Gender Performativities in the Quest for Healing, Salvation and Prosperity in An African Pentecostal Church

Ama Boatemaa Appiah-Kubi ,Andy Ofori-Birikorang

doi:10.7176/jpcr/52-02

Abstract

This paper investigates the performances members of the Moments of Glory Prayer Army (MOGPA), a Pentecostal church in Ghana, display at meetings and how such performances are gendered. Using gender performativity theory and ethnographic design anchored on participant observations, interviews and focus group discussions, the paper reveals that members displayed gendered performances during MOGPA meetings through the frames of prayer, exorcism, testimonies and oblation. However, there were also instances during which individuals engaged in performances that seemed to subvert the normal gender roles regularly subscribed to and acknowledged by society. The study concludes that the performances displayed by social actors at MOGPA meetings were highly gendered and, subsequently, reinforces the gender roles and performances in the church in particular and the society in general. Keywords: Social construction, Gender Performativity, Gender roles, Religion, Christianity, Pentecostalism, ethnography DOI: 10.7176/JPCR/52-02 Publication date: February 28 th 2021

Highlights

Religion has become a very important and permanent component of human life and clearly remains a vital force in the world today (Grim, 2014).With numerous religious traditions worldwide and practiced by many people, religion sets the tone, liberates and regulates the lives of people into becoming better persons within the society if they conform to societal rules and roles (Durkheim, 1954; Geertz, 1966)
Findings and Discussion This paper sought to present a detailed description of data collected from twenty-four informants (24) as well as participant observation to identify the performances displayed during Moments of Glory Prayer Army (MOGPA) meetings and how gendered they are
The findings of this work validate the claim that gender is a socially constructed category created during gendered performances (Butler, 1990) because the social actors in partaking in the various activities in MOGPA demonstrated and acted in ways that were in synchrony with the societal prescriptions based on their sex

Summary

Introduction

Religion has become a very important and permanent component of human life and clearly remains a vital force in the world today (Grim, 2014).With numerous religious traditions worldwide and practiced by many people, religion sets the tone, liberates and regulates the lives of people into becoming better persons within the society if they conform to societal rules and roles (Durkheim, 1954; Geertz, 1966). Emphasizing the issue of gender in religion as a discriminatory factory, Messner (2002) indicates that religion is a core institution that constantly adheres to traditional gender ideologies. It structures and shapes the everyday life experiences of men and women through gendered religious schemas (Leamaster & Subramaniam, 2015). Gender is embedded in every aspect of our daily interactions. This is due to the fact that society constructs and determines the attitude and behavior of people based on their biological make-up (Berkowitz, 2006). As a matter of fact, religious sects provide the platform for gendered performances to be enacted (Sallee & Harris, 2011)

Methods

Results

Conclusion