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Basic 2 · Religious and Moral Education · God the Creator

Names of God Show His Nature

In this topic you will learn names Ghanaians use for God and what they tell us about Him.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

  • Name Ghanaian names for God
  • Explain what the names mean
  • Relate the names to God's attributes

What you already know

  • God's attributes

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Strand
God’s creation and Attributes
Sub-strand
God the Creator
Indicator
B2.1.1.1.1 – Mention the attributes of God that reveal His nature

Introduction

In Ghana, people give God many names. Each name tells us something about God.

1. Ghanaian Names for God

Names for God
NameLanguageMeaning
OnyankopɔnAkanthe Great One
TwerɛduampɔnAkanthe One you lean on and do not fall
MawuEwethe Supreme Being
Ataa Naa NyɔŋmɔGaFather-Mother God
NaawuniDagbaniGod the King
AllahArabic (Islam)God, the One
A chart of Ghanaian names for God with their meanings
Figure 1: Names of God in Ghana Copy three names and their meanings.Illustration: Sirbus; Gye Nyame symbol: kasahorow from Openclipart, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. What the Names Teach

  • Twerɛduampɔn teaches that God is dependable.
  • Onyankopɔn teaches that God is great.
  • Ataa Naa Nyɔŋmɔ teaches that God cares like a father and a mother.

New words

name
A word we call someone by.
dependable
Can be relied on.
Supreme Being
God, the highest of all.
meaning
What a word tells us.

Summary

  • Ghanaian languages have many names for God.
  • Each name tells us something about God.
  • Twerɛduampɔn means God is dependable.

Class activity: Name Hunt

  1. Group learners by their home languages.
  2. Share the name for God in each language.
  3. Say what it means.

You need: Bible, Qur’an, Local leaves, Flowers, Printed photographs of Ghanaian landscapes

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

  1. 1. What is the Ga name for God?

    • A. Ataa Naa Nyɔŋmɔ
    • B. Mawu
    • C. Naawuni
    • D. Onyankopɔn
    Show answer
    Answer: Ataa Naa NyɔŋmɔGa speakers say Ataa Naa Nyɔŋmɔ.

  2. 2. Twerɛduampɔn shows that God is…

    • A. Dependable
    • B. Angry
    • C. Small
    • D. Far
    Show answer
    Answer: DependableYou lean on Him and do not fall.

  3. 3. Muslims call God Allah.

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: TrueAllah is the Arabic name for God.

  4. 4. All Ghanaian names for God mean the same word "tree".

    • A. True
    • B. False
    Show answer
    Answer: FalseThey describe God's nature.

  5. 5. Can be relied on means ______.

    Show answer
    Answer: dependableThat is dependable.

  6. 6. Write one name for God and its meaning.

    Show answer
    Answer: E.g. Onyankopɔn – the Great One.Names show God's nature.

Homework

  1. Ask an elder for a name of God in your language and what it means.