Not anointing, but justice? A critical reflection on the anointing of Pentecostal prophets in a context of economic injustice

Banda, Collium

doi:10.4102/ve.v39i1.1870

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…Instead of making the poor believe that something is wrong with their lives and therefore they need to undergo the prophetic rituals and use anointed objects, the NPPs should confront the socioeconomic and political systems that hinder the poor from exercising their human agency and transcendence. Therefore, the urgent thing in Africa is not the prophetic rituals such as deliverance from generational curses or the use of anointed objects, but promoting just structures that allow the poor to realise their human agency and transcendence (Banda 2018(Banda , 2020b.…”

Section: Bringing the Presence Of God To Confront Structures That Hin...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Africa Godforsaken? Neo-Pentecostal prophetism on African human agency and transcendence

Banda¹

2023

Verbum Eccles.

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African neo-Pentecostal prophets (NPPs) use their prophetic rituals like deliverance services and anointed objects such as anointed oil, to bring God’s presence to people to empower their human agency (power to act) and transcendence (power to overcome). This use of prophetic systems prompts the question: What does the NPPs’ teaching that Africans need prophetic rituals and anointed objects for God to empower their agency and transcendence communicate about God’s presence in Africa? A further question that emerges is: How can Christian doctrines like God’s transcendence (divine beyondness) and immanence (divine nearness) address the African reliance on NPPs’ prophetic systems for God’s power to exercise their human agency and transcendence to confront their context of poverty? Consequently, this article uses the doctrine of God’s transcendence and immanence to evaluate the implications of NPPs’ prophetic systems to empower Africans to act and overcome their undesirable situations in Africa. The article challenges NPPs to realise that the transcendent God is fully immanent in poor Africa and that poverty in Africa is not caused by the lack of God’s presence but evil socioeconomic and political structures that hinder the poor from exercising their human agency and transcendence. The contribution of the article is challenging African NPPs to be informed by a sound doctrine of God in their attempts to empower poor Africans to deal with their poverty.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article uses insights from the doctrine of God and African traditional religious (ATR) view of God to critique the use of NPPs’ rituals and anointed objects to empower African human agency and transcendence.

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Section: Bringing the Presence Of God To Confront Structures That Hin...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Africa Godforsaken? Neo-Pentecostal prophetism on African human agency and transcendence

Banda¹

2023

Verbum Eccles.

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“…2 Within the ANPPs, prophecy takes on the form of "diagnostic prophecy" (Anderson 2013:126-127), encompassing elements outlined by Kgatle (2019:1) as "forensic prophecy, prophetic titles, prophetic objects, prophetic consultation, and prophetic miracles". These components are employed to uncover the roots of individuals' poverty and their inability to attain wealth, followed by the prescription of spiritual remedies aimed at achieving economic prosperity (Banda 2018;Bulla 2015;Rupapa & Shumba 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not by science, but by Spirit? African Pentecostal prophets and prosperity in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era

Banda

2023

STJ

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Many Africans rely on the spiritualistic solutions offered by the African neo-Pentecostal prophets (ANPPs) to navigate their socioeconomic realities. This article critically evaluates the efficacy of the ANPPs’ spiritual approach within the economic landscape of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The essay delves into the extent to which these prophets’ spiritual perspectives on economic matters equip Africans to meaningfully engage in the evolving 4IR economy, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and scientific technologies. It seeks a theological framework for economic life that can guide ANPPs in offering avenues for economic engagement that empower Africans to participate effectively in the 4IR-based economy. It is argued that the ANPPs’ spiritualistic approach to economic life disempowers Africans from effectively participating in the 4IR economy. ANPPs are thus urged to incorporate science and technology into their economic worldview.

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Power dynamics among Pentecostal prophets in New Prophetic Churches: An African Christocentric missional approach

Kgatle

2022

pharosjot

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New prophetic churches are in continuity with the African Traditional Religions in tracing the challenges that many Africans face today to the spirit world. These churches make a connection between the challenges of sicknesses, joblessness, barrenness, and so forth, with witchcraft in the spirit world captured in the Nguni saying “uthakathiwe” meaning “you are bewitched”. Instead of linking these problems to socio-historical, socio-political, and socioeconomic causative factors in the continent, they would rather link them to the spirit world. Furthermore, the Pentecostal prophets in these churches blame the believers for not being able to deal with the challenges. This article problematizes this blame-shifting approach as it presents power dynamics in these churches. The article argues that in shifting the blame to the congregants, the Pentecostal prophets seek to remain or appear as powerful to their congregants. An African Christocentric missional approach is proposed as a theoretical framework that centres power on Christ than on the Pentecostal prophet in Africa.

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Not anointing, but justice? A critical reflection on the anointing of Pentecostal prophets in a context of economic injustice

Cited by 4 publications

References 10 publications

Is Africa Godforsaken? Neo-Pentecostal prophetism on African human agency and transcendence

Is Africa Godforsaken? Neo-Pentecostal prophetism on African human agency and transcendence

Not by science, but by Spirit? African Pentecostal prophets and prosperity in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era

Power dynamics among Pentecostal prophets in New Prophetic Churches: An African Christocentric missional approach

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