The Transnational Location of Two Leading Evangelical Churches in the Global South

Abstract

AbstractReligion remains critically important in the Global South even as globalization intensifies. As international political and economic structures evolve, transnational religions shift societal locations within countries. These shifts cause changes within religions themselves, altering patterns of interaction that may in turn have political and economic consequences. By examining Iglesia Josue in El Salvador and Rhema Bible Church in South Africa, this article shows that the current leading Pentecostal churches and actors in developing countries are often located in upper-middle-class neighborhoods. Strong institutional and personal networks that stretch across borders transnationally embed such churches at multiple levels. The transnational orientation of leading churches has important implications for the rest of the in-country Pentecostal community.