This article examines the transformation of Pastor Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Tanzan... more This article examines the transformation of Pastor Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Tanzania Church in Dar es Salaam into a Pentecostal Big Man characterized by neopatrimonialism and clientelism. It argues that Pastor Gwajima’s status rests first, on religious mediation and individual as well as collective deliverance, and second, on the long-term creation of a Christian electorate. The paper focuses on Gwajima’s political activism during election campaigns that culminated in the 2020 elections when he became a member of parliament. The article concludes that Gwajima has built his religiopolitical profile on popular discourses of suspicion, witchcraft, and conspiracies, and that his Pentecostal politics expand the field of political power beyond political institutions to include demonic entities. Gwajima spiritually mediates people’s failed efforts to participate in the world of development while acknowledging the national and global inequalities, power asymmetries, and assoc...
Suomen Antropologi: Journal of the Finnish Anthropological Society
The report discusses neo-Pentecostal gospel, demonology and deliverance in the context of social ... more The report discusses neo-Pentecostal gospel, demonology and deliverance in the context of social transformations and economic reforms in Tanzania, via a detailed case-study of a single church in Dar es Salaam—the Glory of Christ Tanzania Church—which displays the conjuncture of a global religion with elements of local ontology such as witchcraft and zombies. It is proposed that the Pentacostal-Charismatic gospel provides the interpretative frame to explain experience of social and economic affliction that is deeply gendered. Further, the deliverance practices are suggested to free the individual believer from the occult forces associated with kinship relations.
Aussagen über Armut und Wohlstand im charismatischen Christentum in Tansania Der Aufsatz untersuc... more Aussagen über Armut und Wohlstand im charismatischen Christentum in Tansania Der Aufsatz untersucht Zeugnisse von Frauen in der charismatischen Wiedererweckungsbewegung in Tansania und die geschlechtsspezifischen Erfahrungen von sozialem Leid, Armut und Wohlstand im Kontext des "Evangeliums des Wohlstandes" (Faith Gospel) sowie der neoliberalen Ökonomie. Die Aussagen von Frauen in ländlichen und städtischen Gebieten Tansanias widerspiegeln wirtschaftliches und soziales Leid, aber durch Bekehrung und die Überzeugung, gerettet zu sein, erleben Einzelpersonen eine Transformation und Familien eine Umstrukturierung. Frauen, die sich der Bewegung anschließen, gewinnen anscheinend mehr als Männer, die es schwierig finden, die hohen Kosten langfristig zu tragen. Das Evangelium des Wohlstandes findet mehr Resonanz in den Städten, aber andererseits sehen sich Frauen auf dem Lande gezwungen, um Wunder zu beten.
This article examines how faith is intertwined in conceptions of development in the work of World... more This article examines how faith is intertwined in conceptions of development in the work of World Vision Tanzania, a faith-based organisation focusing on child welfare. Issues that are explored include the question how an apparently common faith setting constitutes and provides a source of social meanings and values for the assessment of human development as well as secular development concepts as human agency and empowerment. The analysis shows how World Vision staff assign different values to Christian and non-Christian development when assessing the potential and achievements of the beneficiaries in terms of secular concepts. It is argued that a faith-based worldview in this context provides the foundation for the specific set of values and social meanings, which are examined in this article, and provides a source for these more generally when value judgments and assessments of agency, empowerment, freedom and, ultimately, well-being are made. It is further suggested that, by employing ideas of freedom, agency, and empowerment and investing them with Christian meaning, World Vision is able to generate a portrait of itself and its beneficiaries that is positioned in a hierarchy of values where Christian ideals and secular development fuse and become paramount.
Following the remarkable global growth of Pentecostal churches, a body of research has developed ... more Following the remarkable global growth of Pentecostal churches, a body of research has developed that has been preoccupied with tracing the relationships between Pentecostalism, modernity and neoliberalism (Maxwell 1998, 2005, Meyer 1999, Gifford 2004, Robbins 2004). At the same time a parallel literature has developed that associates discourses about witchcraft in Africa with changing patterns of production and consumption and with new forms of wealth (Comaroff & Comaroff 1993, Geschiere 1997). In this literature, witchcraft has been accounted for in terms of moral economy; as a levelling force opposing new material inequalities, or conversely as a force in the accumulation of wealth and power (Geschiere 1997: 5). On the other hand, Pentecostalism has been shown to address issues of wealth and inequality, particularly through the so-called prosperity gospel, but also through its ideas of demonic agency (Maxwell 1998, Newell 2007: 463). An over-lapping theme in studies of both witchcraft and Pentecostalism has been their associations with individualist ideologies of modernity and with transformations of social relations and kinship. Both the spread of Pentecostalism and the resurgence of occult beliefs and practices have been related to economic transformations and the neoliberal economy.
A little over a decade following the release of his debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye West ... more A little over a decade following the release of his debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye West has continued his progression as an artist and a public figure. His pattern of attention to detail, focus on innovation mixed with bravado overtones and stream-ofconsciousness lyrics fuel West's constant evolution. This evolution from the backpack wearing "college dropout" we met in 2003, to the critically acclaimed artist of Yeezus in 2013 portrays the new West as a demi-god, operating in a sovereign capacity, hoping to obtain full Godhood through success and material gain. The transition from the 2003 lyrics, "God show me the way, because the devil's tryna break me down" to the statement "I am a god" in the 2013 song of the same name, suggest that West's relationship with God has changed from a commoner praying for guidance to direct conversations in the most opulent settings. 1 His steady spiritual evolution throughout his career represents the conflation of his material and spiritual pursuits. 2 West's approach to the divine, therefore, reflects Michael Eric Dyson's discussion of rap artists' God Complex. Rather than "playing god," the music of rappers like Kanye West and Jay-Z enable listeners to recognize that we are "complex human beings who are centers of moral gravity around which meaning and significance orbits, that, in one sense, we can control, or, at the least, generate, meaning and significance." 3 Yet, as we know with Kanye, nothing is that simple or that straightforward. If Kanye West's Yeezus and The Life of Pablo suggest an emerging god-complex, then the advent of the anonymously founded Church of Yeezus and the associated dogma of "Yeezianity" can be seen as proof of his superstardom, influence and prosperity all in one. 4 In this sense, Hip Hop acts as what Greg Dimitriadis' describes as a
... Oral Roberts added the idea of 'seed faith', that one prospers through planting a s... more ... Oral Roberts added the idea of 'seed faith', that one prospers through planting a seed in faith and ... on less than $1 a day and over one-third of them live in abject poverty – below 50 ... View all notes. At the seminars, the morning hours before lunch are often devoted to youth and to ...
This article discusses the rituals of sacrifice among the patrilineal Chagga people of northern T... more This article discusses the rituals of sacrifice among the patrilineal Chagga people of northern Tanzania in terms of the historical context of double burial and related sacrifices. Despite more than a hundred years of Christianity in the area, ancestor veneration and sacrifices remain important elements in the rituals of kin groups, as when the relatively well educated, migrant Chagga return home at Christmas to commemorate their ancestors. The analysis draws from the classic studies of sacrifice as a gift, a communion, and an effective representation by focusing on sacrificial substances, participants, and spatio-temporal movement. It examines ritual cuisine, sequences of substances and their processing in the course of reconstituting the social community, and transforming the dead into ancestors. Rituals of sacrifice are part of a larger set of rituals that place both the living and the dead in ancestral lands. (Chagga, sacrifice, Christianity, double burial, Tanzania)
This article examines the transformation of Pastor Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Tanzan... more This article examines the transformation of Pastor Josephat Gwajima of the Glory of Christ Tanzania Church in Dar es Salaam into a Pentecostal Big Man characterized by neopatrimonialism and clientelism. It argues that Pastor Gwajima’s status rests first, on religious mediation and individual as well as collective deliverance, and second, on the long-term creation of a Christian electorate. The paper focuses on Gwajima’s political activism during election campaigns that culminated in the 2020 elections when he became a member of parliament. The article concludes that Gwajima has built his religiopolitical profile on popular discourses of suspicion, witchcraft, and conspiracies, and that his Pentecostal politics expand the field of political power beyond political institutions to include demonic entities. Gwajima spiritually mediates people’s failed efforts to participate in the world of development while acknowledging the national and global inequalities, power asymmetries, and assoc...
Suomen Antropologi: Journal of the Finnish Anthropological Society
The report discusses neo-Pentecostal gospel, demonology and deliverance in the context of social ... more The report discusses neo-Pentecostal gospel, demonology and deliverance in the context of social transformations and economic reforms in Tanzania, via a detailed case-study of a single church in Dar es Salaam—the Glory of Christ Tanzania Church—which displays the conjuncture of a global religion with elements of local ontology such as witchcraft and zombies. It is proposed that the Pentacostal-Charismatic gospel provides the interpretative frame to explain experience of social and economic affliction that is deeply gendered. Further, the deliverance practices are suggested to free the individual believer from the occult forces associated with kinship relations.
Aussagen über Armut und Wohlstand im charismatischen Christentum in Tansania Der Aufsatz untersuc... more Aussagen über Armut und Wohlstand im charismatischen Christentum in Tansania Der Aufsatz untersucht Zeugnisse von Frauen in der charismatischen Wiedererweckungsbewegung in Tansania und die geschlechtsspezifischen Erfahrungen von sozialem Leid, Armut und Wohlstand im Kontext des "Evangeliums des Wohlstandes" (Faith Gospel) sowie der neoliberalen Ökonomie. Die Aussagen von Frauen in ländlichen und städtischen Gebieten Tansanias widerspiegeln wirtschaftliches und soziales Leid, aber durch Bekehrung und die Überzeugung, gerettet zu sein, erleben Einzelpersonen eine Transformation und Familien eine Umstrukturierung. Frauen, die sich der Bewegung anschließen, gewinnen anscheinend mehr als Männer, die es schwierig finden, die hohen Kosten langfristig zu tragen. Das Evangelium des Wohlstandes findet mehr Resonanz in den Städten, aber andererseits sehen sich Frauen auf dem Lande gezwungen, um Wunder zu beten.
This article examines how faith is intertwined in conceptions of development in the work of World... more This article examines how faith is intertwined in conceptions of development in the work of World Vision Tanzania, a faith-based organisation focusing on child welfare. Issues that are explored include the question how an apparently common faith setting constitutes and provides a source of social meanings and values for the assessment of human development as well as secular development concepts as human agency and empowerment. The analysis shows how World Vision staff assign different values to Christian and non-Christian development when assessing the potential and achievements of the beneficiaries in terms of secular concepts. It is argued that a faith-based worldview in this context provides the foundation for the specific set of values and social meanings, which are examined in this article, and provides a source for these more generally when value judgments and assessments of agency, empowerment, freedom and, ultimately, well-being are made. It is further suggested that, by employing ideas of freedom, agency, and empowerment and investing them with Christian meaning, World Vision is able to generate a portrait of itself and its beneficiaries that is positioned in a hierarchy of values where Christian ideals and secular development fuse and become paramount.
Following the remarkable global growth of Pentecostal churches, a body of research has developed ... more Following the remarkable global growth of Pentecostal churches, a body of research has developed that has been preoccupied with tracing the relationships between Pentecostalism, modernity and neoliberalism (Maxwell 1998, 2005, Meyer 1999, Gifford 2004, Robbins 2004). At the same time a parallel literature has developed that associates discourses about witchcraft in Africa with changing patterns of production and consumption and with new forms of wealth (Comaroff & Comaroff 1993, Geschiere 1997). In this literature, witchcraft has been accounted for in terms of moral economy; as a levelling force opposing new material inequalities, or conversely as a force in the accumulation of wealth and power (Geschiere 1997: 5). On the other hand, Pentecostalism has been shown to address issues of wealth and inequality, particularly through the so-called prosperity gospel, but also through its ideas of demonic agency (Maxwell 1998, Newell 2007: 463). An over-lapping theme in studies of both witchcraft and Pentecostalism has been their associations with individualist ideologies of modernity and with transformations of social relations and kinship. Both the spread of Pentecostalism and the resurgence of occult beliefs and practices have been related to economic transformations and the neoliberal economy.
A little over a decade following the release of his debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye West ... more A little over a decade following the release of his debut album, The College Dropout, Kanye West has continued his progression as an artist and a public figure. His pattern of attention to detail, focus on innovation mixed with bravado overtones and stream-ofconsciousness lyrics fuel West's constant evolution. This evolution from the backpack wearing "college dropout" we met in 2003, to the critically acclaimed artist of Yeezus in 2013 portrays the new West as a demi-god, operating in a sovereign capacity, hoping to obtain full Godhood through success and material gain. The transition from the 2003 lyrics, "God show me the way, because the devil's tryna break me down" to the statement "I am a god" in the 2013 song of the same name, suggest that West's relationship with God has changed from a commoner praying for guidance to direct conversations in the most opulent settings. 1 His steady spiritual evolution throughout his career represents the conflation of his material and spiritual pursuits. 2 West's approach to the divine, therefore, reflects Michael Eric Dyson's discussion of rap artists' God Complex. Rather than "playing god," the music of rappers like Kanye West and Jay-Z enable listeners to recognize that we are "complex human beings who are centers of moral gravity around which meaning and significance orbits, that, in one sense, we can control, or, at the least, generate, meaning and significance." 3 Yet, as we know with Kanye, nothing is that simple or that straightforward. If Kanye West's Yeezus and The Life of Pablo suggest an emerging god-complex, then the advent of the anonymously founded Church of Yeezus and the associated dogma of "Yeezianity" can be seen as proof of his superstardom, influence and prosperity all in one. 4 In this sense, Hip Hop acts as what Greg Dimitriadis' describes as a
... Oral Roberts added the idea of 'seed faith', that one prospers through planting a s... more ... Oral Roberts added the idea of 'seed faith', that one prospers through planting a seed in faith and ... on less than $1 a day and over one-third of them live in abject poverty – below 50 ... View all notes. At the seminars, the morning hours before lunch are often devoted to youth and to ...
This article discusses the rituals of sacrifice among the patrilineal Chagga people of northern T... more This article discusses the rituals of sacrifice among the patrilineal Chagga people of northern Tanzania in terms of the historical context of double burial and related sacrifices. Despite more than a hundred years of Christianity in the area, ancestor veneration and sacrifices remain important elements in the rituals of kin groups, as when the relatively well educated, migrant Chagga return home at Christmas to commemorate their ancestors. The analysis draws from the classic studies of sacrifice as a gift, a communion, and an effective representation by focusing on sacrificial substances, participants, and spatio-temporal movement. It examines ritual cuisine, sequences of substances and their processing in the course of reconstituting the social community, and transforming the dead into ancestors. Rituals of sacrifice are part of a larger set of rituals that place both the living and the dead in ancestral lands. (Chagga, sacrifice, Christianity, double burial, Tanzania)
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