Leo Igwe writing in Ethical Technology:
Anybody who thinks that the wave of christianity based witch hunting and pentecostalism sweeping across Africa and migrant communities is due to some unique strand of piety and religiosity of Africans should think again. The rise of African pentecostalism has a lot to do with the 'business acumen' of the region's 'pastorpreneurs' who are exploiting the situation in the region.Poverty, lack of effective education and employable skills, despair and bad governance, local and global religious politics and weak state institution have created a growing market of desperation, anxiety and uncertainty. Many Africans who find themselves in this situation look for ways and means to satisfy their basic needs- health, jobs, marriage and family life, social and political success etc. In a region where most people lack the material means to satisfy their basic needs and aspirations, in societies where the goods of science and technology are marketed in forms that are out of the reach of most members of the population, people resort to spiritual and supernatural means to process their needs. Self acclaimed men and women of God cash in on this situation. They establish faith companies and market spiritual alternatives and solutions to mundane problems...[continue reading]
David Oyedepo image via Sahara Reporters
