Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Ghana, like many other African countries, is blessed with abundant natural
resources that make the country potentially wealthy. However, unethical
practices in harnessing these resources have resulted in many environmental
challenges that cost the nation a lot of resources to manage, and eventually
make the country poorer. Of particular interest to this paper is the illegal mining
of gold, which destroys water bodies and vegetation in many parts of Ghana.
This issue has attracted public attention, and various meetings, seminars,
symposia, and publications have been dedicated to it. Yet, the problem still
persists, and so the search for a solution continues. To contribute to the ongoing
(theological) discussions, this paper explored how a contextual application of
relevant aspects of John Wesley’s theology of holiness might serve as a panacea
to Ghana’s mining-related ecological problems. The author used both empirical
and literature-based research approaches for the study. The primary data for the
research were gathered by administering questionnaires to participants from
selected communities affected by illegal mining activities and analyzed in the
light of secondary data from such sources as books, journal articles, and
dissertations. The main argument of the paper is that Christian holiness and
spirituality should manifest not only in Christians’ relationships with God and
other human beings but also in their relationship with the environment. The
paper found that diverse factors cause Ghana’s ecological problems and
so needs a holistic approach to address them. The paper contributes to the
ongoing public discourse about environmental sustainability in Ghana.
Keywords: Creation, Ghana, Personal Holiness, Illegal Mining, Wesleyan
Theology
