Decolonising Christian based ‘Prophetship’. A Pragma-Dialectic Analysis of Re/presentations of Faith Healing and Faith Healers in Zimbabwean Newspapers

Abstract

Contemporary Christianity in Zimbabwe and Africa at large, is characterized by a surge ‘prophetness’ and prophetic faith healing. These faith based, miracle performing and faith based healing agents and actors and their theologies have received immense media attention in Zimbabwean media. This study examines representations of faith healers in Zimbabwean newspapers, the English language reporting national dailies, The Herald and Daily News as well as the Shona language reporting tabloid, Kwayedza couched within the extended Pragma-Dialectic Theory (Van Eemeren, Grootendorst & Henkemans, 1996). The theory provides explications that enable the current enquiry to examine issues related to faith healing in line with the political, economic and the social contexts that shape the system in which faith based healers find themselves. Recognising and arguing that Christian faith healing is a colonial phenomenon which culminates from the colonisation of Africa, the study examines media representations of the phenomenon within these frames. In examining the manners in which ideological positions as enunciated in news reports (which ideally are supposed to be free from such ideological biases), the study will adopt the four stages which a critical discussion contains, which are: “…[firstly], the confrontation stage (where the difference of opinion manifest itself); [secondly]…the opening stage (where the procedural and material points of departure for a critical discussion about a standpoint at an issue are established);… [third] is the argumentation stage (where the standpoints are challenged and defended; last, the fourth stage is the concluding stage (where the results of the discussion are determined)” (Van Eemeren & Houtlosser, 2003). The research adopts a qualitative research paradigm and data is discussed through the use of textual analysis. The study observes that Christian faith healers receive both positive and negative media representation. In the observed instances, positive representation of the Christian agents and their trade is dictated by the social alignment they have to Christianity in a predominantly Christian nation and negative representations emanate from the observations that their healing systems embrace the African conceptualisation of disease and illness – which to some seem unChristian.