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Since the inception of the Evangelical Church of Mekane Yesus (EECMY), women have been part and parcel of the holistic ministry; however, their role has only been limited to providing social welfare activities for a long time. Meanwhile, a communist regime took power in the 1974 revolution and caused severe trials and persecution of evangelical churches, and prominent Mekane Yesus congregations opened for charismatic moves. Such upheavals loosened the stringent structures of the church, allowed women to serve freely and fearlessly, and showed their worthiness amid a brutal government crackdown. Subsequently, the issue of elevating women to ordination began to rise and took several years to realise. This article mainly discusses this historical process from the wider Lutheran tradition as well as in comparison with other Ethiopian mainline evangelical denominations; and how they resolved it constitutionally after intense and long debate by utilising key participant informants, bulletins, magazines, and research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs psychological type theory to advance the quest for the psychological Jesus within the reader-response approach to biblical hermeneutics, drawing on data provided by 192 participants from a Pentecostal background who completed two versions of the Francis Psychological Type Scales: one explored the participants’ psychological type profile; the other explored the psychological type profile that they attributed to Jesus. In terms of the 16 complete types, 35% of the participants profiled Jesus as ESFJ, compared with 14% who profiled themselves as ESFJ. In terms of underlying scale scores, the data revealed a significant tendency for participants to construct their image of Jesus within the contours of their own psychological type profile. For example, thinking types were more likely to form an image of Jesus as a thinking type, while feeling types were more likely to form an image of Jesus as a feeling type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article problematises the inward-looking approach adopted by classical Pentecostalism in a South African context. A literature review on White-led classical Pentecostal churches reveals that in their early development, these churches were inward-looking and only concentrated on their theology of Spirit baptism, evangelism, and eschatological expectations. This inward-looking approach made classical Pentecostalism passive in response to socio-economic and socio-political issues. Issues such as racial segregation and economic challenges are highlighted here to demonstrate classical Pentecostalism’s non-engagement. The aim of this article is the rationale the benefits for classical Pentecostal churches in broadening their ways of engaging with South African society. This can be done by learning from African Independent Pentecostal Churches whose theology on socio-economic and socio-political issues is exceedingly outward-looking. These lessons have implications for Blackness as they demonstrate that Black leaders can change their circumstances without the supervision of Whiteness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how the urban fabric of Lagos is being transformed by neo‐Pentecostal forms of Christian religiosity—a transformation not only of inner, 'private' lives but also of urban infrastructures and their provision. Neo‐Pentecostal churches in Lagos now provide a range of infrastructures such as roads, bridges, electricity, water, healthcare, plus banking and educational facilities as well as a range of residential options. Church emblems are common features of the Lagos streetscape and can be found on buildings, vehicles and advertisement hoardings. In addition to their symbolic, moral and aesthetic register, Pentecostal urban infrastructures can be understood as a response to the crisis of social reproduction in Lagos, within the context of a postcolonial state that has adopted a position of entrenched neoliberalism. Critical questions remain, however, regarding whose interests are served by this arrangement. The article aims to understand (1) the ontological status of neo‐Pentecostal infrastructures, taking seriously the production and delivery of material infrastructures that are understood by some users to also be spiritual; and (2) the novel relations between church, state, market and citizen articulated by these infrastructures. Our arguments are based on qualitative data collected in Lagos between 2018 and 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws upon Ubuntu philosophy to reframe and construct a pentecostal constructive theology of hatred. It critiques contemporary manifestations of public hatred within Pentecostalism in Zambia, particularly in relation to the Christian nation clause in the constitution. The article argues that constitutionalizing Christianity perpetuates pentecostal normativity in political public spheres, institutionalizing religious-based political hatred. The exclusive reliance on pentecostal literal exegesis of scriptures fosters hierarchical dynamics, enforces norms, and obstructs dissenting voices and religious pluralistic character of the nation. The article contends Ubuntu constructive spirituality of hatred is essential for developing functional, moral, prophetic leadership and a just democratic nation. It proposes a theology of mutually transformative constructive hatred of evil as a means of countering prevailing destructive hatred in public discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the role of mega size African Pentecostal/charismatic prophets and charismatic figures in the public response to Covid-19. There were responses to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in late 2019, and in Africa, a lot of these were religious. This article examines the intersection between religion and the Covid-19 pandemic, in the context contemporary African charismatic-prophetism. The data is sought mainly from oral and media sources of the various charismatic figures at the center of the discussion. The same religious interpretations that inform the understanding of events in society and human life in Africa were extended to the interpretation, diagnosis, and response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The charismatic power and influence of Pentecostal/charismatic church leaders, such as Emmanuel Makandiwa of Zimbabwe, was evident through the public role that the prophets played as these churches articulated their responses to the pandemic as a public health issue with spiritual implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in studying prayer has significantly increased because of the belief that it helps humanity to cope, particularly in times of crisis. Prayer is not just a communication with God, it is also an instrument of bond and embodied ritual among prayer litigants or people who belong to the same religious community. This article argues that divine violence, a sovereign act of God, was crucially needed by the litigants in order to guarantee human flourishing in the face of existential threat. The article studied how violent prayer—a genre of prayer that is targeted at the spirits underlying physical manifestation of suffering, pain, or crisis—was utilised by the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFMM) in Nigeria to cope with the fear and uncertainties occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article is part of an ongoing ethnographic research on "The Politics and Poetics of Violent Prayer in the Nigerian Pentecostal Churches", which began in 2021. I utilised ethnographic engagement, particularly interviews and participant observation, to attempt to understand what these prayer litigants are doing when they pray violently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through an analysis of a series of revival movements that erupted across the Melanesian island of Malaita in the 1970s, this article articulates a strongly political reading of Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity (P/c). A series of charismatic eruptions that swept Malaita in 1970 effected an overhaul of the epistemological, organizational, and eschatological frameworks imposed upon local Christians by foreign missionaries. Such rapid profusions of charismatic activity reveal how P/c experientialism undercuts the laborious textualism of conservative evangelical Christianity, how the democratization of charisma challenges hierarchical mission religious authority and, most broadly, how the dramatic shift to messianic eschatology constructs a qualitatively different metahistorical narrative to that imposed by the colonial project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, the Swedish pentecostal movement has undergone a major transformation in its way of organizing and collaborating around mission work. In this explorative study, the purpose is to investigate how these and other changes have influenced how contemporary Swedish pentecostal churches understand and make use of the concept of mission. The data for the study consists of texts from the churches' websites and draws on conceptual history in its theoretical and methodological approach. The findings of the study indicate a theological shift within the Swedish pentecostal movement. Among other things, it highlights a disconnect between the concept of mission and eschatological urgency and notes that priority is no longer given to mission as evangelism, over social work. The study also points to a linguistic instability associated with the concept of mission wherein the term "international work" is being used interchangeably with it and has, on some churches' websites, even replaced the "mission" altogether, a finding that suggests an ongoing dispute over the definition of mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how Pentecostal churches in Nigeria use online media to target the youth. Nigeria is now a major player in the commercialization of religion due to the sheer number of websites that promote add-on spiritual services. The promotion of Internet conversion is a major strategy in attracting the youth who are more active and comfortable on the Internet. Pentecostal consumerism became an avenue for the proliferation of religious programs and the consumption of different spiritual products on the Internet. At the same time, the lure of the global mission has also attracted the youth who have the idea (Japa syndrome) of emigrating from Nigeria to spread the gospel for economic reasons. This article intends to fill that gap in the literature by exploring how Pentecostal churches use the online media as a form of e-evangelism or e-vangelism for the youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore in this article how Evangelical and Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches (EPCCs) view Artificial Intelligence (AI), and how they use it, either intentionally or indirectly. Considering first the digital habitus in which EPCCs are immersed, we have documented and analyzed three sample cases showing how EPCCs use advanced AI tools to improve the sanctification process for believers; how the Bible can be translated, distributed, and its reading can be fostered around the world, using machine intelligence; and how a spiritual revival among EPCCs can spread rapidly through AI-mediated algorithms. We discuss the implications of these developments and conclude finally with some ideas about how EPCCs should engage AI applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When applied to Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe, the concept of cultural hybridity provides a framework for understanding how global religious movements can adapt to and incorporate local cultural elements. This process results in a unique form of religious expression characterised by convergence and syncretism, reflecting cultural and religious identity's dynamic and fluid nature. This hybridity in religious practice is a testament to the ongoing, interactive cultural exchange and adaptation process. This article delves into the intricate cultural hybridity, convergence, glocalisation and syncretic tendencies within the characteristic features of New Religious Movements (NRMs) in Harare, Zimbabwe, illuminating their multifaceted role in addressing spiritual and material needs. Through a comprehensive exploration of selected NRMs that emerged from the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe, including Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries and Grace Oasis Ministries, this article unravels the central role of prophets and pastors in shaping the fundamental ethos of these religious entities. A striking and thought-provoking parallel emerges between the hallmark features of these NRMs and the tenets of African Traditional Religion and many other religious traditions. This parallel extends to practices such as exorcism, worship, healing, and deliverance, thus manifesting a profound form of religious expression informed by cultural hybridity, convergence, syncretism, and glocalisation. While there are ambiguities around scholarly debates on the definition of these terms, the article delves deep into the intricate religious elements embedded within the NRMs' characteristic features, such as hymns, modes of worship, healing rituals, and deliverance ceremonies. These elements are tangible manifestations of their unique position at the crossroads of diverse belief systems. The cultural hybridity, convergence, syncretism, and glocalisation tendencies within NRMs offer gateways to invaluable networks, fostering social cohesion and the sharing of critical information. Consequently, these characteristics have become instrumental in the holistic development of individuals and communities within the vibrant religious landscape of Harare. Thus, this article provides profound insights into the nuanced dynamics of NRMs in Zimbabwe, shedding light on their various dimensions. It contributes substantially to our comprehension of the intricate interplay between spirituality, material prosperity, and the rich tapestry of religious traditions in Harare and the broader context of religious studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Pentecostalism continues to develop distinct processes, practices, and pedagogies as a unique worshipping community within the Church, little attention has been given to the production of a Pentecostal homiletic, or, at the very least, whether there is a need for one. Since Pentecostal hermeneutics has continued to evolve and solidify over the past century, it naturally follows that the next question to answer would be this: how do Pentecostals produce their sermons? This paper will address the philosophies of the Church; how worldview/hermeneutics/didoiesis build upon each other within the worshipping community; how Pentecostals view the church service, with specific attention to the sermon; and what Pentecostal homiletics would look like practically. Additionally, this paper argues that not only do Pentecostals provide renewal and re-enchanted views of scripture: but they also establish a unique 11-step homiletic, building upon the works of Karl Barth, James K.A. Smith, Chris E.W. Green, and Cheryl Bridges Johns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous prophetic church movements constitute a significant portion of Christianity in Africa and a unique spirit in African Christianity. Garrick Braide was the first to lead such a group in Nigeria in 1915. The Christ Apostolic Church is an ancient indigenous church in Nigeria; however, it appears that the church faces problems generated by the apparent confusion about the origin of the church. This confusion is evident in the 2018 centenary anniversary of the church, contrary to the Golden Jubilee organized in 1980. Similarly, the leaders often claim that CAC is the first indigenous Pentecostal church in Nigeria, whereas it is on record that Christ Army Church was established in 1916 by Braide and his followers. As a result, urgent need was required to interrogate the traditions of origin of these two indigenous church movements and their prophets.The findings revealed that Braide's Christ Army Church preceded the Christ Apostolic Church of Babalola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Religious Entanglements: Central African Pentecostalism, the Creation of Cultural Knowledge, and the Making of the Luba Katanga" by David Maxwell explores the complex relationships between the Luba Katanga people and the Congo Evangelistic Mission (CEM) leaders in the Belgian Congo from 1915 to 1960. The book examines the process of creating cultural knowledge and the roles of both missionaries and Africans in this work. Maxwell's research draws from a wide range of sources and oral interviews, shedding light on the intersection of science, theology, and colonialism in the mission. The book also highlights the agency of the Luba people in navigating the challenges of colonialism and the breakdown of their kingdom, as well as their contributions to ethnographic knowledge and Christian identity. While the book provides valuable insights, the reviewer notes a desire for more exploration of women's contributions and gender dynamics within the context of the study. Overall, "Religious Entanglements" offers a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the complex dynamics between missionaries and Africans in the creation of cultural knowledge. [Extracted from the article]

It was the late Bishop Ithiel Conrad Clemmons, former minister of the First Church of God in Christ of Brooklyn, New York, who said of the late famed novelist/essayist James Baldwin that "he was America's inside eye on the Black Holiness and Pentecostal Churches". Though Baldwin admitted that the culture and ethos of the African-American Pentecostal church were "highly significant and indelibly imprinted upon him", according to Baldwin, his faith community's "naiveté about life appalled him and drove him away". While Baldwin left behind the church of his youth, never to return, for the remainder of his writing career, the "backslidden" minister's literary musings continued to be informed (in both style and content) by the formative religious tradition that he left behind. Though several studies have been undertaken that examine Baldwin's significance to various aspects of the study of African-American religion and culture, precious little has been written regarding Baldwin's continuing engagement of the idiom of African-American preaching, the idiom which cultural critic Michael Eric Dyson has nominated as the "jewel in the crown of Black Sacred Rhetoric". While many studies of Baldwin include the fact that Baldwin was a preacher's son and that Baldwin himself preached for a time during his youth, the account is yet to be given of how Baldwin's writings continued to employ the rhythms, grammar, tones, and textures of the Black sacred rhetorical tradition, especially from beyond the borders of the African-American church. This essay seeks to expose not only how Baldwin self-consciously continued to stand in the rhetorical trajectory of the African-American preaching tradition, but the attempt is also to reveal how the writer secularizes the idiom, providing the Black Holiness preacher a hearing from beyond the church. Through a focus on Baldwin as a Black sacred rhetorician, sermonizing from beyond the church, this essay participates in the nearly 100-year-old conversation instigated by the early African-American literary and cultural critic James Weldon Johnson in God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (1927), regarding the neglected significance of the sermon and the preacher in African-American literature and Black expressive cultures. Baldwin's sermonic is here examined as a highly distinctive mode of Black public theologizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article surveys the pragmatic and sociolinguistic functions of common expressions used in Pentecostalism. Data for this study were collected from three selected Pentecostal churches found in two districts of Dar es Salaam. Data were collected through observation and interviews with the selected Pentecostal believers who expressed their views on the choice and function of certain expressions used in Pentecostal churches. The study findings indicate that Pentecostal churches make great use of phrases and expressions found in the bible and common words used in ordinary conversation. These common words carry different tones and connotations such as fear and joy when they are adopted in the religious context. The study has noted some common expressions and structures. The common functions of these expressions and structures include, but are not limited to: attracting attention, comforting, identifying believers as belonging to the same faith, directing the congregants to perform certain acts, rebuking the devil, blessing, praising and exalting God. The article notes that the language style used in Pentecostalism conforms to norms found in this denomination, and this is manifested in the way its members select expressions, which mark their identity. Such expressions can be noted in prayers, preaching and announcements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how two African American Pentecostal pastors in Buffalo, New York (USA) promote a phenomenology of respect as they link imperatives to labour for the good of others to the need to discern God's purposes. In African American communities, church leadership has long elicited respect because pastoring is hard work, important elements of which consist of encouraging other members to labour for the church and seeking insights from God about believers' lived situations. Respect is likewise key to believers' relationships with God, in that pastors promote techniques that encourage them not only to recognise spiritual beings but to respect and obey God and their leaders. As a result, acts of respect shape bodily knowledge about relationships with powerful human and spiritual others. Such enactments of respect counter suspicions of exploitation that accompany relations of dependence among the urban poor, so that believers' idioms of intercorporeal connection provide means for them to reflect on who has worked on behalf or taken advantage of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African churches face diverse obstacles while attempting cross-cultural mission in the West. These include the influence of external forces such as racism, lack of understanding of European cultures, lack of worship spaces and various perceptions that many wider indigenous Europeans have about Africans and their churches, particularly their theological beliefs. These external factors impose real challenges, which are beyond the control of the leaders of diaspora African churches and interfere with the effort to build relations with the wider white indigenous European host population, whether spiritual or secular. This qualitative study explores the different ways through which Nigerian-initiated churches in London are engaging with British society, both ecumenically and as a social force within the communities. There are indications that a few of the larger churches are building ecumenical relations with mainline British churches, although this is prevalent at leadership level. Similarly, they are well-enough resourced to embark on social community projects which are beneficial to nationals of all races and political activities to court the British royal and political elite and are therefore establishing their presence within and creating pathways to British society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars of contemporary Christianity have long noted the importance of sacred music in constructing faith communities and distinguishing religious actors from one another. Drawing on historical and ethnographic evidence gathered over 16 months in Johannesburg, South Africa, I examine the role of music in contributing to the Christian identity of conservative evangelicals and in mediating their relationship with religious others. For the interdenominational, multiracial network of conservative Christians with whom I worked, music sung during weekly church services was carefully curated to meet elders' pastoral aims informed by the conventions of orthodox Christian theology, yet it was also a site of tension and innovation as efforts to appeal to wider demographics were implemented. The palpable contrast between this music style and that of more charismatic evangelical churches was a point of implicit social commentary, semiotically standing in for the spectre of dangerous religious difference. This ethnographic research illustrates the power of embodied, sonic "feeling" to maintain cultural boundaries in South Africa's heterogeneous religious soundscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues that although Pentecostal churches in Africa have the potential to challenge and transform the reality of inequalities in Africa, instead, they are reproducing and perpetuating these inequalities by creating an inequality gap among themselves, especially, between the pastors and their fellow congregants. A closer look at some of these churches reveals that some of them are propagating social, political, and economic inequalities demonstrated in the gap that exists between the pastors and their ordinary members. In response, we construct a Pentecostal theology of radical sharing to argue for a balanced distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor to deal with the challenges of inequalities. It demonstrates that indigenous idioms such as sam‐ae (Korea) and ubuntu (Africa) are critical hermeneutics from the margins for interpretative translation/contextualization of the Christian faith into a theology of radical sharing in the fight against inequalities within African Indigenous Pentecostalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the Obolo women and the historical development of Christianity in Obolo from 1870 to 2020. The origin of Christianity in Obolo in the 19th century was traced to Madam Ngban Ijo who was a worshipper of Adumu prior to her conversion. She was converted by her Bonny trading customer, Mr. Ibitomie Hart who she accommodated during his trading expeditions in Ataba. Through her, Christianity was established in Ataba and Ataba became the first place in Obolo to embrace the new religion. Her house became the first centre of worship and early church activities. Other women were similarly converted and the church grew from her house to what is known today as St. James Anglican Church, Ataba. Obolo women were also instrumental in the spread of Pentecostal churches in the area. The women have contributed enormously to the expansion of Christianity in Obolo in several ways. They built parsonages and supported the church financially. The finding of this paper is that through Christianity, Obolo experienced great transformation which influenced the socio-economic life of the people and Obolo society. The methodology adopted to reconstruct this past are the primary and secondary sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentecostalism has experienced massive growth and evolution, both within Africa and beyond, as is evident through the emergence of dynamic neo-Pentecostal movements, including independent, prophetic, and charismatic churches. However, all its establishments have been primarily characterized by problematic governance. While neo-Pentecostal founders and leaders often asserted that they were breaking away from regressive bureaucracy and supposedly "cold" spiritual practices to embrace a more dynamic approach that advances the missio Dei and missio ecclesiae through expressive and demonstrative ministries, they paradoxically ended up becoming similarly, if not more, regressive. Rather than being focused on serving others (being other-centred), they became self-centred in their actions and priorities. Drawing on missional ecclesiology, extensive engagement with relevant literature, and in-depth phenomenological observation, this paper undertook a qualitative examination of their polities. It interpretively and descriptively assessed and explored the fact that all ecclesial governments exhibit both strengths and weaknesses. In light of this analysis, the paper argues and proposes that churches should integrate their predominant governmental systems with inclusive and empowering principles from other polities. By doing so, they can transform their administrative structures and enhance their missionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a theoretical framework for human capital development in Pentecostal Religious Organizations through knowledge sharing is provided. The framework conceptualizes that religious organizations should prioritize launching a knowledge management initiative and appointing a knowledge management team or manager to conduct a knowledge audit and design an appropriate knowledge management plan as explicated. Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an organization or group. It involves identifying, capturing, organizing, storing, and sharing knowledge and information in a way that allows individuals and teams to access and use it effectively to improve decision-making, problem-solving, and innovation. The knowledge management plan should focus on codifying tacit and explicit knowledge to ensure it can be easily accessed, understood and transferred, and should be connected to the organizational strategy for human capital development in community services by religious organizations. The study has practical implications for religious organizations looking to improve their organizational effectiveness and contribute to the human capital development of its members as well as host communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the impact of the contemporary praise and worship music industry on the songs available to worship leaders. It focuses on the dominance of a few church groups, including Bethel Music, Elevation Worship, Hillsong Worship, and Passion, in contributing a significant number of top songs in this genre. The study analyzes data from the CCLI and PraiseCharts top song lists, which provide insights into the songs used in evangelical, charismatic, and Pentecostal churches. The authors find that a small number of church bands and artists have a strong influence on the industry, with 95% of the top 25 songs being linked to four church bands. The article also highlights the challenges faced by independent songwriters in gaining recognition in this industry. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms and trends that shape the contemporary praise and worship music landscape. [Extracted from the article]

This research was among synod officials of the Indonesian Isa Almasih Pentecostal Church, and has experienced growth both in quality and quantity. Along with the growth of the church, the church leader or pastor appoints his leadership qualifications to assist in stewardship tasks among synod officials of the Isa Almasih Pamtekosta Church in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to find out how the qualifications of Christian leaders are carried out by synod officials of the Isa Almasih Pantekosta Church in Indonesia. This study used a quantitative method, where data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews and a standardized scale. Questionnaire validation at the initial stage tested all validated questionnaire scores filled in by the promoter to be tested on 30 initial samples. The conclusion of this research is basedanalysis resultsusing Classification and regression trees (CRT)shows that age background is the most dominant background category forming the Confirmation of Qualifications of Christian leaders based on the book of Titus chapter 1 among synod officials of the Pentecostal Church of Isa Almasih Indonesia(Y). From the suragates table it is known that age background is able to improve by 111,063 points from the condition of the Implementation of the Qualifications of Christian leaders based on the book of Titus article 1 among synod officials of the Pentecostal Church of Isa Almasih Indonesia (Y). As well as from the importance table it is known that background employment status is affirmed by 100% of respondents with a score of 231.093 points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Pentecostal Christianity on the continent of Africa in general and Ghana, in particular, continues to attract growth in terms of membership, the same cannot be said of the historic mission churches in the same breath. This development is partly because the Christianity introduced by the nineteenth-century European missionaries was enveloped in European culture making it almost impossible to resonate with its religio-cultural milieu. As a result, converts have great difficulty in identifying with their newly found faith as it also struggled to address their existential challenges. This development had translated into a situation where the Christian faith as introduced at the time failed to attract new converts while some of the existing ones made their way back into their former religion (syncretism). Other developments besides syncretism experienced by the historic mission churches were schism(s) as well as the emergence of Pentecostal Christianity in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is one of Africa's most intractable problems. Decades of deliberate and strategic socioeconomic policies have not yielded considerable concrete results to eradicate it. Upon succeeding the brutal colonial administration, the burgeoning African governments promised their citizens material well-being through socioeconomic development. A half century later the continent is perpetually witnessing a blatant betrayal of dreams. Just like the African governments that succeeded colonial governments, religious organizations continue to promise poverty eradication by divine means to their adherents, whose numbers keep exploding across the continent. The Pentecostal variant of African Christianity is particularly renowned for its promises of wealth, health, and prosperity through supernatural divine power: in the Bible, God has promised to deliver immense material goods to those who believe in Jesus Christ. The expediency of these promises to alleviate poverty and bring about social transformation is debatable. Some scholars argue that African Pentecostalism is an elaborately complex increase in religious activities devoid of social structural transformation, while others opine that it contributes positively to development. In asking whether African Pentecostal Christianity is a move toward or a distraction from development, this article broadly explores discourses on Pentecostalism and development in Africa. Arguably, in the endeavor to preach and live out the experiential power of the Holy Spirit, Pentecostal Christianity in Africa inadvertently plays a role in the broader ongoing development discourse. Although they do not view themselves as 'religious' or 'religion', Pentecostal churches' attempts to make the teachings of Jesus Christ relevant to the mundane help individual believers cope with life's stresses and vulnerabilities. However, it does not transform the social conditions that create problems for individuals. The liberating hope of African Pentecostal Christianity lies in theologically nuancing its discourses to meaningfully engage in global development discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"China and the true Jesus" by Melisa Wei-Tsing Inouye is a historical study of the True Jesus Church (TJC), a large independent Chinese Pentecostal Church. Inouye examines the growth and development of the TJC, emphasizing the factors that contributed to its endurance. The book explores the influence of missionary Christianity, the role of charismatic experiences, and the agency of local Chinese believers. It also highlights the ways in which the TJC created new pathways for women and maintained its religious-cultural identity in the face of hostility from the Chinese party-state. Overall, the book provides valuable insights into twentieth-century Chinese Christianity. [Extracted from the article]

"A Spirit of Revitalization: Urban Pentecostalism in Kenya" by Kyama M. Mugambi is a comprehensive exploration of the development and significance of urban Pentecostalism in Kenya. Mugambi challenges the prevailing belief that Pentecostalism in Kenya is solely an import from North America, instead highlighting its indigenous roots and connections to earlier Christian initiatives. The book examines key themes such as orality, kinship, and holistic spirituality, and draws on a range of sources including interviews, participant observation, and audio-visual recordings. Mugambi's work sheds light on the role of women in founding churches and the political engagement of Progressive Pentecostal Churches, making it a valuable resource for scholars of Christianity, Kenya, and African religion. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the Africanization of Catholicism in Ghana as a process that embraces activities deriving from the inculturation doctrine as well as those emerging during the most recent process of pentecostalization. The complex and changing historical and current discourses on "African tradition", "traditional religion", and "African spirituality" are presented in relation to the creation of an independent Ghana and the state-instigated concept of "national heritage", as well as the Catholic theological developments strongly shaped by the Second Vatican Council. The influences of Pentecostal and charismatic Churches are described and the pentecostalization of Catholicism is interpreted as a kind of subversive development of inculturation doctrine and practices. The article refers to the material and embodied aspects of religion, pointing to the importance of material culture and "embodied continuation" in shaping contemporary African Christian and African Catholic identities. The article draws on ethnographic material collected in Catholic parishes in central Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Religious traditions with their universal intent on human salvation or well-being have de-territorialized themselves or migrated from the place of their origin along trade routes in the company of merchants, invaders, and colonizers. Taking for granted Intercultural theology as the bedrock of faith education in an multicultural context, the author seeks to enumerate the specific competencies that can render the process of intercultural faith education possible, significant, and feasible. Henning Wrogemann's article that introduces "Intercultural Theology as In-Between Theology" takes up the profile of intercultural theology against the background of world Christianity and the anthropology of Christianity and defines it as an in-between theology with respect to factors such as audience, media, power, methodology, plurality, and connectivity. From a catechetical or faith education point of view, this article analyses the three perspectives of faith that intercultural theology should promote, namely, the dialogic personalization of faith, the prophetic challenging of faith, and the cohesive exchange of faith - corresponding, respectively, to personal and interpersonal dimensions, communitarian and social dimensions and expressive and missionary dimensions of faith. [Extracted from the article]

In most societies where Christianity is dominant, it has manifested itself in different ways, reflecting its admixture with indigenous religious practices, an admixture commonly seen in most African contexts. This is evidenced by overt syncretic practices and rarely covert syncretic practices that conceal the blending of beliefs, including belief in the mystical powers of water. In part, this explains why African Christian believers, particularly African Pentecostal believers in most African countries, often uncritically believe claims about holy water. To that end, this article examines the literature to uncover the existence of covert syncretic holy water in African Neo-Pentecostal Churches (ANPC), particularly in South Africa, where ANPC pastors make arbitrary claims about the power of holy water. Contrary to the apparent syncretism, claims about holy water as witnessed among ANPCs in South Africa, covertly combine elements of two belief systems (ancient African traditions and contemporary African Christianity), resulting in covert syncretic holy water. As little or no literature understands the covert syncretic holy water, the work of this paper warrants future research to further examine the covert syncretic holy water, particularly in relation to ANPC holy water claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Christian attempts at hibernating from corrupt world systems, people, and governments are nothing new. From monasticism in post-apostolic times to utopian societies to cults to the new monasticism, Christians and others have sought protection throughout the years from tyranny, moral pollution, and governmental overreach. Today such is found in several overlapping movements including Christian Nationalism, the American Redoubt, Kingdom Now Pentecostals, and theonomy. The present series of articles will ultimately focus on the Pacific Northwest and the growing and influential Reconstructionist communities that emphasize not only hibernation but also ultimately rebuilding American society after a new order immersed in Old Testament Law. The best-known spokesman for this community is Doug Wilson, Pastor of Christ Church and board member and professor at New St. Andrew College in Moscow, Idaho. Prior to examining Wilson and the American Redoubt in detail, it is necessary to identify and have (at least) a basic understanding of many links that connect and have led to this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public trust in government can significantly determine the outcome of health policies in any society. Hence, studies have been gauging peoples' level of trust in their governments' commitment and capacity to win the fight against COVID-19. However, these studies have omitted religious leaders. This is despite the fact that religious leaders play key roles in the area of health in many societies. The present study, therefore, explored the opinions church leaders have about the credibility of the COVID-19 statistics and other government responses in Nigeria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 church leaders drawn from Anglican, Catholic, and Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. A descriptive narrative approach was employed in the thematic organization and analysis of data. Findings show that only one participant expressed confidence in the credibility of the COVID-19 statistics and other government's responses. The rest, with the exception of one participant who was uncertain, was distributed between those who believe the statistics and other government efforts are exaggerated and those who believe they are false. The study also found that denominational affiliation mattered with respect to the perceptions about the credibility of the COVID-19 statistics and other government responses. Implications of findings for policy and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an empirical case study of the commodification of religious substances in a Ghanaian Pentecostal/charismatic church. The author argues that the primal goal of religion and the penchant for success and good health among Pentecostal-Charismatic Christians help in the easy commodification of religious substances by pastor-prophets. However, the commodification of religion or religious substances, the article argues, eschews godly values, beliefs, and practices that have implications for the faith and commitment of believers, their religious lives, and their commitment to the church and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The given text is a review of two books: "The Disciple Dilemma" and "The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition." The review highlights the strengths of "The Disciple Dilemma," which focuses on discipleship and the importance of relationships in church ministries. It also praises the Christo-centric understanding of lordship and the emphasis on living and working among unbelievers. The review then discusses the historical significance and structure of "The 1662 Book of Common Prayer," noting its purpose to bridge the gap between Catholic and Protestant liturgies. It emphasizes the value of studying other Christian traditions and integrating elements that align with one's own traditions. The review concludes by mentioning the importance of forgiveness and the complexity of the subject. [Extracted from the article]

Richard Burgess's book, "Nigerian Pentecostalism and Development: Spirit, Power, and Transformation," examines the impact of the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria. Burgess argues that Pentecostal churches in Nigeria have served as agents of social transformation throughout Nigerian history. The book also explores the historical evolution of the Nigerian Pentecostal movement and its connection to global Pentecostalism. Additionally, Burgess discusses the involvement of Pentecostal churches in Nigerian politics and their contributions to social development, including the building of schools, hospitals, and NGOs. [Extracted from the article]

This article studied the metaphor of spiritual fathering within Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in southern and western Africa. In these churches, the pastor of a congregation is not only perceived as a shepherd of the flock but also as a spiritual father. The main study findings revealed three challenges of spiritual fathering: exclusion of women, illtreatment of spiritual children, and Gender Based Violence (GBV). Spiritual fathering neglects the role of women pastors and women church founders in spiritual parenting. Similarly, some imbalances exist in the relationship between spiritual fathers and spiritual children. Some "spiritual fathers" use spiritual fathering to perpetuate GBV and other types of abuse. The main objective of this article is to redefine the metaphor of "spiritual fathering" in the religious community through the parenthood model as a theoretical framework. The article recommends inclusive metaphor in contrast to the current challenges of spiritual fathering in popular religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to state that many Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians in Ghana are confounded by why Jesus in his capacity as God would need the empowerment of the Spirit in his earthly ministry. This presupposes that God sent him for a purpose and he needed divine approval and empowerment in order to carry out that purpose. Jesus sets the stage for today’s Christians and ministers of the gospel to acknowledge the fact that fulfilling a God-given task depends on how one aligns with the Spirit of the Lord. The emphasis on the anointing of kings, priests, and prophets in the Old Testament to carry out their individual assignments is an important theology that Luke also affirms in his narrative in Luke 4:18-19. This paper contends that the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus is a vital theological element to be considered especially at the time when many who claim to be prophets and messengers of God are exhibiting various spiritual dynamics. The paper concludes that understanding the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus is critical to shaping the perspective of Christian ministers today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This book is the first outcome of a global online study process related to the 100th Jubilee of the foundation of the International Missionary Council (IMC). This collection of studies from various regions provides fascinating summaries of developments within the IMC and its influence on mission and mission cooperation regionally and on the world level. Fruitful contacts with the IMC included New Zealand participation in Edinburgh and later in other IMC conferences after the establishment of the New Zealand National Missionary Council (NMC) in 1926. [Extracted from the article]

(Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2021), pp. xiv + 173; isbn 978-3-030-73313-1 "Gender, sexuality and anatomy impact faith as much as faith impacts gender, sexuality and anatomy", says Jason Goh in the preface of the book. Hence, "God needs to be (re)imagined by LGBTIQ people as LGBTIQ people through LGBTIQ experiences.". [Extracted from the article]

This article challenges the conventional wisdom about the reported decline of Christianity and Protestantism in the U.S. and the rise of the "nones" among Latinos. It does so by cross-examining the growth of the "nones" (those respondents reportedly having no religion and/or no religious preference) in the U.S. Latino community, which is slated to make up almost 28 percent of the U.S. population by 2060. In 2000, we stumbled, quite by accident, upon a remarkable discovery in the Latino community: that many of the so-called "nones" were, in fact, under cross examination against other religious identity questions, religious, spiritual, and/or believed in God or a higher power. In some cases they were born-again Christians who rejected the label "religion" (and thus reported having "no religion") as a descriptor of their faith. Many self-identified as and/or attended independent and non-denominational Evangelical and/or Pentecostal/Charismatic churches. To test these initial findings and to try to secure a more accurate reading of the "nones" respondents, our research team added a follow-up question for the "no religion" respondents to the screening questions section so they could explain what they actually meant in the Latino Religions and Politics (LRAP) national surveys in 2012 and 2020. We also cross-analyzed the "no religion" and "no religious preference" respondents against other religious identity questions, such as being born-again and church attendance, and was surprised to find that more than 60% of them reported believing in God or a higher power and/or being Christian, Catholic, or Protestant, religious, spiritual, or something other than having no religion. More surprising and counterintuitively, we found that more than 40% of those reporting "no religious preference" and 17% of those who reported having "no religion" also self-reported being born-again Christians. All of this problematizes the conventional wisdom about the identity and growth of the "nones" in the Latino community and could (though we do not claim or explore this here) problematize our understanding of the "nones" and the changing contours of religion and secularization in American society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prosperity message preached mainly by independent apostles and prophets in Network Christianity's new prophetic churches with some Pentecostal leanings has become popular among many Africans. The link between the American prosperity message and its African nephew is discussed to disclose the unique African elements, such as Africa's traditional emphasis on a holistic spirituality which includes attaining health and prosperity by pacifying evil spirits and angry ancestors. One of the reasons for the popularity of the prosperity message is that it links closely with the African enchanted worldview and the spirituality that characterizes African traditional religion. This challenges Pentecostals to consider its compatibility with the gospel of Jesus Christ, based on the discipleship of the cross and servanthood, and suggests that the neo-Pentecostal prophet and apostle have become the modern equivalent of Africa's diviner and healer. Their message of prosperity deviates from the essence of the gospel of Christ in several respects: firstly, it entails a distorted view of God and the Bible, described in almost pantheistic terms; secondly, its anthropology and Christology view relegates Christ to a man empowered by the Spirit and elevates human beings' union with God; lastly, its view of revelation authorizes extrabiblical revelation to the same extent as the biblical text. This paper concludes that the prosperity message represents a dangerous fallacy based on a syncretistic contextualization of the gospel to African spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Christianity is growing worldwide, especially in various forms of charismatic and Pentecostal churches, membership in the Protestant churches and in the Catholic Church are declining throughout Europe. A theology for the church of the future, particularly a theology for pastoral ministry, needs an understanding of the church that is at once relevant to practical pastoral ministry and congregational work as well as awareness of the processes of change and upheaval. This paper argues that there is a need for a contemporary theology of diaspora. At the center of this paper is the question of how God can be spoken of in a theologically responsible way under present conditions without dissolving all theology into anthropology and ethics. The crisis of faith in modern Western secular societies is essentially a crisis of the language of faith. Theology in crisis and a theology for times of crisis—both have the task of waiting: waiting for God's new entry into the world, for his coming, and for him to speak to us in a new way by making the language of the biblical tradition speak and appeal to us anew. Such a theology for times of crisis is precisely not resigned, but highly expectant, as can be learned from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tombstone, the practice of demarcating a grave and unveiling it in some instances, has been common since ancient times. The practice is related to marking the grave in order to remember its geographical location, and subsequently for future generations to identify with it. This practice is very common in a South African context, especially in African traditional religion (ATR). In addition, they would have other ceremonies to revisit the grave and/or the tombstone of their loved one as a way of remembering them. However, some Pentecostal and Charismatic churches prohibit this practice as ancestral worship. This article argues that the erection and unveiling of tombstones does not necessarily need to be understood as ancestral worship. A distinction needs to be made between ancestral worship and ancestral commemoration in an African context. The conclusion is that when the practice of unveiling tombstones is carried out as a way of remembering and showing respect to our ancestors, but not worshiping and revering them, this practice should be supported by Christians from Pentecostal and Charismatic churches as well. There is therefore a need, from a decolonial perspective, to use the missional hermeneutics of discernment and naked truth to provide a proper biblical and acceptable Christian practice of the unveiling of the tombstone in the South African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the character of Esther as a model for the Jewish Diaspora. It compares her situation with the marginalization of the Pentecostal community, which has historically been excluded from mainstream religious and social circles. It further examines how Esther, despite her disadvantages, adapted and ultimately became a central figure in the Persian Empire.

Pentecostal, Charismatic, liturgical theology, liturgical history, Pentecostal ressourcement, theology of worship, Praise and Worship Pentecostal pastors and worship leaders not only have preexisting functional theologies of worship that direct their practice but many also assume that these theologies are the ideal blueprint for worship in function, form, and esthetic. Keywords: Pentecostal; Charismatic; liturgical theology; liturgical history; Praise and Worship; Pentecostal ressourcement; theology of worship EN Pentecostal Charismatic liturgical theology liturgical history Praise and Worship Pentecostal ressourcement theology of worship 46 51 6 02/07/23 20230101 NES 230101 An analogy will help to describe how the current Pentecostal scholars have engaged their tradition's worship. The pattern of retrieving early Pentecostal worship and updating in conversation with contemporary academic theology leapfrogs over any consideration of Pentecostal or Charismatic worship as it has existed in the intervening period. [Extracted from the article]

In recent times, the quest for miracles among Nigerian Christians has become a social menace as many have fallen victim to fake miracle workers. The article studied the quest for miracles in Nigeria against the purpose and significance of miracles in the New Testament (NT), and sought to appraise this behaviour as a possible effect of the poor economic situation in the country. It applied the reader-oriented and descriptive methods. The work found that the manner of the quest for miracles by many Nigerian Christians indicates their lack of understanding of the essence of miracles in the NT. This wrong perception also explains the frantic efforts by some pentecostal preachers to work miracles, including commercialisation of miracles and certain occult practices. The essay concluded that Nigerian Christians wrong attitude towards miracles is an effect of the high rate of poverty in the country. The menace can, therefore, be ameliorated by addressing the economic situation. Government should change its corrupt attitude towards the economy while the church has to educate their members about the teaching of the Bible on miracles, and direct her preaching against corruption and its perpetrators. Contribution: The article is a contribution to the discourse on the controversies on miracles. It argues that Nigerian Christians' perception of miracles contradicts the essence of miracles in the NT, and that this perception and the practices involved are an effect of the poor economic situation in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]