“Thank God for Amazon.com”: Spiritual Warfare, African Theology, and Prayer Merch

Abstract

This essay explores the ongoing formations of global Pentecostalism by tracing a route through which some of the practices of exchange travel: Amazon.com. Noting that the “spirits” of globalization, modernity, and capitalism now enable a rapid move of the religious spirit, I spotlight the experiences of four Nigerian ministers who list merchandise of prayer (or “prayer merch”) in the form of books and spiritual warfare prayer manuals for sale on the online marketplace. With personal interviews and a content analysis of the reviews and ratings of their works, I consider the commodification of the practical African theology of prayers, the tactics of promotion, the ethos of Black spirituality that facilitates sales, and the balancing of divine encounter and enterprise.