Worship: A window into Pentecostal Theology

Swedish Missiological Themes, 102, 1 (2014) Worship‫ ؛‬A Window into ?entecostal Theology Martina Prosén General Introduction of study This iext is to introduce the research project Worship: a Window into Pentecostal Theology, which is a ‫ ؟‬ualitative study seeking to shed light on Pentecostal theology through an investigation of worship as it is practiced in two urban Pentecostal/€harismatic churches in Nairobi, Kenya. At the heart of Pentecostalism is its spirituality, and this spirituality finds worship as one of its major expressions. Thus worship may serve as a window into the very heart of Pentecostalism. The study combines systematic theology with ritual theory‫ ؛‬and aims at analysing 1) the ritual firnction of worship, 2) the theological motivation behind worship, and 3) the theology expressed in worship. Worship is here understood in a narrow sense, namely as designating the first part of a Pentecostal/Charismatic church service integrating communal songs, music and prayers. This forms an essential part of P e m ^ ^ l/C h a rism a tic ritual, as Daniel Albrecht and others have shown.^ However, the concept of worship has several layers of meaning and it will be part ofthe study to investigate these. The study is based on fieldwork, using an ethnographic method to collect data from participant observations, interviews and lyrics.‫أ‬ The researcher is a doctorate candidate in Mission Studies with Ecumenics at Lund University and a member ofthe research project: ‘Looking for wholeness ‫ ط‬an en-chanted world: Healing, Prosperity and Ritual action in African Charismatic/Pentecostal Churches’. ‘ Informed b}‫ ׳‬theorists such as Catherine1‫ اﺀو‬. Roy Rappaport and Ronald L. Grimes, among others. 2 ٥. Albrecht, ( ‫و‬ ‫ ا‬99‫ر‬. Rites ofthe Spirit; A ritual approach ‫؛‬٠Pentecostal/Charismatic Spirituality. 3 Informed by theorists such as Karen O’Reilly and Corrine Glesne, among others. 88 Martina Prosén Presentation of Research Field and Relevanee of study Pentecostalism is one of the world’s fastest growing movements and according to some statistics has as many as 600 million adherents globally. Many scholars have tried to define Pentecostalism as a global phenomenon, sparking a sometimes heated debate as to what criteria should be used and what churches should be included within the term. Can we even speak of Pentecostalism in the singular anymore? The well-known expert on global Pentecostalism Allan Anderson has provided a brief yet comprehensive overview of this discussion and proposed a four-fold typology/ Arguing for an inclusive use of the term Pentecostalism, he says, ‘The term itself is one with shortcomings but despite its inadequacy refers to churches with a fam ily resemblance that em p h asise the working of the Holy Spirit.’‫؟‬ Using a multi-disciplinary combination of criteria, Anderson divides global Pentecostalism into four overlapping types: 1) Classical Pentccostals movements, churches and denominations w‫؛׳‬th diachronous and synchronous links to the Pentecostal revivals and missionary movements of the early bventieth century in North America and Europe; 2) Older Independent and Spirit Churches - movements originating in independent revivals in Sub-Saharan Africa, India and China, usually without synchronous links to classical Pentecostals; 3) Older Church Charismatics - Charismatic renewal movements in the established churches (Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, etc.) practicing spiritual gifts and forming their own networks inside those churches; and 4) Neo-Pentecostal and Neo-Charismatic Churches - a wide variety of independent Charismatic churches and ministries, emerging since the 19?0s and often marked by their charismatic preachers, a willingness to embrace contemporary culture (including music and media) and their appeal to a young, urban generation.6 However, ft is not always clear how to categorise ٤‫ ؛‬specific church or individual since categories overlap and churches and people change over time. Initial interviews conducted by foe researcher with church leaders in 4 ‫ ا] لا؛ث‬Anderson, ''‫؛؛‬ ‫ ﻧﻤﻢ' ا‬،‫ت‬ ،‫ ا؛‬, Taxonomies, andrteiinidons’, in Studying Global Pentecostalism: Theories and Methods, Allan Anderson et al (eds) (BeTkeley: UniveTsity ofCalifornia Press, 2010). The figure is taken from research made by David Barett whieh uses a wide definition o^enteeostalism and eited in Anderson, p. 14. 5Ibid., p. 15. *Ibid., 16-20. Worship 89 Nairobi, Kenya revealed an internal debate as to whieh churches should be considered Pentecostal or Charismatic and whether their own churches fit into these categories. Depending on who is speaking, in what context, and from what perspective, definitions and self-definitions vary. In Africa south ofthe Sahara, including Kenya, toe Pentecostal movement is particularly strong and plays an important part to society. In toe year 2000, Pentecostal church members comprised approximately 14% ofthe Kenyan population,7and so these ehurches have a great influence both politically and culturally. Neo-Pentecostal churches are found primarily in urban settings and have established a niche in catering for the needs of upwardly mobile, urban Kenyans.8 Their attraction is especially great among young people, and a major explanation to this is what Ogbu Kalu calls ‘toe charismatic liturgy’,‫ ؟‬with songs and music appealing to toe young, modem, Kenyan.‫״؛‬ This study focuses on two urban, English-speaking churches in Nairobi that can boto be considered part ofthe broader Pentecostal movement. One of them has classical Pentecostal roots and toe other is a non-denomtoational ehurch with Baptist roots. Boto are middle-class churches, although one of them targets young professionals, while toe otoer comprises all generations. This also affects their l i t u r g y and worship styles. Despite worship being sueh an important part of Pentecostal spirituality and despite Pentecostalism having such a wide following in Kenya, there has been very little research done to this area. This study will generate new empirical data, adding to toe global study ofPentecostalism in general and its theology to particular. As one of very few qualitative studies focusing on Penteeostal worship in Eastern Africa, it will lead to new and valuable knowledge of Pentecostal spirituality and ritual in this region. Eastly, it will shed light on Pentecostalism in Kenya and especially ٠٥ toe way urban middle-class churches handle toe tensions between global and local, Western and African. 7 Kalu (2008), p. 5. Compare Ore The Pew Forum on Religion <٤‫م‬،،‫ﺀ' س‬L ife, ‫ا‬¥‫ ﻧﺂا‬، ‫ آل‬:s ‫ ؛‬، < ' ‫؛‬, that as many as 50% (!) ofthe population of Kenya are ‘Renewalists’, i.e. has a Christian faith that emphasises the experience of the ttoly Spirit, although belonging to different denom inations 8 Parsitau ‫ ه‬Mwaura (2010), p. 1. ’ Kalu (2008), p. 121. ‘٠Parsitau ‫ ه‬Mwaura (2010), p. 6, 15. 90 Martina Prosen Research Procedure Given the experiential eha!‫־‬acte'r ©١' Pe'nteeostaiism, an investigation of its theology cannot he restricted to academic writings alone but must include other expressions of faith, such as songs and prayers. For this, an ethnographic method is suitable as it brings the researcher close to the believers in their own setting. The researcher will carry out fieldwork in three phases, starting from January 2013. The researcher is currently in the second phase of fieldwork, ending in March 2014. Methods include: 1) participant observation in Sunday services and other church gatherings in order to see how worship is practiced and expressed and how it connects to other parts of the ritual, 2) interviews with pastors, worship leaders, musicians and congregants in order to understand the deeper dimensions of theology and ritual, 3) a demographic survey of each church in order to get a picfirre of each setting, and, 4) a collection of lyrics in order to analyse the content of songs in detail. All observations are video-recorded and all interviews andin-recorded and transcribed- The researcher also writes detailed field notes in order to remember and reflect on her experiences in the field. Through the triangulation of method, the researcher is able to investigate both the ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ perspectives of worship and thus create rich collection of material. The data will be analysed from a theological and ritual perspective and the final thesis is due to be submitted by the end of2016. Bibliography Albrecht, Daniel E. (1999). Rites ofthe Spirit; A ritual approach ‫؛‬٠ Pentecostal/Charismatic Spirituality. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Prass. Andersson, Allan. (2004). An Introduction to Pentecostalism. Global Charismatic Christianity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Andersson, Allan. (2010). ‘Varieties, Taxonomies, and Definitions’, in Allan Andersson ‫ ه‬Michael Bergunder ‫ ه‬André Droogers ‫ ه‬Comelis van der Uaan (Edts.), Studying Global Pentecostalism; Theories and Methods. Berkeley ‫ ه‬Tos Angeles: University of California Press. Bell, Chatrine (1997) Ritual Perspectives and Dimensions, ()xtorrl University Press: Oxford. Glesne, Corrine. (2011). Becoming Qualitative Researchers. An Introduction. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Worship 91 Grimes, Ronald L·. (1982) ‘Mapping the Field ofRitual’, in Beginnings in Ritual Studies. Hornborg, Anne Christine. (2005). Ritualer. Teorier och tillämpning. Lund: Studentlitteratur. H0 G, Tuija (^011) ‘Praising as Bodily Practiee: The Neocharismatic Culture of Celebration.’ 1 T. Ahlbäck (ed.) Religion and the Body. Âbo: The Donner Institute for Research in Religious and Cultural History. Kalu, Ogbu (2008). African Pentecostalism; An Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press. Liamputtong, Pranee. (2010). Performing Qualitative Cross-Cultural Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Meyer, Birgit. (2010). ‘Pentecostalism and Globalization’, in Allan Andersson ‫ ه‬Michael B e rg u n d e r André Droogers ‫ ه‬Cornells van der Laan (eds). Studying Global Pentecostalism; Theories andMethods Berkeley Los Angeles: University of California Press. Rappaport, Roy. (1999) Ritual and Religion in the Making ofHumanity. Cambridge: Cambridge Univeristy Press O’Reilly, Karen. (2005). Ethnographic Methods. London ‫ ه‬New York: Routledge. Robbins, Joel. (2011) ‘The Obvious Aspects of Pentecostalism: Ritual and Pentecostal Globalization.’ In Practicing the Faith: The Ritual Life ٠/ Pentecostal-Charismatic Christians, edited by Martin Llndhardt, 49-67. New York: Berghahn Books Parsitau, Damaris s. (2006) ‘Then Sings My Soul: Gospel Music as Popular Culture in foe Spiritual lives ofKenyan Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians\Joum alofReligionandPopularCulture,14(2006).http://www. usask.ca/relst/jrpc/artl4-singsmysoul-print.html Parsitau, Damaris S.‫ ه‬Philomena N. Mwaura, (2010) ‘God in foe City. Peutecostallsm as an urban phenomenon in Kenya’. Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae (October 2010), htty://for.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/ handle/10500/4631/Parsitau-Mwaura-SHEXXXVI_2_-October2010. pdf?sequence=l. The Pew Forum on Religion ‫ ه‬Public Lifo: ‘Spirit and Power; A 10-Country Survey of Pentecostals’ (Oct. 2006) h t^ ://w ^ ^ w f o ^ .o r g /C f o ‫־‬istian/ Evangelical-Protestant-Churches/Spirit-and-Power.aspx (2012-02-25). ‫ه‬ ‫ه‬ ‫آلﻣﺂورلم؛‬ Copyright and Use: As an ATLAS user, you may priut, dow nload, or send artieles for individual use according to fair use as defined by U.S. and international eopyright law and as otherwise authorized under your resp ective ATT,AS subscriber agreem ent. No eontent may be copied or emailed to multiple sites or publicly posted without the copyright holder(s)’ express written permission. Any use, decompiling, reproduction, or distribution of this journal in excess of fair use provisions may be a violation of copyright law. This journal is made available to you through the ATLAS eollection w ith perm ission from the eopyright holder(s). 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