• Evangelism in Ghana — The Presbyterian Church of Ghana: 1942 – 1954

    First published in Twi in 1965

    Author’s note about the Book

    This book is the translation of an account of the last 12 years of the work of my father, the Rev. Emmanuel Victor Asihene in the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

    It refers to his work as the First Evangelist Minister appointed by the Church at a critical time in its history. He wrote the book deliberately in Twi to make the story of the Evangelism Mission that he undertook readily accessible to all members of the Church.

    He was grateful to be assigned to carry out the Mission of Evangelism. In his own words, he explains:

    “On the day of my ordination in 1960, this verse, ‘I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation, I shall praise you,’ Psalm 22, verse 22 was my major vow and promise. With great joy therefore, I thank God that I have been chosen and given the chance to spread the word of the Lord, through Evangelism, here , in my own land, and among my own people.”

    At the time of his appointment, he had no doubt that “what was needed most was the grace and guidance of God and a great infusion with a personal spiritual strength.”

    The journeys that Rev. Asihene made, most of them on foot, to distant areas of the country were extensive — as can be seen from the list of places that he visited.

    Many of the difficult-to-read areas where he took the message of God are, even today, not readily identified on the map of Ghana. Accounts of his easy engagements with Church members, non-Christians and even with fetish priests are as fascinating as the return of backsliders, by the grace of God, into the Church.

    When I received and read my signed copy of the book 47 years ago in 1965, I knew that I would one day translate this unique record of extensive Evangelism by a local member of the Presbyterian Church in our own country, from Twi into a wider read language. I am glad and I consider it a great honour that I have been able to translate, into English, this important piece of history of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

    During this 125th Anniversary of his birth, this Translation of this book also marks the Dedication of the commemorative building, “The Rev. E.V. Asihene Quiet Room” at the Anum Presbyterian Secondary School, where he was Headmaster, about 90 years ago.

    — Letitia Eva Obeng (nee Asihene), January 2012

  • The Matriarch’s Verse

    I am a mongrel; a mixed breed of Ga, Ewe, Akuapem, English, Middle-Eastern and American cultures; I am a Third Culture Kid.

    Apiorkor’s socio-cultural experiences are interesting and might appear to be unique. But the truth is that there are several other Ghanaians who are secret sharers of her life. Such people lack access to platforms that would allow them to tell their collective story, so that their societies and communities can re-think all of the things that affect them.

    Happily, Apiorkor is an artist over matter and over emotions. She possesses a mastery over words and over the essences of life. Many Ghanaian men, women and children are like her.

    And her voice represents their voices.

    In this sensational collection, The Matriarch seeks to celebrate, shock, tickle, challenge and highlight our Ghanaian-ness in the 21st Century. The author peppers our imagination with the following:

    What does it mean to be Ghanaian?

    How have we progressed?

    Why do we stand for the things we stand for?

    Who really is the modern Ghanaian woman?

    Where is the global place for the urban Ghanaian space?

  • Confessions of an African Christian

    If you are reading this blurb because you are looking for salacious scandals or rants against God and the church, sorry to disappoint you but this book doesn’t have what you are looking for.

    But if you are interested in reading about an odd encounter with a prophet, a child led rebellion, quite a number of self deprecating revelations, some honest self-assessment and embarrassing situations experienced by a young woman in her journey to get closer to God, and understand better what it means to be a Christian, this might just be the book for you.

  • Kings, Priests, and Kinsmen

    This collection of E. A. Ammah’s ethnographic writing includes essays, some poetry, and other documents. Created over four decades, these pieces cover a wide range of topics including Ga culture in comparative perspective, Ga social organization, Ga political structure and history, Ga life transition ceremonies, and Ga religion. The collection provides a unique cultural insider’s twentieth century perspective on Ga society and history.

  • Justice Denied

    This book was written soon after the suspects of the murder of the Ya-Na were arrested.

    The author followed the unveiling accounts of the murder of the Ya-Na,the commitment and indictment proceedings at the Magistrate Court.He also followed the trial of the accused persons at the High Court.

    The search for Justice for the Ya-Na became a judicial drama and a political football instead.Some key players in the search exhibited palpable incompetence and nonchalance while others showed unpardonable bias in the performance of their judicial and legal duties. In resistance to the search for justice all kinds of novel and spurious legal arguments were raised ,including the issue of when does a confession have effect in law even if it is freely given?

    “Another spurious legal issue raised was the fact of the Ya-Na’s death .In recognition of his service to his nation and traumatic murder, the Republic of Ghana gave Naa Yakubu II a state burial on 10th April,2016. Yet in order to deny him justice and to make the law seem to be an ass,the fact of his death and identity of his body became issues in the trail of persons accused of murdering him.This kept the ordinary Ghanaian wondering where the implementers of the law were taking the country.In the end the Ya-Na was denied Justice”.

    Justice Denied

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  • The Destiny of A Horse Boy

    The Destiny of a Horse Boy, an autobiography, tells Mahama’s story of growing up as a member of the nobility in an Africa of bygone days. Raised by his grandparents, Mahama, an exceptional boy, starts life in the parched and inhospitable landscape of Northern Ghana, a far flung place that is thoughtfully, even lovingly, brought to life through the words of this prolific author.

    His hunger to go to school, to be educated, to rise above his time and place, is so powerful that he runs away from home, travelling in cars that can sometimes go no faster than eight miles an hour, in decrepit trucks, on unreliable ferries and pontoons, past menacing wild animals, ultimately to present himself at a school and beg for admission. Once accepted, he studies through school holidays, excels at nearly every undertaking, and proves himself to be a remarkable young man. At a time when the literary rates were in the single digits, Mahama goes on to become a lawyer and a politician of influence and note, thanks to his integrity and his desire to better his country and the lives of his fellow countrymen in Ghana.

    The Destiny of a Horse Boy delineates the steps from colonial rule to self-rule in Mahama’s beloved Ghana. He tells of violent, warring royal clans, the worst kinds of political jockeying and bloodshed at the hands of government lackeys, politicians and leaders who quite literally risk theirs lives in their quests for power.

    This resourceful and accomplished man has left an indelible mark on Ghana and global politics.

  • Operation Rescue (The ABCs of the Christian, Volume 1)

    This is the first in the 6-part series called The ABCs of the Christian. This volume deals with the theme of SALVATION.

    Why are we adopted children of God? What is justification? How does Jesus Christ fulfill the role of the Messiah? What is the essence of Jesus’ sacrifice, substitution, atonement, redemption? This book explains such key topics and other related matters under the general theme of our Salvation.

    The book is a collection of essays, written in clear easy step-by-step expositions to help the reader understand and appreciate the fullness of our salvation in Christ Jesus and the love of God which made it all possible.

    The contents are carefully selected and traced to their Old Testament origins to bring out the full meaning and the message of the subject under discussion. In the process, the book seeks to answer some questions frequently asked and clarify some confusing issues.

  • Seeing New Facets of the Diamond: Christianity as a Universal Faith – Essays in Honor of Kwame Bediako

    In the five years since Kwame Bediako passed away there has been a growing desire among colleagues and friends to put together a book that would honour his memory.

    The title has been chosen to reflect the range of interests and concerns that motivated Bediako’s scholarly work, including his founding and nurturing of ACI, originally named Akrofi-Christaller Memorial Centre for Mission Research and Applied Theology (ACMC), located at Akropong-Akuapem in Ghana. His vision was for the renewal of Christianity as a universal faith, not just in Africa, but also in the non-Western world generally, and with a long-term view to a renewal of the faith in the West. The image of facets of the diamond was his way of describing his vision of the unity-in-diversity that is the biblical mandate for the world church.

    Thus, Bediako’s interpretation of the African Christian story, to which he devoted so much of his time and energy – ‘the surprise story of the modern missionary movement’ – was always in relation to the wider Christian story, whether of earlier periods or of other contemporary settings around the world.

    This collection of essays has sought to achieve a good representation of mentors, colleagues and disciples from around the world. The contributions come from a variety of countries, theological disciplines and perspectives, and represent either a direct outworking of his vision and initiatives or a connection with them. Taken together, they demonstrate Bediako’s conviction that the theological creativity emerging in Africa is also for the benefit of the mission of the world church. All the essays key into the general theme from contributors’ own particular perspectives and areas of specialisation and capture something of the vision that inspired Kwame Bediako, which he shared, and the legacy he has bequeathed.

    In addition, they make a contribution to a deeper understanding of world Christianity in our time and provide pointers to the ongoing scholarly task in the service of the church in mission. For it is vital that we continue to see new facets of the diamond that is the universality of the Gospel, as lived and proclaimed through the world church.

  • Theology and Identity: The Impact of Culture upon Christian Thought in the Second Century and in Modern Africa

    Kwame Bediako examines the question of Christian identity in the context of the Greco-Roman culture of the early Roman Empire. He then addresses the modern African predicament of quests for identity and integration.

    Theology and Identity was one of the finalists for the 1992 HarperCollins Religious Book Award.

    “A book of quite outstanding importance. It is rich and rewarding both in interpretation and in construction, furthering understanding of modern African Christianity and relating it to the Christian tradition as a whole. No previous work has covered this range, nor has the perennial question of Christ and culture been pursued with more depth and insight.” — Andrew Walls, formerly Director of the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World, University of Edinburgh

  • Ghana’s 2012 Presidential Election Petition

    The story of the presidential election petition as it unfolded outside and inside the courtroom is graphically retold by the author of this book in a straightforward and memorable manner. If you were not among the audience in the courtroom or if you were not a constant watcher of the TV during the hearing of the petition, or if your understanding of the legal process is limited, this book is your best story teller of all that happened.

    The author, although a lawyer of many years standing, and a very well-known politician, has not written  book on law or politics. His several books deal with history, chieftaincy, culture and conflict in Dagbon. This is his first time of venturing into the politico-legal field. And he has done it well.

    Even though the book is intended to tell the story of Ghana’s 2012 presidential election petition, it equally deals with the politics of Ghana and the country’s electoral laws. The book is therefore recommended not only for people who want to know the story of the election petition, but also to politicians and first year law students as well as people interested in law. The book will inspire them.

  • Musings from the Hilltop

    “I feel particularly privileged to be able to recommend this wonderful work to all prospective readers. Let our younger generation read, cogitate and be inspired by Kofi Otutu — clearly a man of many parts.” — Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission
    “Kofi Otutu Adu Labi continues to enrich the literature landscape of Ghana with his inimitable and felicitous writing style. I warmly commend the book to the widest readership.” — Albert K. Fiadjoe, FGA, Emeritus Professor of Public Law, Formerly, Dean of the Faculty of Law University of the West Indies, Chairman, Constitution Review Commission, Ghana
    “In flawless conversational English, the writer takes you through different chapters of his life which he freely shares with his readers. This is a must-read book especially for the younger generation and for the old to reinforce the times they have lived through.” — H E Esther Dzifa Ofori, Ambassador of the Republic of Ghana to Equatorial Guinea and accredited to the Republics of Cameroon and Gabon

     

  • All Things Bright and Beautiful

    “This is a gem of a book that every library must have.” — Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell SVD, Parish Priest, Christ the King Parish
    “Kofi Adu Labi has established himself as a gift raconteur giving perspective, ambiance and insight into a potpourri of events, occasions and personalities.” — Andrew Kwabena Asamoah, Former Director and Special Advisor, WHO, Geneva; and Executive Chairman, A&C Development Co. Ltd
    “Kofi Adu Labi has arguably become the ‘peerless chronicler’ of Ghanaian lives and events. In All Things Bright and Beautiful, he reprises this role. In short, ‘don’t walk, run’ to get your copy and share in the ‘joy of reading’ with Kofi.” — Professor Victor Essien, Retired Professor of Law, Fordham Law School, New York.

     

  • Africa Must Unite!

    Africa Must Unite best describes what Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah stood for.

    The mission he began over half a century ago remains uncompleted and the task of this generation is to make the dream of African unity come alive and realise our full potential as the African nation that would be embracing all peoples of African ancestry.

    Nkrumah called for the political and economic unification of African states as the most effective way to achieve economic and socio-cultural emancipation and regain full sovereignty over our land and resources.

    The thesis of Africa Unite remains unassilable, giving hope to about 1.5 billion Africans all over the world who aspire for a better life in a more humane world.

    Africa Must Unite!

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