Altar media's living word: Televised charismatic Christianity in Ghana

In many parts of Africa, charismatic Pentecostal churches are increasingly and effectively making use of mass media and entering the public sphere. This article presents a case study of a popular charismatic church in Ghana and its media ministry. Building on the notion of charisma as intrinsically...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion in Africa
Main Author: Witte, Marleen de (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2003
In: Journal of religion in Africa
Year: 2003, Volume: 33, Issue: 2, Pages: 172-202
Further subjects:B Case study
B Church
B Religion
B Pentecostal churches
B Religious organization
B Mass media
B Religiosity
B Teaching
Description
Summary:In many parts of Africa, charismatic Pentecostal churches are increasingly and effectively making use of mass media and entering the public sphere. This article presents a case study of a popular charismatic church in Ghana and its media ministry. Building on the notion of charisma as intrinsically linking religion and media, the aim is to examine the dynamics between the supposedly fluid nature of charisma and the creation of religious subjects through a fixed format. The process of making, broadcasting and watching Living Word shows how the format of televisualisation of religious practice creates charisma, informs ways of perception, and produces new kinds of religious subjectivity and spiritual experience. Through the mass mediation of religion a new religious format emerges, which, although originating from the charismatic-Pentecostal churches, spreads far beyond and is widely appropriated as a style of worship and of being religious. (J Rel Afr/DÜI)
ISSN:0022-4200
Contains:In: Journal of religion in Africa