Men in the Remaking: Conversion Narratives and Born-Again Masculinity in Zambia

Abstract

The born-again discourse is a central characteristic of Pentecostal Christianity in Africa. In the study of African Christianities, this discourse and the way it (re)shapes people's moral, religious, and social identities has received much attention. However, hardly any attention has been paid to its effects on men as gendered beings. In the study of men and masculinities in Africa, on the other hand, neither religion in general nor born-again Christianity in particular are taken into account as relevant factors in the construction of masculinities. On the basis of a detailed analysis of interviews with men who are members of a Pentecostal church in Lusaka, Zambia, this article investigates how men's gender identities are reshaped by becoming and being born-again and how born-again conversion produces new forms of masculinity. The observed Pentecostal transformation of masculinity is interpreted in relation to men's social vulnerability, particularly in the context of the HIV epidemic in Zambia.

Pentecostal pastorhood as calling and career: migration, religion, and masculinity between Kenya and the United Kingdom

“…In the literature on Pentecostalism and gender, the theme of empowerment and liberation, of not being the victim of circumstances or others’ actions, is prevalent in women's testimonies (Cole ; Mate ). In contrast, men's testimonies emphasize how becoming born‐again helps them to develop a clear focus in life and cultivate self‐control (Lindhardt ; van Klinken ). Central to Pentecostal notions of masculinity is the image of men as husbands and fathers.…”

“…A growing body of research examines how Pentecostalism ‘re‐socialises the young man, drawing him away from a world of violence and promiscuity into a family‐centred life’ (Maxwell : 201; see also Chitando ; Soothill ). In their work among Zambian and Tanzanian men, respectively, Adriaan van Klinken () and Martin Lindhardt () highlight how getting saved is more about a change in moral lifestyle than in religious belief, which helps men cultivate self‐control and take ‘responsibility’ in pursuit of spiritual development and (a modicum of) material success. However, as Lindhardt () also discusses, getting saved can create new gendered challenges: for example, Pentecostal men may face criticism that, by converting, they have become feminized.…”

Handbook of Global Contemporary Christianity

“…Much research on neo-Pentecostalism in Africa focuses on its socio-cultural, economic and political dimensions, exploring the links of these churches and their programme of born-again conversion to modernity, globalisation and neo-liberal capitalism (Meyer 1998;Gifford 2004;Adogame 2011); as well as their response to the crisis of the post-colonial nation-state (Van Dijk 1998;Marshall 2009), their contribution to development (Freeman 2012) and impact on gender relations (Soothill 2007;Van Klinken 2012). Detailed studies have been conducted on churches in various countries, such as Ghana (Asamoah-Gyadu 2004a), Nigeria (Ojo 2006;Ukah 2008) and Zimbabwe (Maxwell 2006), examining their fast growth and (inter)national proliferation over the past few decades, their expanding emperium with church-related businesses and universities, their media-presence and political affiliations, etcetera.…”

Sarah’s Sinfulness

“…In recent years, the focus on women and Pentecostalism has been complemented by an emerging literature on masculinities and Pentecostalism (Eves 2010;Gooren 2010;Van Klinken 2011. In many ways these studies follow the same analytical paths as the "women and Pentecostalism" studies, looking at access to male leadership, but also changing notions of gender identity.…”