Since the late 1880s, Zambia has been engaged in a repeated series of encounters with Christian renewals. The arrival of Pentecostalism will be viewed as the palpable product of this intensely creative process. Zambian Pentecostalism emerged in continuity with the fruit of European Christian missionary enterprise, but its more contemporary version evolved in spontaneous response to the rise and ministry of influential local Zambian leaders such as Joel Chidzakazi Phiri, prophetess Alice Lenshina, evangelist Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba, Winston Broomes, and Jack and Winsome Muggleton. The activities of these key figures led to the formation and prominence of three main church streams across Zambia: Prophetic and Pentecostal-type Pentecostalism, Classical Pentecostalism and Neo-Pentecostalism. The brand of Pentecostalism that emerged in Zambia in the 1940s has been influenced by several theological, cultural, political and social influences. One noticeable feature of Zambian PentecostalCharismatic Churches has been their change in character across the decades from holiness and evangelistic traditions of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s to the faith and prosperity ministry of the 2010s. Pentecostal-Charismatic has become engaged in the public sphere by the early 1990s. A further development since the 2000s has been the prominence of the prophetic and apostolic, which is the combination of teaching mainly from the USA and various strands of previous ministries with an emphasis on miracles, deliverance, prosperity and prophecy.

No description available.

Throughout the past five years a flood of international attention has been paid to Uganda. This focus has to do with the proposal, passage, and annulment of the Anti- Homosexuality Bill (AHB). In its original form, the AHB prescribed the death penalty for some acts of homosexuality, mandated prison sentences for the ‘promotion of homosexuality’, and required Ugandans to report ‘offenders’ to the authorities. Overwhelmingly the predominant frames found throughout the international press, attribute the Legislation to two main factors, the influence of the North American evangelical movement, and/or the ruling party—the National Resistance Movement—using local homophobia to obscure broader trends of restricting human rights and democratic freedoms. While both explanations have degrees of validity they underplay the tangible religiousity of the context, demonstrated in the discursive influence of the Ugandan Pentecostal-Charismatic (PC) movement, at the heart of the Legislation. Yet, PC influence is demonstrated far beyond the Legislation alone, and it is changing the nature of Ugandan politics, governance, and the formation of citizenship. This thesis examines the influence of PC discourse on processes of governance and citizenship by using the PC engagement with sexuality in the public sphere to understand its political impact. I argue that PC discourse in the public sphere—which functions by reinscribing the past, present, and future—reveals tensions in the Ugandan public sphere, the negotiation of citizenship, and perpetuates the indistinct boundaries between religion, politics, and governance. Through an extended ethnographic approach conducted at four local PC churches over the course of fourteens months in Kampala—including Miracle Centre, One Love, Watoto, and Covenant Nations—analysis of church-produced discourse collected through participant observations and interviews elucidates the impact of moral narratives on political governance and citizenship. In church-produced discourse homosexuality is positioned as inherently un-African, a practice learned from the West that undermines local tradition and morality, and is a threat to the up-and-coming generation charged with transforming the nation. Consequently, for the PC community the Legislation functions as a display of autonomy from Western influence, and a stride towards nation building by establishing a moral citizenry reflective of PC tenets of sexual purity, by a religious community that has taken on the role of development actor. The implications of the study cannot be understated. PC discourse has profound implications for Ugandans living outside of the bounds of PC identity. The AHB reflects the newfound political influence and impact of PC discourse in the public sphere. Consequently as members of the local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community, a community seen as incompatible with this newly aligned moral national identity, is rendered not to belong to Uganda. In turn the boundaries between the political and the religious are made more and more indistinguishable, and the Ugandan LGBTI community without a distinguishable country.

This thesis examines the entanglements and interactions between OMG – a Charismatic Pentecostal Church and the post-colonial Zimbabwean state through an ethnographic analysis of church members' everyday lives. I focus on money and consumption, and make several arguments in an attempt to explain the rapid expansion of OMG. Whilst the study adopts a political economy approach in framing the conditions under which the church emerged, I place Pentecostal Charismatic belief and experience at the centre of the analysis. Money and commodity consumption have been creatively incorporated into OMG belief systems and doctrines at a time when the Zimbabwean economy is performing poorly, and poverty is an everyday reality for most of the population. The consumption of commodities has religious significance inasmuch as it is a critique of the post- independence government that has largely failed to improve the lives of Zimbabweans. In consuming commodities, OMG congregants set themselves apart from non-members and construct themselves as ‘blessed’ and thriving. I argue that the mismanagement of the postcolonial state has provided crevices and clefts through which OMG has emerged and grown as a proxy to the state by appropriating aspects of state and chieftaincy rituals. Secondly, OMG offers alternative social spaces for citizens to be - or to appear to be - upwardly mobile and construct a sense of common identity based on religion, history and belonging. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria 2019. / Human Economy Programme / University of Pretoria for the Post-Graduate Doctoral Bursary – Humanities / FlyHigher@UP grant / Anthropology and Archaeology / PhD / Unrestricted

Religion has become one of the central themes in the Ghanaian/Nigerian video film industry. The portrayal of religious elements which mirrors the religious dynamics of the audience has been attributed partly to the success and popularity of the films. The video films have also excited religious passions as well as criticisms. The heart of the debate, as the existing studies indicate, is how the various religious traditions (often, Christianity and Indigenous religions) are represented in the video films. Whereas some scholars opine that Christianity, especially Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches are frequently privileged, others contend that the religious delineation in the video films reflect experiential issues; the churches are portrayed in line with the niche, positive or otherwise, that they have created for themselves which is well known to producers and the consumers. This study examines the religious constructs in the Ghanaian/Nigerian video films phenomenon. The main focus is an investigation into audience reception of the video films, particularly among the members of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity in Ghana and the UK. It also explores the appropriation of the religious elements in general and Pentecostal-Charismatic narratives in selected video films. An ethnographic research method, comprising mainly of textual analysis of selected video films; participant observation and qualitative interviews, was used to draw comparative insights from a cross section of members of Action Chapel International and Word Miracle International churches in Accra and London. This thesis contributes to the on-going discourse on the Ghanaian/Nigerian video films and Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity partly popularized by Birgit Meyer and Afe Adogame. Hall’s Encoding/Decoding theoretical framework is used to explore the reception while the Uses and Gratifications theory is also adopted to examine the appropriation of the religious constructs in the Ghanaian/Nigerian video films. Notwithstanding the fluid representations of various religious traditions in Ghanaian/Nigerian video films, the findings show that the reception and uses of the religious narratives in the films by the audience comprise of a synthesis of full embrace on one hand and scepticism on the other. It was found that beyond entertainment, majority of the audience who were members of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity focus on the religious significance of the video films. Yet, most pastors and leaders in these churches were not comfortable recommending the video films as a good partner in the religious lives of their members. As this thesis focused on only Pentecostal-Charismatic audience, further research on members of other Christian denominations or religions regarding their self-representation in the video films is recommended. This will help to establish if the reception pattern of other religious groups is complex or linked directly with the portrayal trend of one’s religion.

The embeddedness of Pentecostal/Charismatic tenets within contemporary global frameworks of transnational power reveals the ability of religion to shape the sociocultural and spiritual experiences of people on the move from one place to another. For this reason, sociologists of religion and scholars of World Christianity have noted the rapid missionary expansion of African Pentecostal/Charismatic movements to the northern hemisphere. Some have even referred to the missionary work of non-western forms of Christianity in the western world as the ‘Southernisation of European Christianity’. But if the aggressive strategies adopted by African Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in the western diaspora are intended to reawaken Christianity in Europe, what then is the motivation for intra-African Pentecostal/Charismatic movements in traversing national boundaries, with their distinctive version of the Christian faith, making Africa a theatre in which Christian missionaries are both sent and received? This thesis examines the intra-African missionary praxis of a highly influential Nigerian Pentecostal/Charismatic church, the Winners’ Chapel, and its accompanying power dynamics in Cameroon from 1996 to 2016. Using a qualitative research approach, the study examines the character of transnational Pentecostal/Charismatic movements in Africa, using Winners’ Chapel in Cameroon as a case study. After an investigation of the emergence of the church, the study examines the various strategies used to achieve and maintain control of the mother church in Nigeria over its daughter church in Cameroon, such as the deployment of Nigerian missionaries, the use of Nigerian-defined Winners’ Chapel tenets in Cameroon, the place of sermons and testimonies, and the role of the media. The thesis studies the conflicts of loyalty and contestations that emerge between Nigerian Winners’ Chapel missionaries to Cameroon and their Cameroonian colleagues in Cameroon. It concludes with an assessment of how far Winners’ Chapel can be said to contribute to the provision of social capital and empowerment in Cameroon. The findings in this study provide a significant and original contribution to the understanding of how power dynamics can operate within complex relationships between transnational Pentecostal/Charismatic actors (missionaries), and their receiving countries colleagues in the continent of Africa. It also contributes to the literature on African Pentecostalism but offers fresh insights into the encounters, contestations, and resistance that emerge between ‘founder-owners’ and recruited workers of intra-African Pentecostal/Charismatic Movements. By appropriating international relations concepts such as Joseph Nye’s ideas of ‘soft power’ and concepts in the sociology of religion such as Peggy Levitt’s ‘remittances’, popularised by Afe Adogame, the study potentially unveils the nexus between international relations, the sociology of religion and development within Pentecostalist transnational discourses in Africa.

Den här uppsatsen använder hederskulturbegreppets teorier för att undersöka hederskultur inom det pentekostal-karismatiska fältet i Sverige. Materialet består av intervjuer med personer som växt upp i en pentekostal-karismatisk miljö samt av predikningar, litteratur och inlägg i sociala medier. Jag finner att materialet delvis innehåller sådant som kan sägas vara en annan i forskning belagd hederskultur, enkelt uttryckt »traditionell hederskultur« – det vill säga att leva med hedersrelaterade normer och begränsningar. Jag kallar denna variant av hederskultur för »kristen hederskultur«, ett begrepp jag gör ett försök att definiera. Uppsatsens ärende är att granska relationen mellan hederskulturen och kyrkosynen i dessa församlingsmiljöer. Jag finner att renhetsidealen i kyrkosynen – som jag bland annat kallar »fromhetsheder« – bidrar till hederskulturen. Dessa ideal tar i sin tur utgångspunkt i en föreställning om Bibelns auktoritet som rättesnöre för livet vilket gör föräldrarnas uppfostran av barnen i min studie strängare. Den karismatiska förståelsen av världen kan också leda till en alternativ barnuppfostran. Vikten av helighet komplicerar och begränsar även de ungas liv i mitt material. Jag avslutar med att föreslå begreppet »hedersrelaterad ecklesiologi«, en kyrkosyn som jag menar karakteriseras av en ortodox lära, en gemenskap som kräver Guds renhet, en stark församlings-identitet som missionerande, samt en karismatisk praktik.

Syftet med studien är att utforska psykoterapeuters syn på hur psykoterapi kan svara på lidande hos patienter som upplevt förtryck i kristen hederskultur i frikyrkliga miljöer, samt att bidra till ökad kunskap om målgruppen så att psyko­terapeutkåren bättre kan möta dessa patienter. I studien intervjuas tolv psykoterapeuter med erfarenhet av målgruppen. Studiens resultat visar att terapeuterna beskriver att patient­målgruppens gudsbilder som dualistiska, att patienternas inre konflikter innehöll en negativ självbild och rädsla. Den stora stötestenen verkade konflikten kring en laddad sexualitet vara i relation till teologi, familj och församling. Många terapeuter tyckte att det var viktigt med kulturkompetens i mötet med målgruppen, särskilt de terapeuter som hade egen kultur­kompetens. Uppsatsen ställer frågan om psykoterapeut­kårens beredskap att möta målgruppen.

Text in Afrikaans / Die kerk, in sy bree gesien, is tans in 'n 'nie-groei-kultuur' vasgeval. Daar is by min gemeentes 'n opregte las vir verlorenes te bespeur. Leiers het 'n gemaksone van professionalisme en instandhouding betree waar die groei van gemeentes me hoog op hul agenda geplaas word nie. Hierdie instandhoudingsingesteldheid en derhalwe 'n uitsluitlik na-binne-gerigte bedieningsfilosofie, het grootliks tot geringe groei en soms ook agteruitgang bygedra. Die omvangryke veranderinge in die samelewing gaan nie deur die kerk vrygespring word nie. Vandag kan kerke nie meer vanselfsprekend op die tradisionele ondersteuning en lojaliteit van mense sowel as die samelewing aanspraak maak nie. Die kerk is in 'n groot mate uitgeskuif en geniet nie meer dieselfde kollig as in die verlede nie. Groot 'kerklike grondgebied' is reeds afgestaan. Leiers is deel, en gevolglik ook 'n produk, van die huidige kerklike situasie waar belangeloosheid ten opsigte van gemeentegroei dikwels 'n algemene verskynsel is. Vanwee strukture soos die herder-kudde-model, is lidmate vir jare buite bedieningsgeleenthede gehou. Die bediening was as die verantwoordelikheid van leiers beskou. Die rol van lidmate is tans besig om groot veranderinge te ondergaan, aangesien gewone lidmate toenemend in dienswerk opgeneem word. Vrae wat reeds gevra word, is: Wat gaan die unieke rol van leiers in die toekoms wees? Wie is vir groei-inisiatief verantwoordelik? Die probleem waarmee leiers tans te make het, is hul behendigheid om die uitdagings en eise van 'n nuwe kerklike paradigma te ontmoet, veral in 'n mondering wat vir 'n uitgaande paradigma bedoel is. Baie kritiek word teen opleidingsmodelle gerig, maar wesenlik is die probleem in 'n gevestigde "mind-set" gesetel. Groeiende gemeentes wereldwyd toon dat hul leiers 'n sleutelrol in die groeipotensiaal van die gemeente speel en leiers van hierdie gemeentes het die voortou geneem om nuwe moontlikhede en modelle van leierskap uit te stal. Daar sal totaal nuut oor leierskap gedink moet word indien ons die groei van gemeentes ten doel het. In hierdie navorsing word leierskaptendense in die algemeen, asook leierskaptendense spesifiek in groeiende gemeentes, ondersoek. 'n Teorie vir 'groei-leierskap' word dan hieruit ontwikkel en aangebied. / The church is not experiencing a lot of growth at the moment. A number of congregations have no urge to find the lost ones. Growth is not a priority, due to leaders maintaining instead of expanding the congregation. This philosophy to maintain resulted into an inward practice which contributed to little growth, more seriously even a decline in total membership. The numerous changes experienced by the community at large will also fall the church to victim. The church has lost support simply because of a total lack in the so-called traditional loyalty and support. The church is no more the focus as in the past, it has been side-lined. The church has already lost greatly. Church leaders, as such products of the present day situation in the church, have been part of this culture of non-interest in the growth of the congregation. The typical evangelistic model of shepherd and flock left the ordinary members of the congregation out in the cold. The ministry was the responsibility of the church leaders, however the role of the ordinary members of the congregation is changing as they too are becoming more involved in ministry. Questions such as the following come to the fore: What is the unique role of church leaders going to be in future? Who's going to be responsible for growth inisiatives in the church in future? The problem facing church leaders of the day, is their total lack to meet the challenges and demands. The new evangelistic paradigm especially calls for an outgoing approach. Criticism has been given against the training of leadership but most probably the problem lies within their established mind-set". Globally, congregations which are experiencing large growth, has proved their leaders to play a paramount role in exploiting their growth potential. Such leaders were in the forefront of new leadership exhibiting the same qualities. If the growth of the various congregations is of importance, then the whole issue around leadership will have to be adapted and renewed. This research contains leadership tendencies in general, as well as leadership tendencies in growing congregations. A theory for "growth-leadership" will be developed and presented from this. / Practical Theology / Th.D. (Practical theology)

Text in Afrikaans / Die kerk, in sy bree gesien, is tans in 'n 'nie-groei-kultuur' vasgeval. Daar is by min gemeentes 'n opregte las vir verlorenes te bespeur. Leiers het 'n gemaksone van professionalisme en instandhouding betree waar die groei van gemeentes me hoog op hul agenda geplaas word nie. Hierdie instandhoudingsingesteldheid en derhalwe 'n uitsluitlik na-binne-gerigte bedieningsfilosofie, het grootliks tot geringe groei en soms ook agteruitgang bygedra. Die omvangryke veranderinge in die samelewing gaan nie deur die kerk vrygespring word nie. Vandag kan kerke nie meer vanselfsprekend op die tradisionele ondersteuning en lojaliteit van mense sowel as die samelewing aanspraak maak nie. Die kerk is in 'n groot mate uitgeskuif en geniet nie meer dieselfde kollig as in die verlede nie. Groot 'kerklike grondgebied' is reeds afgestaan. Leiers is deel, en gevolglik ook 'n produk, van die huidige kerklike situasie waar belangeloosheid ten opsigte van gemeentegroei dikwels 'n algemene verskynsel is. Vanwee strukture soos die herder-kudde-model, is lidmate vir jare buite bedieningsgeleenthede gehou. Die bediening was as die verantwoordelikheid van leiers beskou. Die rol van lidmate is tans besig om groot veranderinge te ondergaan, aangesien gewone lidmate toenemend in dienswerk opgeneem word. Vrae wat reeds gevra word, is: Wat gaan die unieke rol van leiers in die toekoms wees? Wie is vir groei-inisiatief verantwoordelik? Die probleem waarmee leiers tans te make het, is hul behendigheid om die uitdagings en eise van 'n nuwe kerklike paradigma te ontmoet, veral in 'n mondering wat vir 'n uitgaande paradigma bedoel is. Baie kritiek word teen opleidingsmodelle gerig, maar wesenlik is die probleem in 'n gevestigde "mind-set" gesetel. Groeiende gemeentes wereldwyd toon dat hul leiers 'n sleutelrol in die groeipotensiaal van die gemeente speel en leiers van hierdie gemeentes het die voortou geneem om nuwe moontlikhede en modelle van leierskap uit te stal. Daar sal totaal nuut oor leierskap gedink moet word indien ons die groei van gemeentes ten doel het. In hierdie navorsing word leierskaptendense in die algemeen, asook leierskaptendense spesifiek in groeiende gemeentes, ondersoek. 'n Teorie vir 'groei-leierskap' word dan hieruit ontwikkel en aangebied. / The church is not experiencing a lot of growth at the moment. A number of congregations have no urge to find the lost ones. Growth is not a priority, due to leaders maintaining instead of expanding the congregation. This philosophy to maintain resulted into an inward practice which contributed to little growth, more seriously even a decline in total membership. The numerous changes experienced by the community at large will also fall the church to victim. The church has lost support simply because of a total lack in the so-called traditional loyalty and support. The church is no more the focus as in the past, it has been side-lined. The church has already lost greatly. Church leaders, as such products of the present day situation in the church, have been part of this culture of non-interest in the growth of the congregation. The typical evangelistic model of shepherd and flock left the ordinary members of the congregation out in the cold. The ministry was the responsibility of the church leaders, however the role of the ordinary members of the congregation is changing as they too are becoming more involved in ministry. Questions such as the following come to the fore: What is the unique role of church leaders going to be in future? Who's going to be responsible for growth inisiatives in the church in future? The problem facing church leaders of the day, is their total lack to meet the challenges and demands. The new evangelistic paradigm especially calls for an outgoing approach. Criticism has been given against the training of leadership but most probably the problem lies within their established mind-set". Globally, congregations which are experiencing large growth, has proved their leaders to play a paramount role in exploiting their growth potential. Such leaders were in the forefront of new leadership exhibiting the same qualities. If the growth of the various congregations is of importance, then the whole issue around leadership will have to be adapted and renewed. This research contains leadership tendencies in general, as well as leadership tendencies in growing congregations. A theory for "growth-leadership" will be developed and presented from this. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th.D. (Practical theology)