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  • Aspects of Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe by Lovemore Togarasei
  • D. Dmitri Hurlbut
Aspects of Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe. Edited by Lovemore Togarasei. vii + 234 pages. Springer, 2018. €93.59 cloth; €93.59 paper; ebook available.

Edited by Lovemore Togarasei, a professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Botswana, this volume brings together sixteen essays by scholars, most of whom are based at the University of Zimbabwe. The book sheds light on the historical, theological, social, and economic dimensions of Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe by drawing on a wide range of methods and sources that include not only participant-observation, but also textual analyses of newspapers, questionnaires, sermons, and interviews conducted with male and female Pentecostal leaders and Pentecostal activists.

The book is divided into four parts. Section one explores the historical context of Zimbabwean Pentecostalism. The themes and topics discussed in this section—including the Pentecostalization of mainline churches, the prosperity gospel as a central characteristic of African Pentecostalism, Pentecostalism as an urban phenomenon, as well as the similarities and differences between African indigenous churches and Pentecostal churches—will be familiar to experts on African religions.

The second part examines the doctrinal dimensions of Zimbabwean Pentecostalism. This section analyzes the connection between health and prosperity, the role of glossolalia in identity formation and Pentecostal ministry, the controversial nature of the prosperity gospel in the public sphere, and the appeal of the Old Testament to Pentecostal preachers. One of the most important observations here comes from Kudzai Biri, who argues in Chapter 6 that there are nuanced differences between the prosperity messages of different Pentecostal churches. Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe do not espouse a monolithic doctrine of health and wealth.

The third section discusses the social and economic relevance of Zimbabwean Pentecostalism. The chapters in this part of the book detail how Pentecostalism has empowered women to assume authority as religious leaders, and promoted economic growth by encouraging church members to be entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for employment through the provision of social services. They also probe the appeal of Pentecostal faith healing practices, and the role that Pentecostal churches play in the political sphere. The outlook of Tapiwa Praise Mapuranga, Mervis Zungura, Eve Zvichanzi Nyemba, along with Togarasei and Biri on the social, economic, and political contributions of Pentecostal churches to African society is more sympathetic and positive than the majority of secular scholars, such as anthropologist Paul Gifford who has argued that Pentecostal churches "encourage a passive acceptance of disasters, misfortune and a lack of social responsibility" (165). [End Page 141]

The final part of the volume delves into some issues associated with the growing prominence of Pentecostalism within Zimbabwean society. The chapters in this section describe how Pentecostal churches have demonized Shona religion in order to win converts, analyze how Pentecostal Christians interpret the Bible, and reflect on the future of Pentecostal studies. Chapter 14 underscores the importance of counteracting the urban bias within Pentecostal studies. Nisbert T. Taringa and Macloud Sipeyiye show that rural Pentecostal congregations are more open to coexisting alongside traditional religion than urban congregations. This leads us to wonder in what other ways the rural setting has transformed Pentecostalism.

This insider account is not without its limitations. Pentecostal Pastor Evan Mawarire and the #ThisFlag movement, which Mawarire led to oust the government of former president Robert Mugabe between 2016 and 2017, escapes any mention in Zungura and Nyemba's discussion of Pentecostal churches and Zimbabwean politics. Recent literature in Pentecostal studies has highlighted the transnational nature of African Pentecostalism, but the transnational dimension of Zimbabwean Pentecostalism receives only scant attention (42–43).

This collection of essays could have benefited from a stronger editorial hand. Many chapters, for instance, redundantly retrace the origins of Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe and outline the biblical foundation for the prosperity gospel. The volume also needed better copyediting, as easily avoidable typographical errors proliferate throughout the text.

Despite the issues and questions that I have raised in this review, Aspects of Pentecostal Christianity in Zimbabwe would provide a useful introduction to Pentecostalism in Africa and the African religious landscape for those with no prior knowledge of either.

D. Dmitri Hurlbut
Boston University

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