Christianity and marriage in Africa : the perspective of Christian men in Ghana

Abstract

Christianity is growing on the African continent yet, most of the Christians prefer Traditional African marriage practices to Christian marriage practices. The relevance of marriage for church growth and social development requires a good understanding of people especially men’s perception on marriage as Christians. 12 male Christians were interviewed to explore their views on marriage in the Ghanaian society. The study goal at outlining the perception of male Christians about marriage to their belief systems. The research is a qualitative study that employed purposive sampling and semi-structured interview to explore African men's perception of marriage as Africans and Christians in the Ghanaian context. It was found that, although most African men identify themselves as Christians, it is very challenging for them to adopt Christian marriage practice. The challenge is exposed to be higher among Catholic Christian men due to a stricter doctrine on marriage.