Towards an Akan-Christian Form of Sacramental Marriage

Abstract

The ways people marry and understand marriage are often deeply rooted in their socio-cultural and religious beliefs and practices. In Ghana, the rites of marriage are carved around the customs and beliefs of the different ethnic groups. ough some basic elements may be similar, the detailed practices and their significance vary from one group to another. Akan Christian couples often face the predicament of having to undergo two marriage rituals successively: a traditional Akan marriage rite and the Christian sacramental marriage rite. Although the traditional process counts as marriage in every sense of the word, the Catholic ritual is necessary before their marriage can be considered a sacrament in the Catholic Church. Yet Christianity need not be an avenue for the alienation of the Akan Christians from their Akan culture especially when it comes to marriage. In this article, I argue for the possibility of an Akan-Christian form of sacramental marriage.