The New Testament and Politics in Ghana (2017–2023): Analysis of the “Biblification” of Ghanaian Political Discourse by Ken Ofori-Atta (Ghana’s Finance Minister)

Wandusim, Michael F.; Boateng, Abraham

Abstract

This chapter investigates a political reception of the New Testament in Ghana from 2017 – 2023 which is tentatively labelled as Ofori-Atta phenomenon. In the stated years, Ken Ofori-Atta, then Finance Minister of Ghana, made consistent recourse to biblical texts during his presentations of annual government budget statements to the Ghanaian Parliament. From a postcolonial biblical reception hermeneutical analytic framework, research for the chapter examined the budget statements he presented over the period. Subsequently, it argues that the Ofori-Atta phenomenon is, on the one hand, a biblification of Ghanaian political-economic discourse through economic planning instruments such as national budgets and, on the other hand, a sermonisation of national budget presentation speeches. It projects the Bible, the sacred scripture of Christianity, as a national Holy Scripture which speaks to the entire nation of Ghana through such economic management instruments. Furthermore, Matt 14:13–21 is invoked programmatically and re-interpreted in a secular, political context. The study thus concludes that the Ofori-Atta phenomenon presents a potential political leveraging on an existing high Ghanaian religiosity as it presents the minister as a God-fearing public figure to be admired by all. Consequently, it has negative implications for public accountability in the management of the Ghanaian economy.