Christianity is changing in South Africa as Pentecostal and indigenous churches grow—what’s behind the trend?

Pelican Press · May 14, 2024

Christianity is changing in South ******* as Pentecostal and indigenous churches grow—what’s behind the trend?

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

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show that South ******* is one of only three countries in the world where religious participation

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in recent years. The other two countries are Italy and the US.

The

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data show that South *******’s ********** adherence has once again increased. However, the kinds of Christianity that are growing, and those that are declining, tell us some interesting things about the religious, cultural, social and political sentiments of South Africans.

Only 2.9% of the population claimed to have no religious views at all—this means that 96.1% of South Africans profess or practice some form of ******. Even though COVID-19 restrictions meant a

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in the 2022 census, the trends are clear.

Christianity is the most popular religious affiliation, with 85.3% of South Africans identifying as ********** of

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. One simply needs to drive through any city or town in South ******* to see the

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of “Christianities” on display. They range from cathedrals to store-front “miracle centers” to ******** indigenous communities worshipping in nature.

While there are some similarities in their general beliefs, one would hardly be able to say what a west ******** styled neo-Pentecostal community has in common with, for example, a

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******* group. Or the beliefs of members of the

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(ZCC). They may all be labeled as **********, but their beliefs and practices seem worlds apart.

In South ******* there has been a steady

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of the so-called “mainline” ********** churches, such as the Methodists, Anglicans, ********** or Dutch Reformed. At the same time, the country has seen the membership of ******** indigenous ********** groupings (such as the ZCC and the

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and

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churches), and postcolonial ********** groupings (like prosperity and neo-Pentecostal groups) increasing significantly.

My research as a

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has focused on the religious, social and political changes in southern ******** Christianity for almost 30 years. Understanding a nation’s religious beliefs helps explain the fabric of its society and also maps how that society changes.

And churches exert political influence. This is particularly evident at election time when

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attend mega churches to campaign for votes and be endorsed by ******* leaders.

******* leaders also attempt to shape politics. Some of the fastest growing ********** groupings in South *******, for example, have pledged to “

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” if ***********-tainted former president Jacob Zuma and his MK party don’t win the 2024 national elections.

It’s crucial to make sense of the worldviews of South *******’s diverse ********** churches, and understand the potential impact of their moral and theological beliefs on the country’s collective future.

The colonial churches

Like many things in South *******, religious traditions have important links to a painful and *******

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and

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history. My own religious tradition,

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, was among the

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colonial Christianities to arrive on the southern tip of *******.

Early forms of British, Dutch and French Christianities that arrived in South ******* were as committed to their

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as they were to their religious beliefs.

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have shown, missionaries often mixed their religions beliefs with the political and economic interests of their countries.

This had

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on the cultures, identities and religious beliefs of the indigenous ******** populations. ******** religion was

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and even labeled as

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. Local ethical systems were replaced by foreign western ideals. Languages, art and customs were eroded and replaced with foreign symbols and practices that alienated people from their histories.

So it’s not surprising to see that these colonial ********** churches are being rejected in favor of postcolonial and ******** indigenous beliefs.

The new churches

My

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three broad reasons for the growth of these “new” churches over the past decades.

First, there are cultural reasons. There’s growing interest among both

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and scholars in the

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of religious beliefs and practices.

The largest proportion of South *******’s Christians (40.82%) are expressing a longing to

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******** identity and ******** philosophical systems with their religious beliefs. They’re opting to join ******* communities that preach, sing and pray in ******** indigenous languages and that wear culturally appropriate clothing.

A notable debate is even taking place in South *******’s largest “mainline” ********** denomination. There’s an appeal that Methodist ministers who are also traditional healers (

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) be allowed to practice as both at the same time.

Second, there are socio-economic reasons. As South *******’s predominantly

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with ********, unemployment and inadequate social provisions, there’s a turn to churches that promise supernatural pathways to wealth and social prominence.

These churches, which often have links to either west ******** or

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, have long abandoned the central elements of colonial Christianities—like religious vestments or liturgies that still pray for the King of England. They’re devoting themselves to new forms of imperialism—like capitalism, individual liberty and identity politics.

Third, there are political reasons for the growth of these churches. Many South Africans have found the historical ties between “mainline” Christianity and political parties to be a disappointment. In the last parliamentary census, 63% of parliamentarians

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they were members of the Methodist *******. The ******* recently

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on social media that politicians should not be “given the mic” in ******* services.

As South Africans lose ****** in the promises of politicians, they’re also losing ****** in the religious communities that seem to

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.

Why this matters

A history of Christianity offers

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into the hopes, dreams, frustrations and sorrows of South Africans. This can be seen in how religion has shifted along social, political and economic lines.

South Africans remain religious, and are growing in religiosity. Some of the forms of Christianity to which they are turning are politically dangerous and economically harmful, while others offer the promise of a more authentically ******** way of believing and living. What people believe matters, and what they no longer believe matters too.

Provided by
The Conversation

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under a Creative Commons license. Read the

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Christianity is changing in South ******* as Pentecostal and indigenous churches grow—what’s behind the trend? (2024, May 14)
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Christianity is changing in South ******* as Pentecostal and indigenous churches grow—what’s behind the trend?

The colonial churches

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