Overview
- Scholars have for some time sensed that in many parts of the world development projects and Pentecostal Christianity stand in complex relations of competition and cooperation as programs that similarly promote personal and cultural change. But until now, no single work has sharpened this widespread intuition into a coherent line of argument or a workable research program. This groundbreaking book does both. With a superb introduction that tackles the key issues head on, followed by a group of first-class case studies that cash these issues out empirically, this collection should set the terms of debate about development and religion in Africa and well beyond for a long time to come.' - Joel Robbins, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, USA
- Full of new insights and transcending anthropologists' familiar condemnation of the aid industry, this book suggests a completely new direction for research on the type of change generally called 'development'. It boldly concludes that Pentecostal churches are often more effective agents of change than secular NGOs as they are more successful at emphasizing empowerment as personal transformation, enabling people to embrace change 'from below', and endowing such change with moral legitimacy. Using Weber's key insights, and drawing on a range of nuanced case studies, this fascinating book explores affinities between the 'Pentecostal ethic' and the forms of market-driven development which the aspirant middle class in Africa increasingly finds itself embracing.' - Deborah James, Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
Part of the book series: Non-Governmental Public Action (NGPA)
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About this book
Development was founded on the belief that religion was not important to development processes. The contributors call this assumption into question and explore the practical impacts of religion by looking at the developmental consequences of Pentecostal Christianity in Africa, and by contrasting Pentecostal and secular models of change.
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Keywords
Table of contents (9 chapters)
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Front Matter
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The Pentecostal Ethic and the Spirit of Development
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Pentecostalism and the Neoliberal Turn
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Front Matter
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Churches and NGOs: Different Routes to Salvation
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Reviews
'Scholars have for some time sensed that in many parts of the world development projects and Pentecostal Christianity stand in complex relations of competition and cooperation as programs that similarly promote personal and cultural change. But until now, no single work has sharpened this widespread intuition into a coherent line of argument or a workable research program. This groundbreaking book does both. With a superb introduction that tackles the key issues head on, followed by a group of first-class case studies that cash these issues out empirically, this collection should set the terms of debate about development and religion in Africa and well beyond for a long time to come.' - Joel Robbins, Professor of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, USA
'Full of new insights and transcending anthropologists' familiar condemnation of the aid industry, this book suggests a completely new direction for research on the type of change generally called 'development'.It boldly concludes that Pentecostal churches are often more effective agents of change than secular NGOs as they are more successful at emphasizing empowerment as personal transformation, enabling people to embrace change 'from below', and endowing such change with moral legitimacy. Using Weber's key insights, and drawing on a range of nuanced case studies, this fascinating book explores affinities between the 'Pentecostal ethic' and the forms of market-driven development which the aspirant middle class in Africa increasingly finds itself embracing.' - Deborah James, Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK
Editors and Affiliations
About the editor
JEAN COMAROFF is Bernard E. and Ellen C. Sunny Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago, USA
DENA FREEMAN is Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology, University College, London, UK PAIVI HASU is Adjunct Professor at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland
BEN JONES is Lecturer in the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia, UK
DAMARIS PARSITAU is Lecturer in African Christianities at Egerton University, Kenya CHARLES PIOT is Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University, USA
JAMES H. SMITH is Associate Professor of Socio-Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Davis, USA
RIJK VAN DIJK is an anthropologist working at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
DENA FREEMAN is Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology, University College, London, UK PAIVI HASU is Adjunct Professor at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland
BEN JONES is Lecturer in the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia, UK
DAMARIS PARSITAU is Lecturer in African Christianities at Egerton University, Kenya CHARLES PIOT is Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University, USA
JAMES H. SMITH is Associate Professor of Socio-Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Davis, USA
RIJK VAN DIJK is an anthropologist working at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Pentecostalism and Development
Book Subtitle: Churches, NGOs and Social Change in Africa
Editors: Dena Freeman
Series Title: Non-Governmental Public Action
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137017253
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies Collection, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-137-01724-6Published: 03 September 2012
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-43703-0Published: 01 January 2012
eBook ISBN: 978-1-137-01725-3Published: 03 September 2012
Series ISSN: 2946-2916
Series E-ISSN: 2946-2924
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 248
Topics: Sociology of Religion, Anthropology, African Politics, African Culture, Religious Studies, general, Development Policy