paperback is part of the Orbis "Faith Meets Faith Series" designed to spur interfaith dialogue. Robert B. Fisher spent 15 years as a member of the Catholic Society of the Divine Word teaching in Ghana. In this well-done survey of traditional and cultural Akan values, he helps us to see and respect the complexity and depth of African religion.
While outsiders have usually patronized native rituals and beliefs, Fisher points out that Africans believe everyone has innate knowledge of God. Or as a proverb puts it, "No one teaches a child about God."
In the Akan cosmos, community is all-important and both the living and the dead are part of it. Ancestors are our extended family who watch over the tribe. Dance is both a way of feeling and a means of communing with others. It enables us to get in touch with the spirit world, especially during festivals and rituals celebrating the various stages of life. Fisher also explores the significance of talking drums, prayers, and the pouring of libation; the use of proverbs; spirit worship; divination, medicine, and amulets; and the meaning of magic and witchcraft.
