Political Activism in Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelical Churches and the 2019 Elections in South A...

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" Political Activism in Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelical Churches and the 2019 Elections in South Africa "
Maria Frahm-Arp

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	1072825
Doc. No	:	LA116454
Call No	:	‭10.1163/15700666-12340171‬
Language of Document	:	English
Main Entry	:	Maria Frahm-Arp
Title & Author	:	Political Activism in Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelical Churches and the 2019 Elections in South Africa [Article]\ Maria Frahm-Arp
Publication Statement	:	Leiden: Brill
Title of Periodical	:	Journal of Religion in Africa
Date	:	2021
Volume/ Issue Number	:	49/3-4
Page No	:	312–336
Abstract	:	This article examines the public messages of the leaders of six Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelical Churches (PCE) in South Africa during the six months leading up to the 2019 presidential elections in that country. All six leaders presented themselves as knowledgeable about politics and as having solutions to ‘fix’ the political corruption and the failing economy that plagued South Africa in 2019. In this analysis it becomes apparent that the leaders had different attitudes to and understanding of politics and political activism. Some strongly advocated political activism among their members, others merely encouraged their members to vote on election day, while a third group did not directly mention politics or voting and did not endorse any form of political activism among the members of their churches. Four reasons explain these differences: (a) the theology of the different churches and their respective understandings of the relationship between faith/spirituality and politics, (b) the PCE leader’s personal perceptions of politics in South Africa, (c) the leaders’ own status as a South African citizen or foreign national, and (d) the socioeconomic situation of the different churches and their members. This article examines the public messages of the leaders of six Pentecostal Charismatic Evangelical Churches (PCE) in South Africa during the six months leading up to the 2019 presidential elections in that country. All six leaders presented themselves as knowledgeable about politics and as having solutions to ‘fix’ the political corruption and the failing economy that plagued South Africa in 2019. In this analysis it becomes apparent that the leaders had different attitudes to and understanding of politics and political activism. Some strongly advocated political activism among their members, others merely encouraged their members to vote on election day, while a third group did not directly mention politics or voting and did not endorse any form of political activism among the members of their churches. Four reasons explain these differences: (a) the theology of the different churches and their respective understandings of the relationship between faith/spirituality and politics, (b) the PCE leader’s personal perceptions of politics in South Africa, (c) the leaders’ own status as a South African citizen or foreign national, and (d) the socioeconomic situation of the different churches and their members.
Descriptor	:	African Studies
Descriptor	:	Anthropology of Religion
Descriptor	:	Christianity
Descriptor	:	elections
Descriptor	:	Facebook
Descriptor	:	History of Religion
Descriptor	:	Pentecostalism
Descriptor	:	politics
Descriptor	:	Religion
Descriptor	:	Religious Studies
Descriptor	:	Sociology of Religion
Descriptor	:	South Africa
Location & Call number	:	‭10.1163/15700666-12340171‬