Appraising the Limits of Pentecostal Political Power in Nigeria
Many studies of the Pentecostal movement in Africa have identified a modernist liberal tendency as its major characteristic. Its spread is associated with positive social, economic, and political impact in the affected countries. A Pentecostal revolution has been identified in Nigeria as well, with...
| Published in: | Journal of religion in Africa |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2016
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| In: |
Journal of religion in Africa
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Nigeria
/ Pentecostal churches
/ Power
/ Democratization
/ Liberalization
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| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy KBN Sub-Saharan Africa KDG Free church ZC Politics in general |
| Further subjects: | B
Nigeria
Pentecostalism
political theology
democratizing
liberalizing
modernity
rupture
ideology
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | Many studies of the Pentecostal movement in Africa have identified a modernist liberal tendency as its major characteristic. Its spread is associated with positive social, economic, and political impact in the affected countries. A Pentecostal revolution has been identified in Nigeria as well, with recent literature claiming that it has significant political import that packs modernizing and liberalizing tendencies. This interpretive analysis draws on less-mainstream research to contribute to questioning the political aspect of such conclusions for Nigeria. It argues that the capacity of the country’s Pentecostal movement to effect positive democratizing political change is not clear cut and straightforward, but rather bears major contradictions and paradoxes. Pentecostalism in Nigeria does not achieve a clean break from the traditional past, and some of its modernizing claims are more partial and contradictory than has been recognized. The political impact it has does not translate effectively to tangible significant political power that is able to facilitate the democratic process. |
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| ISSN: | 1570-0666 |
| Contains: | In: Journal of religion in Africa
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700666-12340089 |