Fake News, Fake Prophets: Mis/Disinformation, Public Health, and the COVID-19 Global Pandemic in Nigeria and Beyond: A Christian Narrative

There are several religious innovations in Africa that trace their origin back to plagues, influenzas, and flus, such as the Aladuras in Yoruba land in South Western Nigeria. But this has been understudied. This article seeks to examine the reactions of some Christian pastors to the outbreak of the...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Subtitles:Fake News, Fake Prophets: Misinformation, Disinformation, Public Health, and the COVID-19 Global Pandemic in Nigeria and Beyond
Main Author: Gbule, Ndidi Justice ca. 20./21. Jh. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: The University of North Carolina Press 2022
In: Cross currents
Year: 2022, Volume: 72, Issue: 4, Pages: 355-367
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)

MARC

LEADER 00000naa a22000002 4500
001 1841104140
003 DE-627
005 20230404072441.0
007 cr uuu---uuuuu
008 230404s2022 xx |||||o 00| ||eng c
024 7 |a 10.1353/cro.2022.0031  |2 doi 
035 |a (DE-627)1841104140 
035 |a (DE-599)KXP1841104140 
040 |a DE-627  |b ger  |c DE-627  |e rda 
041 |a eng 
084 |a 0  |a 1  |2 ssgn 
100 1 |e VerfasserIn  |0 (DE-588)1285269969  |0 (DE-627)1841104094  |4 aut  |a Gbule, Ndidi Justice  |d ca. 20./21. Jh. 
109 |a Gbule, Ndidi Justice ca. 20./21. Jh. 
245 1 0 |a Fake News, Fake Prophets: Mis/Disinformation, Public Health, and the COVID-19 Global Pandemic in Nigeria and Beyond  |b A Christian Narrative 
246 3 3 |a Fake News, Fake Prophets: Misinformation, Disinformation, Public Health, and the COVID-19 Global Pandemic in Nigeria and Beyond 
264 1 |c 2022 
336 |a Text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a Computermedien  |b c  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a Online-Ressource  |b cr  |2 rdacarrier 
520 |a There are several religious innovations in Africa that trace their origin back to plagues, influenzas, and flus, such as the Aladuras in Yoruba land in South Western Nigeria. But this has been understudied. This article seeks to examine the reactions of some Christian pastors to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of 2019. In the wake of the pandemic, the metanarrative among many pastors, prophets, and prophetesses, especially among the Pentecostal Churches, was discordant. But the most vocal and popular among these was that it was a sign of the apocalypse. This drew media attention as it was linked with the deployment of 5G cellular networks in some countries, including Nigeria. Others demurred, dismissing it as a mere health challenge. Because of their large followings, Pentecostal and charismatic churches became a source of concern for both governments and the general public, as they had the potential to either convey helpful information or weaponize mass media to spread conspiracy theories, misinformation, and disinformation to deflect the global health challenge. The question is, how do religious groups react in the face of health challenges? What is the impact of their rhetoric on their members and wider society? What is the role of social media in this challenge? Does this challenge rekindle the old controversy between science and faith? Who is the most vulnerable to fake news and mis/disinformation in a global pandemic? As public intellectuals, how can scholars of religion react in this quagmire? Unarguably, the COVID-19 pandemic has inaugurated a new normal. These contestations are examined in this essay. 
601 |a Prophet 
601 |a Public Health 
601 |a COVID-19 
601 |a Nigeria 
773 0 8 |i Enthalten in  |t Cross currents  |d Chapel Hill, NC : The University of North Carolina Press, 1950  |g 72(2022), 4, Seite 355-367  |h Online-Ressource  |w (DE-627)357171608  |w (DE-600)2094521-8  |w (DE-576)273873555  |x 1939-3881  |7 nnns 
773 1 8 |g volume:72  |g year:2022  |g number:4  |g pages:355-367 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.1353/cro.2022.0031  |x Resolving-System  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
856 4 0 |u https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/12/article/883677  |x Verlag  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
951 |a AR 
ELC |a 1 
ITA |a 1  |t 1 
LOK |0 000 xxxxxcx a22 zn 4500 
LOK |0 001 430151452X 
LOK |0 003 DE-627 
LOK |0 004 1841104140 
LOK |0 005 20230404072415 
LOK |0 008 230404||||||||||||||||ger||||||| 
LOK |0 040   |a DE-Tue135  |c DE-627  |d DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 092   |o n 
LOK |0 852   |a DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 852 1  |9 00 
LOK |0 935   |a ixzs  |a ixzo 
ORI |a SA-MARC-ixtheoa001.raw 
REL |a 1 
SUB |a REL