Renewing the mind, transforming the society: Reflections on Romans 12:2 from a Ghanaian perspective

Abstract

This article examines how the practicalization of Paul’s concept of the renewal of the mind (Rom. 12:2) may contribute to the transformation of the human society. It is a sequel to an earlier article written on Romans 12:1 which considered how the offering of the believer’s life as a living, holy and pleasing sacrifice to God might inform the worship life, ethical decisions and lifestyle of the believer. It noted that living a sacrificial life involves a total dedication to God in response to his gracious mercies manifested toward the believer. The two papers are meant to encourage believers to engage the public sphere with their faith. The present paper is literature-based research that gathered data from books, articles, and dissertations. After a textual analysis of the text (Rom. 12:2), it was discovered that social transformation is an inevitable result of the transformation of the individual through the renewal of the mind. The paper contributes to the public theological discourse on how Christianity may transform the human society. Keywords: Christianity, The Human Mind, The Apostle Paul, Renewal of the Mind, Societal Transformation.