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Spirit media : charismatics, traditionalists, and mediation practices in Ghana
de Witte, M.
Publication date
2008
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
de Witte, M. (2008). Spirit media : charismatics, traditionalists, and mediation practices in
Ghana.
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Acknowledgements
Although the road to finishing a Ph.D. thesis is often said to be a lonely one, I have never walked it alone. This project could not have been completed without the great many people that accompanied me on the journey, or part of it. I think that journey started way back, when as a little girl I found a tiny fossil on a Southern-French river-bank and shouted ‘Mama, a stone with a shell!’ My parents, Harriët and Frits, always nurtured this sense of discovery and amazement in me and taught me the art of look-ing. I am grateful to them for encouraging me in my travels and studies, for giving me the freedom to fly and see and hear and feel, and for following me to Ghana to share in my experiences. Thanks also to Oma Jetty, Gijs, Erin, Marlies, and Chantal for your warm support and interest all along.
The seeds for becoming an Africanist where sown in me during a first stay in Ghana as a volunteer in 1995-1996. I owe immensely much to my friend for life and ‘sister’ Miriam, with whom I share a year of living and travelling in Africa and much much more, and to Joana, who welcomed us into her family in Trede. Nana
Agyapomaa taught me the Twi language and the intricacies of Asante culture and daily life when I stayed with her in Bekwai for my MA research on Asante funerals two years later. At the end of that project I felt that my studies were only beginning.
The research that led to this Ph.D. thesis was made possible by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) through a PIONIER grant to Birgit Meyer. I am eternally indebted to her and Peter Geschiere, my two supervisors. It is a privi-lege to work so closely together with two people who are not only outstanding schol-ars, but also very special persons. Together they formed a fantastic team. Birgit has been a major source of inspiration and encouragement for over ten years. As the direc-tor of the PIONIER programme Modern Mass Media, Religion, and the Imagination of Communities, she energised both the research team and my personal endeavours with inextinguishable enthusiasm, intellectual passion, always-challenging views, and gar-den barbecues. She taught me more than words can tell. Birgit, thank you for inscrib-ing the spirit of anthropology into my bones. Peter guided me through the process of doing research and writing a thesis with a sharp eye for the exciting tensions in my field material. His always-stimulating comments have been extremely constructive. It has been a great joy to belong to the PIONIER ‘community.’ The bi-weekly discussions and other meetings with Mattijs van de Port, Rafael Sanchez, Brian Larkin, Stephen Hughes, Martijn Oosterbaan, Lotte Hoek, Francio Guadeloupe, Charles Hirschkind, Jeremy Stolow, Meg MacLagan, Carly Machado, Zé d’Abreu, Esther Peperkamp, Miriyam Aouragh, and Vincent de Rooij always left me excited and have greatly shaped my thoughts and writings. Thank you all for leaving your mark on this book.
It is impossible to thank all the people who helped me in Accra. My father-in-law, Thomas Nyaku, made me feel at home from the very moment I entered his house. He and my sisters-in-law Gertrude and Kafui, as well as Fausty and Dela, made living in Accra enjoyable and homely and helped easing the inevitable daily struggles. Akpe kakaaka. I also thank Wendy Esiama for her welcoming kindness and Mr. and Mrs. Darko-Owiredu for their hospitality during my pilot study. Away from
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the busy city life, Kodjo and Adwoa Senah provided a welcome refuge at the universi-ty campus at Legon, in their lush garden and home full of laughter and good times. I am also thankful to Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu and Elom Dovlo, also at the University of Ghana, for sharing their research experiences and offering advice. I thank Mr. Turkson of the Central University College for helping me obtain a staying permit.
Fieldwork in Accra would not have been possible without the leaders of the two religious organisations I studied, both of them exceptional and inspiring persons. I am grateful to have known Osofo Komfo Kofi Ameve, the second servant of the Afrikania Mission. I spent many inspiring hours talking with him and accompanying him. To my sorrow he did not live to see the outcome of my research. He passed away a few months after I left Accra. I remember him as an amiable, extremely dedicated man, who made the problems of Africa his personal struggle. May his soul rest in peace. Pastor Mensa Otabil, the general overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, welcomed me to the Christ Temple. I have fond memories of the long conver-sations we had in his office, when the interview questions I had prepared never mate-rialised because what he started to talk about or ask me about seemed so much more interesting. Doc, thank you for your thought provoking and courageous viewpoints. Many thanks also to Pastor Charlotte, Pastor Dan, Pastor Morris, Pastor Kisii, Pastor Okyere, Pastor Donkor, Pastor Eric, Anna, Divine, Maurice, Tilly, and Rita for having me around and helping me out. At the Christ Temple I am mostly indebted to Bright, Clifford, Kofi, and Duncan of AltarMedia for sharing time in the studio, showing me how to edit, telling me all about media production, and providing me with copies of their productions. I admire your creativity and dedication. I cannot mention by name all the Christ Temple members and ‘discipleship class’ mates who shared their com-panionship, stories, and views on life. At the Afrikania Mission I owe very much to Osofo Komfo Atsu Kove, the present leader, Osofo Obibini Kronkron, Osofo Boakye, Hunua Akakpo, Osofo Fiakpui, Torgbe Kortor, Osofo Baffour, Okomfo Abena, Dr. Beckley, Kofi Hande, Godwin, Gideon, Kofi, and my class mates in the Afrikania Mission Priesthood School. Thank you all for welcoming me in your midst and shar-ing your experiences and ideas. Many thanks also to Mama for helpshar-ing me with valu-able data and archive material. And to all members of the Headquarters and the Arts Centre branches, thanks for the music and the dancing. Many people working in the media field have received me in their studios and offices. A special thanks to Kafui, Florence, Elizabeth, and Ebenezer of TV3, Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie of Radio Gold, Mr. Fadi Fattal of Metro TV, Adjoba Kyiama of JoyFM, Mary Oppong of Top Radio, and Pearl Adotey and Janet Owusu of GTV.
Back at the Amsterdam School for Social Science Research, which offered insti-tutional support and an academic home, Miriam May, Anneke Dammers, Teun Bijvoet, José Koomen, Hans Sonneveld, Linda Atjak, and Hermance Mettrop were always ready with a listening ear, a critical eye, a helping hand, or a creative mind. The members of the Anthropology Club and other colleagues gave the process of writing up a pleasurable and indispensable social dimension. Thanks in particular to Irfan Ahmad, Eric Ansah, Daniel Arhinful, Joost Beuving, Christian Broër, Myrna Eindhoven, Julia Hornberger, Barak Kalir, Josien de Klerk, Shifra Kish, Anouk de Koning, Eileen Moyer, Nienke Muurling, Basile Ndjio, Mathijs Pelkmans, Graeme
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Reid, Yatun Sastramidjaja, Rachel Spronk, and Getnet Tadele. Nienke and Josien, thanks for being there all the way through and further. Both before and after joining the ASSR, my intellectual journey has greatly benefited from the expertise of Gerd Baumann, Sjaak van der Geest, Johannes Fabian, Peter Pels, Patsy Spyer, Peter van der Veer, and Jojada Verrips.
The Ghana Studies Group at the African Studies Centre in Leiden provided a valuable platform to discuss work in progress and exchange ideas and experiences with other Ghana-minded people, in particular its convenor Rijk van Dijk, Sjaak van der Geest, Marijke Steegstra, Malika Kraamer, Valentina Mazzucato, Lothar Smith, Mirjam Kabki, and Marloes Kraan. Thanks also to the members of the Amsterdam-Leiden Africanist network for constructive comments on my work at various stages. During the last phase of writing, several people offered to read parts of this thesis. I want to thank Jill Flanders-Crosby, Kodjo Senah, Maaike van Rossum, and Piet Mollema for their careful reading and generous comments and suggestions. Portions of this text have appeared in article form in various journals. The comments and cor-rections by editors and anonymous readers of the Journal of Religion in Africa, Africa Today, Etnofoor, Postscripts, Material Religion, and the International Journal of Urban and Regional Researchhave also found their way back into the chapters. The beauty of the pages I owe to Hedwig Thielen, who did the lay-out and the cover design with a great sense of aesthetics.
My deepest gratitude goes to Richard, who crossed my path just before this project began to take shape and accompanied me throughout with much patience, love, and a critical mind. Òdòyεwu, walking the road of life together is a source of joy and fulfilment. I dedicate this book to our two wonderful daughters, Limata and Kiki, who were both born during the period of writing it. Their hugs, games, and laughter, and their surprising perspectives on the world provide a much needed balance to aca-demic work and fill me with the greatest happiness every day.
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