Pentecostal Politics Research Articles

The Promise of American Pentecostal Political Theologies

Abstract Political strife and cultural upheaval characterize public life in the United States today. When did it start? Not with Donald J. Trump’s election, but he certainly amplified and accelerated these trends. Do the Spirit of Pentecost and communities of people filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit offer a way forward beyond the acrimony, hatreds, bigotries, and political polarities? The articles in this issue think they do. With these concerns and questions in mind, the articles presented here assess, critique, and offer constructive proposals for pentecostal political theology and practice in the age of Trump and beyond. This introductory article lays groundwork, historical and theological, for the generative contributions these articles make to pentecostal political theology in the United States.

Politics of Spiritual Warfare

Abstract This article examines the transformation of Pastor Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Tanzania Church in Dar es Salaam into a Pentecostal Big Man characterized by neopatrimonialism and clientelism. It argues that Pastor Gwajima’s status rests first, on religious mediation and individual as well as collective deliverance, and second, on the long-term creation of a Christian electorate. The paper focuses on Gwajima’s political activism during election campaigns that culminated in the 2020 elections when he became a member of parliament. The article concludes that Gwajima has built his religiopolitical profile on popular discourses of suspicion, witchcraft, and conspiracies, and that his Pentecostal politics expand the field of political power beyond political institutions to include demonic entities. Gwajima spiritually mediates people’s failed efforts to participate in the world of development while acknowledging the national and global inequalities, power asymmetries, and associated moral problems resulting from material and power accumulation.

Pentecostal Politics in a Secular World: The Life and Leadership of Lewi Pethrus, by Joel Halldorf

Pentecostal Politics in a Secular World: The Life and Leadership of Lewi Pethrus, by Joel Halldorf

A Pentecostal Political Theology for American Renewal: Spirit of the Kingdoms, Citizens of the Cities, by Steven M. Studebaker

A Pentecostal Political Theology for American Renewal: Spirit of the Kingdoms, Citizens of the Cities, by Steven M. Studebaker

Why Can't a Pastor Be President of a “Christian Nation”? Pentecostal Politics as Religious Mediation

AbstractWhy has Nevers Mumba, one of Zambia's most famous Pentecostal leaders, been so unsuccessful in his two presidential bids? Previous analyses have blamed Mumba's political woes on a presumed Pentecostal belief that politics is a lesser vocation than the pastorate. In contrast to these interpretations, I argue that Pentecostals in Zambia are very committed to the notion that, at least ideally, their leaders should be pastors, and more specifically that they should be effective mediators of the divine covenant established when Zambia was declared a “Christian nation.” The problem with Mumba is, therefore, not that pastors are not supposed to be politicians, but rather that he has failed to convince believers that he is a good mediator. This article opens up new horizons in the study of Pentecostal politics, suggesting that populism in countries with high Pentecostal populations is increasingly defined by the capacity for religious mediation.

Pentecostal presence, power and politics in Latin America

Prior to the 1980s political scientists had by and large dismissed religion as a determinant of political behaviour. Yet sociologists and political scientists were forced to re‐evaluate secularisation theories in light of various events on the geopolitical stage involving religion throughout that decade. Significant among these was the explosion of Pentecostalism across Latin America in the 1980s, leading to a boom in academic research keen to explore the social and political impact of this phenomenon. This article traces the rise and identifies the various expressions of Latin American Pentecostalism, together with its political responses across the continent, arguing that perceptions of Latin American Pentecostalism as homogenous and inherently conservative lack nuance and indeed are essentially flawed. In fact, Latin American Pentecostal political responses are diverse, depending on circumstance, Pentecostal expression, country or region, and demographics.

African pentecostalism: an introduction

1. Oriki: Genealogy and Identity in Pentecostal Historiography 2. Bakuzufu: Contested Identities and the Quest for Power in African Christianity 3. Moya: African Charismatic Initiatives and Classical Pentecostal Missionaries 4. Mademoni: African Instituted Churches in Pentecostal Rhetoric 5. Aliliki: Charismatic Resurgence in the 1970s: A Regional Comparison 6. The Big Man of the Big God: Pentecostalism, Media, and Popular Culture in the 1980s 7. Elijah's Mantle: Pentecostal Re-evangelization of Africa in the 1990s 8. Gendered Charisma: Charisma and Women in African Pentecostalism 9. Sankofa: Pentecostalism in the African Map of the Universe 10. Masters on Horses: The Roots of Pentecostal Public Ethics 11. Tembisa: Pentecostal Political Theology and Practices 12. Child of the Bondwoman: Islam and Sharia In Pentecostal Rhetoric: A Nigerian Case Study 13. Standing on the Word: Pentecostal Theologies 14. Reverse Flow: Pentecostalism and Immigrant African Christianity