A Costume Christology of Ghana’s Most Beautiful Reality Show

Abstract

Pageantry is an integral part of Ghana’s traditional culture. Beauty pageants feature prominently in many traditional festivities. With the emergence of the digital and print media, beauty pageants have acquired an international recognition and relevance. Such contests not only entertain people but also educate audience about the culture of the contestants. Admittedly, certain aspects of these contests—for example, dressing to expose one’s private parts—contradict Christian ethics and need to be condemned. However, the art forms used in the competition are embedded with rich theological ideas which can be developed and promoted to serve as a missionary tool for reaching the participants and their audience. The purpose of this paper is to offer a Christological reflection on selected costumes used in the Ghana’s Most Beautiful reality show. This paper gathered data on the subject matter both by participant observation and by literature research using secondary sources such as books, articles, and dissertations. The paper contributes to the development of the emerging field of costume theology for the African context.