The factor of Christianization and missionary activity in the integration of the Ewe ethnic identity

Abstract

The article deals with an issue of the spread of Christianity in the Ewe ethnic community living in the territory of the modern states of Ghana, Togo and Benin, as well as the influence of Christianization on the formation of the group identity of the community. The article describes the main milestones of the Christianization of the community. The beginning of that process is stated in the context of Portuguese colonization, and the real spread of Christian doctrine with the beginning of the activities of German missionaries in the middle of the 19th century. The latter carried out missionary activities in the Ewe language, which was specially created on the basis of one of the dialects in written form. It was used for publishing the Gospel and providing education in parish schools. As a result, Christianity became quite widespread in the region, since inclusion in the religious system provided social lifts for the local population. At the same time, Christianization of the local population remained largely formal, since religious practice did not take into account local cultural patterns, and traditionalist beliefs continued to remain popular, and Christian converts often returned to fetishistic practices. As a result, it ended up with religious dualism in the mid-twentieth century leading to the emergence of the phenomenon of “Spiritual Churches”, which, although nominally Christian, actively used the modified ritual practices of traditionalists. Such religious disunity remains relevant to the present day and is a pronounced obstacle to the ethnic integration of the Ewe people.