LIBATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND AKAN LIFE AND THOUGHT:  A CRITIQUE by K. K. AMOS ANTI   Faculty of Education University of Cape Coast Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa  

We know that "an idol has no real existence"
and that "there is no God but One".  For although
there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth
- as indeed there are many "gods" and many "Iords"
-  yet for us there is One God, the Father, from
whom are all things and for whom we exist, and
One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things
and through whom we exist.
                                               I Corinthians 8:4-6 (R.S.V.)

 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      Many people were involved in the development of this study.  It is not possible to mention them all.
      The late Rt. Rev. J. A. Ackon, Anglican Bishop of Cape Coast, Ghana, facilitated my studies by recommending me for U.S.P.G.  Bursary to study Mission at the Selly Oak Colleges with the understanding that I would be more involved in ministerial training at St. Nicholas Anglican Theological College, Cape Coast where I have been working as part-time lecturer since 1981.  I am most grateful to him.
     Words cannot express my gratitude to the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (U.S.P.G.) for granting me a bursary to study in Britain and also for making it possible for me to share in family and church life in the United Kingdom.  Their assistance during my visit to California, U.S.A. and Frankfurt, West Germany to attend International Christian Conferences, is much appreciated.
      My personal tutor, Dr. Sugi and Rev. Dr. Dan O'Connor, Principal of the College of the Ascension gave me the necessary moral encouragement to bear the pain of being a student after a long period of teaching.  They made me feel at home at the college.  My deepest gratitude to Bishop Patrick Kalilombe who supervised this dissertation and often gave me the opportunity to participate in the teaching of 'Primal Worldviews' at the Department of Mission, in Selly Oak.  I am also grateful to him for developing my interest in Third World Theologies, especially in Theology of Liberation.
      Rev. Dr. Ofosu Adutwum drew my attention to 'Libation in the Old Testament' (during the WAATI Conference in Trinity College, Legon, August 1985), and I am grateful.
      My wife, Flo, was my first audience in the developing and testing of my ideas.  She encouraged me, without ceasing, to persevere when both the spirit and the body were discouraged.  In the same breath I thank my children for their 'unwilling' co-operation during my year's absence from home.
      Special thanks go to the University of Cape Coast for granting me Sabbatical Leave for a year.
      My thanks also go to Mrs. Jenny Hodges, Principal's Secretary, for her assistance, to Miss Daphne Lumley who read through the draft and made useful corrections, to Rev. Jonathan Otoo and Mrs. Rita Williamson who typed the draft and the final dissertation respectively.  I am very grateful to them all.
      'Alhaji' Muhammed Jabal Buaben and Miss Rabiatu Ammah, both Ph.D. candidates of the University of Birmingham helped me greatly both within the Selly Oak Central Library and in their homes, and I am most grateful to them.
      Finally, I thank God for protecting me during my 'adventures' overseas.  Into His hands I commend this work.

       K. K. A. ANTI.

The College of the Ascension,

Selly Oak, Birmingham.

June, 1987.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE   The Akan and their Worldview

CHAPTER TWO   Libation in the Old Testament

CHAPTER THREE   Akan concept of Libation

CHAPTER FOUR   Analysis of some Libation Prayers

CHAPTER FIVE   The Libation Debate: Toward a Conclusion

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

 Is the church in Africa still under mental bondage and colonialism?  Many African theologians think it is, but do not know what to do about it.  Several others think it is not; but there are others who think the church is still in captivity and are working to liberate if from its cultural bondage.  One such person is Rev. Father Dr. Kwabena Damuah, a former member of the ruling government of Ghana (The Provisional National Defence Council).  In December 1982, Father Damuah announced his resignation from the Roman Catholic Church to form a new AFRIKANIA RELIGION which he described as a reformed African Traditional Religion which had existed for a long time, but was ignored.  "Afrikania Religion reflected its understanding of God in His way of life.  It also decolonised Africans to go to their culture and tradition".

 One main feature of the Afrikania Religion is the pouring of Libation during worship.  According to the former Catholic priest: "When we pour libation we are invoking the spirit of God and our ancestors and this is the African way of praying to God:-  We are portraying our own culture and tradition to serve God.  The time has come to reject obnoxious Western culture which was forced on us by the colonialists.  Afrikania religion will break all these defects".  He charged that the church had failed to reveal and unfold the glorious secrets of worship and prayer to their flock: "Tell those church leaders that we are all under mental bondage and colonization and we have to unchain ourselves.  I have released myself from the 'chain' and I want to release those still in chains" (1)

 The challenge of the Afrikania religion illustrates the frustrations of many African Christians in their attempt to grapple with God's salvific action in the world and raises the question of Euro-American captivity of the church.  It must be noted that Christians in Africa are the products of the modern missionary movement.  Conversion to the Christian faith has involved among other things, acceptance of a foreign religious tradition.  This is understandable since Christianity is the offspring of Judaism and became the carrier cultures and faiths, but also it championed the acceptance of Western religio-cultural practices and dominance.

 However, a growing number of Christians in Africa are rapidly becoming aware that religious discontinuity that they have had to suffer on account of their Christian faith has also implied an uprootedness from their culture, since religion is a fundamental component of culture.  Our problem today is that of affirming faith in Christ without breaking our religio-cultural traditions.  This certainly implies a renunciation of our Western inspired state of antagonism with our indigenous religious roots.  Consequently, just as there are those in the West who claim to be Christian Jews, Christian Hindus or Christian Muslims, to there are those in Africa who are entertaining the possibility of being African Traditional Christians.

 What Father Damuah seems to be saying is that only if African Christians are prepared to participate in the religious traditions of their culture can the Christian faith ever cease to be foreign and become rooted in the African soil.  Costas reminds us that:
"... all human discourses are mediated by cultural symbols, signs and codes.  Since religion is that aspect of culture that enables us to express our experience of transcendence, it is as basic to life as culture itself.  It is not possible, therefore, to talk about God, revelation and Christ in a non-cultural framework". (2)
The idea of rooting the Christian religion in the culture of the people is supported by many churchmen.  For instance a moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana thought it fit to call on the church to mobilise the Ghanaian traditional culture to be blended into Christian worship.  He lamented that many traditional chiefs have been baptised and confirmed but because of their position they cannot be full members of the church:
"... what can bring these chiefs and the church together . . . today we have nobody to blame for what we did not do, we have ourselves to blame for what we are not doing now".(3)  The reason why chiefs or kings and other natural leaders cannot be full members of the church is their participation in the traditional ritual practices, especially the pouring of libation.

 Libation is one of the oldest and perhaps least understood religious rituals.  It is the sacrificial pouring out of liquid.  Its primary importance seems to lie in the act of pouring, since the liquids that are poured out (wine, milk, honey, water, oil and in some cases, blood) and the places where this is done (on the ground, into chasms, upon the altar, over the sacrificial victim, into a sacrificial bowl) vary and change.  As a religious ritual, libation can be traced as far back as the Bronze Age by means of libation pitchers and bowls discovered in excavations or depicted in stone reliefs and vase paintings or on gems, seals and rings.  The word libation is derived from the Latin libatio (sacrificial offering of drink) and in most ancient sources it was a separate gift offering.  In Babylonian and Assyrian religions, it was primarily the king's office to offer libation to the gods.  It was part of the meals presented to the gods on altar tables, around which the divinities gathered eagerly.  It was common in the Greco-Egyptian period and in Israelite religion, libation was central to the cult.  Jewish religion was however compelled to abandon its sacrificial rituals and with it libations, because of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in
70 CE. (4)

 The practice, however is not unknown in the New Testament (see John 7:37-39).  During the Festival of Shelters or Tabernacles Jesus stood up in the Temple and with a loud voice said:  ". . . whoever believes in me, streams of life-giving water will pour out from his heart . . .". (5)  (The Living Bible)  This saying was uttered during the last and most important day of the Feast.  On this day, a priest fetched water with a golden pitcher from the Pool of Siloam.  This was brought into the Temple and while the Hillel psalms Psalms 113-118) were being sung and flutes being played by the Levitic choir, the water was poured out on the altar as an offering to God.  It was within this cultic background that Jesus spoke these words.  St. Paul similarly applies the concept of libation with its deep theological meaning in Philippians 2:17, "And even if I am offered like a drink offering, giving myself for the cause and work of your faith, I am glad and have joy with you all". (6)

 Christianity in general has no room for libation in its cult.  It uses water in baptism; sees in wine the blood of Christ; the Sacramental drink of the Eucharist which is offered is not to, but by, the deity, and certainly must not be spilled; and oil is used for sacramental anointing. (7)  Though it is not our intention to go beyond the Old Testament, it is important to note the continuity and discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments. (8)

PURPOSE: The pouring of libation is central to Akan (9) religio-cultural life and features prominently in all political, social, economic and religious activities.  There is thus a strong recommendation for its adoption in the Christian Churches within the framework of the contextualization process.  However, the ritual practice has been criticized and opposed by some Christians who feel that it is a 'pagan' practice which should not be allowed in the enculturation exercise. The purpose of this dissertation is to: (a)  Examine the basis of this controversy by following the practice of libation in the Old Testament and Akan life and thought, and (b) Suggest possible solutions to the Libation controversy.  This essay, however, is mainly critique and not a panacea.

METHODOLOGY: I have drawn on primary research material collected for my M. A. Thesis (1977-78), and personal experience in worshipping at various shrines within the Akan community (of which I am a member), as well as teaching experience in Primal Worldviews.  I have also ulterred my less experience cult as a moderator and examines in the forces of West African Traditional.  Occasional research papers and articles on the subject have also been consulted.  Finally, relevant bibliographical materials have been used and the sources acknowledged.

SUMMARY OF CHAPTERS:

 Chapter One deals with the Akan Worldview, and discusses the spirit powers who are the recipients of libation prayers.  Chapter Two examines the practice of libation in the Old Testament and concludes with a positive note that libation was an indispensable ritual in Jewish spirituality.  Libation in Akan life and thought is taken up in Chapter Three, and in Chapter Four some libation prayers are analysed and discussed.  Chapter Five looks at the Libation Debate and examines points of continuity and discontinuities with the Old Testament.  The possible adoption and adaptation of the ritual in Christian worship is suggested.

 I am aware that the Bible does not contain blue-print answers and solutions to religious questions.  But as the word of God it gives the kind of light which is needed in the search for meaningful Christian answers.

"We should not of course fall into the trap of bibliolatry" (worship of the Bible). (10)  But as Mbiti observes, neglect of the Bible in theological matters is equally dangerous.  The communique issued by African theologians at the end of the conference in Ghana in December 1973, concerning the Bible as a central source of doing theology, is worth quoting here to emphasise the conviction of African theologians:  "The Bible is the basic source of African theology, because it is the primary witness of God's revelation in Jesus Christ.  No theology can retain its Christian identity apart from scripture". (11)
 

INTRODUCTION REFERENCES

1. Christian Messenger, p.5 (Accra, Jan. 1983)

2. O.E. Costas, Christ Outside the Gate - Mission Beyond Christendom, p. 120.

3. Rev. I.K. Frimpong, Christian Messenger, April 1981, pp. 1, 3. The Moderator was  inaugurating a committee on Church and traditional culture.

4. Hans Dieter Bert, 'Libation' in The Encyclopedia of Religion, Mircea Elliade (ed.),  vol. 8 pp. 537 - 539.

5. John Marsh, Saint John, p. 340.  The relevant point in this context concerns the rite,  associated with the Feast of Tabernacles of bringing water from the Pool of Siloam  in an golden flagon and using it for libation in the Temple.  This was done on the  first seven days of the feast but not on the eighth day.

6. The Bible in Basic English, p. 859.  R.S.V. Even if I am to be poured as a libation  upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

7. Bert, op.  cit., p.  539.

8. M.D. Hooker, Continuity and Discontinuity: Early Christianity in its Jewish Setting.
 See also K.A. Dickson. "Continuity and Discontinuity: Between the Old Testament  and African Life and Thought" in Kofi Appiah-Kubi and Sergio Torres (eds.),  African Theology en route, pp. 95 - 108.

9. See Map, P.1

10. J.S. Mbiti, Bible and Theology in African Christianity, p. 60.

11. See Kofi Appiah-Kubi and Sergio Torres (eds.)  African Theology en route, p. 192.

 On perspective for the Future, the communique added: "We believe that African theology must be understood in the context of African life and culture and the creative attempt of African peoples to shape a new future that is different from the colonial past and the neo-colonial present.  The African situation requires a new theological methodology that is different from the approaches of the dominant theologies of the west.  African theology must reject, therefore, the prefabricated ideas of North Atlantic theology by defining itself according to the struggles of the people in their resistance against the structures of domination.  Our task as theologians is to create a theology that arises from and is accountable to African people".
 
 

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