Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa
African Pentecostal Christianity presents interconnectedness with African cultures, spiritualities, and religiosity in many ways. Among many other practices that demonstrate this interconnectedness is the use of material objects common within some African Pentecostal Christian spaces, African cultur...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/52 |
| _version_ | 1797342630278856704 |
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| author | Themba Shingange |
| author_facet | Themba Shingange |
| author_sort | Themba Shingange |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | African Pentecostal Christianity presents interconnectedness with African cultures, spiritualities, and religiosity in many ways. Among many other practices that demonstrate this interconnectedness is the use of material objects common within some African Pentecostal Christian spaces, African cultures, spiritualities, and religions. The advent of neo-Pentecostalism in South Africa has brought some controversies in the use of material objects within the broader African Pentecostalism. This has led to the outright demonization and to the conclusion that this practice was fundamentally syncretistic. This article investigated the syncretism narrative given the use of material objects within some neo-Pentecostal spaces in contemporary South Africa. It scrutinized the syncretism narrative and problematized it as the continuation of the missionary-colonial project that demonized African religious and cultural practices. It was argued that this constitutes coloniality that uses a “cultural bomb” that seeks to eradicate African customs, cultures, religions, and practices including the use of material objects. The study was conducted through the desktop research methodology focusing on secondary literature on African Pentecostalism, African neo-Pentecostalism, and syncretism. The findings indicated that the syncretism narrative is often applied to African Pentecostalism and seldom used with other Christian traditions, especially those of Western descent. Again, when the term is used, non-syncretistic elements are often not acknowledged. Thus, the need to transform the current narrative was highlighted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-08ae971203d04642afc6b09de3abc6ae |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:36:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-08ae971203d04642afc6b09de3abc6ae2024-01-26T18:14:47ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-12-011515210.3390/rel15010052Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South AfricaThemba Shingange0Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaAfrican Pentecostal Christianity presents interconnectedness with African cultures, spiritualities, and religiosity in many ways. Among many other practices that demonstrate this interconnectedness is the use of material objects common within some African Pentecostal Christian spaces, African cultures, spiritualities, and religions. The advent of neo-Pentecostalism in South Africa has brought some controversies in the use of material objects within the broader African Pentecostalism. This has led to the outright demonization and to the conclusion that this practice was fundamentally syncretistic. This article investigated the syncretism narrative given the use of material objects within some neo-Pentecostal spaces in contemporary South Africa. It scrutinized the syncretism narrative and problematized it as the continuation of the missionary-colonial project that demonized African religious and cultural practices. It was argued that this constitutes coloniality that uses a “cultural bomb” that seeks to eradicate African customs, cultures, religions, and practices including the use of material objects. The study was conducted through the desktop research methodology focusing on secondary literature on African Pentecostalism, African neo-Pentecostalism, and syncretism. The findings indicated that the syncretism narrative is often applied to African Pentecostalism and seldom used with other Christian traditions, especially those of Western descent. Again, when the term is used, non-syncretistic elements are often not acknowledged. Thus, the need to transform the current narrative was highlighted.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/52syncretismAfrican PentecostalismAfrican neo-Pentecostalismmaterial objects |
| spellingShingle | Themba Shingange Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa Religions syncretism African Pentecostalism African neo-Pentecostalism material objects |
| title | Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa |
| title_full | Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa |
| title_short | Syncretism Narrative and the Use of Material Objects within Some Neo-Pentecostal Circles in Contemporary South Africa |
| title_sort | syncretism narrative and the use of material objects within some neo pentecostal circles in contemporary south africa |
| topic | syncretism African Pentecostalism African neo-Pentecostalism material objects |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/15/1/52 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thembashingange syncretismnarrativeandtheuseofmaterialobjectswithinsomeneopentecostalcirclesincontemporarysouthafrica |