‘Power in the Name of Jesus’: Social Transformation and Pentecostalism in Western Nigeria ‘Revisited’

Abstract

One of the most remarkable recent trends in Nigeria has been the rapid rise to religious and social prominence of the so-called ‘charismatic’ or ‘pentecostal’ Christian movement. In the space of little more than a decade, thousands of new churches and evangelical groups have cropped up in the cities and towns of the south. Those established earlier, either by American and British missionaries or Nigerians are experiencing an unprecedented revival. While research continues on the dizzying multitude of ‘indigenous’ new religious movements, still focused for the large part on the ‘Aladura’ churches of Western Nigeria¹ very little has appeared in the literature on this new wave of Christian churches.² Because of the strong links which exist between these churches and their American or British brethren, as well as the marked increase of this type of Christianity throughout the continent, indeed most of the ‘Third World’,³ many scholars and religious leaders are tempted to view the rise of these churches solely from the point of view of their foreign origins and connections.⁴