Ninth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

African Christianity has engendered many creative paradigms in theology, liturgy, and mission studies. In the twenty-first century, African Christianity continues to experience exponential growth, renewal, and transformation. Pentecostal congregations have radically reshaped the Christian faith in Africa. Through intentional and active engagement in the public square, pentecostal churches in Africa have established creative connections between prayer and politics. This paper examines the power of prayer in pentecostal spirituality. I argue that the discourse on prayer in African Christianity is located in the intersection of actuality and possibility. This process can described as the quintessential crossroad of hope and promise, human brokenness, and redemption. This juxtaposition indicates the perennial paradoxical nature of the Christian faith. This paper critically interrogates the complex linkages between spirituality and politics from the vantage point of pentecostalism in Africa. I will grapple with these connections from an interdisciplinary perspective.