Paper Short Abstract:

In a Ghanaian agricultural research institute, faith intertwines with scientific inquiry. Prayer mingles with data analysis, challenging Western binaries. Presence and embodied knowledge inform scientific understanding, moving our knowledge production beyond assumptions of secularity and objectivity

Paper Abstract:

Beyond the confines of "secular" and "religious," a Ghanaian agricultural research institution hums with an intricate tension between science and faith. My year-long ethnographic fieldwork unveils a nuanced understanding of knowledge production, one that transcends Western epistemological binaries. This ought to be secular space is subtly interwoven with Christian religiosity. Prayer and scripture seamlessly integrate into research routines, shaping agendas, human relations, and even ethical considerations towards other species. Christian values inform hiring practices, fostering community coherence through shared morals and a "Christ-like" approach to challenges. This entanglement demands reflexive ethnographic approach beyond purely cognitive accounts. Acknowledging the emotional and spiritual investment of researchers, including myself, I move beyond simplistic objectivity and explore affective distance, deconstructing Western assumptions on rationality and objectivity. Presence, as theorized by Engelke, becomes a key concept. Ritualized invocations and chanting cultivate a sense of communion with the divine as researchers draw on intuition and spiritual sensitivity alongside intellectual analysis. Seemingly "purified" scientific settings are permeated by religious influences, manifested in ritualistic practices, moral frameworks, and implicit Christian assumptions shaping various fields of research, including mine. By analyzing these entanglements, I aim to challenge the separation of science and religion often assumed in Western epistemologies. Instead, I propose a relational understanding where both spheres mutually inform and shape each other. While emphasizing the importance of situated knowledge and decolonial epistemologies, this work contributes to a broader critique of Western epistemological biases in Southern science.