ABSTRACT

Three key questions guide this investigation into specific accusations of fakery related to some Christian religious leaders’ acts in contemporary Ghana. The first question is: what do moving images and other popular visual forms (such as cartoons) contribute to assessments and accusations of fakery? The second question is: what can we learn from a close examination of religious leaders and their actions that citizens consider fake? The last question is: who gets to make public accusations of fakery on Ghanaian religious matters? I argue that the various analyzed cartoons and memes contribute to ongoing public discussions of the religious leaders as fake. I show how some of these religious leaders seem motivated by the need to be recognized as possessing superior supernatural powers which they exchange for material wealth. I draw attention to specific categories of Ghanaians, such as certain politicians with clout, to level accusations that these religious pastors are fakes.

摘要

三个关键问题指导本次调查对与当代加纳一些基督教宗教领袖的行为有关的造假的具体指控。第一个问题是：移动图像和其他流行的视觉形式（如卡通）对造假的评估和指控有何贡献？第二个问题是：我们可以从宗教领袖及其被公民认为是假的行为的仔细审查中学到什么？最后一个问题是：谁可以公开指责加纳宗教事务造假？我认为，各种经过分析的漫画和模因有助于将宗教领袖视为假冒的持续公开讨论。我展示了这些宗教领袖中的一些似乎是出于被承认拥有超自然力量的需要，他们可以用这些超自然力量来交换物质财富。