THE

CHURCH,

CULTURE

AND SPIRITS

ADVENTISM IN AFRICA

KWABENA DONKOR, EDITOR

Biblical Research Institute

Silver Spring, MD 20904

2011

Copyright © 2011, by the Biblical Research Institute

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Silver Spring, MD 20904

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org).

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design: Emmanuel Saka

Cover illustration: Medicus Appiah

Concept design: Kenneth Boachie

ISBN 978-0-925675-20-0

Contents

Contributors

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

Kwabena Donkor

SECTION A: SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS IN AFRICA AND THE CHALLENGE OF SPIRITUALIST MANIFESTATIONS

1 Spiritualistic Manifestations Challenging the Adventist Church in Africa

Andrews Ewoo

2 Mystical Powers and How Africans Get Involved

Philemon O. Amanze and J. A. Kayode Makinde

3 Towards an Understanding of the African Worldview

Zacchaeus Mathema

SECTION B: THE BIBLE AND SPIRITUALISTIC MANIFESTATIONS

4 Demons and Demonic Activities in the Bible

Brempong Owusu-Antwi

5 Ancestor Worship, Biblical Anthropology, and Spiritualistic Manifestations in Africa

Kwabena Donkor

6 Curses in African Religious Thought and Contemporary Christian Practice: A Biblical Perspective

Kwabena Donkor

7 Evil Powers and Occult Practices in the Apocalypse

Ekkehardt Mueller

SECTION C: RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE OF SPIRITUALISTIC MANIFESTATIONS

8 The Experience of Salvation and Spiritualistic Manifestations

Nathaniel Walemba

9 The Role of the Individual in Coping with Spiritualistic Manifestations

Vida Mensah

10 The Role of the Church Community in Coping with Spiritualistic Manifestations

Mkombe Canaan

11 Casting Out Demons: Lessons From the Bible

Lameck Miyayo

12 Anointing with Oil in African Christianity: an Evaluation of Contemporary Practices

Sampson M. Nwaomah

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Subject Index

CONTRIBUTORS

Philemon O. Amanze. Senior Lecturer/Director, Ellen G. White Research Center, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Mkombe Canaan. Lecturer, Solusi University, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Kwabena Donkor. Associate Director, Biblical Research Institute, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.

Andrews Ewoo. Pastor, Amsterdam Ghana S. D. A. Church, Netherlands.

J. A. Kayode Makinde. Vice Chancellor, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Zacchaeus Mathema. Professor, ...