Pentecostalism and the Tangibles: An African Theological Reflection on Materiality

This groundbreaking volume offers a pioneering Pentecostal theology of materiality, rooted in an African theological perspective that affirms the cultural, religious, and biblical dimensions of material experience. This groundbreaking volume offers a pioneering Pentecostal theology of materiality, rooted in an African theological perspective that affirms the cultural, religious, and biblical dimensions of material experience. Bridging theology and the lived realities of African Pentecostalism, the book examines how material practices—ritual objects, spaces, and embodied expressions—are not peripheral but central to Pentecostal faith and worship. Through a historical and theological analysis, the book highlights how the materiality of religion, often overlooked in theological discourse, is vital to understanding both classical Pentecostalism and the emergence of new prophetic churches across Africa. It argues that sacred texts, particularly the Bible, must be taken seriously in any theological account of religious materiality. At the same time, it asserts that Pentecostal spirituality is shaped as much by the visible and tangible as by the spiritual and unseen. With its interdisciplinary scope, this book is essential reading not only for Pentecostal scholars and theologians, but also for researchers in religious studies, anthropology, and sociology. It invites readers to rethink materiality as a theological category, offering fresh insights into how African Pentecostalism redefines the relationship between the sacred and the material world.