Islam in a Zongo

Benedikt Pontzen is an anthropologist and writer who has been carrying out ethnographic and historiographic research in Asante since the early 2000s. Besides his research on Islam, he also works on so-called 'African Traditional Religions', religious encounters, and lived religious diversity in the region. His work has been published in journals, including Africa and the Journal of Religion in Africa, and in edited volumes.

• Introduction; 1. A History of Muslim Presence in Asante; 2. Muslim Presence and Zongos in Asante: The Current State; 3. Those Who Pray Together; 4. Speaking for Islam: ʿIlm and Religious Authority; 5. 'Bōkā:' on Islamic Discourses, Imaginaries, and Incommensurability; Conclusion; Appendixes.

'The most important analysis of Islam in a Zongo in recent times. This is a fascinating anthropological account of how Islamic beliefs and practices permeate every facet of life for the people of Kokote Zongo in Offinso in southern Ghana. Pontzen offers a unique, nuanced and thorough ethnographic approach with theoretical insights by analysing the backgrounds of the various Muslim groups and their conceptualisations of Islamic beliefs and practices which highlight diversities, conceptions and imaginaries of Islam.' Yunus Dumbe, Department of Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumase, Ghana