African Religio-Cultural Heritage of ‘Charms and Amulets’: ‘Ritual Wrist Bands’ as Power, Protection, and Healing Symbolism in African Neo-Pentecostalism
This article investigates the increase in the usage of ‘symbolic ritual wrist bands’ as symbols of power, protection, and healing in neo-Pentecostals seen as resonating with the religio-cultural practice of ritual bands in African primal religions. The study demonstrates that such practices indirect...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2024
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| In: |
Journal of pentecostal theology
Year: 2024, Volume: 33, Issue: 1, Pages: 100-119 |
| IxTheo Classification: | BS Traditional African religions FD Contextual theology KBN Sub-Saharan Africa KDG Free church RJ Mission; missiology |
| Further subjects: | B
neo-Pentecostals
B Cultural Heritage B Symbolism B Ritual Objects B Symbols B Healing B Powers B Protection B Culture B Mission (international law |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This article investigates the increase in the usage of ‘symbolic ritual wrist bands’ as symbols of power, protection, and healing in neo-Pentecostals seen as resonating with the religio-cultural practice of ritual bands in African primal religions. The study demonstrates that such practices indirectly satisfy the deep yearning of traditional communities who maintain a strong feeling of the versatility of symbolic ritual bands. The fact that most Africans remain deeply ingrained in their religio-cultural environment where it is believed that ritual bands attended to their spiritual and physical needs, the usage of symbolic wrist bands in most neo-Pentecostal churches is seen as bridging the gap created by missionary Christianity. This study employs the missio-cultural theory to explore the extent to which neo-Pentecostals are reconceptualising the idea of ritual wrist bands in the practice of African Christianity. It concludes that the neo-Pentecostal proliferation of wrist bands is relevant in the spiritual, psychological, social, cultural and theological missionising effort in Africa. |
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| ISSN: | 1745-5251 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of pentecostal theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/17455251-bja10054 |