Vincent Kwabena Damuah

Infobox Politician
name = Vincent Kwabena Damuah


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office = Member opf the Provisional National Defence Council
term_start = January, 1982
term_end = November, 1982
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birth_date = 1930
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death_date = August, 1992
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occupation = Priest
religion = Catholic, turned to African Traditional Religion


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Reverend Father Dr. Vincent Kwabena Damuah (1930 - August, 1992cite web |url=http://www.barnard.edu/religion/postscripts/Postscripts_1-2_1-3.pdf |title=The Journal of Sacred Texts & Contemporary Worlds |accessdate=2007-04-29 |format=pdf |publisher=Equinox Publishing] ) was a catholic priest, theologian and politician in Ghana. He was a member of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) government and was also the founder of the Afrikania Mission. He was also referred to as "Osɔfo Okɔmfo" Damuah. Dr. Dumuah received a Ph.D. in African Studies from Howard University in 1971.

Priesthood

Rev. Father Damuah was a Roman Catholic priest from 1957 to 1982. He was once a consultant of Afro-American Affairs in the diocese of Pittsburgh in the US. He returned to Ghana in 1976. [cite web |url=http://www.staidenlindesfarne.org/vsItemDisplay.dsp&objectID=0C131763-3A98-47EE-860CA11A3FF76A97&method=display |title=A Review: "Christianity In Africa" by Kwame Bediako |accessdate=2007-04-29 |author=The Reverend Alan Morris |date=May 26, 2004 |publisher=Missionary Diocese of St. Aidan Lindisfarne] He was suspended from his priestly ministry by the Catholic Church,cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol%204%20Chpt%201%20com.sec.rep.pdf |title=The Security Services |accessdate=2007-04-29 |format=pdf |pages=page 56 |work=Report of the National Reconciliation Commission Volume 4 Chapter 1 |publisher=Ghana government] because of his involvement with the PNDC government. In December 1982, Rev. Damuah founded the Afrikania Mission, an organization devoted to the promotion of African Traditional Religion. [cite web |url=http://ospiti.peacelink.it/anb-bia/nr444/e05.html |title=Ghana - Libation issue rears up again |accessdate=2007-04-29 |publisher=African News Bulletin]

Politics

Rev. Damuah was detained during the Nkrumah era. This was for criticising the Convention People's Party government for the deportation of Bishop Reginald Richard Roseveare, the then Anglican Bishop of Accra. He was released following the personal intervention of Archbishop John Kodwo Amissah, Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast [cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol.%204%20Chpt%209%20Rel..pdf |title=The Role of Religious Bodies – Complicity or Resistance to Human Rights Abuses. |accessdate=2007-04-29 |date=October 2004 |format=pdf |pages=page 428 |work=Report of the National Reconciliation Commission Volume 4 Chapter 9 |publisher=Ghana government] During the four month rule of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in 1979, he was on record to have supported the executions, which included three former heads of state of Ghana, although the Christian Council of Ghana opposed it. [cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol.%204%20Chpt%209%20Rel..pdf |title=The Role of Religious Bodies – Complicity or Resistance to Human Rights Abuses. |accessdate=2007-04-29 |date=October 2004 |format=pdf |pages=page 438 |work=Report of the National Reconciliation Commission Volume 4 Chapter 9 |publisher=Ghana government] He wrote:

We do not love those executed less but we love our country more. Why allthe fuss about execution? I believe that the A.F.R.C has the right to exactcapital punishment for the common good of the country. We hope and praythat the number is not too large. Christ died on the cross to save mankind.We hope and pray that those who have to die, accept the challengecourageously and prayerfully to save Ghana. [The Standard, Sunday 29th July , 1979, p.3.]

Rev. Damuah was appointed a member of the PNDC on January 2, 1982. This led to his suspension by the Catholic Church from his priestly duties. [cite web |url=http://www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/Vol.%204%20Chpt%209%20Rel..pdf |title=The Role of Religious Bodies – Complicity or Resistance to Human Rights Abuses. |accessdate=2007-04-29 |date=October 2004 |format=pdf |pages=page 441 |work=Report of the National Reconciliation Commission Volume 4 Chapter 9 |publisher=Ghana government] He had however resigned from government by late 1982. [cite web |url=http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=ft2199n7n7&chunk.id=d0e1725&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e1156&brand=eschol |title="Chapter 2— Ghana in Economic Crisis" in The Politics of Reform in Ghana, 1982–1991 |accessdate=2007-04-29 |pages=pp32]

Publications

*Introduction to traditional religion: Afrikania Reformed African Traditional Religion [Religious text, Afrikania Mission, 1988] 2nd editioncite web |url=http://members.tripod.com/afrikania/id2.htm |title=Afrikania In Brief |accessdate=2007-04-29 |work=Official website |publisher=Afrikania Mission]
*Kwabena Damuah, African Contribution to Civilization (Accra: Nsamankow Press, 1985). [ [http://www.barnard.edu/religion/postscripts/Postscripts_1-2_1-3.pdf Microsoft Word - 01 Page 1.doc ] ]
*Damuah, Kwabena. Afrikania Handbook. Accra: Nsamankow Press, 1982.Kwabena Damuah. Afrikania (Reformed Traditional Religion). Common Sense Series 8. Accra:Afrikania Mission, 1984.———. African Contribution to Civilization. Accra: Nsamankow Press, 1985.

References

External links

* [http://members.tripod.com/afrikania/ Afrikania Mission]

Further reading

*“A Traditional Religion Reformed: Vincent Kwabena Damuah and the Afrikania Movement, 1982–2000,” in Christianity and the African Imagination: Essays in Honour of Adrian Hastings, ed. David Maxwell and Ingrid Lawrie (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 271–94
*Kofi Asare Opoku, “Damuah and the Afrikania Mission: The Man and his Message: Some Preliminary Considerations,” Trinity Journal of Church and Theology 3, no. 1 (1993): 39–60

Persondata
NAME=Damuah, Vincent Kwabena
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Former catholic priest, theologian, politician and founder of Afrikania Mission
DATE OF BIRTH=1930
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=August, 1992
PLACE OF DEATH=