The Nation That Fears God Prospers
A Critique of Zambian Pentecostal Theopolitical Imaginations
- Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
- Publisher: Augsburg Fortress
- Published: 2019
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Publisher's Description
Through its strength in numbers and remarkable presence in politics, Pentecostalism has become a force to reckon with in twenty-first-century Zambian society. Yet, some fundamental questions in the study of Zambian Pentecostalism and politics remain largely unaddressed by African scholars. Situated within an interdisciplinary perspective, this unique volume explores the challenge of continuity in the Zambian Pentecostal understanding and practice of spiritual power in relation to political engagement. Chammah J. Kaunda argues that the challenge of Pentecostal political imagination is found in the inculturation of spiritual power with political praxis. The result of this inculturation is that Zambian Pentecostals sacralize the political authority of state power through the charisma of the national president and other major political personalities. It has also contributed to the construction of Zambian Pentecostal leadership that is deified rather than leadership that is formed through the struggles and experiences of the marginalized and powerless. Kaunda argues that the solution does not lie either in desacralization of powers or the separation between the church and the state, but rather in rethinking the Christ event as a paradigm for the recovery of Pentecostalism's sociopolitical prophetic dynamism.
Endorsements (3)
“This book, situated among the studies of the social and political context of the Christian faith in Africa, critically assesses Zambian Pentecostals’ political engagement in light of their understanding and practice of spiritual power. The interdisciplinary approach and the specific focus on a country declared as Christian are noteworthy strengths. This is a significant contribution to the scholarship and literature on Christianity and politics in Africa!””
“This is a highly creative and scholarly analysis of the Pentecostal engagement with politics in Zambia. By paying attention to the indigenous, biblical, and theological interpretations of power, the volume clarifies the relationships be-tween Pentecostalism and politics in Zambia. This timely and rich contribution to studies on African Pentecostalism will appeal to researchers from diverse fields, including history, anthropology, religious studies, and political science, as well as general readers.”
“While questioning the tendency to sacralize political power within Zambian Pentecostalism, Kaunda calls for a fresh Pentecostal political theology, one that is grounded in self-giving love, servanthood, and solidarity with those at the margins. This well-researched, clearly written, and highly informative volume offers a timely contribution to the discussion of religion and politics in general, and the role of Christianity in African politics in particular.”
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