Charismatic theology of the blood in Ghanaian Christianity

Abstract

There are several independent Charismatic churches in contemporary West Africa, where worshippers carry communion wine and olive oil to be prayed upon, and sanctified as sacramental substances and tokens either for spiritual protection or for dealing with various existential problems. However, the belief in tokens is an African phenomenon and not something attributed only to a group of Christians labeled African Charismatics. It is an irony, that while the leaders of the historic mission denominations and classical Pentecostal traditions often dismissed these resources of supernatural succor as demonic and discouraging their use in their sermons and publications, most of their own members secretly visit these prophets who give them tokens and symbols like holy water, soaps, handkerchiefs, olive oil, apotropaic baths, candles, concoctions, magical rings, magical creams and many more. Sacred statements, words and songs can also be considered as tokens. Some scholarly works have been done on African Christian songs. These include Hayfron and Quayesi-Amakye.155 However, their focus is not on the place of the blood of Jesus in African Christian songs.