Pentecostal Research Articles

Juan Sepulveda and the Understanding of the Syncretic Characteristics of Latin American Pentecostalism: The Case of Classical Pentecostalism in Guatemala

This article presents the case of Guatemalan Pentecostalism as a highly relevant expression of Latin American Pentecostalism that helps to clarify the debate about the syncretic nature of Pentecostalism. We use the Guatemalan case to test the thesis of Juan Sepúlveda, a Chilean Pentecostal historian and theologian, who explains the success of Latin American Pentecostalism in light of its syncretic character. His argument about the syncretic character of Pentecostalism is based on the Chilean case. Paying attention to its historical development, we present Guatemalan Pentecostal theology in relation to traditional Mayan culture and religion and in relation to popular Catholicism and traditional Latin American Protestantism. Specific attention is paid to the espoused theology of Pentecostal pastors as they provide an account of indigenous Pentecostals’ lived faith. Finally, we answer the question: Does Juan Sepulveda’s approach (still) provide an adequate framework for the theological assessment of possible syncretic characteristics of (Latin American) Pentecostalism? The Guatemalan case indicates ways to improve certain limitations of Sepúlveda’s approach, such as its static understanding of culture and its exclusion of the theological understanding of syncretism.

Evil Conception and Symbolisation in an African Pentecostal Church: The Case of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Evil Conception and Symbolisation in an African Pentecostal Church: The Case of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Battling with the baton: (Dis)connecting today and tomorrow’s leaders in African Pentecostalism

Leadership praxis, development and succession can become a bloody battlefield in Africa, mainly because of economic, cultural, theological and political factors. Just like some secular leaders who fail to serve their mandate paradoxically fight for further conquest and retention of power at all costs, certain spiritual leaders miscarry Christian leadership, struggle to deliver their missionary service and tragically battle to stay in power, instead of passing the baton. Church leadership ought to be successional, transformational and intergenerational enough to disciple and develop leaders to sustain and promote other-centred missio Dei and missio Ecclesiae. Yet, the majority of Pentecostal church founders and leaders are neo-patrimonial, authoritarian and serving themselves at the expense of God’s mission. That way, they deface the missionary identity of the Church. Engaging with available literature and observing multifarious leadership trends in Africa, this article unravels problematic Christian leadership development and succession in view of Jesus Christ’s servant leadership model. It disconnects self-centred incumbents and connects the few who are Christ-like with tomorrow’s leaders.Contribution: This article advances Christian leadership development and succession in view of Jesus Christ’s intergenerational servant leadership model.

Human capital affects religious identity: Causal evidence from Kenya

We study how human capital and economic conditions causally affect the choice of religious denomination. We utilize a longitudinal dataset monitoring the religious history of more than 5000 Kenyans over twenty years, in tandem with a randomized experiment (deworming) that has exogenously boosted education and living standards. The main finding is that the program reduces the likelihood of membership in a Pentecostal denomination up to 20 years later, when respondents are in their mid-thirties, while there is a comparable increase in membership in traditional Christian denominations. The effect is concentrated and statistically significant among a sub-group of participants who benefited most from the program in terms of increased education and income. The effects are unlikely due to increased secularization because the program does not reduce measures of religiosity. The results help explain why the global growth of the Pentecostal movement, sometimes described as a “New Reformation”, is centered in low-income communities.

O Batismo no Espírito Santo

The article studies the theme of baptism in the Holy Spirit from three perspectives: first, from biblical theology represented in biblical exegesis; second, from Classical Pentecostalism; and third, from Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Each one of these perspectives developed its study, in a more or less independent way, although having the same object. Considering the great ecumenical movement that has attracted Pentecostals around the theme of baptism in the Holy Spirit, it is useful to make a comparative study of how these three schools have built their discourses on this theme. Biblical exegesis does not discuss the actuality of the baptism in the Spirit, nor the possibility and the form of receiving it, or not. The classic Pentecostalism defines the baptism in the Spirit as a distinct and additional experience to salvation, which not every believer experiences, whose initial sign is the gift of tongues. The Charismatic Renewal links baptism to the sacraments and places it as the foundation of Christian life, claiming that all believers who participate in the sacraments are baptized in the Spirit, its main mark being love, not the gift of tongues, according to the biblical primacy of love. The comparison shows sensible distinctions between the three approaches, and some similarities.

“Call me a fanatic"

Anthropologists have pointed to the politics at play in the uneven application of the term “belief” to describe different cultural representations of reality. They have observed that westerners sometimes reserve the term “belief” for the description of non-western epistemologies, while categorising their own perspectives, informed by theories of scientific empiricism for example, as “knowledge.” This is an important critique, so what to do when our non-western interlocutors insist on being called “believers?” This article considers the ideas of a Nigerian Pentecostal church who not only characterize their faith using the language of “belief,” but even aspire to be branded “fanatics” by outsiders. Drawing on the teachings of the church, striking congruences between the understandings of belief deployed by this group and by scholars of religion are brought to light, collapsing the distance between self-described African Christian “fanatics” and those who critically analyse them.

An Indigenous Force of Pentecostalism in Africa: Indigenous Knowledge System Approach to Decolonization

Pentecostalism in Africa has many expressions, types, and shadows contributing to the challenge of categorisations in the movement. There are some forms of Pentecostalism in Africa that resemble the American context in terms of theology and practice. However, the literature review also demonstrates that other forms are uniquely indigenous, meaning, non-American. In this article, the indigenous force of Pentecostalism was studied through the indigenous knowledge system approach. This was done by making links between indigenous Pentecostalism in Africa and the early indigenous forces. The indigenous Pentecostal liturgy characterized by a song, prayer, and sermon was discussed in detail. The article also demonstrated how the indigenisation of the gospel of Jesus Christ within the Pentecostal movement in Africa has made the movement relevant to Africans. The aim was to demonstrate that the indigenous force of Pentecostalism is relevant to the decolonisation of Westernized Christianity. The article proposes the acknowledgement of the indigenous knowledge system in the Pentecostal tradition which is relevant to the decolonization of the religious sphere in the African context. Keywords: Indigenous Force, Indigenous Liturgy, Indigenous Knowledge, Pentecostalism, Decolonization.

Christians Economic Growth Resulted from Integrating Churches’ Entrepreneurship Education to Their Livelihood Status, a Case of Iringa Municipality

This study investigated the contribution of Entrepreneurship Education (EE) by church services to the economic wellbeing of Christians in Iringa Municipality. This study used a case study design as the framework for data collection and analysis, where Semi-structured questionnaire and Key Informant Interviews were used to collect information from the involved Christians who engaged in entrepreneurial activities and accessed entrepreneurship education in a list of four churches including respondents from ELCT-DIRA (60), Catholic Church (10), Seventh Day Adventist Church (10) and Pentecostal Churches (10), the study selected three respondents. Apart from the Christian entrepreneurs, the study involved four (4) church leaders; one from each church and three (3) respondents where officials from the Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA). Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Iringa Municipality. The study employed a mixed method research approach whereby both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. The statistical and thematic analysis was used to analyse quantitative and qualitative information collected from the respondents. From the study findings, it is concluded that Christians’ entrepreneurship projects contribute to their economic growth. It is vividly true that entrepreneurship contributes positively to economic growth, hence it is highly recommended that churches should put emphasis on spiritual growth as well as economic growth and the recommendation is Christian entrepreneurs should think of some ways to integrate their church services with entrepreneurship education, provide a supportive environment, useful network for entrepreneurship and to offer access to resources and opportunities such as financial assistance, training programs, market information, suppliers, customers, and partners.

Knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking behaviour for mental illness in a Christian community.

Christian beliefs have a role in conceptualising mental illness, which determines help-seeking behaviour and treatment choices. The topic of mental illness is controversial in many Christian circles and is often avoided because of the beliefs and teachings stemming from the Christian faith. Inadequate and inaccurate knowledge about mental illness and its causes negatively impacts the attitudes towards mental illness, the mentally ill, and ultimately help-seeking behaviour. This study aimed to explore knowledge, attitudes, and help-seeking behaviour for mental illness in a Christian community. A descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted, comprising 300 congregants from a Pentecostal Christian charismatic church - Assemblies of God in KwaZulu-Natal. A socio-demographic tool was used to capture the relevant social, demographic, and religious information. Existing self-administered questionnaires were used to collect information in four areas: Mental Health Knowledge Schedule, the Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale, Community Attitudes Towards Mentally Ill scale and the Dimensions of Religiosity Scale to determine the degree of religiosity. The population studied demonstrates high levels of mental health knowledge and a tolerant attitude towards persons who have mental illness. There is a high preference for professional treatment. The high knowledge in this Christian community is associated with a reduction in stigma and a positive attitude towards mental illness. If mental health awareness is encouraged, it helps to encourage positive help-seeking practices tolerance, and treatment outcomes. This study highlights levels of knowledge and its influence on help-seeking practices and stigma in a Christian community.

The Influence of Religious Affiliation and Church Attendance on Climate Change Awareness, Perception, and Action: The Role of Churches through Environmental Education in Nigeria

Churches can serve as platforms for environmental education, fostering a sense of responsibility towards the environment among their congregations.This study examined the influence of religious affiliation and attendance on climate change awareness, perception, action and perceived role of the church through environmental education in Nigeria. Churchgoers from Catholic, Anglican, and Pentecostal churches from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria completed the Climate Change Awareness Questionnaire (CCAQ); Climate Change Perception Questionnaire (CCPQ); Churches’ Role Perception Scale (CRPS); and Climate Change Action Assessment Scale (CCAAS) and also provided relevant demographic information. Results of statistical analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between the religious denominations in climate change awareness, perception, action and perceived role of the church. The results also showed that more frequency of attendance to church activities was associated with increased climate change awareness, perception of climate change, climate change action, and perceived role of the church in addressing climate change. Churches must continue incorporating environmental teachings into their religious practices and advocating for environmentally-friendly behaviors among members as ways of contributing to the campaign against climate change.
 
 

'Hard-pressed on every side': Christian women's experiences of intimate partner violence in two provinces of South Africa.

Women in South Africa are battling the scourge of intimate partner violence (IPV), and men are usually responsible. Despite this, no studies have been carried out to specifically explore and describe Christian women's IPV first-hand experiences in the Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. This study explored and described lived experiences with regard to IPV among women attending Pentecostal churches in Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. The study was conducted in the Makhado Local Municipality, City of Tshwane and Johannesburg metropolitan municipalities. The study utilised a qualitative research method, using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Sampling was purposeful. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to collect data among women attending Pentecostal churches in Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. Data saturation was achieved after 10 survivors were interviewed. Two themes surfaced from the analysis: the experience of various forms of IPV by survivors and the hardships survivors encountered when seeking help after IPV. In spite of the salient role Christian belief played in survivors' lives, the expected support from family, pastors and law enforcement officers after disclosing IPV was non-existent. The survivors were stranded, frustrated and displayed symptoms of depression and anxiety. This study revealed survivors' need for comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary collaborative support by strengthening partnerships with church leaders to protect Christian women against IPV.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Pentecostal Worship in the Light of John 4:20-26 and Ephesians 5:18-20

The importance of worship for the Pentecostal church can hardly be overstated, and the worship practices of the global church have been altered significantly by the influence of the Pentecostal movement. This article will address the biblical and theological foundations of Spirit-filled worship, focusing particularly on the role of the Holy Spirit in worship, through a literary-theological interpretation of two key biblical texts—John 4:20-26 and Ephesians 5:18-20. The study finds that from the viewpoint of these texts, the Holy Spirit is an indispensable element in Christian worship and is deeply active in the practices of worship.

The Holy Spirit in the Household

Abstract Why are the Bhil tribals increasingly converting to Pentecostalism in India? Drawing on more than a decade of in-depth ethnographic fieldwork among the Bhils in southern Rajasthan, this article argues that the Pentecostals have approached conversion not as “change of religion” (dharma parivartan) but as “holistic transformation of life” (jeevan parivartan). In a context in which the state has been withdrawing from providing basic social services to people at its margins, the pentecostal churches have come to play a vital role. Specifically, the article discusses that the presence of the Holy Spirit has brought about three major transformations—miracle healing, ethical subjectivity, and gender relations—in the lives of the Bhils. Finally, the article concludes that by combining developmental programs with prayer and fellowship, the pentecostal churches have not only brought ethical transformations among the Bhils but have also converted them “to a morally inspired existence.”

The Earth Is the Lord’s (Psalm 24:1): A Pentecostal Perspective on the Doctrine of Creation

This inquiry from a Pentecostal hermeneutic literal interpretation advances academic and ecclesial conversations surrounding the creation of the Universe. The article probed the Biblical creationists and the Big Bang Theories which credit the creation of the Universe to God and a blast, respectively. “The Earth is the Lord’s” (Ps. 24:1) means, God created the universe as well as all life that exists. The work appraised the Big Bang, the pulsating universe, and the cosmic inflationary theories and they were found to be lacking premise for validity and veracity based on biblical and practical evidence. The biblical creationist theory believed by the Pentecostal movements was ratified in the study as the model that can best explicate the creation of the universe and the life in it. The work exclusively offers to academia the Ten Commandments of the Core Pentecostal principles on the Doctrine of Divine Creationism. The work contributes to academia by providing an indispensable resource for bible scholars, seminary students, and Christian congregations while reiterating the significance of the doctrine of creation in Pentecostal construal and Biblical theology. Keywords: Theistic Evolution, Pentecostal, Creationism Theory, Big Bang Theory, Inflation Theory and Pulsating Cosmos Theory.

Holiness and Pentecostal Movements: Intertwined Pasts, Presents, and Futures

Holiness and Pentecostal Movements: Intertwined Pasts, Presents, and Futures

A Pentecostal theology of radical sharing: Sam‐Ae and ubuntu as critical hermeneutics of engaged love

AbstractThe article argues that although Pentecostal churches in Africa have the potential to challenge and transform the reality of inequalities in Africa, instead, they are reproducing and perpetuating these inequalities by creating an inequality gap among themselves, especially, between the pastors and their fellow congregants. A closer look at some of these churches reveals that some of them are propagating social, political, and economic inequalities demonstrated in the gap that exists between the pastors and their ordinary members. In response, we construct a Pentecostal theology of radical sharing to argue for a balanced distribution of wealth between the rich and the poor to deal with the challenges of inequalities. It demonstrates that indigenous idioms such as sam‐ae (Korea) and ubuntu (Africa) are critical hermeneutics from the margins for interpretative translation/contextualization of the Christian faith into a theology of radical sharing in the fight against inequalities within African Indigenous Pentecostalism.

Explanatory and Confirmatory Qualifications of Christian Leaders Based on the Book of Titus 1 Among Synod Officials of the Pentecostal Church Indonesian Jesus Christ

This research was among synod officials of the Indonesian Isa Almasih Pentecostal Church, and has experienced growth both in quality and quantity. Along with the growth of the church, the church leader or pastor appoints his leadership qualifications to assist in stewardship tasks among synod officials of the Isa Almasih Pamtekosta Church in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to find out how the qualifications of Christian leaders are carried out by synod officials of the Isa Almasih Pantekosta Church in Indonesia. This study used a quantitative method, where data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews and a standardized scale. Questionnaire validation at the initial stage tested all validated questionnaire scores filled in by the promoter to be tested on 30 initial samples.The conclusion of this research is basedanalysis resultsusing Classification and regression trees (CRT)shows that age background is the most dominant background category forming the Confirmation of Qualifications of Christian leaders based on the book of Titus chapter 1 among synod officials of the Pentecostal Church of Isa Almasih Indonesia(Y). From the suragates table it is known that age background is able to improve by 111,063 points from the condition of the Implementation of the Qualifications of Christian leaders based on the book of Titus article 1 among synod officials of the Pentecostal Church of Isa Almasih Indonesia (Y) . As well as from the importance table it is known that background employment status is affirmed by 100% of respondents with a score of 231.093 points.

Impact of religious education on Pupil’s Behavior: A case study of selected secondary schools in Lusaka District, Zambia

The study examined impact of religious education on pupils’ behaviour in the selected secondary schools in Lusaka district, Zambia. Specific objectives were; (a) To assess effectiveness of teaching religious education in secondary schools, (b) To establish the relationship between religious education syllabus and shaping pupil moral development, (c) To determine whether the Zambian government has policy framework interventions that support the role of religious education in building Zambia as a Christian. In order to meet the objective, descriptive and explanatory research design was used. Both qualitative and quantitative research approach were used to analyze and interpret data. Data was collected through oral interviews, questionnaires and observations. Furthermore, contributions by some Pentecostal churches and other religious were of importance to the education sector. The study sampled head teachers, teachers of religious studies and pupils of religious education. The sample size for the study was 100 respondents. The findings of the study were that values and practices helps progress in education. The role of Religious Education prepares learners to be morally upright and influences them to fear God and respect fellow human beings. Additionally, the findings revealed that the teaching of religious education is a critical component that enables the school going youth to acquire morality by instilling the right attitudes for social obligations and responsibilities in the society. Based on conclusions of this study, the researchers came up with the following recommendations; Religious Education should be taught in all secondary schools and Zambia at large due to its power to reduce frequency of disciplinary cases in schools, to impart practical ability for learners to discriminate between right and wrong and choose what is right in day-to-day life. The other recommendation is that the government of Zambia and other related agencies should train more Religious Education teachers as the increase of RE teachers will make it possible for the subject to be taught across secondary schools.

Impact of the doctrine of seed planting on the mission of the church in Kenya

This study sought to find out the impact of the doctrine of seed planting on the mission of the church in Kenya. The Doctrine of Seed Planting (DSP) has been overemphasised above the mission of the church in Kenya. It emerged in the New Christian Movements (NCMs) in the 1950s among PG preachers and continued to spread into other denominations, including the Mainline, Pentecostal and African Independent churches. Continued preaching of DSP has become a challenge to the mission of the church. Despite the efforts of scholars to castigate it as a ruse and faulty doctrine in the church, it is still being preached to the extent that it has been categorised as the main doctrine in PG theology. However, how it influenced the mission of the church, her core business remained un-investigated systematically. This raised a great concern that necessitated an in-depth study of this kind. The data was collected and analysed from 364 church members, 10 clergy and 12 lay leaders from different church denominations. The results show that DSP has a negative impact on the mission of the church. It benefited the clergy and led to the suffering of believers. Therefore, the study recommended that the church de-emphasise DSP and embark on pragmatic transformative activities aimed at improving people’s livelihood. The study was significant in the area of sociology and psychology studies.

The Use of Religion by Political Elites in Kabwe District, Zambia

This article reports a study to investigate the use of religion by the political elites in the Kabwe district of the central province in Zambia. The study used a descriptive survey design of the qualitative strategy where an Interpretivist Research technique served as a foundation for data collection. The target population included four political parties in Kabwe district, church leaders from the Roman Catholic Church, United Church of Zambia, Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witness, Pentecostal church, Mosque, officials from Church Mother Bodies, Civic leaders and lay people. The study drew upon a sample of 28 respondents and Semi-structured and Open-ended interview techniques were applied to obtain the required primary data. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed thematically for respondents’ perceptions of the use of religion in politics. The key findings revealed that religion was often utilized as a political tool by the political elite, where politicians utilised it to gain political mileage. Religious communities were also viewed by respondents as effective partners in the implementation of political agendas and or policies. Additionally, religious communities were seen as fixed and stable entities which had won the trust of local communities. By and large, the role played by religion in politics (through the identified religious bodies) was considered crucial for the survival of democracy in the two districts. Appropriate recommendations are made such as encouraging religious freedom where everybody will be free to seek the truth without any coercion or inhibition.