African Pentecostalism and politics: Reading Luke-Acts in its political, sociological and religious contexts

Abstract

This article seeks to bring out the functionalities of the promise of the Holy Spirit by Jesus, the risen Lord, to his new community in Luke-Acts. It queries the need for such promise within the religious, sociological, and political environment of the 1st century Palestine as against the dominant power of the empire. The article carefully acknowledges that the fulfilment of the promise in Luke-Acts marked the creation of a different kingdom whose aim was to subvert the empire’s existing political, religious, and sociological power. By implication, it is believed that such a subversive phenomenon displayed in Luke-Acts could have both direct and indirect consequences on African Pentecostalism as it engages in its articulation of the same promise in the modern political world.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article falls within the biblical and sociological context of the early church and proposes that African Pentecostalism reads the meaning of the Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts holistically. It will enable the African church to engage in evangelism, politics, and social issues to change the world positively in a subversive manner.