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This article explores the intricate evolution of Chilean Pentecostals from apolitical and socially detached citizens to ardent supporters of the country's dictatorship. The aim is to challenge prevailing historical assumptions that explain the transformation through factors exogenous to the movement as well as long-held interpretations of their eschatological dispositions. It looks to revisit their early theological commitments and millennial concerns, complicating scholarly claims that the movement reflected a clear premillennialist orientation which has been held up to explain their enduring reluctance to enter the political sphere prior to the 1973 military coup. By examining early Pentecostal publications, this article reveals a religious movement shaped by pneumatological expressions, Methodist beliefs and local autonomy. Contrary to normative interpretations, it argues that Chilean Pentecostals' longstanding unwillingness to engage in political change was not a forgone conclusion rooted in their theological commitments. Political engagement was always a possibility rather than a clear deviation. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Chilean Pentecostalism, shedding light on the complex interplay of theology, historical context and scholarly interpretations that have shaped our understanding of the movement's political trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on long-term ethnographic research in Tanzania, this article contributes to existing scholarship on adaptations and modifications of the so-called gospel in African contexts. I show how the Prosperity Gospel has taken shape in an environment of intense religious/spiritual/medical competition and, not least, of widespread cultural concerns with the moral legitimacy of wealth generated through alliances with spiritual forces. However, I also argue that a deeper understanding of the ways in which the Prosperity Gospel has become contextualized can be reached by moving beyond a focus on cultural concerns with wealth and paying close attention to the exuberance of meanings attributed to money in its most concrete and tangible form, coins and banknotes, as well as to the religious/ritual practices involving money that such meanings inspire. I pursue my analysis by zooming in on two areas where cultural understandings of money as exceeding its materiality and its use value are prevalent: the use of powers of witchcraft to extract money from others and the practice of bride wealth. Whereas the first has to do with understandings of material money as imbued with spiritual powers, the second can be seen as an example of a gift economy, since money given by a groom to his parents-in-law by virtue of containing parts of his soul or his essence becomes the foundation of a relationship of mutual respect between them. In the last part of the article, I show how both understandings are entangled with Prosperity teachings and inform ritual practices involving material money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zusammenfassung: Vorliegender Artikel stellt neue Diskurse in der Evangelikalismusforschung im deutschen Sprachraum vor. Im Fokus sind unterschiedliche Sichtweisen und Standpunkte im schöpferischen Spannungsfeld zwischen Theologie und Religionswissenschaft. Nachgezeichnet wird die von angelsächsischen Beiträgen dominierte Forschungsgeschichte der evangelikalen Bewegung unter Berücksichtigung ausgewählter deutschsprachiger Veröffentlichungen. Diese werden dann in Kontrast gesetzt zu Gegenwartsmeinungen aus dem Bereich der deutschsprachigen Religionswissenschaft. Der Artikel fragt nach weitergehenden Perspektiven, die die Dichotomie zwischen emischen Innenorientierungen und etischen Außenorientierungen in der Forschungsperspektive überwinden, wie sie oft in der deutschsprachigen Evangelikalismusforschung vorzufinden sind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this essay we explore the structure of two new Christian movements that emerged as a result of a blending of Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism. These movements are ICF and C3, which we study in their German as well as European context. We triangulate theoretical concepts, our own empirical research and existing research on these movements. Referring to the theoretical framework of refiguration, we discuss the potential of the concepts 'eventisation', 'movement' and 'scenefication' from the sociology of religion as frameworks for understanding these typical movements. Our analysis of social form leads to reflections on the adaptability of concepts from confessional studies, such as confessional markers and congregationalism, in relation to the non-denominational self-description of these so-called lifestyle churches. In our conclusion, we explore implications and perspectives of the organisational shift caused by these emerging movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a product of an empirical study that argues that denominational worship praxis is a contested issue among Seventh-day Adventists (SDA s) in Nigeria today. Using analysis from fieldnotes and interviews, this article shows that there are some congregants who prefer to do worship as it was practiced by their denominational pioneers. This group keeps this memory sacred. Another group of Adventists contest the same past by leaning toward the Nigerian Pentecostal ethos. This contestation regarding the past combined with acceptance or rejection of cultural matters in the worship arena shows the diversity of Adventism in Nigeria. It also reveals how cultural and missionary traditions intersect and influence the local contemporary worship praxis of Adventist Christianity. Based on ethnographic findings, the article concludes that the example of conflicting visions of the past in one denomination (Seventh-day Adventists) in Nigeria contributes to a richer perspective in studies in world Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, women are generally positioned or perceived as prayer warriors. This image is in sharp contrast to their perceived agency as “weaker vessels”, which relegates them to the margins in terms of leadership and preaching. A prayer warrior is a metaphor for strength, evoking a spiritual battle with the enemy, the devil, whose essence is to wage war against Christians. Using a grounded methodology approach, I will dissect the social-cultural elements that view women as weak vessels, yet present them as prayer warriors who engage with spiritual forces. Daughters of Zion, an urban Pentecostal women’s movement, features as a case study due to its reputation for summoning women to pray. The group uses the term “wailing women” to describe the participants in their prayer assemblies. The women engage in intense prayers while sitting, running, and even lying prostrate, addressing domestic and personal issues. The research delves into the concept of women as “prayer warriors”, employing “wailing” as their battle weapon, a form of emotional expression that serves as a unique source of spiritual strength. The study contributes to the growing field of gender studies and how religious contexts understand and value women’s emotional sensitivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising wave of protests throughout the world demands a deeper understanding of, as well as new perspectives on, the phenomenon and its impact on society. Hence, I spotlight the #EndSARS protest to understand new forms of social protest in contemporary Nigeria. In so doing, I examine how protesters mobilise religious infrastructures of prayer, music and procession to shape and sustain the protest. By focusing on prayer walk activities during the protest, I analyse how Christian music shapes the sound space and the atmosphere of local struggles. The study draws evidence from ethnography conducted during the prayer walk activities in Ibadan, Nigeria, and other archival resources including social media. By illuminating religious nuances of the #EndSARS protest that remain underexplored in scholarly and popular writings about the protest, this study provides the analytical lens to understand how people’s lived religion is implicated in their everyday socio-political struggle. I argue that the prayer walk constitutes a symbolic and sonic site for Christian protesters to perform spiritual solidarity with other #EndSARS protesters through the agency of Christian music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentecostalism is of growing influence in Africa and elsewhere in the Majority World, and one of the factors explaining its success is its ability to integrate elements of religious belief and practice that are prominent in Africa, such as belief in spirits and the practices of healing and deliverance. This calls for approaches to biblical interpretation that take seriously these concerns and practices. This essay first outlines the growth of Pentecostalism as a context for biblical interpretation in Africa, and then turns to a literary and exegetical analysis of Mark 1.21–28, to illustrate an engagement using historico-grammatical analysis but informed by the context of African Pentecostalism. Finally, a series of reflections is offered on the significance and the challenge of this kind of interpretation and its importance in the contemporary African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to analyze the social and symbolic resources that intra-prison Pentecostalism provides to converted inmates for their intra- and then extra-prison community reintegration. To conduct this analysis, we present two sections. Firstly, we present a characterization of two prison spaces between 1950 and 1970: the Public Prison and the Santiago Penitentiary, both located in the city of Santiago de Chile. In them, Pentecostal communities developed and adjusted to the prison contexts with different proposals. Secondly, we see religious work as an organizer of meaning based on the three most important religious rituals of prison spaces: the invocation ritual, which is prayer as sacred work; music, which is sung work; and preaching, which is the work that makes the community grow. The theoretical framework we employ is that of structuralism, to adapt to the era explored in this article, complemented by the phenomenological proposal of René Girard. Methodologically, this study is a qualitative vision focused on the autobiography of a religious leader, to which two autobiographical novels of the time are added, in addition to institutional magazines (Pentecostal) and a magazine of journalistic reportage, to contextualize the information provided by the autobiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although not a new phenomenon, over the past decade, Christian Zionist theologies that emphasise the central role of the Jewish people in divine history and call on believers to support them and the modern state of Israel have increasingly come to impact religious life and political discourse in many parts of Africa. This paper reviews this development and the limited research on it. It assesses the uptake of Christian Zionist theologies by African Pentecostals and Messianic Jews and sketches out the impact of Christian Zionism on Africa's political landscape. The paper offers some directions for future scholarship on the subject, which may contribute not only to the fields of World Christianity and the anthropology of Christianity, but also to the historical, sociological, and anthropological study of African popular cultures, and to the study of African politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship of synodality and charisms in Catholic teaching from a Pentecostal perspective. Although a consideration of the charisms is implied in the discussion on synodality in Catholic documents, there exists no comprehensive theology of the nature and function of charisms in their contribution to the synodal journey. A critical identification of the role of charisms, specifically in conversation with the role of hierarchical gifts, and brought into dialogue with the new charismatic movements and communities within Catholicism and Pentecostal Christianity, reveals an imbalance in the exercise of hierarchical and charismatic gifts in the church that presents a foundational problem for the future of synodality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this text I will analyze the notion of ineffability present in one of the most common practices of Pentecostalism, which is known as glossolalia: speaking in strange or non-existent languages. I will begin by outlining several of the main conceptions of ineffability that have emerged in studies in philosophy of religion, which explain why this concept is essential in the consideration of various religious experiences and beliefs. Finally, I will show how in one of the most important religious movements of the last centuries a particular notion of ineffability gains strength. I will try to explain what this notion consists of and analyze the causes and implications it has in the understanding of Pentecostalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cahiers d'Études Africaines is the property of Editions EHESS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Covenant theology seeks to explore the connection between deity and humanity which spans from the time of creation to the time when God sent his son to redeem the world from sin. The main tenets of the covenant theology also known as covenantalism are the covenant of works mainly found in the creation story. Second, it is the covenant of grace based on the promises of eternal life through faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and embracement of the Holy Spirit. The third component of covenant theology is the covenant of redemption which recognizes the sending of the Son of God into the world to die for the sins of the people. This article argued that covenantalism in the Pentecostal movement is not a mere doctrine based on these three tenets but rather is pneumatologically defined as a way of dealing with adversity. This is demonstrated through the theoretical framework of the pneumatological imagination in illustrating how Pentecostals in Africa are rooted in the covenant between them and their God through the Holy Spirit. Thus pneumatology in Pentecostalism becomes the foundation for the Pentecostal pneumatological covenant theology of dealing with adversity. This changes how we study covenant theolog., It is not only about religious doctrine but also a means of dealing with adversity. The study is a literature review within qualitative methodology. The study makes an important contribution to covenant theology by suggesting a theology of dealing with adversity beyond doctrinal issues. Therefore, covenant theology should be studied by taking into cognizance the role of the Holy Spirit within the framework of pneumatological imagination in helping believers overcome adversity.

Religious tourism is commonly known for the visits by believers to religious sites and pilgrimages for religious purposes. In African Pentecostalism, religious tourism is known for the movement of believers from one country to another in search of greater power and blessings. This also includes powerful politicians who would visit a prophet in another African country in search of prayers. This kind of movement has been perceived negatively, particularly considering the disaster that happened in Nigeria when many South Africans lost their lives when the Synagogue Church of All Nations building in Nigeria collapsed. In addition, there are challenges such as the financial exploitation of religious tourists who pay exorbitant prices to visit men or women of God. Another challenge is the hostility of host countries to religious tourists, particularly pastors. The argument in this article is that religious tourism should not only be studied by its challenges but also various opportunities. Opportunities such as transportation opportunities, food trade opportunities, and hospitality opportunities are explored. These opportunities are important in the development of a Pentecostal pneumatological theology of tourism. This is a literature review on religious tourism in the context of Pentecostalism. This theology is developed using the theoretical framework of pneumatological imagination which argues that being filled with the Spirit includes opening up to people of different languages, different nationalities, and so forth. Similarly, pneumatological imagination argues that being filled with the Spirit allows the movement of people from one country to another which enhances tourism opportunities. This theory is important for the balance between the challenges and opportunities of religious tourism.

Over recent decades, transnational Pentecostal religious movements have experienced rapid surges in authoritarian regimes which have reported high levels of women’s political participation in sub-Saharan Africa such as Rwanda and Zimbabwe. This article assesses whether transnational Pentecostal religious beliefs have been influential in enhancing women’s political participation in Zimbabwe? The article employs an intersectional and postcolonial feminist lens to demonstrate how religion impacts individual political behaviour. It further draws on ethnographic material gathered in Zimbabwe consisting of in-depth interviews with nine Pentecostal women in politics. The article finds that whilst Pentecostal religious beliefs do enhance women’s political participation, the quality of this participation differs considerably amongst women. [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 study aims to analyze, through religious hymns in the German-speaking area from the early 18th century, the influence that the Pietist theological movement, starting from Philipp Jacob Spener's Pia Desideria, had on the centralization of the self in the Protestant religious world, through the introduction of personal feelings of love towards God. On the one hand, the origins of Pietism can already be traced back to the late 16th century in areas affected by the radical reforms of the Anabaptists. On the other hand, it is from the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century that this theological and spiritual movement destabilized orthodox Lutheranism in some symbolic cities of Protestant Germany, such as Frankfurt am Main, Halle, and the Duchy of Westphalia, up to Moravia. The extensive publication of hymnals and musical compendia for the use of individuals, lay groups (collegia pietatis), faith communities, and churches denotes a fervor and a desire to preach their way of "practicing" spirituality, which greatly contrasts with both orthodox Lutheranism and the prevailing rationalism in the religious and philosophical sphere in Germany of the mid-18th century. For the first time since the Reformation, Lutheranism saw the use, in the theology of the preached and sung Word, of personal feelings and emotions that connect the individual with God, who is made an object of individual as well as collective worship. This was one of the most significant accusations that came from the University of Wittenberg against Pietism, namely the shift of theological and spiritual focus from the centrality of God to the centrality of the self, which manifests its faith through the most intimate emotions and feelings. Through the analysis of some examples taken from hymnographic and theological production, centered on the individual feelings of the believer, this article focuses on how this influenced the religious revival movements that would pervade England and the United States of America for more than two centuries (from the First Great Awakening in the late 18th century to the Pentecostal movements of the 20th century), with a spotlight on Italian hymnody during the Risorgimento. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution to the literature regarding the Christian theology of religions presents a critical view from the outside, a meta-reflection primarily from a religious studies perspective considering the conditions and contexts of academic theology on the one hand, and lived interreligious relationships on the other, which are all-too-easily ignored in works of the theology of religions. First, some newer approaches to the theology of religions will be mentioned before critical questions will be addressed from a religious studies perspective. These are observations in discourse theory, the sociology of religion, religious economics and spatial theory. This is followed by observations from the perspective of intercultural theology, which examine approaches to the theology of religions with regard to phenomena within the Pentecostal movement, discursive constellations in Muslim majority societies and cultural–religious aspects within Indian society. Finally, the "theology of interreligious relations" will be proposed as a corrective to the shortcomings of the ordinary theology of religions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentecostalism, to which the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe belongs, is one of the fastest growing brands of Christianity in Zimbabwe. Most Pentecostal churches promise divine health, deliverance, miracles and prosperity to their members. In the Apostolic Faith Mission of Zimbabwe, women constitute the greater percentage of the church membership. Despite the fact that Pentecostal churches make promises of a good life, a church is generally expected to be a safe haven to its members. This paper wished to examine whether the Pentecostal church response to COVID-19 helped to build or destroy the mental health of its majority members, the women. The findings however show that the church mostly affected women's mental health in a negative way as it grappled with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This article therefore contests the claim of providing a good life as done by some Pentecostal churches. This was a qualitative study and utilized findings from a sample of 15 members of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe who were selected using purposive sampling. The findings suggest that the women were stressed by the teachings on marriage and emphasis on collection of money, discrimination against single women, the prosperity gospel, and patriarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the height of Zimbabwe’s multi-layered crisis, emerged several Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches (PCCs). Led by youthful charismatic ‘prophets’, these PCCs gained significant traction in many urban spaces, especially in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, where they have sought to ‘Pentecostalise’ the cityscape. Public spaces in Harare have become saturated with Pentecostal aesthetics, which include, but are not limited to, church-branded stickers on vehicles, huge religious billboards at strategic spaces, impressive megachurch buildings, and spectacular public displays. This remarkable growth of PCCs saw them venturing into huge real estate projects that have dramatically reshaped the urban landscape. Through these projects, PCCs are creating ‘cities within cities.’ Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Harare, I examine how two PCCs have reconfigured urban landscapes through their projects, activities, and rituals. In addition to a focus on the quotidian dimension of urban life, I also focus on how these projects enable congregants and residents to reimagine the possibilities of a different kind of future and life in the city. Interestingly, the power of the ascendant PCCs is such that they are becoming de facto urban planners themselves and thus their vision for the urban future is creating new ways of relating to the present in the growing city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to contribute with some analytical philosophical perspectives to Pentecostal theology and the contemporary understanding of Pentecostal experiences of God as 'mediated immediacy' to further specify these experiences' distinct contribution to systematic theology. A trend within Pentecostal theology is to emphasize how Pentecostal experiences are encounters that are theologically interpreted and related to specific beliefs. However, the amount of information and areas of theological knowledge from such experiences need more clarifications. Hence, in Part 1, the author presents four philosophical arguments why experiences of God can contribute to systematic theology with prima facie justified beliefs or theological knowledge. In Part 2, the author proposes that their distinct theological contribution can be specified as manifestation beliefs about God's doing and being towards a person that represent personal and relational knowledge of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing the pentecostal paradox motif, this survey engages the literature on African Pentecostalism across a spectrum of disciplines in both humanities and social sciences. Utilising a thematic cluster as analytical approach, the study posits that African Pentecostalism represents a decolonial shift from an era of mere beliefs to the era of the dispensation of the Spirit. African Pentecostalism emphasises post‐indigenous and transrational appropriations of the gospel, situated within specific historical and cultural contexts. The study concludes by zooming in on the imperative for scholars on Pentecostal studies in Africa (PenteSA) to be mindful of 'the pentecostal paradox', urging them to recognise their roles as a prophetic vocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article delves into the enduring significance of theological declarations such as the Barmen Declaration of 1934 and their relevance in contemporary discourse, particularly regarding issues like Christophobia in Europe. It explores the historical contexts and theological underpinnings of declarations like Barmen, Belhar, and the Heidelberg Disputation, highlighting their confrontations with oppressive political and ecclesiastical powers. Additionally, it examines critiques of European attitudes towards Christianity by scholars such as Joseph H.H. Weiler and discusses the transformative potential of movements emphasizing the power of the Holy Spirit, such as Pentecostalism. The article underscores the ongoing theological dialogue surrounding liberation, social justice, and the enduring relevance of biblical theology in addressing contemporary challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on Pentecostalism and its real and possible contributions to socio-economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. First, we provide an overall historical and theological introduction to Pentecostalism in sub-Saharan Africa, especially as these relate to socio-economic wellbeing. The heart of our research is a review of the literature on African Pentecostalism focused on economic development. We conclude with an exploration of the challenges and opportunities the movement faces in contributing to development across the continent. The question we seek to pursue is as follows: what theological and missiological resources might pentecostal–charismatic communities contribute to improve the socio-economic circumstances of the people of sub-Saharan Africa? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karl Barth's final volume of his Church Dogmatics includes a subsection entitled "Baptism with the Holy Spirit" as part of his discussion of the foundation of the Christian life (Church Dogmatics IV/4, 2–40). Analysis of this subsection shows that Barth conceives of this "baptism" as a person's conversion, the beginning of human faithfulness toward God. As such, it is very different from typical pentecostal construals of the doctrine, which perhaps accounts for the surprising paucity of pentecostal engagement with this subsection. This essay presents a detailed analysis of Barth's doctrine and shows that it includes significant resonances with pentecostal doctrine, despite obvious differences. It argues that Barth's doctrine might help Pentecostals retain the charismatic and missional emphases of their doctrine within a broader theology of the Spirit's work in the Christian life. The essay suggests several points of dialogue between Barth and Pentecostals in which both parties might benefit from the other's insights, illustrating this possibility with a larger discussion of the issue of subsequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article responds to Ekaputra Tupamahu's article that offers an alternative pentecostal reading of the book of Acts. Tupamahu challenges mainstream pentecostal interpretations that regard missionaries as pivotal characters in the Acts narrative. Alternatively, he suggests an interpretation focusing on migrants as the primary characters in the Acts narrative. In this article, these two opposing views are framed using an approach known as contrapuntal reading. The goal is not harmonization to reduce the tension between the two but to expand the horizon of the readers of Acts through the uniqueness of each reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is twofold: first, to challenge the white reading of the book of Acts, and second, to offer an alternative reading by placing the story of the marginalized people, the colonized people, at the center. The first part of this article interrogates how white pentecostal scholars read the book of Acts as a missionary book and identify themselves with the disciples in the book of Acts. After presenting the problems with this reading, I propose an alternative interpretation of the movement in Acts as a migration movement instead of a missionary movement. Reading it from a migration point of view centers on the story of a marginalized group of people trying to find a safe place to live because of the sociopolitical instability in their homeland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an aesthetic analysis of the practice of serpent handling by Christians in the Appalachian region of the United States. The purpose of this analysis is to understand serpent handling's aesthetic relationship to the Pentecostal tradition and exposit the implications of this relationship for the practice's legal status. The first section examines the history and defining characteristics of serpent handling and introduces the controversial problem of whether the practice can be categorized within the Pentecostal movement. The second section argues that serpent handling can be understood as belonging within the broader global Pentecostal tradition through engagement with the Pentecostal aesthetics of Nimi Wariboko. The final section concludes that if serpent handling is legible according to the aesthetic norms of Pentecostalism, a now broadly tolerated religious tradition in the United States, then this necessitates a wholesale reconsideration of antiserpent handling legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on media and Pentecostalism have demonstrated the role of media in the growth of the Pentecostal movement worldwide. A literature review on the mediatization of dangerous practices in the new prophetic churches demonstrates that mass media is pivotal in making the religious sphere more popular in the public sphere. This changes the discourses on the relationship between Pentecostalism and media with some implications for both South African and Global Pentecostalism. Pentecostalism and media are no longer understood only in terms of the church square but also in terms of the public sphere. Discourses on the relationship between media and Pentecostalism will be explored with particular reference to African Pentecostalism. The different dangerous faith practices and how they were reported by mass media shall be highlighted in detail. The rationale behind this reporting will be discussed to show some implications for both South African and global Pentecostalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document explores the topic of syncretism and its influence on Pentecostalism and Neo-Pentecostalism in the Global South. It discusses the wide range of beliefs and practices within the neo-Pentecostal movement and highlights two areas of concern: the influence of prosperity theology and the promotion of traditional gender roles. The document also examines the incorporation of indigenous religious practices and cultural norms into Pentecostal worship and explores the potential syncretistic elements within these practices. Overall, the document aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the complex relationship between syncretism and Pentecostalism in the Global South. [Extracted from the article]

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In this text I will analyze the notion of ineffability present in one of the most common practices of Pentecostalism, which is known as glossolalia: speaking in strange or non-existent languages. I will begin by outlining several of the main conceptions of ineffability that have emerged in studies in philosophy of religion, which explain why this concept is essential in the consideration of various religious experiences and beliefs. Finally, I will show how in one of the most important religious movements of the last centuries a particular notion of ineffability gains strength. I will try to explain what this notion consists of and analyze the causes and implications it has in the understanding of Pentecostalism

Street preaching can be defined as a religious practice in which evangelists seek to spread their Christian faith and messages to unknown people in open-air and free transit spaces (e.g. parks, avenues, boulevards, squares). Because of the increasing presence of street preachers in the streets of Barcelona, Spain, encountering evangelists or 'being approached' has become intrinsic to the urban experience of some inhabitants. Using a qualitative methodology based on in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations, I explore why and how Pentecostal believers—many of whom are from Latin American backgrounds—engage in street preaching in Barcelona. In so doing, I seek to engage in conversations about the visibility of religious minorities' performance in European urban settings and contribute to the 'reverse mission' debate in World Christianity as well as to the study of migrant Pentecostalism in Europe. I argue that, in order to understand why some Pentecostal Latin American believers venture into urban spaces, it is crucial to complement recruitment-based approaches with perspectives that re-conceptualise street preaching from a social, ethnic, and spatial standpoint. I suggest that street preaching intertwines with Christian beliefs, moral representations of the city, and ethnic concerns and acts as a critical medium through which street preachers claim a space for God in the city of Barcelona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the existence of whiteness and white supremacy in the words of Bishop Edir Macedo, leader of the powerful neo-Pentecostal Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) in Brazil. Through constructive narrative analysis, this article demonstrates evidence of attitude of whiteness (Teel 2019) in the bishop's writings on race and racism, thereby demonstrating forms of racist thinking (Martinot 2003, 2010). These are manifested through thought patterns which suggest that to be white is to be normal or neutral and through a performance of whiteness which Macedo subtly encourages among pastors within the Church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article suggests the idea of everything is "always-already-created" as a metaphysical framework for making sense of and constructing an African Pentecostal theology of creation in the context of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It argues that everything is always-already-created either as active and continued actualized or as active potential perpetually possibilized and anticipated to be actualized through God's mission of continuous creation. It contends that AI is a product of the divine gift of the creative impulse within the limits of the context of God's creative power in which all creation participates as agents of primordial creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]