Call for Papers – Globalisation of African Pentecostalism: The Changing face of World Christianity

The twenty-first century has heralded a new dawn in the political map of Christianity with the proliferation of Pentecostalism across the globe. The shift in the centre of gravity of Christianity from the Global North to the Global South is predicated on the dynamic growth of Pentecostalism in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Consequentially, Pentecostalism has been described as the fastest growing Christian tradition in the world. The portable practices and transposable messages of the movement contributes to its appeal to its adherents across various cultural frontiers which often times resonates within the socio-cultural contexts where it is situated.

In the light of the forces of globalisation, migration and technological advancements, African Pentecostalism is no longer geographically delineated. The moral economy of corruption of African leaders, poverty, socio-economic and forced migration have paved the way for many African Pentecostal adherents to travel with their religious idiosyncrasies to various parts of the world. The declining fortunes of Christianity in the West and North America coupled with the fact that religion is consigned to the private space. This provides the missional motivation for the reconversion of former Christian heartlands to the Christian faith by African Pentecostal denominations. In the light of the associated challenges of migration and acculturation in a new cultural frontier, African Pentecostalism provides various opportunities for recreation of Africaness in Diaspora as well as identity negotiation in the host communities.

Attention has been drawn to the social, economic, political dimensions of African Pentecostalism generally. However, the urbanisation of African Pentecostalism across the globe necessitates critical engagement with respect to the changes that has taken place with the redrawing of the Political map of World Christianity. Therefore, the Redeemed Christian Bible College in collaboration with the Religious Studies Department of the University of Ibadan, have jointly organised the 2016 International Conference titled “ Globalisation of African Pentecostalism: The Changing face of World Christianity.”