Christopher Wadibia: Political Pentecostalism and Faith-Based Development in Nigeria, Gebunden

Klappentext

This book examines how the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), mobilises its theological and political interests to invest in social development in Nigeria . Focusing on the church's extensive development portfolio, the book analyses how the RCCG negotiates the tension between charity-driven social welfare and a prosperity-centred theology that underwrites large-scale commercial enterprise.

Drawing on ethnographic research with senior church leaders and development institutions, the book shows how prosperity theology is not simply a doctrine of accumulation, but a strategic resource that enables the RCCG to bankroll an effective Pentecostal micro-state. Through investments in both education, healthcare and welfare, and profit-generating enterprises, the RCCG compensates for state failure while generating political capital to support a wider religious and socio-political vision.

Situating these practices within the framework of third-generation Pentecostalism, the book establishes productive parallels between RCCG theology and Catholic social teaching, demonstrating how both traditions draw on religious content to shape individuals, institutions, and communities. Through offering a balanced assessment of prosperity theology and a detailed organisational analysis of RCCG development institutions, this study provides a significant contribution to scholarship on African Pentecostalism, theology, and urban development.