OVERVIEW

About CISEA

CISEA has a broader focus on interfaith engagement but its emphasis is on Christian-Muslim relations, since Christianity and Islam constitute the two dominant religions in Africa in terms of adherents and daily encounters/challenges. The Christian-Muslim interface will, however, always be examined through the prism of the shared primal worldviews.  The work of the Centre complements other research and teaching areas of ACI, covering primal religions, African Christianity and Gospel & Culture related themes.

Our activities include research, publications, conferences, training seminars, and workshops on interfaith relations, comparative theological themes, interactions between religion and society, as well as issues in Christian mission in the presence of other faiths.

Aims and Objectives

  • The primary mission of the Centre is to equip Christian leaders, resource Christian scholars and develop biblically-based reflection on interfaith issues in general and Muslim-Christian interface in Africa in particular through teaching, research, publications and consultancy.
  • The Centre seeks to serve churches by providing a resource base for research into Interfaith and Christian-Muslim issues in Africa. This will include publications and acquisition of appropriate academic books for theological students, churches, Christian ministries as well as secular institutions and organizations interested in increasing their understanding of other faiths and Christian witness in an interfaith context.
  • The Centre will design and offer courses at the certificate level to enhance knowledge of Islam amongst Christians for the purposes of witness and good neighborliness. These courses will be offered at the grassroots level to various lay leadership groups in the churches and young adult Christian fellowships in the universities. Non-certificate courses in the forms of two to four-day seminars and workshops will also be conducted for congregations.
  • The Centre will develop and offer academic courses in interfaith understanding and engagement in Africa at the diploma and graduate levels. It will develop and offer full Masters and PhD programs as an integral part of ACI’s academic programs.
  • The Centre may provide appropriate services on a consultancy basis to Christian ministries, organizations, NGOs and secular agencies working especially in Islamic contexts in sub-Saharan Africa. These would take the form of commissioned research and publications as well as short courses and seminars for personnel and leadership.
  • The Centre will reach out to individual Muslims and Islamic institutions and organizations committed to an Islam that is African rather than Middle Eastern in its orientation and to promoting freedom of religious expression and change and who view the fight against religious violence as a fight against a common threat.
  • It will convene joint Christian-Muslim seminars in different regions in Ghana to inform and dispel stereotypical views and the fear of the other and to build relationships and trust for peaceful co-existence. Publications explaining various aspects of Islam to Christians and Christianity to Muslims will be produced to promote better interfaith understanding and good relations.
  • The Centre will convene and host national, regional and international conferences, consultations and workshops with the view of publishing monographs on specific theological and socio-political issues affecting Muslims and Christians in Africa.
  • In carrying out its tasks, the Centre will collaborate with various national, regional and international Christian, Muslim and secular bodies, institutions and organizations in Ghana, across Africa, and the West as well as seek relations with theological institutions in other parts of the non-western world.

Activities

Key People

Rev. Dr. Johnson Mbillah, Director
Rev. Dr. Solomon Sule-Saa
Rev. Dr. Michael S. Nortey
Mr. Emmanuel K. Tettey