In this book, Ogbu Kalu provides an overview of Pentecostalism in Africa. He shows the amazing diversity of the faith, which flourishes in many different forms in diverse local contexts, and demonstrates that African Pentecostalism is distinctly African in character, not imported from the West.

In 2006, the contemporary American Pentecostal movement celebrated its 100th birthday. Over that time, its African American sector has been markedly influential, not only vis-à-vis other branches of Pentecostalism but also throughout the Christian church. Black Christians have been integrally involved in every aspect of the Pentecostal movement since its inception and have made significant contributions to its founding as well as the evolution of Pentecostal/charismatic styles of worship, preaching, music, engagement of social issues, and theology. Yet despite its being one of the fastest growing segments of the Black Church, Afro-Pentecostalism has not received the kind of critical attention it deserves. Afro-Pentecostalism brings together fourteen interdisciplinary scholars to examine different facets of the movement, including its early history, issues of gender, relations with other black denominations, intersections with popular culture, and missionary activities, as well as the movement’s distinctive theology. Bolstered by editorial introductions to each section, the chapters reflect on the state of the movement, chart its trajectories, discuss pertinent issues, and anticipate future developments. Contributors: Estrelda Y. Alexander, Valerie C. Cooper, David D. Daniels III, Louis B. Gallien, Jr., Clarence E. Hardy III, Dale T. Irvin, Ogbu U. Kalu, Leonard Lovett, Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Cheryl J. Sanders, Craig Scandrett-Leatherman, William C. Turner, Jr., Frederick L. Ware, and Amos Yong

Chapters 1 and 6-9 are reprinted from various journals, books or conference proceedings. See the first footnote in those chapters.

This book examines the complex and multifaceted nature of African Pentecostal engagements with genders and sexualities. In the last three decades, African Pentecostalism has emerged as one the most visible and profound aspects of religious change on the continent, and is a social force that straddles cultural, economic, and political spheres. Its conventional and selective literal interpretations of the Bible with respect to gender and sexualities are increasingly perceived as exhibiting a strong influence on many aspects of social and public institutions and their moral orientations. This collection features articles which examine sexualities and genders in African Pentecostalism using interdisciplinary methodological and theoretical approaches grounded within traditional African thought systems, with the goal of enabling a broader understanding of Pentecostalism and sexualities in Africa.

At the current rate of growth, some researchers predict there will be one billion Pentecostals by 2025, with most of them located in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In this volume professor Marius Nel speaks his mind from an African perspective on what is distinctive about Pentecostal Theology in contradistinction to other theological paradigms. What makes a Pentecostal spirituality and hermeneutic different? Africa has much to contribute to the discussion of Pentecostal Theology, and this voice of Nel will not only stimulate this discussion, but will co-determine the progress and outcome. Marius Nel is Professor of New Testament at North-West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. (Series: Theology in Africa) [Subject: African Studies, Religious Studies, Pentecostal Theology]

This volume is the first in a series of volumes surveying the important names, movements, and institutions that have been significant in forging black renewal movements in various contexts worldwide. In this volume the entries cover the more than 150 identifiable Holiness, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Neo-Pentecostal, and quasi-Pentecostal bodies within the United States and Canada. In addition, the dictionary contains entries on the important people, places, events, and theological and secular issues that shaped these groups over their histories, some of which go back more than a century. This and subsequent volumes will be invaluable tools for students and scholars of the history of Pentecostalism.

This book investigates the substantial and growing contribution which African Independent and Pentecostal Churches are making to sustainable development in all its manifold forms. Moreover, this volume seeks to elucidate how these churches reshape the very notion of sustainable development and contribute to the decolonisation of development. Fostering both overarching and comparative perspectives, the book includes chapters on West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, and Burkina Faso) and Southern Africa (Zimbabwe and South Africa). It aims to open up a subfield focused on African Initiated Christianity within the religion and development discourse, substantially broadening the scope of the existing literature. Written predominantly by scholars from the African continent, the chapters in this volume illuminate potentials and perspectives of African Initiated Christianity, combining theoretical contributions, essays by renowned church leaders, and case studies focusing on particular churches or regional contexts. While the contributions in this book focus on the African continent, the notion of development underlying the concept of the volume is deliberately wide and multidimensional, covering economic, social, ecological, political, and cultural dimensions. Therefore, the book will be useful for the community of scholars interested in religion and development as well as researchers within African studies, anthropology, development studies, political science, religious studies, sociology of religion, and theology. It will also be a key resource for development policymakers and practitioners.