Alleviating Poverty in Ghana through Kenotic Empowerment. Theology as an Indispensable Component of a Multidimensional Paradigm

The church in Ghana is battling with resilient poverty caused mainly by corruption, injustice and indiscipline. About 42.7% of Ghanaians were said to be poor according to a 2013 survey. To enable the Catholic Church in Ghana deal with this canker, this research critically evaluates the views of poverty of Gustavo Gutiérrez, Joseph Ratzinger's CDF, and Pope Francis. Gutiérrez ardently advocates solidarity with poor people and protest against injustice, prioritizing orthopraxis over orthodoxy. Ratzinger's CDF vehemently criticised Gutiérrez, preferred charity, education and total submission to the magisterium, placing orthodoxy above orthopraxis. Francis avoids a dichotomy between orthodoxy and orthopraxis, proposing witness in discernment and accompaniment as the needed approach to poverty. Our study concludes that witness in discernment, compassion, and companionship would be more relevant in dealing with poverty in Ghana and beyond.

Publication year:2020

Accessibility:Open