Religious pluralism and its impact on social cohesion: a case study of Christian-Muslim relations in Ejura in the Ejura-Sekyedumasi municipality of Ashanti.
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Date
2018-06
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KNUST
Abstract
Religion is described as one of the most important structures in all the established human societies that make up the entire social system. It is believed to be a unifying force; however, this role of religion is realized in societies where there is only one religion. Truly, most countries in the world have witnessed conflicts for many years and a large proportion of these conflicts emanate from fault lines in religion. In the current global scenario, many nations are facing problems of hatred, intimidation, incitement, and acts of violence as a result of religious differences.
This research therefore sought to find out how the religious pluralistic nature of Ejura is impacting on how Christians and Muslims in the society relate to one another or how they are
“glued” together as a people. In Ejura, which is described as the town with the highest number of settlers in Ghana, Christians and Muslims have been living together peacefully as though they have no differences. The only incident of religious clash was among the Muslim groups of Ahlus Sunna and Tijjaniyya. Christians and Muslims have enjoyed a very healthy relationship even than the two Muslim groups themselves.
Apart from the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the study selected only the mission churches and among the Muslim too, the study focused on only the Sunni Muslims. It was discovered that, the religious pluralistic nature of Ejura has not had any negative impact on interpersonal relationship in the town. There is a strong social bond between Christians and Muslims. Another thing found to be contributing towards the healthy Christian-Muslim relations in the town is that, all members of the community have equal opportunity to engage in any lawful income generating activities irrespective of their religious or ethnic affiliations. No group in Ejura feels relegated to the periphery so far as the sharing and use of the community‟s resources is concerned. Notwithstanding the few challenges related to education and other social issues, religion has not polarised the community probably because of the economic prosperity of the town. Muslims and Christians accept and respect the other.
Description
A Thesis Submitted To The Department Of Religious Studies In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Degree Of Master Of Philosophy In Religious Studies