Commodities and the Power of Prayer: Pentecostalist Attitudes Towards Consumption in Contemporary Ghana (original) (raw)
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Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity in Ghana has become business. It is typically characterised by the sale and purchase of assortments of religious items and services between churches and religious consumers. This practice is said to have experienced its exponential index in view of the utmost demand for miraculous mediation by desperate religious consumers to address their religio-psycho-social pickles. Irrespective of the abuses religious consumers are said to go through, coupled with the high cost the religious items and services are sold, one is curious to ascertain by what means the churches use to hook religious consumers to their offers. This paper thus, sets out to reveal and analyse some of the main strategies Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in Ghana use to hook religious consumers onto their offers using Christian ethics as assessment criteria. The paper argues that the strategies the churches use are not in conformity with Christian ethics, thus, they are unethical. This is because it was revealed that the intentions that drive the strategies are mostly geared towards selfish, domineering and manipulative end.
ANUJAT, 2019
Christianity in Ghana today appears to have taken on a business-like outlook. It is generally characterised by the sale and purchase of assortments of religious items and services between churches and religious consumers, abuses and financial extortion. This raises the question: why is it that a practice that the ancient prophets of Yahweh and Jesus Christ condemned continues to be perpetuated by pastors/prophets of God today? Thus, this study sets out to portray and question the continuous practice of commercialization of religion as reflected in Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in Ghana.
Situating the Religious Market Theory in Ghanaian Religious Context: Merits and Demerits
2021
This study reviewed the religious market theory in relation to the religious economy of Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal-Charismatic churches in Ghana. Using unstructured qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, the study discovered that the theory in its present western context ignored Ghanaian religio-cultural sensibilities that affect decision-making in every aspect of the Ghanaian's life. It also ignored ethical and human rights cases such as flogging or at times stepping on pregnant women for alleged involvement in sinful acts. In other cases, prophets/pastors touch women's private parts for alleged claims of casting out demons. These missing links in the theory appear to produce a distorted view of the realities of religious actors in Ghana. Thus, the analysis implicates the widening of the theoretical framework to encompass the missing links that significantly influence the behavior of religious actors in Ghana.
Legon Journal of the Humanities
In Africa, religion, generally, has often been used as a medium to assuage difficulties in life. The pragmatic-oriented function of religion, as found in Africa's economy of faith, makes religion a kind of an economic good/service that can be harnessed to deal with existential needs and aspirations. Operating within this worldview, and with the help of the media, some Ghanaian Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors-prophets have commodified the gospel by employing various means of marketing to advertise, brand, and package religion as a consumer or spiritual product that can be bought to solve lifedebilitating issues. This article focuses on some of the contemporary practices of the neo-Pentecostal/Charismatic churches that are symptomatic of the commercialization and the commodification of religion. In so doing, the article attempts to tease out the positive and negative socioeconomic implications of these practices. The work demonstrates that though there are some deleterious implications of the commodification of the gospel, the neo-Pentecostal/Charismatic churches, through such practices, have been able to raise substantial amounts of money to fund numerous social intervention projects that are helping transform the lives of people. Data used in this article was gleaned from the radio, television, and relevant literature.
Pentecostalism has become an increasingly prominent feature of Africa's religious and political landscape. The movement's growth has been particularly dramatic in the last one hundred years, though not without its own attendant challenges ranging from doctrinal, economical, global and political issues among many others. In order to understand the emerging and contending issues in African Pentecostalism, this study will through literary exploration expatiate on the religious atmosphere of the Pre-Pentecostal Christian era in Africa and the explosion of contemporary Pentecostal phenomenon, observing it's historical, significance and the impact of global and secular interaction with the movement. The study will emphasize on ecclesiological themes. Ethical evaluation of a particular denomination will be examined in the face of numerical growth and theological shifting stance among contemporary African Pentecostals. The study shall conclude with an entreaty to Pentecostal faithful to keep the essence of Pentecost alive. INTRODUCTION Pentecostalism as a concept has been in existence from the inception of the Church in the account of the Spirit's manifestation in the book of Acts of the Apostles. It is a concept that has undergone several transformational definitions due to the dynamic ways people conceive and perceive the movement. This study therefore is an historical and specific evaluation of Pentecostalism. It underscore summarily the origin of the movement ,the religious arena in which it
Pneuma, 2012
This edited volume explores the interrelated themes of Pentecostalism and globalization in Africa and the African Diaspora. It is based on papers given at two international workshops in 2001: 'Pentecostalism and Globalization' and 'The Impact of New Communication Technologies on the Religions in West Africa' , organized by the Department for the Study of Religion, University of Bayreuth. Other contributions are drawn from papers presented within the Guest Lecture Series of the Department for the Study of Religion from 2000-2003. Most of the contributors are African, and seven out of twelve chapters focus on Nigeria, the location of one of the largest Pentecostal communities in world Christianity. The three opening chapters reflect on the concepts 'pentecostalism' and 'globalization'. Ulrich Berner discusses the interrelationship between religion and globalization, focusing on African initiated churches as local initiatives in a global context, religious pluralism as a global religious system, and the impact of global problems, such as environmental degradation, on the religious traditions of the world. Adogame and Asonzeh Ukah examine the scholarly discourse on globalization and African Pentecostalism, providing a helpful overview of the literature. The authors criticise the overdependence on theories that fail to take account of the complexity of the phenomena and call for more attention to be given to data arising out of fijieldwork. Finally, Umar Danfulani focuses on globalization in relation to the Pentecostal movement in Nigeria. He argues against regarding these churches simply as by-products of Westernization or religious imperialism. Rather, their theology, liturgy and organizational structures are an outcome of the 'interplay between global/local elements' (60). Three further chapters explore the provenance and historical development of African Pentecostalism in Nigeria, South Africa, and the USA. Ogbu Kalu discusses the tensions accompanying the 'charismatization' of the mainline churches, using as a case study the Presbyterian Church in Nigeria. Although not explicitly placed within a globalization framework, his discussion identifijies the main source of the tensions as the clash between the cessationist tendencies of the Reformed tradition and charismatic appropriations of the biblical text in response to local cultural realities. Consequently, the 'charismatic hermeneutic' served as a 'tool for decolonizing the church' by challenging the missionary doctrinal heritage (103). Allan Anderson's examination of globalisation and Pentecostalism focuses on independent churches in South Africa. He challenges the so-called 'Americanisation' thesis, which regards African Pentecostalism as an American import, by portraying these churches as indigenous initiatives responding to local concerns. The focus of Jacob Olupona's chapter is African immigrant Christianity in America. He identifijies three traditions: African independent churches, African Pentecostal/Charismatic churches, and African immigrants within mainstream American churches. According to Olupona, globalization in this context leads to an increasing awareness of Africa rather than assimilation and the destruction of African values. Thus, the presence of African immigrant churches serves as a 'new conduit for transglobal linkages of African Diaspora identity and culture' (79). The remaining chapters focus on Pentecostalism and globalization in relation to various thematic issues. Rosalind Hackett reflects on African Pentecostal deliverance and demonology,
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PENTECOSTALISM AND DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Can religion in Africa be a genuine and permanent partner for sustainable development in an asymmetrical world and modern world system? Can indigenous African peoples create African futures within the aforesaid question and in the midst of spiritual coloniality? Despite apparent differences between the regions and cultural groups on this colossal continent, we can identify similar elements in religion. Religion has proven to be the highest social institution with an overwhelming influence on the lives of indigenous peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa, in contrast to other social institutions. This is evidenced by the contemporary realities that wherever you turn in this region's communities, Churches overwhelm the landscape. Therefore, this is a testimony that belief in religion has grown stronger in the same region compared to the yesteryears. Of colossal interest in this article is the comparison between the classical Pentecostalism and the new Pentecostalism / Charismaticalism Mega-Churches. The former's approach was and/or is more oriented in empowerment in its thrust – thus, they are conduits for sustainable development, whereas the latter's thrust is more inclined in food distribution than in development programs and projects, as well as their theological, behavioural activities and characteristics or distinctive are the opposite of the former. The latter's charismatic prophets and preachers who are sole owners of these Mega-Churches accumulate wealth more than their governments. Their spiritual advice is shrouded with 'gospreneurship' premised on carnal, greedy, treacherous and selfish inveiglement that seeks to continue fleecing and milking unsuspecting poor masses of congregants of their hard earned. There is mass enslavement here. Therefore, in relation to the aforesaid challenges posed by these new Pentecostal/Charismatic Mega-Churches in Africa the article's contention is that there is a need for freedom or liberation from spiritual coloniality for sustainable development in order to create new humanism and genuine African futures.
Religion, culture, and development: Th e pneuma-diaconal perspective of African Pentecostalism
Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 2020
We cannot realistically discuss development without factoring religion into the analysis. In the same way, we cannot design any economic development plan without acknowledging the influence of religion on its implementation. The fact is that, many economic development policies require a change from old values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of the citizenry to those that are supportive of the new policy. Religious practices and beliefs have important consequences for the economic development of a community or nation. The relationship between religion and development is likely to be complementary as long as religious beliefs and practices promote 'moderation' rather than 'extremes.' This article therefore discusses how Pentecostalism has been used as a reference point in addressing religio-cultural and socioeconomic needs of Africans. The study uses Spiritual capital theory and pneuma-diaconal mission theory to unearth the impact of African Pentecostalism in the socioeconomic lives of Ghanaians and more especially Africans.