Similar to other countries in southern Africa, the relationship between African Spiritual Churches and New Pentecostal Churches in Botswana has been characterized by considerable tension and mutual distrust. Although both movements highlight the third person of the Trinity, the Spirit of God, their followers view the world around them very differently. This study has investigated the relationship between these two types of churches by focusing on their efforts to produce unique ideologies of spiritual power in relation to the two major ideologies in the Botswana context, namely the reified Setswana worldview and the globalizing forces of Western modernity. In order to provide a careful analysis of the relationship between these movements, two churches from each group were chosen as representatives. The Hermon Church and Revelation Blessed Peace Church served as examples for the African Spiritual Churches, while Goodnews Ministries and Bible Life Ministries were the New Pentecostal subjects. Primary research methods included interviews with church leadership, questionnaires for members of each church and participant observation. Church origins, biblical hermeneutics, healing and deliverance rituals, and approaches to cultures and covenants formed the key areas of study. Creating unique “worlds of the Spirit” by means of innovative tactics, both types of churches seek to enable their followers to live well as they produce their contextualized ideologies of power. However, even though both movements lay claim to the Spirit of God as their source of power, the distinctive ideologies emerging from their sermons, technologies, rituals and symbols have brought them into conflict with one another. For African Spiritual Churches, the Spirit of God meets people in the midst of life’s struggles, providing healing and wholeness in all relationships. Their willingness to adopt certain elements of the reified Setswana worldview is a major issue in the conflict with New Pentecostal Churches. For New Pentecostals, the Spirit breaks all covenants made in the past, and empowers “born again” believers to succeed in a modern environment filled with opportunities and challenges. The key missiological concern of this study is to explore the unique efforts of these movements to contextualize the gospel message for Botswana. / Church Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

Similar to other countries in southern Africa, the relationship between African Spiritual Churches and New Pentecostal Churches in Botswana has been characterized by considerable tension and mutual distrust. Although both movements highlight the third person of the Trinity, the Spirit of God, their followers view the world around them very differently. This study has investigated the relationship between these two types of churches by focusing on their efforts to produce unique ideologies of spiritual power in relation to the two major ideologies in the Botswana context, namely the reified Setswana worldview and the globalizing forces of Western modernity. In order to provide a careful analysis of the relationship between these movements, two churches from each group were chosen as representatives. The Hermon Church and Revelation Blessed Peace Church served as examples for the African Spiritual Churches, while Goodnews Ministries and Bible Life Ministries were the New Pentecostal subjects. Primary research methods included interviews with church leadership, questionnaires for members of each church and participant observation. Church origins, biblical hermeneutics, healing and deliverance rituals, and approaches to cultures and covenants formed the key areas of study. Creating unique “worlds of the Spirit” by means of innovative tactics, both types of churches seek to enable their followers to live well as they produce their contextualized ideologies of power. However, even though both movements lay claim to the Spirit of God as their source of power, the distinctive ideologies emerging from their sermons, technologies, rituals and symbols have brought them into conflict with one another. For African Spiritual Churches, the Spirit of God meets people in the midst of life’s struggles, providing healing and wholeness in all relationships. Their willingness to adopt certain elements of the reified Setswana worldview is a major issue in the conflict with New Pentecostal Churches. For New Pentecostals, the Spirit breaks all covenants made in the past, and empowers “born again” believers to succeed in a modern environment filled with opportunities and challenges. The key missiological concern of this study is to explore the unique efforts of these movements to contextualize the gospel message for Botswana. / Church Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

In a manner similar to other countries on the African continent, Botswana has witnessed the explosive growth of new Pentecostal churches. These churches are most often distinguished by their recent origins, focus on the prosperity gospel and spiritual deliverance ministries. In this study, one specific church, Bible Life Ministries, in the capital city of Gaborone, was researched in an effort to understand its great appeal. I have proposed that their rapid growth is a result of their "promise of power" - spiritual power that provides individuals with temporal results such as health, wealth and control over one's environment. Faced with the rapid changes brought about by external forces such as urbanization and globalization, these churches are deliberately seeking to bridge western and Setswana culture in an effort to contextualize the gospel for contemporary Batswana. Of major missiological concern is whether or not the gospel message has been distorted in this process. / Church Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

In a manner similar to other countries on the African continent, Botswana has witnessed the explosive growth of new Pentecostal churches. These churches are most often distinguished by their recent origins, focus on the prosperity gospel and spiritual deliverance ministries. In this study, one specific church, Bible Life Ministries, in the capital city of Gaborone, was researched in an effort to understand its great appeal. I have proposed that their rapid growth is a result of their "promise of power" - spiritual power that provides individuals with temporal results such as health, wealth and control over one's environment. Faced with the rapid changes brought about by external forces such as urbanization and globalization, these churches are deliberately seeking to bridge western and Setswana culture in an effort to contextualize the gospel for contemporary Batswana. Of major missiological concern is whether or not the gospel message has been distorted in this process. / Church Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)