Spiritual capital and democratization in Zimbabwe: a case study of a progressive charismatic congregation

Abstract

Throughout Africa, charismatic Christianity has been caricatured as an inhibitor of democratization. Its adherents are said either to withdraw from the rough and tumble of politics ('pietism') or to preach a prosperity gospel that encourages believers to pour their resources into their churches in the hope that God will 'bless' them. Both courses of action are said to encourage such people to be politically quietist, with no interest in democratization or other forms of political activity. This is said to thwart democratization. This article utilizes an ethnographic case study of a 'progressive' charismatic congregation in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 2007, to provide evidence that 'pietism' and 'prosperity' are not the only options for charismatic Christianity. Drawing on the concept of 'spiritual capital', it argues that some varieties of charismatic Christianity have the resources to contribute to democratization. For example, this congregation's self-styled 'de-institutionalization' process is opening up new avenues for people to learn democratic skills and develop a worldview that is relationship-centred, participatory, and anti-authoritarian. The article concludes that spiritual capital can be a useful tool for analysing the role of religions in democratizations. It notes, however, that analysts should take care to identify and understand what variety of spiritual capital is generated in particular situations, focusing on the worldviews it produces and the consequences of those worldviews for democratization.

Pentecostal Theology, Identity Politics, and Racialized Xenophobia: Claiming A New Social Order

“…Thus while Pentecostalism's transformative energy has been seen to address the concerns of the individual, whom it equips with tools to survive and flourish in society, in many instances long-term societal changes remain elusive (Freston 2016;Heaner 2011;Gifford 2008). Moreover, the real or assumed transformation is often theorized within this discourse in relation to modernity or related concepts such as democracy (Zalanga 2018b;Formenti 2017;Kolapo 2016;Ganiel 2009), rather than foregrounding justice and equity when thinking of social change (for this perspective see Zalanga 2018a, 357-362).…”