Aspects of Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. Introduction

   • Lovemore Togarasei

   Pages 1-11

3. History

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 13-13

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   2. The Religions of Zimbabwe in their Plurality

      • Ezra Chitando

      Pages 15-32

   3. History and Characteristics of Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe

      • Lovemore Togarasei

      Pages 33-48

   4. The Primacy of the Spirit: The Case of African Initiated Churches as Pentecostals

      • Masiiwa Ragies Gunda, Vengeyi Obvious

      Pages 49-62

   5. Pentecostalism and Charismatism in the Roman Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Harare in Zimbabwe: A Critical Analysis

      • Joachim Kwaramba

      Pages 63-70

4. Doctrine

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 71-71

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   2. Health and Wealth in Zimbabwean Pentecostalism: The Case of the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA)

      • Kudzai Biri

      Pages 73-89

   3. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues” (Acts 2:4): Glossolalia as a Defining Characteristic of Zimbabwean Pentecostalism

      • Francis Machingura

      Pages 91-109

   4. The Pentecostal Gospel of Prosperity and the Divisive Nature of Mega-Church Superstar Men of God (Prophets) in Zimbabwe

      • Masiiwa Ragies Gunda

      Pages 111-124

   5. The Old Testament as a Source Book for the Pentecostal Gospel of Prosperity

      • Masiiwa Ragies Gunda, Lovemore Togarasei

      Pages 125-135

5. Socio-Political and Economic Relevance

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 137-137

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   2. Pastors, Preachers and Wives: A Critical Reflection on the Role of Pentecostalism in Women Empowerment in Zimbabwe

      • Tapiwa Praise Mapuranga

      Pages 139-150

   3. Health and Well-Being in Zimbabwe’s Pentecostal Churches

      • Tinoonga Shanduka, Lovemore Togarasei

      Pages 151-163

   4. Pentecostal Churches: Money Making Machines or Purveyors of Socio-Economic Growth?

      • Lovemore Togarasei, Kudzai Biri

      Pages 165-177

   5. Pentecostal Churches and Zimbabwean Politics: Some Reflections

      • Mervis Zungura, Eve Zvichanzi Nyemba

      Pages 179-195

6. Theoretical and Methodological Issues

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 197-197

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   2. Religious Pluralism and the Interaction between Pentecostal Christianity and African Traditional Religions: A Case Study of ZAOGA and Shona Traditional Religion

      • Nisbert T. Taringa, Macloud Sipeyiye

      Pages 199-210

   3. Biblical Interpretation in Pentecostal Christianity

      • Lovemore Togarasei

      Pages 211-222

This edited book offers an engaging portrait into a vital, religious movement inside this southern Africa country. It tells the story of a community of faith that is often overlooked in the region. The authors include leading scholars of religion, theology, and politics from Botswana and Zimbabwe. The insights they present will help readers understand the place of Pentecostal Christianity in this land of many religions.

The chapters detail a history of the movement from its inception to the present. Chapters focus on specific Pentecostal churches, general doctrine of the movement, and the movement’s contribution to the country. The writing is deeply informed and features deep historical, theological, and sociological analysis throughout. Readers will also learn about the socio-political and economic relevance of the faith in Zimbabwe as well as the theoretical and methodological implications raised by the Pentecostalisation of society.

The volume will serve as a resource book both for teaching and for those doing research on various aspects of the Zimbabwean society past, present, and future. It will be a good resource for those in schools and university and college departments of religious studies, theology, history, politics, sociology, social anthropology, and related studies. Over and above academic and research readers, the book will also be very useful to government policy makers, non-governmental organizations, and civic societies who have the Church as an important stakeholder.

• Pentecostalism
• Christianity in Zimbabwe
• Gospel of Prosperity
• Socio-politics
• Biblical interpretation
• Health and Well Being
• African Initiated Churches (AICs)
• Zimbabwean Politics
• Religious Pluralism
• History of Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe
• Case of African Initiated Churches as Pentecostals
• Pentecostalism and Charismatism in Zimbabwe
• Pentecostal Gospel of Prosperity in Zimbabwe
• role of Pentecostalism in women empowerment
• Pentecostal Christianity and Religious Pluralism
• Case study of ZAOGA and Shona Traditional Religion
• Pentecostal Kairos
• religion and society

“Aspects of Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe is a most useful resource to understand the particular theological and ecclesiological matrix of a rapidly expanding faith. … This work is an enrichment to the field of African Pentecostalism and World Christianity, as it represents a hopeful promise of what is to come from indigenous African theologians and historians in the wake of globalization.” (Lucinda Yang, Pneuma, Vol. 41, 2019)

• Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana

  Lovemore Togarasei

​Lovemore Togarasei, is Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Botswana. He has also served as a Professor Extraordinare at the North West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa, Guest Professor at Zimbabwe Open University and Visiting Professor, University of South Africa. Togarasei has also taken visiting research fellowships at University of Cambridge (Britain), Edinburgh University (Scotland) University of Leiden (Netherlands). His research interests lie in the areas of the use the Bible (especially among Pentecostal churches) in addressing socio-political and economic issues such as HIV and AIDS, politics, masculinity and gender, poverty, etc.

Policies and ethics