Spirituality trapped in androcentric celebrity cults in South Africa post-1994

Kobo, Fundiswa A.

doi:10.4102/hts.v75i3.5593

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…There are other forms of abuses in these churches other than the abuse of women. These churches are referred to as cults by several scholars because they often include spiritual and psychological manipulation of the congregation by the leaders, known as 'Men of God' whose words and deeds cannot be questioned (Kobo 2019). Badstuebner (2003) in South Africa shows that women often use the rhetoric of witchcraft and deliverance from witchcraft to reframe their experiences of sexual abuse.…”

Section: The Omotoso Trial and Jesus Dominion International Churchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The problem with rhetoric, what people say and how they say it, is that while psychology and analytical methods like CDA and discourse analysis show the impact and power of words to control, manipulate and create hegemonic systems of power, these are extremely hard to prove as evidence. As pointed out by Kobo (2019), Omotoso was a cult leader and Zondi, like so many other women, fell into his hegemonic discourse of sexuality and sexual relationships to spiritual growth, closeness to God and miracles. In the given extract, we see how Zondi tries to explain the power Omotoso had over her.…”

Section: The Legal Trialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Zondi's case rests on this claim that Omotoso was psychologically manipulating her all the time and part of that manipulation was using spiritual threats such as God punishing her and making her insane. Kobo (2019) argued that this manipulation is part of the cult-like nature of JDI.…”

Section: The Legal Trialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The state trial brought against Omotoso, broadcast live on national television (TV) in the interest of public information, was held in the Port Elizabeth high court. Much has been written about this trial by scholars (see Banda 2020;Kobo 2019;Ramantswana 2019), and it was extensively analysed by journalists in print media (Maphanga 2019;Qukula 2018). While the trial was taking place, frenzied debates over every aspect of the trial were taking place on social media, creating a double trial -the legal trial, taking place in the courtroom and the public trial, taking place on social media.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abuse, power and discourse in the public trial of Timothy Omotoso

Kgatle¹,

Frahm-Arp²

2022

Verbum et Ecclesia

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Exposure of gender-based violence (GBV) has recently received attention from both scholars and the public. However, GBV within Christian discourse, and specifically as it occurs among pastors of the new Prophetic Pentecostal Churches (PPC), is yet to be explored in detail. This article begins to address this research gap by highlighting the difficulty of proving sexual and spiritual abuse in a secular court of law, as shown in the public trial of Timothy Omotoso. The study uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) as the methodology to examine aspects of the trial and the social media discourse commenting on the trial. In doing so, the article highlights three different discourses surrounding the Zondi trial, namely the discourse of GBV in Pentecostalism; the secular legal discourse and how it reshapes faith, spirituality and the abuse of believers; and the public trial victims endure on social media if they chose to come forward to testify against a church leader. By examining these discourses, the study shows how each of these need to be taken seriously and should inform pastoral care given to victims who experienced GBV by Christian leaders. Using the findings from Zondi’s testimony, this article proposes a framework of pastoral care that can support people who experience GBV within a Christian context and consider bringing their abusers to trial.Interdisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article is an interface between GBV and Pentecostalism in a public trial of Timothy Omotoso through CDA. The article proposes a pastoral care as a remedy for those undergoing trauma of abuse.

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Section: The Omotoso Trial and Jesus Dominion International Churchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Legal Trialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Legal Trialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abuse, power and discourse in the public trial of Timothy Omotoso

Kgatle¹,

Frahm-Arp²

2022

Verbum et Ecclesia

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“…We need to participate prophetically in the advocacy and lobbying procedures that have an impact on the development of public policy as well as the policy-making processes if justice for all remains a goal (prophets as policy makers). The critique of utilising Koopman's model is that it was necessary during the transition to democracy in South Africa, but the church's role in society has been disregarded as being uneducated or too self-centred by the government (Bentley 2013).The church has also not been a good example in post-1994 South Africa, as it is faced with internal issues of patriarchy, sexual abuse of women and children, and dehumanising worship practises, amongst others (Kobo 2019). Bentley (2013) argues that the church needs to be the change it wants to see in the public square.…”

Section: Modes Of Prophetic Witness In Democracymentioning

confidence: 99%

Prophetic Witness in Cyberspace during Pandemics

Mokoena

2022

SCRIP

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Prophetic witness has been around since Biblical times, when prophets spoke truth to power on behalf of God. In the South African context, prophetic witness saw the church speaking out against the injustices of colonialism and apartheid using various forms of protest. In post-1994 democratic South Africa, prophetic witness had to be reimagined in the public square, a process which appropriated various modes of prophetic witness. Cyberspace encompasses information technologies which manifest into a “virtual” world, and social media is one of the platforms of cyberspace. Theological and religious scholars have argued that the Internet is an essential space for religion, and this article further argues that cyberspace can also be regarded as a public space for prophetic witness. The role of social media users during pandemics, such as COVID-19, has the implications of spreading information, misinformation, and misconceptions at a rapid pace. Many churches used the virtual space to provide spiritual and emotional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article argues that the church also has a prophetic role to play, especially in the social media space, regarding the dissemination of information during a pandemic. Therefore, the main task of this article is to utilise Nico Koopman’s five modes of prophetic witness, namely visionary, critics, storytellers, technical analysts, and policymakers in cyberspace in the recent COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics. Keywords: Prophetic witness, Prophetic theology, Cyberspace, COVID-19, Internet, Infodemic, Social media

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Ukunyamezela yinkunzi: Exploring the perspectives of God in relation to our daily bread

Penxa-Matholeni

2024

HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies

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Multiple interpretations of Matthew 6:11 have arisen among biblical scholars. This article aims to delve into the understanding of God in relation to the concept of ‘our daily bread’ as perceived by black women in the townships of Cape Town. Through the utilisation of indigenous storytelling methodology, this study will not only address the question of how the concept of ‘our daily bread’ contributes to the oppression of black women but also juxtapose it with the broader discourse surrounding the concept, Ukunyamezela yinkunzi (loosely translates to ‘perseverance is the key’). Furthermore, the indigenous storytelling methodology will uncover the nuanced experiences of black women concerning their perceptions of God within the context of their everyday lives.Contribution: This article contributes to the literature on African studies by highlighting the experiences and indigenous connections of black women. It offers a close cultural reading of the text, providing deeper insights into their unique experiences and traditions.

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Spirituality trapped in androcentric celebrity cults in South Africa post-1994

Cited by 4 publications

References 22 publications

Abuse, power and discourse in the public trial of Timothy Omotoso

Abuse, power and discourse in the public trial of Timothy Omotoso

Prophetic Witness in Cyberspace during Pandemics

Ukunyamezela yinkunzi: Exploring the perspectives of God in relation to our daily bread

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