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‘Anglocostalism’ in Nigeria: Neo-Pentecostalism and Obstacles to Anglican Unity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2012

Jesse Zink
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Abstract

In the last several decades, the religious landscape in Nigeria has been transformed by the rise of neo-Pentecostal or ‘new generation’ churches. These churches teach a gospel of prosperity, advance an oppositional view of the world, focus on a supernatural arena of spiritual forces, accord a unique weight to the Bible, and practice a charismatic worship style. One result of the presence of these churches has been to change the face of Anglicanism in Nigeria. Concerned about the possibility of diminished influence and prestige, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has responded to neo-Pentecostal churches by adopting more of its rivals’ beliefs and practices. This paper argues that this changing environment explains, in part, Nigerian opposition to efforts at global Anglican unity and argues that it is impossible to address the future of the Anglican Communion without first understanding the on-the-ground religious context in Nigeria.

Keywords

Anglican Communioncharismaticneo-PentecostalismNigeriaPentecostalismprosperity gospel
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Anglican Studies , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , November 2012 , pp. 231 - 250
Copyright
Copyright © The Journal of Anglican Studies Trust 2012

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Footnotes

1.

Jesse Zink is a doctoral student in theology and assistant chaplain at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

References

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