On Christianity and ethics: Rupture as ethical practice in Ghanaian Pentecostalism

Abstract

Rupture, a common principle of the Pentecostal Christian faith, can also give rise to ethical disputes among believers. The study of such disputes provides insight into the ways ethical practice shapes the institutional continuities and the personal inconsistencies of a Christian life. All believers learn what Pentecostal rupture is, but they have different opinions about how it is achieved, and, once born again, they differ on what constitutes good or right religious observance. I suggest that approaching rupture as ethical practice allows for a better understanding of the religious subject's response to an incommensurability of values and practices internal to Pentecostalism.

The Dilemmas of Monogamy: Pleasure, Discipline and the Pentecostal Moral Self in the Republic of Benin

“…He critically reflected about his situation and tried to find an explanation for why he was facing this challenge. In this case, judgment and discernment were important in his ethical practice ( [28], p. 472). Florent had decided to subject himself to the moral code of the church and to practice self-discipline through prayer and self-control.…”

“…I focus on the moral dilemmas that Pentecostal teachings on sexuality bring about and the kinds of moral choices that Pentecostals are confronted with when they try to follow them. Indeed, the analysis of moral and ethical dilemmas has been a key concern in the study of Pentecostalism [26][27][28][29]. This is because Pentecostal conversion with its demands to break with the past [11] in order to be "born-again" requires a degree of separation or rupture from former social norms and values and an alignment with new Christian ones [30].…”

“…He argues that rupture is always accompanied with ethical disputes and deliberations, where believers try to discern which aspects of their pasts should be left behind and which ones carried forward. They examine the compromises they have to make to remain committed Christians ( [28], p. 13). Thus, Pentecostal ethical practice involves three interconnected aspects.…”

“…The second aspect concerns moments of uncertainty, where converts question the parameters established to define what acceptable Christian practice is and what it is not. The third is what he calls "acts of philosophical labor and critical reflection" that intend "either to alleviate moral ambiguities or to create innovative positions around which new norms eventually develop"( [28], p. 469; [29], p. 7). Framing rupture as ethical practice, he suggests allows "for a better understanding of how people respond to an incommensurability of values and practices internal to Pentecostalism" ( [28], p. 468).…”

“…Moreover, one also needs to consider the relational and emotional qualities of Pentecostal transformation ( [29], pp. 20, 27), the way it takes place and is achieved through people's relationships with their kin groups, their immediate family, pastors, church fellows, Jesus and God [28,29,32]. Also, the articulation of emotional expressions that accompany these relationships, such as bonds of affection, love, shame, anger or regret cannot be isolated from the analysis of the process by which converts shape their moral selves.…”