Last posts on university of padova

A new leading figure of the European research field on African churches

2012-06-09T18:02:00+02:00

Remember Annalisa Butticci’s name : as the Padova International Conference on Pentecostalism reaches its end today, she’s the one to be praised (along with her mentor Enzo Pace) for boosting studies on Pentecostal and immigrant churches in Latin Europe.

After having completed her Ph.D in Sociology and Methodology for Social Science Research from the Catholic University of Milan (Italy), she conducted an ambitious field work, both in Nigerian immigrant churches and in Nigeria (she spent 8 months in Lagos), and she just achieved an amazing task in organizing such a large and successful conference in Padova. (Click to continue)

I confess I did not previously know her, and (shame on me), I barely returned her emails before the conference (a bad habit I have to be overwhelmed by unanswered emails).

Let’s say that she is definitely a scholar to be known, not just because she’s very smart and well specialized, but also because she’s a skilled organizer, mixing professional efficiency with smiling diplomacy and a masterful sense of timing. Speaking a perfect english, she's about to become a leading figure of the European research field on Pentecostals and immigrant churches.

New African churches : contrast between France and Italy

This is all the more good news that the field is enormous. Thousands of new churches flourish on the European field, mostly boosted by African immigration. These churches are young, lively, poor and growing. It is more than time to study them from a comparative point of view. In that respect, one of the things that struck me today is the sharp contrast between France and Italy.

Both of these Latin countries are quite secular now, within a Catholic cultural framework. However, the way Pentecostal Immigrant churches deal with other actors differs dramatically. While in France, several bridges have been built between African churches and current Protestant networks (specific curriculum in theology or Bible schools, Mosaïque network, etc.), nothing similar is observed in Italy.

According to what I heard today morning, Italian Pentecostals do not seem to have develop any regular relationship whatsoever with new Nigerian Pentecostal churches in Italy. Another revealing conclusion is that African churches in Italy seem apparently less multicultural than their French counterparts. While lots of immigrant churches in France mix people from different backgrounds, the Italian landscape seems more "segregated" (so to speak), in spite of many people of goodwill, including some Catholics.

Nigerian female pastor in Italy (from the Na God ! Exhibit)

Explaining the French-Italian gap, waiting for more comparative studies

Why such a contrast between France and Italy ? Several reasons could be highlighted.

1/ African Churches in France are a bit older than in Italy, giving more time to built bridges;

2/ African Churches in France are mostly speaking French, which helps so much to cmmunicate with other French Protestants;

3/ There is a very strong and lively French caribbean population in France. This 100% French population shares with African immigrants the same dark-skinned phenotype and some cultural bonds; this helps to create a bridge within churches between "native" French and African newcomers, while such a situation does not exist in Italy;

Several other reasons could probably be mentioned too, emphasizing the need to further comparative studies at the European scale.

Kingdom Theology : a shift within Health and Wealth Gospel?

2012-06-08T00:39:00+02:00

As a keynote speaker at the 2012 Padova international conference on Pentecostalism (Italy), I was glad to present my paper today (Friday 8th of June, 2012).

I was not the only one : several fascinating studies have been presented, including one describing a theological schift occuring within the Health and Wealth Gospel trend in Nigerian Pentecostalism.

Click to continue

According to professor Danny McCain, University of Jos, Nigeria (pictured below), this "Kingdom Theology" which is currently gaining popularity among Nigerian Pentecostals teaches that God created the World on everlasting principles.

Therefore, if God's Kingdom is to be restored to the earth, His people should discover and apply them as much as possible. This includes honesty, hard work, discipline, good stewardship, family values and good health.

Sunday Adelaja, famous megachurch pastor in Ukraine (pictured above), appears to be one of the leading figures of these "Apostles in the marketplace", who basically teach that instead of the basic "seed theology" of a crude variety of Health and Wealth Gospel" (give the more you can to God, and God will give you), this new refined version of Health and Wealth Gospel restores individual responsability and hard work.

Will God give back? Yes sir! But as long as His creatures take seriously their calling to work, to discipline, dedicating themselves to create riches for the good of the Kingdom.

Religion studied by social sciences: the visual turn

2012-06-07T11:15:00+02:00

As I attended the first day of "Pentecostals, politics of space and power", the Padova international Conference organized by Professor Enzo Pace and Annalisa Butticci, let's highlight one inspiring concept emphasized by Annalisa Butticci : contemporary teaching and science are facing a "visual turn".

Less texts, more images. Social sciences have to adapt!

It makes all the more relevant "Na God", the picture exhibit realized by gifted photographer Andrew Esiebo (pictured left).

As quoted from the "Na God!" website, "With a deep and intimate gaze, Andrew Esiebo shows religious emotions, liturgical objects, sacred spaces, altars, and Sunday styles. The exhibition guides the observers throughout an intensive emotional and visual journey going from Lagos, Nigeria to Rome, Verona, Padova and other Italian cities."

This visual experience is also a cognitive experience, illustrating one important contemporary dimension of these Christian diasporas : it not just a "transnational reality". It is also a "circulating territory" (1) with its own rituals, language, boundaries.

(1) Alain Tarrius, "Territoires circulatoires et étapes urbaines des transmigrant(e)s", in Regards croisés sur l'économie, 2010/2 (n° 8), p.63-70.

Pentecostals, politics of space and power (Padova, 7-9 June 2012)

2012-06-06T17:00:00+02:00

Pentecostals in Italy? Nothing really new, as Pentecostals spread in the motherplace of Catholicism since the beginning of the XXth Century.

However, this italian pentecostal landscape is rapidely changing through African first-generation immigrants, mainly from Ghana and Nigeria. More and more new African Pentecostal Charismatic Churches are now spreading in cities like Milano, Pavova or Rome.

This is one of the reasons why scholars Enzo Pace and Annalisa Butticci have successfully conducted a 4 years research project on African Pentecostal churches in Italy. The coming Padova Conference (7-9 June, 2012) aims to share the results of this project, as well as boosting comparisons and further studies.

This Padova conference will discuss findings on case studies, work-in-progress, and empirical research that enhance knowledge and understanding on the power of Pentecostalism to shape new social, cultural, religious and urban landscapes.

I will have the priviledge to be guest speaker in this conference, along with many distinguished colleagues including several from Nigeria, like Yeronke Olademo, who is a Professor of Religions at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria (picture).

Along with this international conference, a great photographic exhibition is made available, exploring some of the most important features of Nigerian and Ghanaian Pentecostalism. Its name is Na God!

Na God is an expression in West African Pidgin English. It means “It Is God” and is usually used when people are blessed with miracles, healing, deliverance, wealth and succes in life. Na God! God did it! To know more, click there