Anxiety and Reciprocity: the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God across frontiers

Abstract

The message of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), a centralized transnational organization, is gloomy and not at all optimistic, with limited, though real, influence from prosperity theology. It emphasizes diabolical forces and encourages followers to be suspicious of others and even their own motivations when praying, supplicating, and giving. In ritual performances, pastors warn followers not to expect anything in return. Rituals are described as "disruptive." The text compares the Church's treatment of possession cults in Brazil, Mozambique and South Africa. Healing and exorcism are considered in the context of relationships of reciprocity, with examples of "popular psychotherapy" observed on television in Brazil. The research was carried out in several countries.