Pub Date : 2021-12-01DOI: 10.46222/pharosjot.102.221
J. Thinane
The emergence of the concept of Missio Dei (Mission of God) from the perspective of the International Missionary Council (IMC) arguably demonstrated that the role of the Triune God in his own mission was undeservedly marginalized for decades, if not centuries preceding 1952. Over the past decades there has been a sustained research activity conceptualizing Missio Dei, and at the same time renewing missiological interest in other Christian missions. However, to the author’s awareness, there has been very little or no effort to introduce or use known project models that can be utilized to show coherence or collaboration of missions towards the project of fulfilling the objective of Missio Dei. Through a desk-top literature review, this paper proposes the use of a project management model to properly conceptualize the location of Missio Dei as a main project that includes other network of missions as sub-projects within its framework. The Triune God is here identified as Project managers while human participants are seen as project stakeholders. Christian missions include Missio Christos, Missio Spiritus, Missio Hominum and Missio Ecclesiae as sub-projects. The proposed model will demonstrate the coordination and collaboration of missions in the broader context of Missio Dei and further assist with a proper understanding of roles that each mission is, or should play, in achieving the objective of Missio Dei. While efforts are being made here to propose a project management model for Missio Dei, further research is needed to determine whether this proposal will yield an in-depth understanding of Missio Dei as a missiological paradigm in conjunction with the role of other missions.
从国际传教理事会(IMC)的角度来看，“上帝的使命”(Mission of God)这一概念的出现可以说表明，在1952年之前的几十年，如果不是几个世纪，三位一体的上帝在他自己的使命中的作用被不合理地边缘化了。在过去的几十年里，一直有一个持续的研究活动来概念化天主事工，同时更新对其他基督教传教的兴趣。然而，据作者所知，很少或根本没有努力引进或使用可用于显示各特派团在实现上帝使命目标的项目上的一致性或合作的已知项目模式。通过桌面文献综述，本文建议使用项目管理模型来适当地概念化上帝使命作为主要项目的位置，并将其他任务网络作为其框架内的子项目。在这里，三位一体的上帝被视为项目经理，而人类参与者被视为项目干系人。基督教宣教包括基督宣教、精神宣教、人性宣教和教会宣教等子项目。拟议的模式将显示各特派团在更广泛的上帝使命范围内的协调与合作，并进一步有助于适当了解每个特派团在实现上帝使命目标方面正在发挥或应该发挥的作用。虽然目前正在努力为上帝使命提出一个项目管理模式，但还需要进一步研究，以确定这一建议是否将使人们深入了解上帝使命作为一种与其他使命一起发挥作用的宣教范例。
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Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.46222/pharosjot.102.220
I. D. Mothoagae, A. Mavhandu-Mudzusi
This paper presents the intersectionality of religion, race, and gender during the COVID-19 pandemic from a South African perspective. Though COVID-19 has affected every area in South Africa, the intersectionality of religion, race, gender class has begun to be interrogated by scholars, NGOs, and faith-based organizations. The interpretative phenomenological analysis study was conducted at a South African rural-based hospital, which is comprised of black personnel who serve only black people from impoverished villages. The data were collected from 11 nurses who had suffered from COVID-19. Following Pietkiewicz and Smith's (2014:7) steps of thematic data analysis, results indicated that nurses who suffered from COVID-19 had faced the dilemma of administering Western medicine or traditional African medicine. In other words, the universality of western medicine as effective and scientific created an epistemological dilemma for those that viewed traditional African medicine as an alternative to western medicine. As such, this was also necessitated by the view that Western medicinal treatments were not as effective in comparison to traditional African medicine. This view indicates the effectiveness of perception. Succinctly put, the social and epistemic locationof the participants functioned as an epistemological discourse in engaging the notion of the ‘supremacy’ of Western medicine and the choice of administering both Western and traditional medicinal treatments. The choice of opting to administer both medicinal treatments was also necessitated by the scarce resources and access to hospital facilities. At the same time, the notion that traditional administration of medicines to treat COVID-19 was also viewed as an act of heathenism, based on religious belief. The intersectionality of religion and class became evident as illustrated in the findings that surrendering one's life to God through prayer was important and central for those infected and affected by COVID-19 instead of administering traditional African medicines. While there appears to be no objection to administering Western medicines, suggesting the convergence of both epistemologies as superior to the traditional epistemologies. Applying a decolonial analysis, the paper seeks to argue that there is a need to decolonise religion (western Christianity) in order to deconstruct the notion of traditional epistemologies as heathenism. This is in order to the delink so as to advance the notion of pluriversality and broader-thinking.
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Pub Date : 2021-08-01DOI: 10.46222/pharosjot.102.218
Prof. E. R Mathipa, Prof. M. Z Ramorola, Dr. Q. M Motsepe
Nation-states are a result of the existence of families which constitutes communities that form them. Therefore, without families, regardless of how developed they are, there can’t be communities, and, thus, no nation-states. Religiously argued, the family is the cardinal centre of focus when the wellbeing of a nation-state is to be assessed. Implying that, when families disintegrate, the survival of communities and of nations cannot be guaranteed. Precisely because of this, the family is a primary institution where religious, socio-economic and moral values are imparted to children who ultimately constitute future generations. To unravel dilemmas caused by the devastation of Covid19 pandemic on families, Maslow’s theory and also that of nihilism are utilised in tandem with the principles and values that are underpinned by Rossouw’s theory. The article aims to preserve the family as an important unit whose core functions is the production of communities. Religiously, diverse belief systems have from time immemorial used and or applied their principles and moral values to either overcome or manage dangers faced by families, or communities at large. Currently, the effects of Covid-19 on the economy, society, religious and learning institutions including essential establishments that delivers critical services are either under great pressure or have stopped functioning entirely. No question, Covid-19 is slowly but surely eroding and altering the way the world’s people are living. It has introduced modes of survival hitherto known or which were never practiced before.
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Pub Date : 2021-08-01DOI: 10.46222/pharosjot.102.217
M. Themane
Most of the work done to understand and combat the COVID-19 pandemic has been based on epidemiological models. These models are often devoid of human factors such as ethics, religion and communication. In this article, I endeavour to close this gap by examining whether or not religion can help in the understanding and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Past research has made contradicting conclusions as to the influence of religion, ethics and communication on health. One body of research has concluded that strong religiosity results in greater adherence to health regulations because of the rule-abiding norms and philanthropic tendencies of religious people. On the contrary, another body of research concluded that stronger religiosity results in lower adherence as an intrusive personal and religious freedom. To address this quandary, this article attempts to answer two questions: One, what theoretical, procedural and epistemological questions does the COVID-19 pandemic invoke about the intersectionality of religion and health in the 21 first century? Two, how can we increasingly understand and discourse about the interactions of religion and health in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic without reifying and essentialising them? The article concludes by contending that an understanding of the objective and subjective nature of religion can provide the much needed nexus to understand and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Pub Date : 2021-07-01DOI: 10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.216
X. Jibiliza, S. Kumalo
Pastors, priests and ministers of congregations and all people of faith, are called to communicate the faithfulness and care of the Creator to the adherents of the faith. This needs to be carried out in the contexts in which communities live and through the ways people experience challenges in life and seek healing. This research paper sought to acknowledge the healing of our brokenness using a pastoral care approach as the lenses through which to explore the issues. The paper revealed some themes such as a definition of what pastoral care includes, what the researcher thinks about pastoral care and the methodology that the researcher has used. Furthermore, this paper sought to give an impact of the pastoral care in the lives of church members who are experiencing a sense of brokenness. Community pastoral care is required to integrate the revelation of the Kingdom of God and His grace and blessings, as well as the prospect of a solid association with Him when it comes to being whole. Such a linkage will serve to transform the life of the people in a community under duress. For healing to take its course, forgiveness has to be effected and then a reconciliation can then be the enhancer of healing. Grounds therefore need to open for people to speak openly with no biases being the stumbling blocks for them in revealing their feelings and frustrations. The predominant theological understanding of interpersonal forgiveness, as it is portrayed in Christian Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus, is that interpersonal and divine forgiveness are inextricably related. Theologically, one cannot consider the forgiveness of another person outside the context of God’s forgiveness. Brokenness is part of our lives because we are born into sin. This paper also reveals to a limited extent the impacts of the spiritual discipline of prayer, pastoral care in a process of healing, preaching as counseling tool for healing, and healing of total depravity.
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Pub Date : 2021-07-01DOI: 10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102215
Nelson S Ratau, Ntsofa Monyela, Neo R Mofokeng
Covid-19 has brought about unsuspected possibilities and death on a large global scale since its advent on the shores of the global community in early March of 2020. The novel pandemic has undoubtedly challenged and changed the normative operations of the social, political and economic activities all across the globe. Religious fraternities and activities have experienced challenging dynamics in how fellowship and worship are practised. Businesses and the entertainment industry have their share of suffering and enduring the suspending effect that has since been forcefully occasioned by the strategic global lockdown. The labour market metrics have realised a drastic decline due to companies closing down owing to the challenges that Covid-19 has rendered against their financial fragility and profit share. Academic institutions have also seen drastic challenges and a need for change in how they perform their curricula duties in the unpredictable context of Covid-19. Evidently, the advent of the Coronavirus has pointedly offered the nations of the world an opportunity to re-imagine a number of issues and social conducts. With millions of people dying across the globe, funerals have taken a new, strange turn in how the rites of passage for the deceased are practised. In light of this, the current essay presents the argument around re-imagining funerary rites in the Covid-19 context. The paper adopts Victor Tuner’s theoretical assumptions of ritual purported in his text entitled The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, so as to theoretically problematise the idea of re-imagining funerary rites in the undesirable ‘new normal’? situation of Covid-19.
新冠肺炎自2020年3月初登陆国际社会以来，在全球范围内带来了意想不到的可能性和死亡。这一新的流行病无疑对全球社会、政治和经济活动的规范运作提出了挑战和改变。宗教兄弟会和活动在如何团契和敬拜方面经历了具有挑战性的动态。企业和娱乐业也承受着全球战略封锁所造成的暂停效应。由于2019冠状病毒病对企业的财务脆弱性和利润份额构成了挑战，企业纷纷倒闭，劳动力市场指标大幅下降。学术机构也面临着巨大挑战，在新冠肺炎不可预测的背景下，它们履行课程职责的方式也需要改变。显然，冠状病毒的出现为世界各国提供了一个重新思考一系列问题和社会行为的机会。随着全球数百万人的死亡，葬礼在逝者的成人仪式上出现了一个新的、奇怪的转变。鉴于此，本文提出了在Covid-19背景下重新构想丧葬仪式的论点。本文采用维克多·特纳(Victor Tuner)在《仪式过程:结构与反结构》(The ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure)一文中对仪式的理论假设，从理论上对在不受欢迎的“新常态”下重新构想丧葬仪式的想法提出质疑。Covid-19形势。
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Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.213
Lawrence Korsi Vorvornator, J. Mdiniso
The COVID-19 virus allegedly originated from Wuhan, China and spread globally including South Africa and forced the country into restricted lockdown. This study analyses COVID-19 and religious activities during lockdown among dwellers in the rural community of Esikhaleni in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal province. A qualitative approach was employed including thirty participants who were selected through random sampling. Telephonic interviews were conducted with the respondents from 1st to 30th May, 2020. Durkhein’s ideas of functional religion in Sociology relating to the human race being together, sharing solace and love with the destitute were defied by COVID-19 protocols. These protocols of the state implemented social and physical distancing to be observed to curb a high infection rate (WHO, 2020). As a result social gatherings were halted, which posed severe challenges to religious bodies to meet, praise and worship as the normally do. Some religious bodies then, resorted to online approaches and used media platforms such as, Zoom, Skype, and even WhatsApp to deliver their services. Major events by some religious organisations including baptisms, crusading, evangelism, and Hajj pilgrimages by Muslim adherents were also postponed. The COVID-19 catastrophe befalling the destitute and needy in society forced religious bodies to extend their arms to those in dire need of help. Challenges during the use of online services included both leaders and congregants not having the requisite technical know-how to connect the programmes. There were also issues related to network connectivity, intermittent power interruption, and the inordinately high cost of data procurement in South Africa for especially the poor. Overall, despite COVID-19 protocols preventing social gatherings, religious bodies, developed other means to keep their spiritual tempo and ought to overcome a sense of hopelessness bestowed on congregants by the pandemic – but sadly this omitted the poor. It is recommended that, religious leaders must learn to use ICT effectively, because COVID-19 might be here for some length of time to come. Moreover, religious leaders must also strive to educate their congregants to observe COVID-19 protocols and seek to avoid a third imminent wave of the virus, instead of laying blame at the door steps of government. Religious orders need to urgently embrace technological solutions which is sadly not always possible due to limited resources. Getting the masses out of poverty through job creation would also go a long way to help when future pandemics arise, and they surely will.
{"title":"The Covid-19 Pandemic and Religious Activities: A Case Study of Esikhaleni Settlement","authors":"Lawrence Korsi Vorvornator, J. Mdiniso","doi":"10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.213","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 virus allegedly originated from Wuhan, China and spread globally including South Africa and forced the country into restricted lockdown. This study analyses COVID-19 and religious activities during lockdown among dwellers in the rural community of Esikhaleni in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal province. A qualitative approach was employed including thirty participants who were selected through random sampling. Telephonic interviews were conducted with the respondents from 1st to 30th May, 2020. Durkhein’s ideas of functional religion in Sociology relating to the human race being together, sharing solace and love with the destitute were defied by COVID-19 protocols. These protocols of the state implemented social and physical distancing to be observed to curb a high infection rate (WHO, 2020). As a result social gatherings were halted, which posed severe challenges to religious bodies to meet, praise and worship as the normally do. Some religious bodies then, resorted to online approaches and used media platforms such as, Zoom, Skype, and even WhatsApp to deliver their services. Major events by some religious organisations including baptisms, crusading, evangelism, and Hajj pilgrimages by Muslim adherents were also postponed. The COVID-19 catastrophe befalling the destitute and needy in society forced religious bodies to extend their arms to those in dire need of help. Challenges during the use of online services included both leaders and congregants not having the requisite technical know-how to connect the programmes. There were also issues related to network connectivity, intermittent power interruption, and the inordinately high cost of data procurement in South Africa for especially the poor. Overall, despite COVID-19 protocols preventing social gatherings, religious bodies, developed other means to keep their spiritual tempo and ought to overcome a sense of hopelessness bestowed on congregants by the pandemic – but sadly this omitted the poor. It is recommended that, religious leaders must learn to use ICT effectively, because COVID-19 might be here for some length of time to come. Moreover, religious leaders must also strive to educate their congregants to observe COVID-19 protocols and seek to avoid a third imminent wave of the virus, instead of laying blame at the door steps of government. Religious orders need to urgently embrace technological solutions which is sadly not always possible due to limited resources. Getting the masses out of poverty through job creation would also go a long way to help when future pandemics arise, and they surely will.","PeriodicalId":306005,"journal":{"name":"Religion, ethics and communication in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127966937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-01DOI: 10.46222/pharosjot.102.214
Nelson S Ratau
Covid-19 has infected approximately 160 million people globally since its first occurrence in China in 2019. Consequently, the whole world has been negatively impacted, with numerous people losing their lives, jobs and loved ones, including breadwinners in families. With the prevalence of the pandemic also came various views on the challenges that came with it. Literature cannot be left out of the modes that are providing an understanding of the negative impact of Covid-19 on the world. Therefore, this paper explores the poetry of the Nigerian poet, novelist and essayist, Ben Okri, in light of his thematisation of spirituality. By spirituality, it is meant the ‘recognition of a feeling or sense or belief that there is something greater than myself’, the times and situation(s) in which one exists’. In this paper, Okri’s poetry is considered as an essential index into how ‘the spiritual’ is conceived and articulated, even in times of pandemics. The paper adopts the Hermeneutical Approach as a theoretical lens through which Okri’s poetry may be best viewed and understood. The Hermeneutical Approach essentially entails the analysis of texts in order to develop insight or thoughtful wisdom. Furthermore, the paper proffers that Okri’s poetry is invested with a spiritual temper that makes it relevant as it encourages and makes and keeps ‘awake’ a spiritual sensibility in the people during the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis is undergirded by a predetermined set of themes, namely; race, identity, healing, spirituality, thought and consciousness that Okri poeticises about and subsequently interrogates in his poetry. In the process, Okri’s poetry also encourages spiritual renaissance and the awakening of consciousness, by tempering in a reader the inalienable fact that to change or shape reality, people ought to do it themselves. Okri’s poetry challenges people to define themselves and defy all false definitions of themselves made by others. Ultimately, the paper explicates that Okri’s poetry is charged with pointed rebuke of people’s apparent apathy towards issues such as freedom, equality and transformation (all of which belong to the great stream of ‘the spiritual’), of which he submits that people ought to take charge of how these three important entities come about and exist in society.
{"title":"Art and Spirituality in the Covid-19 Epoch: An Exploratory Reading of Ben Okri’s Poetry","authors":"Nelson S Ratau","doi":"10.46222/pharosjot.102.214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.102.214","url":null,"abstract":"Covid-19 has infected approximately 160 million people globally since its first occurrence in China in 2019. Consequently, the whole world has been negatively impacted, with numerous people losing their lives, jobs and loved ones, including breadwinners in families. With the prevalence of the pandemic also came various views on the challenges that came with it. Literature cannot be left out of the modes that are providing an understanding of the negative impact of Covid-19 on the world. Therefore, this paper explores the poetry of the Nigerian poet, novelist and essayist, Ben Okri, in light of his thematisation of spirituality. By spirituality, it is meant the ‘recognition of a feeling or sense or belief that there is something greater than myself’, the times and situation(s) in which one exists’. In this paper, Okri’s poetry is considered as an essential index into how ‘the spiritual’ is conceived and articulated, even in times of pandemics. The paper adopts the Hermeneutical Approach as a theoretical lens through which Okri’s poetry may be best viewed and understood. The Hermeneutical Approach essentially entails the analysis of texts in order to develop insight or thoughtful wisdom. Furthermore, the paper proffers that Okri’s poetry is invested with a spiritual temper that makes it relevant as it encourages and makes and keeps ‘awake’ a spiritual sensibility in the people during the Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis is undergirded by a predetermined set of themes, namely; race, identity, healing, spirituality, thought and consciousness that Okri poeticises about and subsequently interrogates in his poetry. In the process, Okri’s poetry also encourages spiritual renaissance and the awakening of consciousness, by tempering in a reader the inalienable fact that to change or shape reality, people ought to do it themselves. Okri’s poetry challenges people to define themselves and defy all false definitions of themselves made by others. Ultimately, the paper explicates that Okri’s poetry is charged with pointed rebuke of people’s apparent apathy towards issues such as freedom, equality and transformation (all of which belong to the great stream of ‘the spiritual’), of which he submits that people ought to take charge of how these three important entities come about and exist in society.","PeriodicalId":306005,"journal":{"name":"Religion, ethics and communication in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"54 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115774341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-04DOI: 10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.22
Nthabiseng E. Makhutla
This study explored the use of social media as an approach to understand its effectiveness in preaching the Christian gospel by church leaders during the pandemic lockdown implemented in many countries across the world. In the technologically driven world of today, social networking sites have turned out to be an avenue where people extend their interactions by sharing their personal experiences and opinions to a wider audience. Social media (SM) is defined as “the various electronic tools, technologies, and applications that facilitate interactive communication and content exchange, allowing the user to move back and forth easily between the roles of the audience and content producers” (Hysenlika, 2012: 3). The term social media is fast becoming such an integral part of everyday life, as well as business operations, that its use has now become an everyday term for launching products, developing consumer loyalty and sharing news. It is recommended that churches that wish to stay connected and evangelize need to promote the use of and purchase relevant equipment. To be prepared, this requires identifying or recruiting talents and also the offering of rigorous training on being savvy on the ins and outs of technology use. The purpose of adopting an innovation needs to be clarified, well defined and aligned with the vision and mission of the organisation as well as its set goals. Sustenance for the future will require support for the team as they work to meet, plan, strategize, and brainstorm on trends to promote the gospel.
{"title":"Effectiveness of Using Social Media for Preaching During Covid-19 Lockdown","authors":"Nthabiseng E. Makhutla","doi":"10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.22","url":null,"abstract":"This study explored the use of social media as an approach to understand its effectiveness in preaching the Christian gospel by church leaders during the pandemic lockdown implemented in many countries across the world. In the technologically driven world of today, social networking sites have turned out to be an avenue where people extend their interactions by sharing their personal experiences and opinions to a wider audience. Social media (SM) is defined as “the various electronic tools, technologies, and applications that facilitate interactive communication and content exchange, allowing the user to move back and forth easily between the roles of the audience and content producers” (Hysenlika, 2012: 3). The term social media is fast becoming such an integral part of everyday life, as well as business operations, that its use has now become an everyday term for launching products, developing consumer loyalty and sharing news. It is recommended that churches that wish to stay connected and evangelize need to promote the use of and purchase relevant equipment. To\u0000be prepared, this requires identifying or recruiting talents and also the offering of rigorous training on being savvy on the ins and outs of technology use. The purpose of adopting an innovation needs to be clarified, well defined and aligned with the vision and mission of the organisation as well as its set goals. Sustenance for the future will require support for the team as they work to meet, plan, strategize, and brainstorm on trends to promote the gospel.","PeriodicalId":306005,"journal":{"name":"Religion, ethics and communication in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125782884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-01DOI: 10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.21
Loreen Maseno
The paradoxical liberating but limiting impact of Pentecostal Christianity on women is wellknown (Attanasi, 2013; Brusco, 2010). Female Pentecostal-Charismatic (PC) preachers are asserting themselves in Africa. However, not all female PC preachers lay claim to having a prophetic calling. Even fewer African female PC preachers proceed to share their prophecies through various fora and medium which in turn meet unique African interests. Self-asserting female PC’s negotiate their claims to religious leadership or power at different levels by way of prophecies (Cox, 1995). The Covid-19 virus was identified as causing a cluster of pneumonia and deaths in Wuhan city in China on 31st December 2019. It has spread across the world and Kenya has not been spared of its deadly impact. This paper draws from empirical studies on a female PC leader in Kenya, Jane Ndegwa1 of Hope Evangelistic Ministries (HEM)2 and analyses select prophetic pronouncements and communication given from 2016 to 2021. Analysis is based on the concepts of modes of self-legitimation in a field of power, African eschatological hopes, Invasive versus non-invasive prophecy, Eschatological prophecy and the eschatological community. Findings indicate that Ndegwa’s prophecies subvert the established symbolic priestly order, and challenge the legitimacy of other priests to establish her place in the narrative of herself as prophetess and as part of her identity and self-legitimation. HEM prophecies which are mostly non-invasive bring the hearers into an eternal presence which when experienced in the now, activate an eternal, eschatological dimension and eschatological community while at the same time, her prophecies show that present Covid-19 concerns in Africa have an eschatological dimension and must therefore not be relegated to the world to come.
{"title":"Eschatological Prophecies before and during Covid-19:Female Pentecostal-Charismatic Preachers Self-Legitimation through Prophecy in Kenya","authors":"Loreen Maseno","doi":"10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.21","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46222/PHAROSJOT.102.21","url":null,"abstract":"The paradoxical liberating but limiting impact of Pentecostal Christianity on women is wellknown (Attanasi, 2013; Brusco, 2010). Female Pentecostal-Charismatic (PC) preachers are asserting themselves in Africa. However, not all female PC preachers lay claim to having a prophetic calling. Even fewer African female PC preachers proceed to share their prophecies through various fora and medium which in turn meet unique African interests. Self-asserting female PC’s negotiate their claims to religious leadership or power at different levels by way of prophecies (Cox, 1995). The Covid-19 virus was identified as causing a cluster of pneumonia and deaths in Wuhan city in China on 31st December 2019. It has spread across the world and Kenya has not been spared of its deadly impact. This paper draws from empirical studies on a\u0000female PC leader in Kenya, Jane Ndegwa1 of Hope Evangelistic Ministries (HEM)2 and analyses select prophetic pronouncements and communication given from 2016 to 2021. Analysis is based on the concepts of modes of self-legitimation in a field of power, African eschatological hopes, Invasive versus non-invasive prophecy, Eschatological prophecy and the eschatological community. Findings indicate that Ndegwa’s prophecies subvert the established symbolic priestly order, and challenge the legitimacy of other priests to establish her place in the narrative of herself as prophetess and as part of her identity and self-legitimation. HEM prophecies which\u0000are mostly non-invasive bring the hearers into an eternal presence which when experienced in the now, activate an eternal, eschatological dimension and eschatological community while at the same time, her prophecies show that present Covid-19 concerns in Africa have an eschatological dimension and must therefore not be relegated to the world to come.","PeriodicalId":306005,"journal":{"name":"Religion, ethics and communication in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"78 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114505017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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